In our first working day in Ethiopia we visited different people who the MTW project supports in their homes. As Americans we are often given the best seats in the house and are offered food out of their little. Hospitality is extremely important in their culture. This create opportunity for guest to share the gospel and truly be listened too. Ethiopian Orthodox probably will not listen to a fellow Ethiopian who is now a Protestant. I try and kindly reject the food as I will become sick if I eat, but I am still awe struck by the Ethiopian people's hospitality. The first house we visited the woman told us about how she and her son were both HIV+. Her husband had died about 6-7 years ago and since then her neighbors had tried to legally claim the house that she and her husband had owned.  Legally the house was decided by the courts to belong to her, but her neighbors would often make life difficult for her. One of the ways they did so is by rejecting her visitors that came to the door that the houses shared. This is especially hard on her as she runs her business out of her home. There are many holes in her roof and along the wall.  There were visible cockroaches and we did encounter a rat, but I managed to keep my cool. She was asking the program there that when money becomes available that they help renovate her house. One of the renovations she was asking for was to move the door to her house to a different spot so she didn't have have to share a front door. Another woman we visited was clinically depressed and did not like to drink so she was constantly suffering from dehydration. I had read about her problems from prayer requests shared by the team, but going and meeting her brought the reality of the situation close to my heart. Another woman we visited had a personality that I think filled all of Ethiopia. She was HIV+, in addition she had multiple health problems that caused her a lot of pain. She had an 18 year old son who was not doing anything to help support her. She did find joy in caring for a flower that grew in a pot outside of her house. She said that she would water it twice a day. She would even if she had forgotten to water get up out of her bed to water it. Flowers and nature seemed to be her one joy amidst many struggles. The story may not sound funny as I write it, but our translator was laughing so much that he found it difficult to translate. 

The next day we held a clinic and I worked in the pharmacy portion of the clinic. I love attempting to use the Amharic that I have learned, but I appreciate all the translators that help me effectively relay information to the patient about the medication they are receiving.  

I still like Ethiopian coffee and discovered I like kolo as well. Kolo is toasted barley, delicious. Kolo, popcorn, and coffee make the perfect mid-afternoon snack!