Our Time With Ethiopian Missionaries Part 1

Isaac and I playing football with his older cousins. He was tired of taking pictures!!

Last Friday night we met with a couple from Holland, Michigan who have been missionaries since 1965. They have been dear friends of Matt’s aunt. They have spent time in Oman, Ethiopia and Liberia. Now they are going to Cameroon in Western Africa for the next 5 months.
The spent two years learning Arabic years ago and took their two young boys with them to Oman. The boys went to school in India while living there.
Both are now in their seventies. Can you imagine taking on a new experience in Camroon at that age? I told Matt most people their age are playing golf and bingo in Florida!
What wonderful people who seek to do God’s will. He is a surgeon who educates in hospitals while she teaches English. I think we could have talked all night long to them.

They just returned home from Ethiopia, about 5 or 6 hours south west of Addis Ababa.
I talked to him about the NOVA program where women often develop obstetrical fistulas during childbirth. He said he has performed those surgeries.
They had written down several sayings and stories. One stands out right now.
A father brought a young boy to him at the hospital. He had a large growth on his face. He kept asking the father why he waited so long to bring him to him because the growth was huge and may not be able to be removed. The little boy said, “it got too heavy and I could not carry it anymore.” Keep in mind the growth was now resting on his shoulder!
He said that when people get diseases, growths etc… they typically hope it goes away and do not seek help.

They gave us several books about Ethiopia and some local artwork painted on sheep’s skin. I am excited to frame it for our little one. Books on Ethiopia have been hard to find to this is a great help to us.
Because we learned so much I will keep posting information they gave to us!

On another note, a friend sent me a daily devotional in the mail this week. We went to graduate school together and though I have not seen her in years it was a blessing to hear from her. Something broke inside of me when I received it. I think my emotions from the babies that have went to heaven in Ethiopia and thinking about our Samuel just came to a head. I had a good cry and talked to God about it.