Laughner's Journey to Ethiopia

Today was care package day, the day when the kids receive packages from their sponsored families. Today was also the day we get to do a home visit. Allison and Michael really want to visit Kalkidan's home. Since Lori had gone last year, my preference was to go to someone's house sponsored by a family we know. Luckily we were able to do both. But first the care packages. One lesson we've learned here is that all of the planning in the world doesn't amount to much once the feet Kalkidan playing the egg game while things were still under control. Michael with several of his admirers. are on the ground. Flexibility is the name of the game. The "plan" was to have all of the kids do rec while waiting for their care packages. Rec would occur in the back room with the dirt floor. Glen and I spent nearly an hour last night planning activities. The "plan" involved splitting the kids into eight groups and having them rotate through the station...

A relatively uneventful day. We arrived at the care point, mingled with the kids, and ran through our VBS program. I'm in the rec group this year. There were supposed to be three of us, but John stayed at the hotel because he was sick, so Patty and I ran the show. Our space is half of an enclosed structure with a dirt floor. In the corner is a pile of rocks and an old ladder with rusty nails sticking out of it. I want to keep it simple. While there are plenty of translators, you can't always depend on having one nearby. I also wanted to keep it calm since I had heard from last year how dusty it got. We had two games. First, we created a 3x3 grid on the wall, first with chalk and then with masking tape, and numbered each of the squares. The kid was blind-folded and told which number to find. Second, we laid out jump ropes in circles and had the kids toss bags into the circles. There was a large circle and two small circles. After the kids got bored, I for...

Being ready to leave at 5:30 was not a problem for us, as we were seriously jet-lagged. Allison woke up at 1 a.m. and worked on homework (impressive, eh?) Michael rolled around in bed. I woke up at 2, but was able to go back to sleep until 5 (I hadn't had a good sleep since the hotel on Friday night). My wakeup call was the call to prayer from either the Greek Orthodox church or the mosque down the street that was said over the loud speaker. The call went on for a long time. Unfortunately, while we were ready to leave at 5:30, the luggage wasn't and by the time everything was tied down it was almost 6:30. I've written before about the amazing journey from Addis to Kombolcha. The geography varies from what you would see in the Great Plains states to the barren hills of parts of eastern Washington to the lush forests of the Pacific Northwest to the deserts of Arizona to the hills and mountains of southern California. Along the way, you drive through small villages bu...

I remember the first time we drove through the streets of Addis. We had arrived to bring Daniel home. It was late at night and we were exhausted. It felt strange and uncomfortable. Everything was unfamiliar. No recognizable stores or restaurants. Our route to the hotel involved lots of twists and turns. This is my fifth trip to Ethiopia. What was then unfamiliar is no longer so. The airport parking lot, once overwhelming because of its chaos, is a welcome sight. The ride through the city is now as easy as riding through Chicago or Boston (not that I would ever drive here...). I am comforted by what I recognize (places where we've eaten dinner or shopped, landmarks, buildings) and impressed by the new construction that has taken place since my last visit. We arrive at the guest house, check in, and unload the bags. Fortunately, we didn't have to haul every upstairs. The elevation in Addis is very high and walking up stairs, even for someone in good shape, is tiring. This pl...

This will be my fifth trip to Ethiopia, and my third to Kombolcha. While I'm not nearly as anxious as I have on previous trips, I'm still pretty excited to see the kids I've gotten to know so well since my first trip in 1999. Lots of familiar faces in this 1999 photo.   Playing Duck, Duck, Goose in 1999. This is Besrate, sponsored by our friends the Morris'. One new aspect of this trip will be the inclusion of Allison (16) and Michael (13). Benjamin went with Lori last year as a nine year old. I am excited to see how the two teenagers interact with the kids of Kombolcha. They both have big hearts, so I know it will be a good experience. Also going on this trip are our friend Glen Bogdanovich and my cousin Patty. Glen's wife, Mindi, went last year. The trip started easily enough. We picked up Glen at a parking lot, and then went to meet Michael and Allison at their schools. The itinerary is a little crazy. We are flying out of Boston on Friday,...

 Sponsor kids with connections to Belchertown! Way to go Belchertown we can make a difference!!!  2014 Kombolcha team!  Allison and our sponsor daughter Kalkidan ready for a home visit.  2014 team at Enoto Mountain.  A sneak peak. More to come...

Afternoon update from Kombolcha: Today is care package day! It's been a crazy day of anticipation as each child is waiting for their name to be called!! The children are LOVING their care packages. John Logan is feeling better but Laken has tummy issues and stayed back at the hotel. Ginger is not feeling 100% but is participating in camp. I think Rob slept last night! Please continue to be in prayer for our team.