Ethiopia by E-mail
Subject: A message from Jim and I
Date: Tue, 10 Oct 2006 15:04:43 -0400
From: Pat Rollin parollin9923@hotmail.com
Jim asked me to write everyone for him. He is back in Addis and there are a few problems so he has not been able to email everyone. He returned to Addis on Sunday October 1st but because of connections did not get to Addis until Tuesday. He had a 13 hour layover in Frankfurt Germany. He did go into the city and got to do a little sight seeing. He will write everyone about his stay in Germany later. But he does not sleep well on planes so he arrived tired but was happy to be home. He called me to tell me he had arrived around 3:30 AM Tuesday. I tried to call back and because I had not been using calling cards in a year I could not get him. The phone rang but no answer so I thought I was doing something wrong when he called back. The number on the caller ID was not ours so after we talked a couple of minutes I told him I will call again after Shannon got home so we could see what I did wrong. Before Shannon got home I got an email message saying that our land line and the neighbor’s Mr. Rao had been connected and our line was ring in the house and Mr. Rao’s on his phone number and out on his line. So Jim is using the phone very little so he does not tie up Mr. Rao’s number. Jim uses his mobile unit which IFESH provides him with. So I can now call him on that. He also has my Mobile unit but they had forgotten to bring his to the airport so he did not have it when he first arrived. It is now a week later and they are still working with the phone company about the land line. Tigist our housekeeper told Jim she had let a man in from the phone company to fix something so now maybe he can come back and redo what he had done.
Jim arrived in Addis with time to attend orientation for the IFESH people and to start finding his way around the new office between meetings at the hotel. The office has moved to about 3 blocks from our apartment so no more taxis or mini buses to work unless he needs to go to the University for something. They moved all the offices to the new building but they still have no phones or internet service so who knows when it will be connected. Last time it took 4 months so we will see.
Jim has now done grocery shopping, getting the things he needs in the house and visiting and looking around the neighborhood. Everyone was happy to see him and wanted to know where I was. He told them I would be back soon. But I would expect he will be asked that question often until I get there.
Jim is trying to get the new people that they hired from the USA their letters and tickets so they can come to Addis. Classes start on November 6th with orientation for the new class October 15 to 20th. I am not sure how many students they finally accepted but they were talking about 32 so they will have to see how many attend orientation. They do not send out letters of acceptance but post the names on the board so you have to check to see if you are accepted. Of course you can call the office but it has moved and they do have one phone that works for the secretary but things will get better I am sure. The good thing is they have started the PhD program and the PhD students are going to be in charge of the field placements for all the Masters students so Jim will be supervisor but they will contact all the places and handle the paper work. Jim will do the field visits.
We want to thank everyone for the prayers of safe travel for Jim and continuing prayers for us as we go through this year. Jim will be sending pictures and a letter after the phone gets fixed. Please let me know if anyone wants to be off the newsletter list.
I am doing well and getting adjusted to being in Saginaw and having time to visit friends and family. Shannon and I are getting along well and I have a little more cleaning to do to get my room straightened out for the next few months. Before Jim left Shannon made a few improvements like a new over-the-toilet cabinet and dresser for her room. So we did furniture rearranging. I have done some cleaning in the basement of stuff we had taken out to go camping and finding of some heavier clothes for me.
Bye for now.
Jim and Pat