The Stuff Legends are made of…?

Lessons Learned during site visit:

1. When it's 5:00 am, still pitch black outside, and your supervisor disappears into the surging throng of people at the Addis Ababa bus station who are pushing, screaming, and hollering in an attempt to find their bus, leaving you lost, completely alone, and vulnerable with half of your worldly belongings strapped to your back- the best way to keep from panicking is to remind yourself that you're not in mortal danger, you're in Ethiopia, and this might be funny… someday. Not yet.

2. When rescue comes in the form of tall, dark, and handsome peace corps driver, be grateful. Even if he is accompanied by the slightly out-of-touch training director who reassures you by saying, "this is the stuff legends are made of." Really? Can you please give a single example of a legend that resulted from bus station chaos?

2a. When you're waiting for an hour for your supervisor to reappear and your worldly possessions get too heavy, don't set them down behind a bus. The bus may decide to back up, resulting in a near, true Catan-strophe (Catan was in the backpack… could have been so much worse than it was).

3. When looking at the route to site, you may be tempted to get excited about driving through the Blue Nile Gorge. Resist. The Blue Nile Gorge is strikingly similar to the Grand Canyon, except green and grassy. There is a reason there isn't a highway running through the Grand Canyon. It would be miserable. There is, however, a highway through the Gorge. It is frequented by overcrowded buses full of people who are convinced that opening the windows to allow fresh air in is the source of all disease. Bodies crammed together combined with winding roads with steep drop-offs combined with blazing sun combined with no ventilation combined with no opportunity to relieve yourself for 8 hours combined with a bumpy dirt road…. Delightful.

3a. If you must ride Ethiopian public transportation, which should be avoided at all costs, don't sit directly underneath the stereo speaker. Unless you like blaring Ethiopian youth group music. Then, by all means… knock yourself out.

4. Upon arriving at site, before agreeing to speak in front of "a few classes" about the importance of being tested for HIV, a few things you might consider: A) You hate talking in front of people. It makes you nervous. B) A class consists of 2,000+ students. C) If you tell approx. 6,000 students to 'temermeroo' (test yourself), they will then know you as 'temermeroo' and all 6,000 of them will yell it at you every single time they pass you on the street. Think carefully before you decide what name you want to go by for the next two years.

5. If you enter your house for the first time and see the only electrical outlet dangling from a wire from the ceiling and think "that could be a safety hazard…" do yourself a favor and keep that in mind. Don't just grab the socket. You'll touch the wrong wire, giving yourself an electrical shock akin to the one you received in the 4th grade when you poured water on an electric fence while holding a metal pan. You don't forget those shocks.

6. Once ascertaining that the bananas are the reason you must run to the latrine every half hour with the worst intestinal problems you've experienced thus far, don't keep eating them. It's not worth it- even if you bought a kilo of them and don't want to waste them. Even if you're craving fruit… learn your lessons the first 3 times. The 4th will strike in the middle of the night and it won't be pretty.

6a. Always keep a roll of toilet paper with you. Always.

7. After spending a week speaking only broken English with a few Amharic phrases thrown in, you may start to think to yourself in this way. For example: "Now. What you do? I am… how do you say… tired? Pajamas. Where? Have not seen in bizuu kenoch (many days). Sleep just in clothes? Ishee (ok)." Don't freak out. I think this might be normal. It helps to rejoin an English speaking community. If this isn't an option, perhaps reading a book would help.


So site visit went well…. Interesting, but good. I'm working in an office that is part of the city administration complex. Not only is the HIV Prevention Office there, but also the Women's Affairs Office, the Youth and Sport Office, and the Microfinance Office. I should be able to find something to keep me busy. I have a quaint-ish two-bedroom house on a compound with my landlord, his wife, and two kids. The city is green, I saw rain for the first time, and there are lots of trees. It was awesome to see more of Ethiopia - it's beautiful. The gorge really is incredible… though I would recommend standing on the rim rather than descending into it.

Things to pray for: that these last 10 days (weird) in Wolisso would be full of good fellowship and community. That we would be protected from attacks of doubt, home/friend-sickness, and loneliness… That the Holy Spirit would prepare and strengthen us for the changes that are coming.

Thanks for the prayers and much love! Miss you guys…