June 14th-15th

As it turns out we have internet access at the guest house we are staying at for two nights (last night and tonight). So I thought I'd post my first journal entry about what we've experiences so far.

June 14th-June 15th

Start: Washington, D.C. 8pm, the 14th
Finish: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 7:30pm, the 15th
Time on a plane: 21 1/2 hours
Total Traveling Time from Staunton to Bethel Synod's Guest House: 26 hours

And some how we survived!

Things we observed/experienced:
*Cheesy movies on the plane
*Well-behaved children, also on the plane
*Rome's airport (I got to step out on one of landings and breathe fresh air!
the Italian countryside
*when you ask for red wine on the plane - which the couple in front of Liz and I did - they hand you a whole half bottle. Sheesh.
*Addis Ababa at night - interesting note, the lights seemed more orange than in the States - don't suppose they have white light tech
*children - boys - running up to the van, standing right next to our windows and saying "no mother, no fatehr, no family, want for bread." That's such an odd place to be in - because of course your heart goes out to any one, but a child especially, who is struggling just to survive, but you don't know if these kids really are (we've been told it's a nice way to make easy money and so kids with family and bread ask as well) and you know if you give to one, all the others will come rushing for you and you really and truly only have so much to give
*people, all along the sidewalks, bundled up in thin cloth, clearly homeless, clearly in need of some care
*the Bethel Guest House is quite lovely - from where I'm sitting now, I can look out the window and see flowers newly planted in beds, can see trees I'm not familiar with, can see the Land Cruiser that's taking us to Bedele tomorrow
*the guard at the gate to the Bethel Synod compound had a hood over his head and was carrying a big stick - he looked like he was right out of Robin Hood!
*Addis smells like gasoline

Since we're leaving tomorrow, we're leaving this internet access behind, probably will be a while before I can give another entry. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.