Have Suture - Will Travel

One of the things that I have been concerned about is the lack of medical care in the area where we are going. There are no hospitals or clinics. So I got a book entitled Where There is No Doctor (edited for Africa). It is full of illustrations and helpful instructions like how to cut worms out that are growing inside a persons leg, or how to make a splint using a tree branch, etc...

But in spite of having this helpful knowledge, I still felt inadequate in assisting Tom if he gets hurt during all this building and drilling that will be taking place.

So I enlisted the aid of a very nice Canadian doctor who happened to be staying here at SIM for a couple of weeks. He was giving the regular doctor a brief vacation.

His wife, who is a public health nurse, showed me how to give a shot. Her name was Twyla, and she was so patient with me- allowing me to practice several times! She assembled all the proper equipment; vials of water, syringes...and of course my first ‘patient’ Mr. Orange! I was soon shooting that orange up with lots of water and feeling very confident.

The next step was learning to suture. This time I went to the head man - the doc himself.

Dr. Glen was a very good instructor and diagramed how to suture as well as showing me how to do it. Then it was my turn. I approached my subject with confidence (again, Mr. Orange) and proceeded to sew him up with no problem. I don’t know what the big deal is! Of course, perhaps with a living, bleeding YELLING human being it will be a different story. But as for now I can suture up oranges with the best of them!

We took a day trip down to a clinic run by SIM in a place called Langano. It is about three hours south of Addis. After three hours we came to the turn off road where we proceeded 15 km down a bumpy, BUMPY road before we finally got to the clinic. There is a couple who lives there, Dan and Kim, and she is a Nurse Practitioner. When we finally pulled up to the clinic, we saw around 75 people patiently sitting outside in the shade of an old, gnarled tree. They were waiting to see the doctor. No TVs in the waiting room, no coffee, no magazines to read...just sitting on the ground, waiting their turn.

Patients patiently waiting to see the doctor at Langano

Some people were carried on crude stretchers by family or friends many miles to get medical help. Some came by mule or horse, but most just walked. The NP has a very busy practice. She sees about 145 pregnant women for prenatal care, delivers babies, treats for malaria and malnutrition, and a host of other ailments and diseases. She also helps run an adjoining building called “House of Hope”. This is for the babies who mothers die in childbirth. They must be fed and taken care of until a home can be found for them. Most babies are severely under nourished anyway- sometimes they need some supplemental formula or baby food. There is a drought and food shortage happening in Ethiopia and most people barely have enough food to survive-let alone thrive. Many times she rides by horseback out into the bush to make house calls; checking on patients that can’t get out. Now that's a good doctor!

The gratitude on these people's faces is striking. She is their only hope. They recognize that her medicine is good even though it competes with the influence of the local witch doctors and traditional superstitions and home remedies. It must be very frustrating for her to not have enough medicines for the people, knowing that with the proper medications she could cure most diseases. But she does the best that she can and knows that while she can’t save everyone she can save some. And so she keeps on..... If any of you would want to help out by sending prenatal vitamins, etc..I know she would appreciate it! For a doctor, I can only imagine what satisfaction it must be to help these people and what a fulfilling career this must be. It certainly doesn’t pay much now, but the heavenly rewards she and others like her will receive are far better than driving a new BMW or living in a big house (with an even bigger mortgage payment!)

This is Dr. Kim. Her smile is as sunny as her personality! I want to go back and get a picture of her in her white coat riding by horseback out into the bush making ‘hut calls’ (instead of house calls-get it?? )

This is a container bridge-a clever use of overseas metal shipping containers (we thought!) Sometimes they stack two on top of each other and make a house. Ethiopians are so resourceful!

Tom & Teresa update

***This is an update from Tom and Teresa. They were able to upload it successfully from Ethiopia. They were unable to do this for many weeks because the government blocks access to blogger. However, they have found a way to update without having someone to do it for them.***
Without further ado:


We have been in Addis for a month now. It has been a wonderful time and opportunity to meet all kinds of missionaries from all over the world. What an incredibly diverse group of people! They come from all walks of life, ages, countries-and it is so encouraging to see so many good people who are trying to make a difference in this world. But we are anxious to be off and headed south to Arba Minch. We are planning on leaving now around March 2 or 3rd. Our friend, Ben, has offered to drive us down there (since we still do not have a truck) We have purchased some supplies that we will need to start up a house-pots, pans, dishes, a table and chairs, screens to repair the windows, fans to circulate the air, a ladder, an axe, hammer and nails, shovel, etc....We have very carefully gone to many different shops to find the best quality-unfortunately, quality is not as easily found here as in the USA. And since it is all imported, the cost is much higher than in the states. It kind of grates on our nerves to have to pay so much for these things when the quality is so poor-but what can you do-you need them.....However, the things that are made here in Ethiopia-like beautiful textiles, rugs, wooden carved furniture and decorative items- these can be bought very cheaply here, so that takes some of the 'sting' off of paying such high prices on imports.

Today, I went to a crafts bazaar at the local church where we have been attending. There were so many wonderful handcrafted items there- I had a great time!

One of my purchases was some artwork from a young man with dreadlocks (He was a Rastafarian) He had beautiful acrylic paintings and also he had some unusual black and white sketches. Upon a closer look, I realized that it was black ink and wax. The wax is applied, then scratched off-ink is rubbed over it. Then some more wax is scratched off. It is very unique! I asked the artist what this particular art form/technique was called. He said, " I call it Scratch", or sometimes "Scratch wax" Hmmmm....I guess I should have thought of that!! haha

Well, it is 5pm now, and I was thinking about taking a quick nap before dinner. However, the Muslim chanting has started up on the loudspeakers all over the city. So much for a quick nap.......sigh......They also chant over loudspeakers at 5am. But the Orthodox church wants THEIR time too-so THEY start chanting at 4am.

A real 'Battle of the Soundsystems!!' (not to mention the disco that revs up from 8-1am every night right behind the SIM Missionary Guesthouse.) I guess that is the devils' way of getting back at all the missionaries that are here doing God's work. But- we just bring earplugs, so there!!!!!

Tom & Teresa Rieder

February Newsletter

Setting up the solar cooker at the SIM guesthouse

February 2011

Update - Vol#2



Solar cooking demo a success!

We decided to host a solar oven cooking demo here at the SIM Guesthouse last week. Many people were curious about the whole procedure. Even the head cook came out to give it a look. He was amazed that the roast, potatoes and carrots were done in 3 hours and cooked entirely by the sunlight from above. We had approx. 30 people sampling it and everyone was very complimentary. They asked where they could buy one. What an opportunity for someone to set up a business here in Addis-manufacturing them locally employing local people and mass producing the ovens at a price the Ethiopians could afford. What an opportunity to help the environment-clean, solar energy! Most people can’t afford electricity and are so desperate for cooking fuel, that they cut down all the trees and then burn them just to make charcoal.

Dinner is served!

What a difference these ovens would make in the lives of women here. Every day women shoulder heavy loads of firewood for cooking the meals. They are constantly inhaling smoke from the cooking fires, as are the small children. These ovens would not only save them time and back-breaking effort, but would also help to save the dwindling forests and reduce pollution in the air from hundreds of daily cook fires. If any of you are interested in getting a solar oven, go to http://www.sunoven.com/ and talk to Paul. You will enjoy the delicious meals and the ease of solar cooking. Have fun!

One of the most interesting things we have observed here is the traffic. There are several types of public transportation: bus, taxi, mini bus, and weyet. This is a picture of a typical weyet (means "conversation" in Amharic) so-named because in the back of these small pickups there are two bench seats across from each other and the people all crowd in knees-to-knees and face-to-face so conversation is a must. There are usually 12-15 people crowded inside, and the only limit to what can fit on top is the packing creativity of the 'backdoor' man.


Typical Weyet

  Another type of transport is the mini bus. What is unique about them is that they each have a 'yeller' (I don't know what their official title is but that's what we call them). They hang out the door or window and yell out the destinations to the people on the sidewalk. Whoever is needing to go in that direction gets on board. Usually 15-18 people on-board. For some reason, Ethiopians think if the wind is blowing on them they will catch a cold so if you want to open a window to get a breeze, forget it!

A 'yeller'

Of course, if you want to really live on the edge, you can get your own driver's license! It was quite the bureaucratic ordeal to get them. We first had to authenticate our Texas driver's license, then go to a different government agency to get our authentication authenticated, and then go to another to get the new license with our photo laminated and, you guessed it, get it authenticated once more!



Tom & Teresa are 'authentic'

 So, now we are authentic habesha drivers if we have the nerve to try and drive in Addis! Driving in this city is a white-knuckle experience, for sure. There are no traffic lights and seemingly no rules on the road. There is no such thing as a pedestrian right of way. Rather it is whoever is bravest goes first. We have been so amazed at the boldness of these pedestrians who walk right into lanes of busy traffic. They have no idea if the car hurtling toward them will stop or not. I suppose it depends on the mood of the driver. Horns are used often and loudly. The lane markers are merely suggestions that no one really follows and quite often they make a 3-lane-road into a 4 or 5-lane road. There are several traffic circles in the city and the way they work is whoever spots an opening scoots in as fast as they can, honking and accelerating all the way! It is not for the timid or faint of heart, but somehow, in the midst of all this chaos, it seems to work. However, we will wait until we are countryside with the cattle and goats before we try out our newly authenticated Ethiopian licenses.



Who needs a U-Haul trailer when you have an Ethiopian taxi driver? Yes, you are seeing this correctly. There are already three big, stuffed chairs on top of the taxi with a fourth one about to be added on top. Where were these men when we were packing to come over here?!



No words to describe this scene



We have seen incredible loads piled on top of trucks and vans. It makes us laugh with wonder and amazement.

Another type of vehicle we see often are the Isuzu trucks. They are cheaply made and are notorious for breaking down on the sides of the road. They are usually seen piled high with produce or wood and who else knows what. The drivers are unsafe as well believing that the road was made for them....and them only. The locals actually call these drivers "Al Queda" because they kill so many pedestrians on the road.



Well, that's all for this month. We hope you enjoyed learning a bit more about this wonderful (and sometimes confusing) country.

In His joyful service,
Teresa and Tom Rieder


Prayer Request:
Please pray for discernment with our decision to purchase a truck. As noted in our previous entry and newsletter we sent out via email, we are still in need of a truck and, yet, we are a bit uneasy about spending the (outrageous) amount of money to purchase one. We ask for your prayers in regards to our pending decision. Thank you all for your continued support.

January Newsletter - Arrival in Ethiopia

January 2011
Update - Vol#1

After a year of preparations, we arrive in Addis!

So, at last, here we are! During the previous year we took a Health and Hygiene class to learn simple ways to teach tribes about sanitation techniques that will greatly improve their quality of life and health. We also attended and participated in a Well-drilling class to learn the basics of drilling for water. Beyond that we also attended a Pump Repair class so that we would be empowered to repair the broken wells that are scattered around the Southern Omo region of Ethiopia, specifically the village of Turmi. Teresa, a true city girl, even took a Basic Poultry class. Eggs will become a large portion of our diet. However, she has drawn the line on wringing their necks for fried chicken dinners! (Sorry, Tom.) We prepared as best as we knew how and left the rest to God. Let the adventure(s) begin!

Tenayestellegn! (Hello in Amharic, but you can say "ten aspirin" and the locals will understand you. haha) We have been in the capital city of Addis Ababa for almost four weeks. It is a BIG city and full of surprises and contrasts. In some parts of the city there are new, tall buildings going up, while all around those buildings are mud-walled shanty houses and street people sleeping under a tarp on the sidewalk. It tugs at your heart to see so many of them.

Although there are many cars clogging the busy streets, it is not uncommon to see a herd of goats or donkeys walking down the road. I am amazed that they are not killed by the crazy drivers. The dotted lines dividing the roads are not lane markers, they are merely suggestions that no one seems to follow except the newcomers (or "farenjis" as foreigners are referred to here). Horns are heavily relied upon and pedestrians are fearless in that they step out in front of oncoming traffic. I am only now starting to keep my eyes open in the back seat where I am clutching both of the armrests in fear! haha There is no such thing as 'pedestrian right of way'; when you cross a street you are never sure if the car if the car that it is hurtling toward you will stop or not. It depends on the driver's mood, I guess. (If you have been watching us on Facebook then you already know of our adventures in obtaining our new Ethiopian driver's license.)

The noise of the city is constant and unending. We are temporarily staying at the SIM Guesthouse - kind of an old boarding school built by a wonderful mission group SIM (Serving in Mission). It is a place where missionaries working in Ethiopia (from all over the world) can come to sleep in a bed, have a shower (when there is water), and get refreshed spiritually as well as physically. The one snag in this "refreshing sea of tranquility" is the disco that has opened up right behind the guesthouse. The throbbing beat of the bass thunders on until 1:00am. At that time we finally fall asleep only to be awakened at 3:00am to the chanting over the loudspeakers by the nearby mosque. Needless to say, I am sooooo glad I brought my earplugs.

Meal times are family-style around big rectangular tables. The food served is Ethiopian-style Western cuisine. The head cook, Chafamo, has worked at the guesthouse for over 40 years! Most of the recipes are not written down, but are recorded only by memory. He makes a wonderful chicken pot pie but his interpretation of bean tacos leaves something behind in the translation. Meal times are a wonderful time of laughter and chatter and exchanging of ideas and helpful tips - especially for us "rookies."

Every day is laundry day at SIM Guesthouse

Living room where we share our meals.

SIM Guesthouse where we have been staying

We were anxious to leave the city and travel "down country" as they say and get started with our mission. But we were advised to not be too quick in leaving Addis and now we know why. The Lord is opening doors for us and preparing a way. We have met critically important people who will be able to help us in obtaining visas, work permits, among other things. We have met new friends, Habesha and ex-pats, that without their kindness and generosity, we would still be walking in circles.
It can be overwhelming coming to a different culture. For instance, one way of how I (or maybe you) may look at something can be looked at from a completely opposite point of view here. And we have to constantly remind ourselves that just because it is different from our view does not make it wrong; just different.
Frustrations can abound, but we are here to rise above those frustrations in order to share the love of Jesus with our brothers and sisters in Ethiopia. When you do not have the comforts of home and all the distractions of a busy lifestyle it is easier I think to listen to the promptings of Jesus in our hearts. We are praying for all of you at home that you will be able to hear the quiet voice of God as He talks to you. We are frequently moved to tears as we feel the overwhelming love of Jesus in our hearts.
Life is about to get much harder for us. Around February 21 we will begin our journey south to a more remote region. This is where we will be physically challenged as never before. Although it sounds (kind of) crazy with no water, no electricity, (and no pizza!) we are excited and can hardly wait! We will always try to keep you informed with periodic updates (as long as the spotty internet connection will allow). Thanks so much for your faithful prayers.

In His joyful service,
Teresa and Tom Rieder

Prayer Requests:
• A truck. We need one desperately. Vehicles are very expensive and hard to come by, even used ones. We need approximately $48,000.00 to purchase a heavy-duty, rugged truck and the proper paperwork so we can avoid the high duty tax.

Answers to Prayer:
• All of our luggage and totes arrived safely!
• Tom's Mac laptop was beginning to "crash". We asked around and there are no Apple repair shops in Addis. (Not many people use Apple products to date.) We heard a story about a missionary taking his Toshiba laptop to an authorized technician to be repaired, but when he got the computer back it was thicker than it had been before it was brought in.

"All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go....."

Well, here we are-in countdown mode! Only 4 days until we leave for Ethiopia. Only 4 more days to enjoy hot showers...ice cold diet cokes....chicken fried steak... mashed potatoes and gravy...PIZZA!!...

But we are excited! We have prepared as best we can, and will leave the rest up to God.

After all- WE did not dream this up, or think where can we go to make ourselves miserable for 2 years? Nor do we want to be martyrs for a cause.

God has placed this desire in both of our hearts to go. Out of a sense of gratitude for all that He has given us. And since He has planned this, we surely have no reason to fret or fear...because the Lord has gone ahead of us to prepare the way. He has already started working in the hearts of our friends here to help-so many we can't count them all-and He is working in the hearts of people in Ethiopia-government leaders, tribal leaders, people who will want to help us to achieve God's purposes.

So....we may miss our hot showers, and our diet cokes and pizza-but what a blessing we are getting in return! We don't see this as a sacrifice-we see it as a priviledge. We will see and experience things that most people never get to see. And to have an opportunity to effect lives in a positive and longlasting way--well, that is way better than pizza!!

'Early bird' Rotary Club meeting!

After the newspaper article came out about us in the Tyler Morning News (Dec 24)

we were contacted by Kevin from the Bullard Rotary club to come speak at their breakfast meeting. I said sure-we'd love to and then he said great- we meet at 6:30am ! Agghhh! But of course, even though he said he 'tricked us' about the early bird time, we were happy to go. What a great bunch of service-minded guys! These men voluntarily meet once a week before the crack of dawn to discuss ways that they can help impact their community and the world. Of course, Rotary Club is now a well-known, world wide organization with branches that meet all over the world. Their main service project in past years was the goal of irradicating polio worldwide. This they have succeeded in doing. Now they are turning their efforts to water projects--ta da!! Another example of God's perfect timing in our lives! Project Ethiopia's water mission is right in line with Rotary Club. I have a feeling these men will continue to stay in touch with us as we all seek to help bring water to the thirsty.

H20 Challenge week!

Dec 6-10 was a big week for us. I went to one of our local schools and spoke to the students there. TK Gorman is a Catholic school with a combined middle and high school campus of approximately 300 students. I showed a short video that told the story of the water crisis in Africa. Then, I gave a speech to the students. (I was nervous, but at least I didn't throw up this time! haha) I told them about Jemal-the Ethiopian child we have sponsored for the past 10 years. I spoke about our previous trips to Ethiopia, and how it has impacted our lives. I told them some basic water facts: that 5,000 children die each day from drinking dirty, unsafe water. Yes.... 5,000, every day. The women have to haul dirty water several miles each day-knowing that this same water could very likely kill their children. That fact alone just breaks my heart. Can any of you imagine the anquish of those mothers? But they have no choice. That dirty water is all that they have.

So I challenged the students at Gorman to be a hero-to save a life! Through an organization called: Project H20, the kids decided to only drink water for one week. Then, instead of sodas and sports drinks or Starbucks, they drank water only and gave the money they would have spent on those things to a water- based charity named Living Water International.

(We hope to one day become affiliated with LWI-a wonderful organization based out of Houston, TX.)

Anyway- the students did great!! With the help of two student leaders, Sarah and Emily, we made posters, put up flyers, made morning announcements, etc..They had a contest between the middle school and high school to see who could raise the most money.

They made two posters with a thermometer on each showing which campus was ahead on money giving. It was a real close contest, but the High school campus pulled it out at the end and won!

Are you ready for this???? (drum roll please.....) They raised $2000.00 in 5 days!!! Isn't that incredible? We are so proud of those kids! And you know what, if they can make that sacrifice of only drinking water for one week-how about you? Why don't YOU be a hero? You can save a life-by giving your money, that will be added to someone else's money, that will be added to someone else's....and then a well can be dug in a village and lives can be saved. Think about it.

A small short term 'sacrifice' that will have long-lasting impact for good.

If you are interested in doing something like what the TKGorman students of Tyler Texas did, go to the H20 Challenge website: www.theh2oproject.org for more information.

Of course, we here at Project Ethiopia also could use your support. Perhaps you could have your own water challenge at your church, your office, neighborhood or organization-so please make note of the address below where all contributions can be sent. The church will wire the money to us in Ethiopia, and you will receive a year end gift tax statement in the mail from them.

Emerald Bay Community Church 160 LaSalle Dr. Bullard, TX 75757