Trees of Glory

Wednesday afternoon . . .
Yesterday I told y'all about the throngs of people who covered the roads on our trip to Hawassa. Some were obviously headed to or from market, some were herding goats and cows; some it was difficult to determine what their goal was. But today, I did learn another possible reason for what seems to be an endless amount of walking. Drop in centers are not uncommon here in Ethiopia. And that is where we are headed this afternoon - to a place called Trees of Glory. I'm writing this on the way there so I can't truly describe it yet, but it sounds like a combination between a daycare center and the Boys and Girls Club. It's a safe place for kids who are at risk (ummm, I think that's most kids in Ethiopia) to go on a daily basis for shelter, food and education. David & Shanna sponsor a little boy there, so we are going to meet him and take him a care package.


Later that same day . . .

So today was simply a fabulous day. The drive to Trees of Glory took about an hour and a half. I'm not really sure what direction we drove, but we did drive out of Addis into the mountains. Like our drive to Hawassa, any pictures I did take won't really do it justice. It was extremely lush and beautiful. Even thought the sky was overcast with rain off and on, I think that contributed to the beauty. As we drove out of town, the first few miles reminded me of the Great Smoky Mountains. Eventually the trees became less numerous and faded into open meadows populated with typical Ethiopian homes and storefronts. Maybe because the drive wasn't as long as yesterday's, or because it was in a different part of the country, but it didn't seem like there were quite as many people here.
Trees of Glory is not just a drop in center, it is also a school and an orphanage. There are some children who have been orphaned so they obviously live there. But, there are also dozens of children who walk many miles each day to go to school, learn about God, get a couple of meals each day, have a safe place to hang out, and just be a kid. To learn more about this agency, please visit http://www.hopechest.org/trees-of-glory/.

We were immediately greeted by the lady in charge of Trees of Glory. She ushered us into an all-purpose room and with her was the young boy David & Shanna are sponsoring. He was such a cute boy, about 10 years old. He had such a serious, quiet look about him and there was a sadness in his eyes. He does still have a family, but apparently, they struggle, so everyday he walks approximately 40 minutes from his home to the school. We brought him a care package filled with school supplies and 3 new shirts. He was pretty excited; in fact I think he put on 2 of the shirts right away...one on top of the other. Even if there hadn't been a language barrier, I don't know that he would have said much. I think it was pretty overwhelming for him. We had also brought with us a care package for another little boy from another family. Still a language barrier, but this boy had quite an infectious little grin. The two settled in next to Shanna and Mussee to look at some pictures. They all looked so stinkin' precious! At about this time that I was really thankful for my brother and his dry sense of humor (as well as his ability to pick on me). This will surprise many of you, but I was ready to lose it. Those two boys who have pretty much nothing were so sweet, loving and well-mannered, not to mention they were so appreciative of us spending time with them. I turned to my brother and told him to start picking on me, knowing that would allow me to keep it together. He must have been storing up some thoughts about my hair because he didn't miss a beat.

Not only were the boys grateful, but a handful of adults took time out of their day to visit with us. We were blessed with a coffee ceremony; coffee beans were roasted and ground in front of us. When the coffee had boiled, she added it to fresh milk. With a side of popcorn, it was the perfect snack for a rainy afternoon. We were also treated to injera and cabbage prepared two different ways. Defintely interesting and I'm glad I tried it, but not sure that injera will be breaking my top 10 favorite foods.

Before we we left for Addis, we toured the compound. I think I might have to save that experience for another day. Pictures are definitely a part of the story and it is a story all by itself. Until next time...

On the Road to Hawassa...

This trip is such an experience and I have so many friends who have been so supportive and so excited for my family, I decided it was a good time to revive the blog and share the journey. As I've written down some thoughts over the past two days, I've come to realize how difficult it is to come up with the words to describe this moment in my life. I'll try to share different pieces of the adventure over the next few days.

As soon as we arrived in Addis, we went off on our first adventure to Hawassa. The orphanage Musse lived in for a brief time is there and that is where we planned to meet his birth dad. Hawassa is about a 5 hour trip from Addis, I believe south of the capital city. The drive has some spectacular vistas, but it also incredibly heartbreaking. We were on an actual highway for the most part, although not always well-maintained and more like what Americans would call a Farm-to-Market Road. And all along the way are throngs of Ethiopians. They are on foot, on cart, in a taxi...everyway imaginable. Some people are just walking along with nothing but the clothes on their back while others carry packs, water jugs, or fruit & vegetables. Carts filled with cornstalks rolled by as we sped down the roads. Other carts, led by overburdened donkeys, had people as their passengers, sometimes up to 10 or 12 on one tiny cart. While it was pretty sobering, at times there was also humor. Like the time we passed a cart that appeared to have no owner. Upon closer inspection, he was simply napping while letting the donkey lead the way.

Every few miles we would come to a cluster of villages with small children playing outside in the dirt, and if they weren't playing, then they were working in the fields. We saw several families plowing the ground with a pair of cows, or harvesting crops. Mothers and daughters hung their laundry out to dry on fences and rocks. Children as young as 4 or 5 herded the goats and cows alongside the road. More often that not, the livestock was without anyone to herd them and they just meandered alongside the cars. Occasionally, some of that livestock decided to cross the road and we would nudge our way around them.

Along the way we also passed through several towns. Not really what we would consider towns back in the states, but here a variety of businesses lined the road and people bustled from one end to the other. There were still the donkey-pulled carts, but the towns were also filled with taxis and cars, usually filled to capacity. Women sat on the side of the road selling roasted corn and other fresh fruits & vegetables. Stores no bigger than most American master baths sold anything from sodas and candy to car parts and electronics.

Quite possibly the strongest memory from today's journey was definitely the most heartbreaking and the one which left us feeling the most helpless. Driving down a fairly empty road, we came upon a group of about 20 people, wailing quite passionately. One woman fell to her knees in the middle of the dirt road. As we came upon them, we noticed one lone boy on a cart being pulled by a few people. He was about 6 or 7 and his legs were covered with a purple cloth. The woman running beside him had to have been his mother for the look of fear and worry on her face can only be worn by a mom. Several people rushed up to our van, their faces begging us to help. As someone pulled away that purple cloth, we understood their concern. That sweet little boy had a huge gash on his leg and it was covered in blood. Helpless to do anything, we could only pray that they made it to the next town where we saw a clinic.


I do have a few pictures from today, but I can't post them until I get home. Truth be told, the pictures I do have don't do the beauty of the countryside or the extremity of poverty any justice. Unless you've been to a third world country, your mind really can't comprehend what you see. I dont even think the poverty I've seen on mission trips comes close. Quite honestly, I still can't wrap my mind around the things I've seen over the past 36 hours. Over the past few weeks you may have seen the news stories about the Horn of Africa and the dire straits they are currently in. Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya are in the midst of a famine and I can tell you that what you see on TV is only the tip of what is on the news. Thanks for letting me share. I'll try to update tomorrow night.

Audra

My favorite part is the frosting...

Recently, I had the opportunity to take a group of seven high school juniors on a road trip to Knoxville, Tennessee. Being away from your home and responsibilities for six days is tough, but I can honestly say that I wouldn't trade those six days for anything. In fact, when I think about the past seventeen years that I have spent in education, those six days were definitely a highlight. Absolutely the frosting on any cupcake. I know what you're thinking, "What in the world would possess anyone in their right mind to take a group of teens to Tennessee?" "How in the world can she consider that a highlight?" "Did she say road trip? How far away is Knoxville?" Maybe I should start at the beginning... The group in question is a Destination Imagination team from Irving, Texas. They did well at their regional tournament and received a score of outstanding at state. This allowed them to advance to Globals, a yearly event held at the University of Tennessee. There are so many things about this experience that are so memorable. The first being the challenge that the team embarked upon - working with a local salon to donate over 200 inches of hair to Locks of Love. The second is how they presented their community service to the audience at the tournament. They re-enacted their hair drive through a creative interpretation of Rapunzel. The tear jerker? When the only boy on the team allowed one of the other team members to cut his hair off (10 inches) at the end of the performance. Another highlight? Watching one girl in particular go on an amazing journey that started when she was in 5th grade. When asked to stand in front of her classmates to give a book presentation, this girl simply froze, unable to speak with tears streaming down her face. As her 5th grade teacher, I was petrified. This was not my intention; the last thing I wanted was for my students to be afraid. In middle school, this girl found her voice when she joined DI! She continued to grow and blossom, joing a DI team when she entered high school. And since her freshman year, she has done better each year. She carefully choose her teammates, always with her sister by her side. As a sophomore, they made it to State, but didn't advance to Globals. Despite her disappointment, on the way home from the closing ceremony, she started planning for her junior year. Again the goal was to make it to Globals. And make it to Globals she did, along with her sister and five other classmates. So, really I haven't even gotten to the six day adventure to Tennessee and I've already told you about two highlights in my seventeen year career. I can't wait to tell you about the things we saw and did on the trip. Until next time...

The Perfect Weekend...

No, I didn't jet off to a sunny beach for the weekend and I didn't win the lottery. But I did have a fun-filled, action-packed weekend, overflowing with fabulous things and people. Here's a quick glance at some of the things that make me happy: My brother and his family (this includes the world's cutest nephew) came to town so we could all go to the Rangers-Rays play-off game. It was a bit toasty, but we had an awesome time at The Ballpark, despite a 6-3 loss. Baseball is something all four of us love and it's a great way to spend time together. It was also the monthly meeting of the Burger Babes. What's more fabulous than spending time with some totally spectacular women while enjoying a great burger? This month we ended up at Club Schmitz, an out-of-the way joint that's been around for over 60 years. There's nothing fancy about Club Schmitz, but when you need a good, solid burger, it's the place to go. And the company? Man, I know some pretty amazing women - there is never a lull in our conversations and laughter is never lacking! The big event of this perfect weekend was my 20th high school reunion. I'm sure additional reflecting on this event will solicit future blogs, but right now all I can say is that it was a blast. It is so much fun to hang out with people who influenced you (in both good and and not so good ways) as adults. And whatever differences we had in high school have disappeared. At this point in our lives, we are all just trying to make a good life for ourselves and our families. And just when I thought it couldn't get any better, I ended up at a pumpkin patch with one of my most favorite families and definitely my most favorite toddler, Lily Pie. My heart got that warm fuzzy feeling when she saw me and came running toward me yelling, "Tia, tia!" Now that's how to enjoy life!

The Grass Is Always Greener

It was probably about 12 years ago that I got the bright idea that I wanted to be a homeowner. Like many other people, I didn't want to throw away my income on rent and have nothing to show for it at the end of the day. So what if I was a single woman in the field of public education? Surely I could handle it, right??? Fast forward to January 2003 - I am now the proud(?) owner of a typical suburban home built in 1963. I loved the character of the house and all of the trees. I worked on painting and decorating; weekly trips to Home Depot and Bed, Bath, and Beyond filled my time. Skip ahead a few months and I have my first (of many) appointments with Rescue Rooter. Those fabulous trees I loved so much? Well, the roots had pretty much destroyed the original clay pipes. Eventually I was lucky enough to have my entire backyard dug up for some of those newfangled modern pipes. (Note the sarcasm, please.) Woo hoo! And of course, when you own a 40+ year old home, it's always something. In the past 2 years, I have become less enchanted with the idea of homeowning. Unfortunately, at this point in time, I'm stuck. Especially since this recession hit. What I have learned is that while homeowning can be rewarding, when you're a single girl, it can also be overwhelming. Do I do yardwork today, or do I clean the house? Or on a beautiful day like today, do I shun all responsibility and hang at the dog park with a good friend? There are many days when I would love to pack it all up and find a nice rental, or a townhome with less yard. Maybe in the near future . . .

Hmmm...

Well, I honestly thought I would be better at this blogging thing. After all, I often think of funny, witty things to say, and occasionally I even have an audience for said wit. The problem is, I don't usually have the wit and the time to blog at the same time. That, my friends, can be problematic. So, I told myself as I was skimming the unread items on my google reader that I would blog tonight if for no other reason than to build the habit. And unfortunately for whoever is reading this, I'm about out of cleverness and wit this evening. I was thinking I could share my latest cupcake adventure with you, but the only pics I have are the ones on my phone and I really don't feel like searching for my cord. Another time, I promise. They did turn out pretty cute if I may say so. It was a beach theme for my friend Angela's wedding shower. She's headed off to Jamaica in a few weeks for her wedding. I made two kinds of cupcakes - strawberry with cream cheese frosting and pina colada - that's all I can say for now. Stay tuned for pictures. Night!

And the Burgers...

Not only is it all about the cupcakes, it's also all about the burgers. Besides cupcakes, hamburgers are another passion of mine. Yes, hamburgers. I'm currently on the quest for the best burger in DFW and let me tell you, looking is a lot of fun. In November, we kicked off the Burger Babes with an inaugural event at Jake's on McKinney. While the burger was good, it really didn't strike a chord with any of us. Actually, it did spark the saying (and our official motto), more meat! Wait, what is that, you say? You're wondering what is a Burger Babe? Well, it is what it is. A fabulous woman who loves burgers and is willing to search until she finds the perfect one. And it's hard to define exactly what makes a fabulous burger; it's really all about your personal preferences. What's important to you in a burger? Is it the meat, or the buns? Sometimes the patty is so juicy the buns fall apart. Does that bother you? Or maybe it's the sides. No worries...I'll come back to all of this eventually. I had a bit of trouble figuring out what my blog should be about. What I've decided is that any blog should be about what makes you (the blogger) happy. Whether it's your kids, your job, or your hobby, blogging is really about sharing your interests with others, and maybe, if you're lucky, getting them to think about something in a different way. That's it for tonight. I'll get the hang of this thing yet...