This blog was set up in order to help keep family, friends and supporters up-to-date on whats going on with Project Ethiopia.
Our departure is drawing near-we have committed to a 2 year stay in southern Ethiopia beginning next Jan 2011.
There is much to be done before we leave: learning the language (Amharic) learning how to drill water wells, raising money to pay for a drilling rig, pipe, welding supplies, etc...and learning how to raise chickens!! I'm a city girl who always just went to Col. Sanders when I wanted fried chicken-but there aren't any KFC in the African bush! So I guess I need to go to chicken-raising and vegetable gardening school! What have I gotten myself into??? I also will have to wear long skirts in order not to offend our Ethiopian friends, who dress much more modestly than we do here in the US. I am a bit of a tomboy, so this long skirt thing is going to be a challenge too!
For those of you who don't know what Project Ethiopia is all about, here is a short description of what our purpose is:
Water is scarce in the dry, dusty Omo region. Women and children spend 5-6 hrs. per day in fetching water-often from contaminated surface water sources. Worldwide, 5,000 children under the age of 5 die from water related diseases Every DAY.
We are closely affiliated with Living Water International (LWI) and the following facts are taken from their brochure:
So, my husband Tom and I are headed over there next January. I will explain how we got into all this in my next blog. By the way, I have never blogged before, so please be patient with me as I learn how to navigate through 'blogdom'
In His joyful service,
Teresa and Tom Rieder
Tyler, TX
Our departure is drawing near-we have committed to a 2 year stay in southern Ethiopia beginning next Jan 2011.
There is much to be done before we leave: learning the language (Amharic) learning how to drill water wells, raising money to pay for a drilling rig, pipe, welding supplies, etc...and learning how to raise chickens!! I'm a city girl who always just went to Col. Sanders when I wanted fried chicken-but there aren't any KFC in the African bush! So I guess I need to go to chicken-raising and vegetable gardening school! What have I gotten myself into??? I also will have to wear long skirts in order not to offend our Ethiopian friends, who dress much more modestly than we do here in the US. I am a bit of a tomboy, so this long skirt thing is going to be a challenge too!
For those of you who don't know what Project Ethiopia is all about, here is a short description of what our purpose is:
Project Ethiopia: An East Texas Christian mission dedicated to drilling water wells in the southern Omo region of Ethiopia. We want to help provide safe, clean drinking water for the people who live there.
Water is scarce in the dry, dusty Omo region. Women and children spend 5-6 hrs. per day in fetching water-often from contaminated surface water sources. Worldwide, 5,000 children under the age of 5 die from water related diseases Every DAY.
We are closely affiliated with Living Water International (LWI) and the following facts are taken from their brochure:
Women often walk up to 7 miles per day in the dry season in search of water for their families. This is time that could be better spent working a job earning money to support their families. Children often are needed to fetch water and take care of cattle in the fields. Instead, they could be in schools-gaining an education that will help raise them out of the cycle of poverty.
So, my husband Tom and I are headed over there next January. I will explain how we got into all this in my next blog. By the way, I have never blogged before, so please be patient with me as I learn how to navigate through 'blogdom'
In His joyful service,
Teresa and Tom Rieder
Tyler, TX
