Little can be Much

In April I was able to return to Ethiopia after being away for nearly a year. I was somewhat apprehensive not knowing what I would find left of the many projects we started when we were there. Amazingly all the projects were going as well and in some cases better than when we were there. There is way too much to try and update you with all the exciting developments- something like trying to drink from a fire hose. In order to keep this email brief I will only talk about one thing or project for now and then will send you an update every month with details on each of the other projects.

I'll start with the smallest project. This goes to show how "little can be much". This project was started by a donation from Sarah and Rachel's best friend Anna, who went door to door selling cards she had made. Sarah and Rachel also raised money by rolling coins donated by family members and friends, and selling their custom greeting cards. A small micro-loan project was started with members of Sue's Bible study group. When they became Christians they wanted to do something for their communities. One of the lead members stated that previously she would not think of giving anything to her neighbours. Even if she had extra clothes she said she would hoard them and never consider helping anyone. She said that before she felt dead inside, but since she became a Christian she said she now feels a real love and desire to help others. With the help of some dear friends and funds that Sarah and Rachel raised, they were able to start to give small loans to the most needy in the community. We've come to feel that loans to start small businesses are much better than outright gifts. One of the first recipients was Adamu who wanted a loan for a shoe shine kit so he could help provide for his mother. Adamu not only paid the loan back and provided monthly income for his mother but started contributing monthly to a local community savings plan where every month a recipient is selected to win the jack pot. He has already won the jackpot once and is contributing to the second savings plan.

They also started a spiritual lending library in the community so neighbours can borrow books, Bibles and spiritual resources. Emabet one of the leaders has now moved to Addis and is starting the same program there as well as a local Bible study in her home. This project has really taken off with dozens of benificiaries now. Silinat has taken over for Emabet in her community in Bahir Dar as well as Demelesh is on fire coordinating the loans, reporting and expanding in his community. The micro-loans are making a huge difference- Demelesh says there is hardly a family not affected in his community. He spends a great deal of time visiting their projects and sitting in their homes witnessing and talking about life issues. Once they repay the loan a larger loan is possible if they have a plan. Some have expanded their business starting out by simply selling tea to having multiple streams of income from things like seed distribution, basket weaving etc. The little shoe shine boy says that one day he hopes to be a merchant with a large store. He has definitely shown his ability to make the most out of little. I expect he will go far.

Future projects I will update you on are- the People Living With AIDS project (it is going unbelievably well). Vocational Training for young women at risk, The Multi-purpose centre, the Gumuz agro-forestry project, Scholarship projects as well as new partners with a host of new projects. There is much to write about but I'll have to save it for later.

Sarah and Rachel the Fundraisers

Sarah and Rachel have been doing a good job continuing to raise funds for projects in Ethiopia. They have been rolling pennies, selling home-made greeting cards etc. They raised over $300 for the neighbourhood micro-loan and credit project that we started in Bahir Dar. Demelesh, our right hand man while we were in Bahir Dar continues to monitor and run this program. He makes loans available to the poorest of the poor to start their own micro businesses. He has had close to 100% repayment of these loans and it has been a life saver for many.In the meantime I have been beating the bushes trying to find funding for some of the other projects.So far we have rasied over $18,000 for the Gumuz agro-forestry project.

Through the rotary club of Barrie we have the promise of funding for the People Living with AIDS project . I have a presentation to make the first week in March concerning that. They have already sent over a member to see and verify the project. The Christian Salvage mission from Hamilton has agreed to provide and ship a 20 foot container of books from Canada to Djibouti. Now, I just need to find the funding for the inland transport from Djibouti to Bahir Dar. This could be as much as $5,000. We helped set up a community library through KHC while we were there but the shelves are nearly empty.I am the official project support officer for Devxchange and we are expanding to some exciting new projects including a reconstruction project in South Sudan. http://www.devxchange.org/SUDAN%20.html We have some new partners coming on board who are currently in Ethiopia. Heather and Elias and the Entoto Outreach team and they are looking for volunteers. Lots of them- So if you have young people and university students who are looking for ways to make a difference - here is an opportunity- put them in touch with us. Heather and Elias are partnering with a local organization- Beza International http://www.bezainternational.org/

Projects in Bahir Dar

Welcome to our blog. After four years in Ethiopia with little or no Internet service- it was frustrating trying to keep in contact with friends and supporters. Now that we are in Canada we have little or no excuse.

Whether anyone will actually read the blogs is something we will have to see.

One of the unique things about Devxchange is that it is member driven so members need to do more of the information and promotional aspects of the projects they are involved in as opposed to the organization doing the PR work. Thus we are launching on setting up this blog more or less as a running story for you to keep up to date with what's happening.

Fund Raising for Projects

Sarah and Rachel went off for their first day of school. They were both quite apprehensive as it is quite an adjustment coming out of a home school environment in Ethiopia and jumping into the public school system here in Canada. We felt a little bit like we were throwing them to the wolves, but we do know that God is with them.
They both survived their first week and seem to have gotten over their anxiety fears- thankfully for Mom and Dad!
We are adjusting to living back in Canada after 4 years out of the loop. I have attached an update of the various projects with Devxchange so that you have an idea of the various ministries. Currently I am working part time with Devxchange and Sue is looking to work part time in developing her business as a registered massage therapist.
One of the reasons we returned from Ethiopia at this time was to help Devxchange develop a stronger funding base for the overseas projects. There is so much that can be done in the north of Ethiopia through the partners we've established there, but the resources are lacking. I am working at trying to find some organizational funding for projects like People Living with AIDS, vocational training and agro-forestry, but it is going to take some time to make in roads into institutional funding.
We currently have an emergency situation with our Gumuz project. I am super enthusiastic about this project and the incredible change for the better that is coming to this primitive tribal group but we need some interim funding to keep it afloat until I can get some institutional funding to shore up the funding base. The project was initially started with the promise from a major donor to cover 80% of the project. That funding all fell through leaving us with a huge funding short fall. Anything at all that you can do to keep this project going will be very rewarding. The project manager we have through the KHC church is the best I have seen anywhere. He has risked his life on this primitive unreached tribe and he and his family are living in some of the harshest conditions to be found in Ethiopia. It is nothing short of a miracle to see the changes happening among the Gumuz as a result of his efforts with God's help. I promise I won't be sending out appeals on all the great projects in Ethiopia but I want to make you aware of this one because of its importance and current critical state.

Gumuz Success

I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. Everything seemed to be going against us when we started the Gumuz agro-forestry project. The Gumuz have lived for centuries as a war like tribe where killing is one of their highest virtues. They have always been hunters and gatherers eking out an existence by foraging for food and hunting anything that moved. Last year when we visited it was only one month after what was supposed to be a harvest and they were already out of food. This type of existence causes the adults to daily hunt and forage for food leaving the children in the village on their own with only the elderly and the sick to care for them. The mortality rate is extremely high for children under 5 and they suffer from all kinds of health issues including a high rate of malnutrition. An environmental disaster was also in the making as they were cutting down all the trees to sell for charcoal. No one gave our intervention efforts much hope as harmful traditions and cultural practices are ingrained and not changed readily.
I visited our Gumuz agro-forestry project through KHC church just before leaving and the changes in the lives of the people is more than dramatic - it's unbelievable. We visited all of our target project villages and the change was uniform. Fences had been constructed around all the huts and yards of the Gumuz- they were planting crops around their houses and planting medicinal plants, fruit trees, trees for timber, shade, water conservation and others by the thousands. They were staying at home and working hard instead of hunting and foraging. There are also many new believers being discipled through the KHC church and evangelists.
This last year in Bahir Dar we were able to help more than 40 young women at risk and commercial sex workers get vocational training in hair dressing. The graduation included members dressed up in bridal fashion- demonstrating hair styles for weddings. One of the bridal party members was one of the street girls (a little sister) from our big-brother /sister program with the university students.
I returned to Canada June 26 just in time for my nieces wedding (Elise). We will now be stationed in Barrie Ontario for the foreseeable future- working with Devxchange part time and continuing to promote and assist the projects that were started in Bahir Dar.
My work with Devxchange will include Office management, Data management, volunteer coordination, project and project lead member support, financial management support, public relations and promotion. As a project lead member for the many projects that were started in Bahir Dar, I will also be raising funds to continue to see these develop and make an annual trip to monitor the developments.

Trouble in Gumuz Land

Ever since Tadesse (KHC church leader) was in Bible School he had a vision and burden to reach out to the fierce war-like tribe of the Gumuz. After hearing many missionary stories of martyrdom in Bible School, he said we will go and die among the Gumuz. His words nearly came true as recently our project team leader and the agriculturalist were running for their lives with a Gumuz man and his gun coming after them bent on killing them.
To make a long story short this may have been a key event in opening up in roads into the Gumuz. It forced community leaders, KHC leaders and local government officials to get involved to prevent the killings. Reconciliation and a peace pact was formed by all concerned and the project members now have unprecedented cooperation, peace and security in their work amongst the Gumuz.
There are now quite a number of new believers among the Gumuz and two churches have been started among the target villages. The Gumuz are also enthusiastically welcoming the inputs of the team in the area of agro-forestry as it will make a huge difference to their health, income security and the environment.
Several of the Devxchange volunteers have been working with former commercial sex workers in helping them to get some vocational training in hair dressing and get out of the commercial sex business. They were involved with the Mulu Wengel church in setting up a shelter for the girls and see them go through training. The girls have all come to faith in Christ and are now active in the church. The church is helping them to start businesses on their own.
The KHC church also put 20 girls through vocational training for hair dressing and is helping them get jobs and businesses set up including Mekedes- the first girl we helped last year and started the ball rolling. She now has her own business and is doing well, thanks to some Australian donors who provided the loan for starting the business.
For the past two years Sue has been running a Bible study with our guards, house help and a shoe shine boy. All of them come from a strong Orthodox background except one, Demelesh. This year all of them have come to faith and are now starting their own ministries in their local communities. Sue and Alex, a volunteer from Australia, bought or donated many books to them and they set up libraries in their communities. They are calling them "Spiritual Libraries". They have become real lights in their communities. They also started helping some of the poorest in the area. They told the people if at some point they were able to pay back the loan it could help others like them. To their surprise all the loans were paid back. They then started helping others and it has now grown into a substantial micro-loan assistance program. They say people are jumping up and down in the community with joy.
As you know by now, this is our last term in Ethiopia as a family. Sue and the girls have already returned to Canada to close a house deal in the Barrie area. I will be continuing part time with Devxchange to help with administration as well as provide support for the projects we have started in Ethiopia.

Project Updates

Every year the Ethiopian Orthodox Church celebrates what is called ‘True Cross’. This is the symbolic receiving of the Cross Jesus endured. Coincidently the Gumuz also have a cultural ceremony on this day however, it is not in the light of redemption and love. This particular holiday is focused on the local village hero (the most skilled warrior/hunter) who will honor his village by taking the life of another. This hero is placed in isolation to concentrate on the charge he has been selected for and when the time comes he will kill either another Gumuz or Ethiopian man.
The Gumuz have a deep history of animism amongst their tribes and villages. This belief subjects the Gumuz to a constant fear of the dark world, evil spirits and appeasing the organizer and inflictor of it all – the Devil. Sacrifices and offerings are commonly seen around the villages in order to deter evil spirits from bringing harm to their life. Sicknesses are often thought of as punishment from the dark world for not pleasing their requests. Animism holds the Gumuz in a constant fear of the unknown.
On the way into the Gumuz in January we stopped to collect bamboo seeds as the bamboo plant only seeds every 15 years or so. As we stopped to collect seeds we discovered a body. There was a group of visiting Canadians that were traveling with me- they were a little bit nervous as we continued our trip into Gumuz land.
We have helped the KHC church start an outreach program to the Gumuz through agro-forestry. This project is going well and my sister Beth, who visited in February was able to introduce valuable concepts for the Health component. The church has also had an impact spiritually with the Gumuz with about 80 believers now in the 4 targeted villages. They were meeting under the trees but have recently built two multi-purpose church buildings for meeting and training. I am making an urgent appeal for funding for this project as it is critically in need of funds to continue. To read more about this project and help support it click here .
February saw the official opening of the multi-purpose centre with more than 350 people in attendance. This project started with memorial gifts given at my Dad's funeral almost two years ago. A simple block maker was purchased and work began not knowing where the rest of the funding would come from. God provided and the work has taken off in all directions with computer lab, library, People Living With AIDS and micro-finance project, Vocational Training programs, the re-opening of the Bible School, Compassion Project for 250 of the poorest kids in the area and 5 fold increase in the number of members in the church.
After 4 years in Ethiopia we have come to the decision this will be our last term. From the beginning we wanted to make sure that whatever we did we would work with local partners so that when we left the day to day operations would continue on and not depend on us. This enabled us to be involved in starting numerous projects from everything to working with commercial sex workers to a Big Brother/Sister program with the University Students and the many projects with the KHC Church. We are no longer needed in the day to day operations of these projects and will be able to continue to be involved from Canada raising awareness and funding for numerous ongoing issues. Devxchange is also rapidly expanding into new countries with numerous partners that require administrative support in Canada. I hope to continue to make annual trips to Ethiopia to encourage and support the work as well as channel volunteers to assist in various needs. We plan to end our term in Ethiopia the end of June but will continue part -time with Devxchange in the home office so hope many will want to continue to support us in this new phase of ministry. We will keep you informed as things develop.

Christmas in Ethiopia 2007

Christmas in Ethiopia was celebrated January 7. We met with some of the Big Brothers and Sisters from the University and the street kids. We helped start this program a couple of years ago with the Christian university fellowship. The university students become big brothers and sisters to the many street kids in Bahir Dar. This program has really taken off and has now spread to a second university campus. Every time we meet with them there are new members and new street kids that now have a big brother or sister to look out for them.
Earlier in the year our niece, Gypsi Fellows (with a degree in psychology) assisted in conducting several workshops for the university students on being a "street educator". It is very encouraging to see the development in relationships between the university students and their little brothers and sisters. They have really helped change the lives of the street kids. They used to see themselves as creatures destined for the street. They didn't see themselves as children or adults but creatures with only blackness as the future. Many are now attending school regularly and can be seen studying under the street lights at night.
One of the little sisters is now old enough to work full time and we were able to enroll her in our vocational training program for hair dressing. The university students are able to share their lives and Christian faith in a way that is transforming lives.
Sue and Sarah took on a big challenge to share the Christmas story in Amharic using flannel graph material donated by Allon Mack of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Barrie. Sue did an admirable job telling the story in Amharic and Sarah followed right along putting up the appropriate pictures on cue. The story was well received and they asked many questions upon hearing the story. The street kids all come from an Orthodox background and the story of why Jesus came is something that is often misunderstood.
We have exciting news from our last update where we talked about the crisis of people living with AIDS around the church. Women were showing up at the church in tears saying they were on their way to dying with no one to help. So far we have been able to help over 50 individuals, with more than 120 dependents, start small businesses. They are involved in just about every business including small shops, selling oil, making injerra (the staple), painting, horse and gary, carpentry, cutting hair- the list goes on and on. For many it has been a life saver. We organized them into accountability groups of 5 or 6 and they will pay back into the revolving fund every month enabling us to help others. They are asking church members to come and pray for them when one becomes sick.

People Living With AIDS

"We are on our way to dying with no one to help!" We have somewhat of a crisis looming with people living with AIDS (PLWA) in the community around the KHC church we are working with. Every day crying women are coming to the church pleading for help saying that "they are on their way to dying with no one to help." Their condition speaks for itself many are sick and malnourished and they say within two months they will be dead. It is not only them that is of concern but they have many dependants. The support group has about 60 members with over 150 dependants. In Ethiopia 70% of women with AIDS are infected through their husbands. In the group surveyed 40% have already lost their husbands and now they are left infected and with many dependants. Close to 80% of the group have no monthly income.
We have been using volunteers to research the situation. While there are many groups, government and NGO trying to do something for the crisis in Bahir Dar, this particular group have tried all resources and have not been able to get help. It has been particularly frustrating for me as well as I have tried to push my contacts and sources to do something. It reminds me somewhat of the story of the Good Samaritan. Everyone has a good reason why they can't help the man bleeding and dying in the ditch. Thank God that some good Samaritans from Australia (Steve Mackay and Noel Towns) responded to the need and have raised most of the funds needed to help. Our plan is to help setup small retail businesses for those well enough to work- to provide some immediate cash flow. We will provide additional interventions for those not well enough to work. In the long term we want to get them recognized by the government and see land provided for them for urban agricultural products. This is a real opportunity for the church to demonstrate the love of Christ to those forsaken and rejected by all. Click here to contribute to the vocational livelihood fund or for more information.
In November, 14 young women were enrolled in the Vocational Training Fund for Hairdressing (See picture above). This kind of training is to help in keeping young girls out of the commercial sex business, which around 10,000 young girls in Bahir Dar are currently engaged in.
Also in November the new multi-purpose centre was completed and they were able to have their first service. Amid much persecution the church has persevered here in Bahir Dar and it was encouraging to see a small group of less than 30 members a few years ago now with more than 200 worshipping on a Sunday morning and many in small groups in the community throughout the week.

The Gumuz agro-forestry project is well underway. I wrote much about this group in my last update about their values of murder and treachery. For details about this project click here. Much funding is still needed for this project.
With the help of Gypsi (my niece) we were able to conduct several days of training for the Big Brother/Sister program with the University Students. This program reaches out to some of the 6,000 street kids of Bahir Dar by linking up University Students as Big Brothers and Sisters. The students are very enthusiastic about this program and there are many new members this year.

Gumuz Agro-Forestry

Murder and treachery these are values held highly by the Gumuz as a symbol of power, manhood and status. The more men you kill the higher your status. Last year we began to research starting an agro-forestry project among the Gumuz as there seemed to be a desire for change among them including the establishing of several churches through the KHC (Kale Hewett- Word of Life) Church. However, during the recent rainy season June through September the killings have continued even escalating from previous years- a sober reminder of the challenges ahead. Last year the police did a sweep attempting to clear the weapons out of the area but they are all back and in greater numbers. The Gumuz typically hunt and forage with bows and arrows but these days they have machine guns and AK47 assault rifles.
We are setting up a base camp in the town of Gilgel Beles the regional centre for the Gumuz. Two of our volunteers Dan Rossi and Jesse Town accompanied me to help set up the base. They visited an agro-forester with the SIM Janet Winch- who has been working with the Gumuz for several years in an area south of the area we are targeting. While they were there at least 6 killings happened in the villages surrounding the base camp. The SIM runs a school for the Gumuz and 5 of the students had been shot at in the past few weeks with 3 escaping and 2 being killed. 5 of the Grade 10 students have been killed this year so far.
The Gumuz have little or no knowledge of forest management, improved agricultural and health practices or water management. They have been neglected in the provision of services because of their reputation for killing and taking revenge/ payback. Through the KHC church and the efforts of their evangelists some believers and new churches have been established among the Gumuz. These churches and new believers will be key to seeing changes come to the entire tribe. The president of the region is a Christian and is encouraging us that now is the time to do something. In addition to the agro-forestry project we want to see established a leadership development centre and Bible School in the town of Gilgel Beles that can train up Christian Gumuz leaders.
So far this year we've had six volunteers , through Devxchange, over to help us in everything from Teaching English to helping set up vocational training for FCSW's (Former Commercial Sex Workers). They have been a real boost and have fit right in. They are involved in local sports programs through the church as well as music, art, English, micro-loans, people living with AIDS, street kids and vocational training. They have been a real blessing and their enthusiasm has really gained them a place in the heart of the people.
Sue and the girls are doing well. The girls enjoy having so many Aunts and Uncles around (Volunteers). Sue is busy in many things and is continuing her Amharic Bible studies that she started last year. They are now being led by one of the participants (Demelash). They are encouraged by the hunger and growing in faith of the participants. One of the new participants had nothing but a glazed look on his face for the first 3 sessions this year (and he couldn't read), but he is now learning to read and the lights are coming on

Gumuz Startup

This next week I will be leaving for Assosa with Tadesse and Amsalu (two elders from KHC) where we hope to sign an agreement for work with the Gumuz. It is a two day trip one way over treacherous roads so we will be gone for at least a week.
Thank you for all who have helped us transition to Devxchange and ICCM. We are still affiliates of SIM in Ethiopia and the work we are doing remains the same but our funds are now channeled through Devxchange and ICCM.

The Year of the Volunteer

It is now only about a week until we return to Ethiopia and a good time to update you as to developments for this next year. Our departure date has been set for July 29.
Our partner church in Bahir Dar recently had the graduation of 18 from the Bible School. It is the only Bible School north of Addis Ababa. These leaders will be specifically going into church planting ministries throughout the north. We have a real need to find resources and teachers to keep the Bible School open and see a new group of students for this next year.
We have many volunteers coming out to help us this next year. They are coming from 1 to six months. We thought you would like to know who they are so that as we give updates from Ethiopia you will recognize them and pray for them.
Amy Hyong is coming out for August and September to help set up a program through the church for People Living with AIDS. Nearly 1 in 4 in Bahir Dar are HIV positive. The issues are complex but the situation is not hopeless. The church has a real opportunity to play a major role in the community in stopping the spread of AIDS, sharing the love of Christ to those suffering and providing vocational training.
Jessie Town and Gypsi Fellows (Daughter of my sister Beth) will be teaching English at Bahir Dar Academy as well as helping out with the multi-purpose centre and the Big Brother/Sister program.
Oliver Veit, Dan Rossi (Photo not available), and Lizzy Delani (Photo not available) will be helping to get an agro-forestry project going with the Gumuz. Dan just finished as the team leader of a 2,500 kilometre walk charity fund raising drive from Halifax to Markham. Here is a quote from a newspaper "Mr. Rossi said the secret strategy to surviving the often difficult conditions, including heat, stinging insects and cramped rest quarters was to begin their daily 3:30 a.m. walk with a prayer and to never go to sleep angry." The article can be found at http://www.yorkregion.com/article/36191. Dan will be in excellent shape for work amongst the Gumuz where long walks through searing heat is an every day occurrence. The details of this project can be found at http://www.devxchange.org/agro-forestry.asp
Carol Van Overloop with Bachelor of Science in Commerce will be helping to set up our micro-loan credit and financing through the KHC church. Just before I left in May more than 100 prostitutes came to faith in Christ through a special outreach program of a church in Bahir Dar and are in need of finding alternate professions for livelihood. We are hoping to get many of these into vocational training and help them set up viable businesses. Details of this project can be found at http://www.devxchange.org/hair.asp
We also have one volunteer coming from Australia -Alexandra Bennett (Photo not available). She writes "I want to be able to make a difference and to make an impact on people's lives in the name of Jesus. To serve and encourage and help those who struggle to meet the basics ... "
We have greatly appreciated the encouragement and support as we have made the transition from SIM. This next year will be an exciting challenge as we try to get many of these projects off the ground with the help of these enthusiastic volunteers that want to make a difference.

African Adventures

"Who did it?". The Mechanic scowled as he looked at my back wheel. "I did!", I replied. At that he broke out in laughter. It really was no laughing matter, however, when we were on a dirt road, over 2 days way from our destination - Addis, and we saw the sickening sight of our wheel passing us and felt the car coming to a crashing halt. It all started when we had a flat tire. No big deal- we changed the tire and continued. We weren't too far down the trail however, when the wheel fell off. Absent mindedly I had failed to tighten the lug nuts after lowering the jack. Here we were in the middle of nowhere, nearly three days journey from Addis, no phone coverage and our wheel sitting in the middle of a field. Extensive damage had been done to the back wheel and bits and pieces of brake and shrapnel were everywhere. Miraculously within 15 minutes a trucker came along and stopped to help. He disassembled all the broken bits and pieces and somehow was able to secure the wheel minus brakes, drum, and other parts. We were able to make the trip to Addis through mountainous terrain (complete with storms, mud and fog!) with brakes working on three wheels and no emergency brake. Needless to say, we were very thankful to God for the many ways He protected and provided for us throughout the entire experience.
My sister Beth, and a group from Canada that included Susan Black (my nephew's wife who brought the "Sue Black" count up to two!) had come to Ethiopia to assist with some survey work and project planning for our work here. The first part of the trip involved returning to the Gumuz area where we had first looked at a possible agro-forestry project among the Gumuz. Jocelyn Green, one of the survey group members, remarked that this was as close to the end of the world as she had been. The landscape had an eerie surreal appearance as the Gumuz burn the land every year to clear undergrowth and hunt animals.
The Gumuz have so many destructive cultural practices that keep them in chronic poverty and poor health not to mention the environmental disaster they are creating. The good news is that through the Kale Hewet Church over the past three years efforts have been made to contact this group. They have established good relationships and an openness to learning in several villages and one of the towns in the area. Now is the time for the church to reach out to 14 of the villages in the area. Unfortunately there are no roads to most of these villages. The survey team had to walk up to three or four hours in searing heat to visit some of the villages. Even though they took as much water as they could carry, they ran out long before they returned. Some were so parched they could hardly talk.
Water is a major problem for the Gumuz. Finding adequate clean water will be one of the major challenges.
In addition to the agro-forestry project among the Gumuz, the multi-function centre continues to develop in Bahir Dar. In addition to the multiple programs from the centre including English, computers and sports, there are two projects we would like to help launch. One is working with local burial associations and community leaders to develop a program for People Living with AIDS in the community. The second program is for Orphans and Street Kids. We currently have a list of 150 kids we would like to enroll in this program.
This is Sue here. Bob asked me say a little something about a Bible study I'm involved in. A number of months ago I felt a real desire to try to start an Amharic Bible study in our home. So with much prayer, and an Ethiopian friend's language help, we started. After the first study, one woman said to me that she had appreciated it when I gave her the Bible last year because she thought it was good for warding off evil spirits, but she had never thought to read it! She said that she was now very excited and happy to be apart of this study group. She said she didn't realize that God loved all people - she said she was going home to read more. Most people here follow a lot of religious traditions and have many superstitions and fears. Many acknowledge the Bible and Christ, but people usually either don't have access to a Bible and/or they aren't allowed to read the Bible, and especially not the New Testament , and as a result they don't know what the significance of Christ's death and resurrection is. They've responded with such love and gratitude towards God as we've studied the book of Romans together and they've started to discover for themselves what God has done for them through Jesus. It has been an incredible blessing for me to get to be a part of this.
Next year we plan to continue as affiliates of SIM but our donations and receipting will be handled through Devxchange. We will be mailing a written letter shortly with details concerning this.

Ethiopian Culture

For the past couple of weeks Sue has been teaching English to the Bible School students from the KHC Church. Towards the end of the week she gave each student an English to Amharic and Amharic to English dictionary. They were delighted to receive the books, however, they had never seen a dictionary before and had no clue as to how to look up words. She had been teaching using both Amharic and English, but was unprepared that day to explain in Amharic, to people who didn't understand the order of the English alphabet, how to use an English-Amharic dictionary. She tried without success in explaining but they kept asking "what page number?". Eventually with the aid of an Ethiopian friend and great persistence they grasped the concept. It just goes to show you things you take for granted in the West are so foreign to Ethiopia.
My niece asked me to write her some stories on Ethiopian Culture (which reminds me that I haven't done that yet). Almost every week something different seems to hit you. You know you're in trouble when they have a different time (6 hrs different from the rest of the world), a different calendar (they have 13 months), and a different year (it is 1999). Every week you are stumbling on different cultural values. The other week I was asked to drive someone to their home area as they had a death in the family and there was no transport to get them there. I discovered that when someone dies they don't tell the family members who. All they tell them is there has been a death in the family and to come immediately. The anxiety for them is incredible as they don't know if it is spouse, parent, or child or other relative until they arrive. Once they arrive the wailing and the crying starts up and they still haven't a clue as to who has died until they get inside the house. I was a nervous wreck let alone the person I was taking. The many very unusual Orthodox traditions and practices I'll save for another day.
Work continues on the multi-purpose centre. We are hoping it will be finished in May.
My sister and some volunteers are coming at the end of March for a couple of weeks to help with a variety of project plannings including the Agro-Forestry project among the primitive Gumuz, HIV-AIDS program in Bahir Dar as well as Orphans and Street Kids. We will write more about that after their visit.
We have some volunteers coming out this summer for a variety of projects so Sue and the girls are going back to Canada in May and I will be joining them for June. We will be coming back the first part of July.

Gumuz Survey Trip

A little over a week ago I took a survey trip to the Gumuz area in Ethiopia. We were exploring the possible site of an agro-forestry project. The Gumuz are a people originating in the Sudan but spill across the border into Ethiopia. In the past they have been slaves of both Sudanese and Ethiopians. They are a primitive tribe still existing by hunting with bows and arrows and foraging for food.
The area they live in is fertile and also rich in minerals. It could be a very rich area but is extremely impoverished and the ecology is being destroyed. The Gumuz are killing all the natural wildlife in the area and are cutting down all the trees for charcoal, firewood and lumber. When they clear out one area they move to another.
The local church we are working with in Bahir Dar has been targeting this group for the past three years. Several of its members have been working out of a little town called Gilgel Beles. This is the regional centre for the Gumuz that are located north of the Nile (there is another group south of the Nile). They have established good relationships with several of the villages and meet weekly with about 150 of them under trees in the villages.
Here are some of the findings of our survey trip.
Malaria is the number one killer. More than 50% of deaths are caused by Malaria.
There is a high prevalence of malnutrition as their main diet consists of a slop made from millet with little else. It is one month after harvest and their storage bins are empty.
Almost anything will grow in the area, however, fruit trees were all but non existent.
There used to be abundant wild life including elephants, wild pigs, cheetahs, leopards, deer, and many indigenous birds, however, the Gumuz have killed off most of the wild life.
The Gumuz are cutting down most of the trees in the area to sell as charcoal, firewood and lumber without any programs of reforestation.
The Gumuz have a long history of violence and inter-tribal fighting. Armed police are afraid to go into the area. This has prevented much being done in the way of development. Through recent efforts by groups and churches like KHC good contact and relationships have been established to the point they are now wanting to change their past ways for a better future.
We are hoping to see an agro-forestry project established through KHC to address some of these concerns. We are also looking at the need for a more comprehensive health project to address some of the major health concerns.
University Students in Bahir Dar are back at school and we have kicked off the Big Brother/ Big Sister program this year. We are looking at increasing the numbers of participating students this year and have some practical ideas for the students to do that, Lord willing, will improve the life and future of the street kids.
Things continue well at the school I am teaching at and Sue continues to teach the girls at home.