Two Years

It is so crazy to believe that two years ago on August 19, 2008 I left the good ole US of A to serve as a student missionary in Ethiopia. Time flew like a flash while I was there, scattering many countless and cherished memories in its rapid path. I teeter tottered back into the swing of American life, not always sure where I belonged and what I was supposed to be doing.America seemed to have changed drastically, my friends had changed but I realized that it was me who had changed the most. Yes I felt more aware and more appreciative of all I had but I mostly just missed my Ethiopian family and the simple life I had lived during my time there. Before I knew it I had been back for a year and wondered how time had seemingly transported itself faster then ever before. Adjustment sure is an interesting concept.
In honor of my two year mark of, err leaving for Ethiopia, I thought I would post one of my old emails that I sent out before my blogging days. Oh how I long for the day to be with them forever!
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Z Hantuuta!!!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
*this story is meant to be humorous :) *

It was another ordinary Saturday night at the Addis Tasfa children’s home. I was just settling down to read a few chapters of The Orion Conspiracy, then go hang out with the kids. Little did I know another conspiracy was brewing just outside my room. I began hearing screaming and yelling, completely normal in a house of 40 people. Before long the yelling became louder so I went out to investigate. Before I could even get out my door, one of the more courageous boys, Dobolesh, came up to me with a surprise in his gloved hand, a little rat!! Now don’t think of me as a sissy when I say that I screamed like a 5 year old little girl. I am quite fond of rodents actually. I loved having my pet hamsters
Sonic and Flash to play with as a kid but here in Ethiopia rats carry so much disease and other grossness, I prefer to stay away. Dobolesh, being Dobolesh then proceed to chase me around the house with his new little friend while all the rest of the kids attempted to pin me down. No such luck for them however, as 8 months of running in the Altitude finally paid off! I quickly escaped their grasp and dashed out to the kitchen to warn Lizzie who was on her phone, of Dobolesh’s silly plot. I barley gasped out the words when I heard the familiar giggle of a boy up to no good. I ran away while Lizzie tried to do the same. FYI Ethiopia is DARK at night, so when Dobolesh eventually chased me back outside forcing me to leap off our porch and run around the garden, it was a miracle I didn’t trip on anything. The excitement eventually went inside where the tables suddenly turned! The house mother, Shega, who was teaming up with dobolesh tried to throw the rat on me, not cool! That is when our other house mother Mebrate pulled out the big guns. She quickly scooped up the now lifeless Hantuuta and proceeded to chase Shega around the house, it was one of the most hilarious sights I have seen yet! Eventually things calmed down and the poor rat was laid to rest out in the field. I had very vivid dreams that night. Yep, just another ordinary Saturday night in Ethiopia :)



Dobolesh, the rat hunter :-)