Christmas Time!!!

I have to say that it was really hard to be away from family and friends back home during this season. I missed all the family traditions, BUT God was so great in allowing my time here to be special as well. My roommates and myself got up Christmas morn and shared a special time of giving to each other. We finished our last minute food preparations and headed to our team leaders house. We began with a wonderful brunch and included lots of different cheeses and BACON. Next, we push ourselves away from the table for a brief time to watch my favorite Christmas movie...ELF and to play several rounds of Guess Who with the kids. It was time for dinner, which I really didn't have room in my stomach for...but it was oh so good (ham, turkey and dressing, broccoli, green beans, mashed potatoes, corn and carrots). We then had a time to exchange gifts and to read the Christmas Story. Next, dessert...not sure how I didn't explode, but it was a great day(pumpkin pie, apple pie, candle cake and fruit salad).

Sammie the Sheep

Eid al-Adha"Festival of Sacrifice"is a religious festival celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God. However, God provided a ram in place once Ibrahim demonstrated his willingness to follow God's commands.

Sammie is the Sheep that our guard brought to spend the night in our compound before it was sacrificed the next day. We decided that Sammie should have some photos to remember its last night.

We went to several national's homes to visit and eat with them. I have spared you guys the photos that would have been too much to handle. I have a picture of me using a motar and pastel to grind up garlic.

Thanksgiving!!!

There is sooo much to be Thankful for!! Awesome friends and family back in the States that love and support me!! Great friends and food on this special day!! I think this was the first year that I was sooo excited about the food (roasted chicken and stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole and corn). I realized how much I take for granted the wonderful food that my family has every year and me not having to cook one thing. It was so nice to have a great meal with wonderful friends and to share what all we have to be thankful for.



We were also able to share the meal with some nationals. I am not so sure that they enjoyed it as much as we did. It was neat to hear the things they are thankful for.

Trip to the village

My first helicopter ride. 30 minute flight and I arrived in the village. Funny story: as I am getting off the heli, I fall to the ground. I would like to say that it was because I was so excited about being there or that I was dazing from flight. The heli pad is made out of lava rocks and I am definitely not used to having to walk on rocks. I am used to flat land.

It was great to see exactly where my teammates work and how they live. The people in the village are wonderful...everyone was so nice. There are several really great project going on: Water and Sanitation (building latrines and water wells), Community Health (teaching men and women basic health education as well as teaching English), Agriculture (showing the nationals how to grow crops and introducing raising chickens) and a vocational center (due the day boys and girls that are orphans will learn skills of survival and then at night there will be a place for them to sleep so that they are not sleeping on the streets).

Here are pictures of the compound:

the bathrooms...no western toilets there.
the hut that we sleep in. (made out of mud, dung and then covered with rocks)
kitchen...talk about cooking over an open fire.
inside one of the huts

Thank you!!

Thank you guys so much for your support!! I am sorry that I have not done a better job at updating the blog. Who would have ever thought that this year at times seemed like it flew by and at times seemed to drag. So just to forewarn you, I am going to be writing quite a few blogs in the next couple of day. I hope to catch you guys up with what is going on.

Holiday

For the whole month of September, the nationals have been upholding their customs of Ramadan. They will fast from sun up to sun down...no eating OR drinking. BUT at sunset DO NOT get in their way of food. I was in local transport very close to the time of breaking the fast and thought that there was a chance that I could die. The weaving in and out of traffic was unbelievable. They are already bad drivers, but add to the fact that they are HUNGRY...WOW 10 times worse!! The other day started a holiday called Eid. Eid is the breaking of the month long fast. Everyone gets 3 to 7 days off of work. Everything shuts down. This has been a great time to visit friends. Today my roommate and myself dressed up in the traditional coverings for ladies and went on out merry little way. This was my first time to wear a tobe (toe-ba) and we were greeted with many comments. Everyone kept saying how we are now nationals and that we are not foreigners any more. It was great!!!

Vacation!!

For the past two weeks, I have been on a much needed vacation! First stop: Ethiopia for a conference!! It was beautiful...cold, rainy and green (everything opposite of where I am). We met a lot of great people. One day we went to this crater lake...again it was beautiful!!! There was only an hour there...which we were told that it takes 2 hours just to get down to the lake.

The hotel we stayed in...the first rooms were really nice!!

Reminds me of Savannah, GA.

The cater lake...BEAUTIFUL!!

Next stop: A visit with my mom and sister in Cape Town, South Africa. Again, BEAUTIFUL!!! The three of us packed alot in with only a week. We went on a Safari, whale watching, walking around Table Mountain, shopping, AND a wonderful massage. I enjoyed spending with my family very much so.

Mom, sis and I after going on a safari in the cold rain.

My favorite from our whale watching!!

I want to thank everyone for all the encouragement via cards, pictures and American goodies. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!!!