Ethiopia by E-mail
Subject: Hi everyone from Addis
Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2006 14:19:19 -0400
From: Pat Rollin parollin9923@hotmail.com
Things are moving along here. Jim is busy reading theses, trying to get the papers read for the second year students and next weekend they will spend the whole weekend reading entrance exams. We did book our tickets for coming home finally. We will be in on August 3rd. Shannon knew last week and has already booked us dentist and doctor appointments so we can have check ups so we will be busy when we first get in. We wanted to tell our moms before anyone else. So we have now talked to moms so we can tell everyone else. Shannon is telling Tom for us since his email has not been working. We are going to be home in time for Jim's family reunion on August 12th and we are checking because Sarah is suppose to have Kiersten baptized the first weekend in August so we hope to meet the newest member of my family. So it will be a busy couple of weeks when we get home.
It is going to be a busy month and a half until we leave here. We will be busy with packing, all Jim's work and trying to get the rest of the presents we want to buy bought. I am helping with the graduation party which the students are planning. They are going to have a graduation party, official opening of the Graduate School of Social Work and a going away party for Nathan, Mel, Us and a couple of other teachers on July 18th. So it will be a busy month with all that is going on. They still have not set Graduation Day so I guess we are going to miss it.
I hope this note finds you all doing well. We have been having a lot of company with people from IFESH going to visit different countries then coming back here so they can go back home to the states. I think we are one of the last to leave but Jim is not even sure if he will be done with all he has to do but the date on our tickets. Of course they told me at Ethiopian Air that if I need the date changed they can do that at no fee because we bought open ended tickets. But I am hoping we don't have to do that.
On June 4th Sunday we went to a wedding picture program at Schalla Park. We
were invited by one of the woman from Gemini Trust whose daughter was
getting married. We met Darmalsha at the park and waited for the wedding
couple to arrive. Before the wedding we were waiting for got there another
wedding came in to the park. They were in traditional dress with capes and
crowns and they had a church group there singing and doing the traditional
church dancing for wedding. So we watched them and took some pictures.
Then our wedding showed up and there were 2 brides and 2 bridegrooms. The
sister of the groom for the wedding we were invited to was getting married too so
they had a double wedding with the full 2 sets of bridesmaids and groomsmen.
It was interesting to see. We did not go to the church because Jim had so
much to do and we would have had to travel a distance to get there. The
park was close to the house. Attached are pictures of both weddings we saw
at the park.
We did go to the National Theater this week on Tuesday to see the Awassa Youth Campus Awareness Theater which does a circus act, Adugna Dance Group from Gemini Trust and then the main act of Music Mayday Ethiopia which is an NGO which promotes positive thinking in the form of Art to young Ethiopians. They sing, danced and did a couple of skits. Then the ISH dance group from the Netherlands did a recital. So it was a very interesting evening. They have a lot of talent in Ethiopia and I think these kind of groups are helping make a difference.
Other then that the week was kind of slow for me. I did do some shopping at Gemini with Jan and Mel on Friday. I am still crocheting for Trampled Rose and hopefully will have the bedspreads done before I leave. Only a few more squares left and then putting it together.
I will write again soon. Hope to be able to visit everyone soon. Still not sure of what our plans are but I am sure with God's help we will find what we are suppose to do next. In Ethiopia everyone says with the help of God all things are possible or else God will provide.
Ins Allah (God willing)
Pat Rollin