July 6, 2010 8:30PM

Whew, obviously it has been awhile. I have written so much in my head

– jotted down notes of rememberance here and there.

But overall, what I’ve said before is just ringing truer and truer.

It’s all just too much.

Really. The poverty and devastation is just too much – my heart and

even my brain can’t process it all. Maybe enough to function and “take

in” life here, but not nearly enough to process it and then put it on

paper.

There aren’t any words. Which is why pictures have been my method of

communication these past few weeks.

(Plus I have this horrible blogging disease – where I lose my filter –

I start typing and say more than I maybe should. This is the number

one reason the old blog went buh-bye. Hard to write but not write.

Hard to say but not say. I am more of a verbal vomitter when it comes

to blogging. Ha…just what everyone should read!)

I feel like Josie is in much of the same place as me. When I try to

fish for information to see what SHE is processing and taking in, I

ask things like “what do you like about Ethiopia?” or “does Ethiopia

look like Dallas?” and she says things like “church” and “yes”…and

that’s it. Haha I see it in her eyes as we are out and about – she is

taking so much in. I asuume, though, that she and I are processing at

about the same speed right now…super super slow.

Yesterday began our week long Vacation Bible School at International

Evangelical Church (IEC). Our team is heading up the weeklong program

for 4 year olds through 12 year olds. We have about 80 kids coming,

and Jeremiah and I are in charge of all the music. David and T, two

Ethiopian college guys are helping.

It is hilarious.

We are using a VBS curriculum that has solidified my belief that my

mom should copyright and sell all the original curriculums she has

written…these songs and stories and skits are killing me.

Curriculum!!!

But that’s okay. The kids are enjoying their days and we are cracking

up while doing a motion (from the curriculum) for almost every word of

every song. To watch these kids try to keep up with this many motions

is so funny! To watch us is probably even funnier.

So yesterday and today started reasonably early…as we have to be at

the church by 8:30…we live about 30 minutes away from the church…break

that down into a 10 minute walk to the taxi stop/underpass Tur High

Loch and about 10 minutes of standing in the mud, haggling with

contract taxis, OR waiting for a mini bus then about a 10 to 15

minutes ride in the vehicle you piled yourself and your children and

your backpack and your laptop into.

I can’t quite put my finger on what makes getting ready and out the

door with two kids early in the morning harder in Ethiopia…to be

honest, before we boarded that plane out of the US, I hadn’t mastered

this small feat in Dallas. Figuring out getting myself ready, getting

a 3 year old fed, ready, and occupied while feeding and getting ready

an infant before 10AM was still pretty daunting. That reads so

pathetic. But it should read very true. At least for me.

Anyway, so getting up and ready and out the door to catch a taxi to

VBS these past two days has been a little eventful. But so far we’ve

made it.

It’s 8:30PM now and Jeremiah is still at the church/school. Poor guy!

He will pull two 12 hour days this week. VBS from 8:30-Noon, teaching

his class from 2-4:45PM and then two days this week (same as every

week) leading a discussion group for Dr. Andersons class from

5:00PM-7:45PM…taxis at night seem to be crammed and take much longer

to catch, so he will probably not be home until 9:30 or so. KILLER!

To pass the time alone, I am watching Aljazeera news. Now there’s

something I’ve never said before! (I won’t have to watch long, though,

because the World Cup semi final starts soon!! Go Netherlands! ☺ )