Prisoners and a Pregnant lady

typical house of the highland people

This is the view of the prison.

A few weeks ago, Tom and I drove up the mountain with Father Philippe-a brother from the local Catholic mission near us. We went to a village high up in the mountains near us called Chencha. It was a welcome relief from the heat we are now experiencing in Arba Minch-so the invitation to go up to the cool mountain air of Chencha was appealing! Also, Chencha is known for their apple trees. Many years ago, missionaries from England and Scotland brought apple seedlings from their home countries and planted them in Chencha. A very successful fruit growing industry resulted from the early missionaries (thank you Malcolm Hunter, among others.)
While there, it was decided to go visit the local prison. This is a prison unlike any I have ever seen. It looked more like a wilderness campground-no barbed wire or guard towers, only a sheet metal fence all around the compound. The whole area was no larger than a football field, and over 700 prisoners live there. It was a strange feeling to walk among the inmates- only one guard giving us the tour. (no gun either.) Everyone smiled and welcomed us to their prison! No angry, scary looking guys at all. No shaved heads or tattoos---definitely not a “ dead man walking” type of atmosphere.
There were several dormitory rooms with 50 bunk beds to each room. The beds are all around the perimeter of the room. In the center area is a floormatt where the men can sit and play checkers, cards, etc.. There are 2 churches that all are welcomed to attend. A small schoolroom where grades 1-4 are taught. Many of these men have never had an opportunity to attend school. There are several old foosball tables, a couple of handmade pingpong tables and a tattered old volleyball net. The prison has a woodworking shop to teach men some skills that they can use when they finish up their sentence. Also, a small electronic shop.

Very intricate designs must be carefully threaded into the gabi.

A lot of the men are busily at work in a weaving textile shop that is being successfully run on prison ground. They make all kinds of beautiful, intricately woven cotton blankets called gabi. They are then able to sell these gabi in the local market and with the money they earn they can deposit into their own bank account kept at the prison. Many of these men then are able to send some money home to their families. The prison also grows many fresh vegetables. It was quite impressive.

inside one of the weaving buildings.

Then we came to the small area where the women are kept. There are 23 women serving prison terms-some for as long as 10 years.
But what shocked me was that there are 15 children living in the prison with their mothers. Because no one else would take them in, the mothers were forced to bring their children to prison with them. Whew. That stunned me. Fifteen children under the age of 5. There are 5 newborn babies.......
I immediately decided that this would be a new area of ministry for Project Ethiopia!
So 2 weeks later, I returned to the prison with my friend Rebekah. She is not only my best friend here, but she is also a wonderful translator for me. We brought some small toys-wooden blocks for the toddlers, jump ropes, playground ball, tetherball, color books and crayons, etc... The excitement on the faces of all of them-moms included-was priceless. We had also brought some onesies, receiving blankets and hats and booties

my mom and her friends knitted (thanks Laura Ingalls and friends) The moms were ecstatic! They were dancing and laughing and holding their babies up to show them off! Such a wonderful time for us all. I took pictures of each woman (and her children, if she had any) and wrote down ages and sizes of the children. I promised that next month when I come I would bring new clothes for each child. One little boy was completely naked except for a shirt and rubber boots. Another child was “very poor” (in the words of the guard--and I’m thinking, aren’t they ALL poor???) Anyway, he had no clothes at all so one of the other children loaned him a shirt.
There will be celebrating BIG TIME when they get their new clothes! I cant wait!
We also brought some practice hoops and embroidery thread for the women to practice edj sera (handiwork) on. My idea is to give them some kind of a craft that they can make money at. Then they could pool their money together and maybe have enough to pay the salary of a schoolteacher for the children! There is no school for these children who are growing up in prison. No playground. No library. Nothing. No hope for their future........
I am hoping that some of you reading this blog will want to help out in this special ministry to the women and children of Chencha prison.
The immediate need is donations of money with which I will be able to purchase locally some basic clothing and shoes for the children.
When I return to USA in Sept- I will be wanting to collect some of the following items: Jumbo crayons (thanks Lyndie Rogers, but they are all gone now!)
Rubber playground balls, pumps and needles
Children sizes rubber boots (they live in a sea of mud during rainy season)
Warm Hooded sweatshirts- they all have coughs and runny noses from the cold air
If you want to help, please send your check made out to:
Overseas Christian Ministries
(be sure and write Project Ethiopia on memo line)
Mail your tax-deductible gift to: Overseas Christian Ministries
1504 Flowers Dr. Carrollton Texas 75007 USA
but WAIT! There’s more!! (remember all those TV infomercials with the ‘special offers’???
more of the story, that is. When we were leaving the prison to go home (about a one hour drive down the mountain) the Commander (warden) asked us to stay and have some bread and sodas with him. He expressed his deep amazement and appreciation that we wanted to return to help the women and children. He gave us a parting gift of two red, ripe apples grown there. It was a real treat to get those.
But the Commanders visit delayed us and now it was getting late and we really needed to get going.
Rebekah and I were smiling and talking about what a wonderful time we had with the women. Suddenly, as we rounded a curve, there was a crowd of people standing in the road waving us down. They were pointing to a VERY PREGNANT woman who was by the look on her face obviously in labor! They had been carrying her down on a homemade stretcher but obviously weren’t going to make it to the hospital in time!

So they loaded her up in the back of the truck (we have a bench seat there) and away we all went down the mountain. To make this even more of an adventure, at the next curve of the road I felt the brakes going out. I pumped them and pumped them and still my foot went almost all the way to the floor. Yikes!! Not a good sign......
But the Lord obviously had set up that ‘divine appointment’ (by delaying our departure with the bread and cokes) and so I was pretty sure He intended us to get safely to the hospital with my special passenger.

An hour and many bumps later we reached the asphalt and sped away to the hospital. I had one little baby onesie left with a blanket and hat and socks which I quickly shoved in her hands as she waddled away. Now THATS special delivery service, I think!!! haha What a wonderful day that was! 

This soldier was trying to help this girl try her first jumprope.

She could jump like nobody's business!

one of two churches on prison grounds.

This little guy wasn't sure what to do-first time for him too!

The 23 women live in this dorm room with 12 beds in each room.

These were some happy moms with new clothes for their babies!

Looking out at the prison yard.

My best friend and translator, Rebekah.

laundry day in prison

I hope this cow didnt fall in......

one of the many textile shops along the road down the mountain

A beautiful view of Lake Chamo in the background.

our special delivery!!!

Looks like we made it just in time!
I went back a day later to find this woman but she had already left the hospital. I hope all went well with her and baby........

The 'Hebrew Hostel'- shalom and sabbaba

Tsofia- the first of many Israelis to visit us.

About three years ago, we picked up an Israeli girl who was hitchhiking her way around Ethiopia. Her name was Tsofia, and we had such a nice drive together that we invited her to stay with us in Turmi for a few days.
She was visiting the southern tribes before she went back to northern Ethiopia to teach Hebrew at a settlement of Jewish Ethiopians. They are called the ‘fallujah’- a remnant of Jews who migrated from Israel long ago in ancient times.
We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. Then a week later she came to our town of Arba Minch. Wanting to contact us and come to our house to say hello, she went into an internet cafe. As she was typing an email (the only contact info she had)

This is peanut butter tea. It tastes as bad as it looks. Supposedly it gives you energy when hiking but seems like a waste of good peanut butter, to me!

Shakshuka did'nt last long!

Hadas and Shachar

and looking out the window, outside on the sidewalk Tom walked by! So we had another few days together at our house. Tsofia told all her friends if they are ever in Ethiopia they should call Tom and Teresa. And they did! Then thanks to Facebook, it seems we become the unofficial ‘Hebrew Hostel‘.

Miriam was quite the artist and left me a chalk drawing of a Mursi woman complete with lip plate and ear gages!

Now we have had at least 6 different groups of Israelis visit us since then.
It has been a wonderful experience-learning some of their cultural ways and we have had many interesting talks about God AND Jesus. We have had some guests that kept a kosher diet. The hebrew word ‘kosher’ means ‘fit’ or ‘appropriate’. That means they only eat certain foods, and when preparing those foods they must bring their own pans and utensils to use. My pots and pans are ‘unclean’ by their religious views because I have cooked meat, pork, eggs and milk products in the same pans.
Many of our jewish guests simply follow a vegetarian diet in this modern world today.
In supermarkets, foods that are deemed kosher have a symbol on the package Ou (Orthodox Union). Examples of kosher foods are meat from animals with cloven hooves that chew their cud. (No pork) Fish must have scales and gills (no crab or lobster)
In the Bible New Testament (Acts 10:9-33) the ban on pork and shellfish was released as was the separation of Jews and Gentiles- all were now deemed to be acceptable and good and there was to be no more distinction between people groups.
However, since our Jewish friends don’t believe the New Testament-this restriction still stands.
Some are orthodox and follow their traditions even when they travel. We have been privileged to watch a few of them celebrate shabbat--their holy day of the week
with candles and singing. Shabbat is from sundown on friday until sundown on saturday. It is a reminder of the culmination of Gods creative work done in Genesis-the day He rested from His labors. Also, its a reminder to the Jews how God long ago rescued them from their harsh lives of slavery in Egypt, by setting aside a day of personal freedom from the harsh demands of their labor. So the same for todays Jews- they work during the week, but then on sat. they rest and reflect on Gods goodness. Since there is a ban on travel-they can only walk. They often share the shabbat meal with family and friends. Lighting candles, eating a wonderful meal, laughing and singing--this is a precious part of their lives according to some of our guests. Then since there is also a ban on electronic devices, they pass the day reading, playing board games, taking walks, visiting shut-ins, etc...
And then, some of our guests have been atheists-agnostic-not sure what they believe about this whole God thing. It must be very confusing living in a country like Israel.

Crowded with so many religions-all laying claim to the same small piece of land. (only 8,000 sq miles-about same size as New Jersey-takes less than an hour to drive across the whole country!) We have learned that there are Jewish citizens by nationality, and Jews by religious convictions.

One group I met for the first time at night at the bus station. They had been hitchhiking near Addis and our friend Ben picked them up. When he found out they were headed south to see the tribes, he said “Call Tom and Teresa”--and they did! So I go to the bus station where some pretty sketchy looking guys hang out--and picked up 4 pretty scruffy looking kids with huge backpacks. They were a laughing, good-natured bunch and even cooked a couple of traditional Israeli meals like shakshuba (eggs pouched in tomato sauce) They were only going to stay overnight with us, but we kind of begged them to stay with us a few more days! (we like english speaking company any way we can get it!) They went with us to see the zebras and crocs by the lake near our house.
One of the guys was an excellent guitar player and one night when we had no electricity, we lit a bunch of candles and sang around the ‘campfire’. Hearing those rich, haunting melodies of their traditional music was such a treat-it was a night we will never forget.
So--our lives are the better for opening our house to scruffy strangers who then become friends. And we have a standing invitation to come to Israel and visit them. Maybe someday we will !! Yala bye ! Shalom. 

Sharing in Joy of the Prodigal...

Last week in church I was privileged to witness a special joy that needed no translation. Normally I sit in church up front in a wooden chair by the pastors and guests bench.
Not that I like to sit in the front row-but as a ferenji, that is their custom. Also, they know about my back problems so they provide a chair with a back on it. Everyone else sits on crude wooden benches. One advantage though to sitting up front- I am just barely out of the direct path of their new mega watt jumbotron speakers turned up full blast. (A few rows back and I would have had to put in my earplugs!)

Since I don’t know any of the words they are singing, I just make up my own and clap and try to sway in rhythm with them (it ain’t easy being a white girl with no rhythm!) But while we were all singing, suddenly a woman came up to the front, smiling ear to ear. She was singing and pointing up to heaven and then over at someone. She was dancing (not unusual over here) and the joy on her face was unmistakable. She was then joined by her husband and two sons. Now EVERYONE was up on their feet singing and dancing, like I said, JOY. My friend leaned over and whispered to me “This son was lost for a year-now he comes back”
Now he comes back. My mind immediately went back over the years to when I had my own prodigal son. Nothing wounds a mothers heart more than rejection by her child. During my own sons’ ‘wandering in a far away land’ I experienced such depths of anguish over him. We all did. It affects the whole family. Christmas with the empty place around the table. His birthday when we didn’t know where he was-or even if he was alive. Then the darkest day of all- the phone call saying he was in jail.

But like so many times in our lives- what we think are terrible things happening, oftentimes God will make something good come out of it. I am reminded of the story of Joseph from the Bible. He was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers for 20 pieces of silver. Years later, after he has risen to power in Egypt because of his God-given ability to explain dreams- he was able to feed his brothers and save them from starvation. The brothers were expecting death from Joseph for their misdeeds to him years earlier-but Joseph forgave them. And in one of the most astounding verses from the Bible-Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”

Now, here my son was in jail. No doubt about it- that was bad. But guess what? Here is the good that God made it into. While in jail he started attending a prisoner-led Bible study, and the Father’s kindness and grace brought him back to repentance.
In his prison cell, he gave control of his life back to Jesus!! And he was a changed man after that. He went on to graduate from Seminary, became a youth pastor, got married to a beautiful redhead, gave me one beautiful red haired grandson and a baby grandaughter on the way-and they are moving to Colorado next year to start up a church in Lakewood Colorado. Hows THAT for a ‘prodigal story’? God’s amazing grace.....
And now, I was witnessing another mothers broken heart being healed. The father spoke about his son’s ‘wandering’ while the little brother cried next to him..........
I have no idea of the details, but my heart was cheering- another prodigal was found! “Bring him a new robe (or in this case, a brand new Ethiopia tshirt) put a ring on his finger and kill the fatted calf for a feast. For my son who was lost has now been found”. (Luke 15:22......)
Hallelujah! 

Mixed emotions and surprises!

We are back now in Arba Minch, after a 2 month visit home to America for the Christmas holiday. As we prepared to pack and begin the ardurous 2 day journey, our emotions were mixed. On one hand we had enjoyed the comforts of home-and even started getting used to them again. The smooth asphalt roads, electricity that never went out-water that came from the tap every single time we turned it on. Amazing! We kind of did not want to leave this easy life.

When we arrived ‘home’ to Arba Minch-we had a wonderful welcome waiting for us. Many of our friends had gathered to greet us. They had made a welcome home poster, flowers were strewn about the front veranda, and a coffee ceremony was prepared. Our housekeeper, Rebekah, had also prepared an evening meal for us-so I didnt have to worry about cooking when we were so tired from traveling. We were so happy to see all of them too.

Many wonderful things were waiting for us!

Yakob, Tom’s right hand man had done something that very few Ethiopians can accomplish. He got his drivers license. We had started him in driving school before we left for USA in Dec. While we were gone, he continued with his classroom training and his practical training and proudly presented us with his Ethiopian Drivers License!

We are so very proud of Yakob. This is the same19 yr.old young man who also has started up his own solar powered mobile charging shop in the Highlands-a mountainous area near Arba Minch. You can read about him in earlier posts in our blog.

Galeto, the boy who was severely burned over 50% of his body, has now healed almost completely. Only a small area on his shoulder remains. He was giddy with joy to see us- I think he really believed we were never coming back. To our amazement and joy he is walking and running with no lasting ill effects. He is a very good soccer player!

He is so much better than we ever could have hoped or imagined!  We were just amazed to see the completeness of his physical healing. God is good!

He is eager to help us- we already have him washing the dishes and doing some other household chores. Galeto surprised us both with his strength that has returned-as he lifted heavy cement blocks and helped Yakob and Tom build an outbuilding for our water tank and generator. To think that when we first brought him into our home he was so broken we had to carry him into the house on a sheet. Now he is laughing and dancing to “Sweet Home Alabama”--a song he plays over and over and over......(we are kinda sick of it by now! haha)

We have a new addition to our Ethiopian family. While Tom and I were in America, the mother of Eskadar, our little 3 yr old unofficial granddaughter- had a baby boy.

So now Eskadar has a baby brother- named Euel. His name means “God is Lord” 

He is a beautiful little boy with a mass of curly black hair. What fun to have another baby around to cuddle with.

Our friend, Asfaw Anko-who used to be the guard for the compound where we live-is preparing to be married this weekend. He is a gentle, somewhat naive man-and even just talk of marriage makes him blush and giggle. Such an innocent.  We are very happy for Asfaw and his soon to be wife, Abaresh. They waited until we returned from the USA to have their wedding. They will live in a one room apt--it actually is just a single room. It has a small full sized bed, a couple of rickety chairs, and a single lightbulb. They really are going to ‘live on love’........because they don’t have much of anything else.

A big surprise to us was the completion of the widow Amarech’s rent rooms. We had contracted with Melkias to build two rooms for Amarech. She could then rent them out and thus have a sustainable source of income for herself and her 5 children. Melkias is the young man that Tom has mentored to over the past 3 years and guided him into a career as a carpenter/contractor. His first job was to build a small guard house at our compound. From there he started getting other jobs in the community and now is a respected contractor in great demand. What a wonderful sucess story he is.

Anyway- the rooms are finished, painted a beautiful green and pink, and each room has electrical wiring with a lightbulb in it. These are first class rental rooms.

To our surprise, not only was the construction completed-but also both are rented out and have 2 new tenants already.  And the surprise just keeps going-the two new tenants?  Asfaw the newlywed and Yakob the entrepeneur!!  

So now it is already three weeks since we returned from USA. Already it seems like a another life and another world to us. Although we miss our family and friends very much-we are happy here. 

It’s good to be ‘home’ !

Overseas Christian Ministries

Dear Friends,
Your financial contributions to Project Ethiopia Benevolence are now, Tax Deductable!
Effective January 9, 2014, Project Ethiopia Benevolence, the missions banner of Teresa & Tom Rieder, was enrolled as an approved ministry of the evangelical organization OVERSEAS CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES, INC (OCM) of Carrollton, Texas. OCM was established in June 2009 in obedience to the Great Commission and partners with 14 separate mission agencies, Project Ethiopia included, who support God’s work overseas and particularly in South Asia and East Africa. OCM’s core value is to demonstrate diligence, integrity, and accountability in cultivating and using the resources God provides. 

A significant service benefit provided by OCM on behalf of Project Ethiopia is it’s accountability for directing financial contributions from you our donors. The benefit is achieved in the following way:
a) Make a donation to Overseas Christian Missions, and designate it to Project Ethiopia Benevolence
ministry.
1) Simply make out your check (or via your bank’s online Bill Pay) to:
OVERSEAS CHRISTIAN MINISTRIES, INC
2) Designate our ministry: (make sure you indicate on the check’s Memo)
PROJECT ETHIOPIA BENEVOLENCE
3) Mail to:
Overseas Christian Ministries, Inc.
1504 Flowers Drive
Carrollton, TX 75007-1201
Attn: Project Ethiopia Benevolence
b) Subject to a nominal administrative deduction, OCM receives your check then transmits it’s balance directly into the bank account of Project Ethiopia Benevolence.
c) Your contributions are tax deductible under section 170 of 501 (c) 3 U.S. Internal Revenue Service code. OCM provides each donor with an individualized end-of-year statement of his/her giving.
 

Thank you so much for your continued support. Praise God.

Teresa and Tom Rieder
Project Ethiopia Benevolence
“Give, Pray, Go”

video of "The Great Adventure"

Living in Ethiopia has many challenges and struggles. It's not all happy success stories. Sometimes, we just want to close our doors and pull the curtains over the windows and hide from the constant stream of people coming to our house with their problems. But we love this life. We wouldn't change anything

(well....maybe the roads and lack of BlueBell ice cream!!)

We love this song by Steven Curtis Chapman, "The Great Adventure" and thought that it really sums up what this life is all about. Not just the life of a missionary living in Africa, but the life of any believer who truly wants to to be obedient to God. 

You know, whatever it is that God has called you to do-He has already gone before you and prepared the way--you don't have to be scared. He has already set the people in place, the actions that need to be taken, the purpose for your very life!!

So come on- follow our Leader into the glorious unknown- it's a life like no other- it really is a great adventure!

Is something missing???

We have just finished three years of living full-time in Ethiopia. This is something I never in my wildest dreams thought I might be doing-yet here we are.
I never had even the slightest secret thought about being a missionary in Africa-ever!
And yet-when God called us- we KNEW this was what He wanted us to do. There was absolutely no doubt in our minds. And so---we said yes. We sold our cars- sold our furniture-we put our house on the market.....and we went.
Saying 'yes' to God was the best thing we've ever done. This really has been the greatest adventure of our lives!  Of course it's not all fun and games-there are many frustrations, and cultural misunderstandings-and a few betrayals......and yet there has been even more joy and contentment that we have found serving amongst the people here.
We live an uncluttered life here in Ethiopia-there is nothing to distract us from dependence on God.
There is no Walmart or fast food drive thrus when we are hungry. There is no Home Depot when we need nails or lumber to build things. There is no cable TV or recliners to nightly while away the last remaining hours of the day. No hospitals- no 911 service......no Starbucks! (gasp)
We really have to rely on God to come through for us. And He has-many, many times.
I think it is more difficult to live a life that reflects the love and compassion of Jesus in the western world than  it is in Third world countries. You have so many more distractions. Choices.
Over-commitments. Before you know it, you have rushed through the day without a thought as to how you can show love to the hurting of this world. In Third World countries as soon as you set foot outside your door you see the poor, the widows and orphans. It's almost a no-brainer with all the ways you can help them.
You don't have to move to a foreign land in order to demonstrate the compassion and love of Christ
You DO have to be more deliberate, however-and seek out those opportunities where you are.

Some of you reading this blog may be thinking that something is missing in your spiritual life.
You may be wondering if this is all there is-just warming a pew on sunday mornings, being on a few committees, going through the motions.....I assure you there is DEFINATELY more that God has in mind for you. Listen for His voice!  Don't be afraid!
Answer His call- and say "Yes-I'm willing to do whatever it is You ask of me, Lord".
   You will be so glad you did !


Suggested Reading List
(Books that have highly impacted our lives)

"The Hole in our Gospel" by Richard Stearns
"Follow Me" by Francis Chan