Monday Evening March 22
Saturday we spent the entire day shopping- picking up hand made rugs, curtains that were made to order- the market we went to pick them up has thousands of open stalls-its the largest in all of Africa- and so fascinating- unfortunately its not the place to look like a tourist so I haven't taken any pictures there- interesting that like items are situated together so if you are shopping for something you can go to that area- (Today we went shopping for kitchen items and there were blocks of little stores) Last Saturday we also went to 3 different grocery stores to stalk up on food items for the farm with the understanding that we wouldn't have refrigeration yet and wouldn't have access to another grocery store for at least 4 hours away. Kinda tricky to find good food in a third world country store that we will want to eat but won't need to be kept cold- we bought pastas, rice, flour & pickles.
Sunday March 14th was a first district conference since Ethiopia was made a district several months ago. A member of the first quorum of the seventy came, Elder Redlin. There was an amazing spirit there. He shared with them some warnings that we all can take to heart. 1. They will be critisized for joining the church but they must stay strong and hold to the truth. 2. When there are problems, don't become offended and stay away from church. He told a story about Edward Wooley who was an early member of the church and bishop- He was asked to build an assembly hall, later Brigham Young severly critized him, telling him it was too ornate. Later Brigham Young apologized and asked why he didn't leave the church over that incident. Bishop Wooley told him it was because it was the Lord's church and not Brigham's. Interesting to note that Bishop Wooleys grandson is Spencer Wooley Kimball. 3. When you sin, don't feel like you can't come back to church. We all make mistakes and must continue to come to church, repent and partake of the sacrament worthily. 4 Be obedient for the Lord has many blessings for you. He also made a statement telling those couple hundred members that in ten years there will be tens of thousands of members in Ethiopia and they will look back to these members of the church with gratitude for being pioneers here in Ethiopia.
Monday March 15 Alyssa & I flew out to Bali, Goba - The Alyssa Farm near Beltu. What took Val over 20 hours to drive took us just over an hour to fly in a small plane- which meant we could see the patchwork farms, villages & mountains along the way. The ride was smooth but a little unsettling to see the Pilot put a map over his windshield to keep the sun out- I'm sure he was flying by auto pilot but still... We arrived and how wonderful to look down and see the farm and then our family waiting for us- Val & Wes
Tues Morn and I'm still trying to finish my journal entry:
The farm compound is amazing with so much happening there. There is the actual farm operation of clearing and tilling the land. Bulldozers go out 16 hours a day to clear the ground and pile up the brush, fire starters then go out and burn them up, tractors then are out tilling the ground getting ready for planting around the first of April. They are hoping for 2000 hecters to be ready by then. The homestead area is also a hive of activity with 4 homes in various stages of being built. We moved into the home that was filled with boxes and almost finished- We spent the week unloading furniture, finishing the wiring and generally making it a home. Val made some makeshift cabinets our of scraps. Wes is the project manager there and works to keep it all moving forward- and there is something every day to work through. He really communicates well with his entire crew- there are a handful of frengies (foreigners) and hundred of Ethiopians working on the farm.
Alyssa & I set up our home with lots of help. One house has been getting the cement foundation in. It has taken about a week to pour it by hand with one mixer and lots of labor as they pack it to the the site by hand. Wes invited some of the women construction crew to help us in our home. They have helped cook with a kerosene stove, wash dishes outside in a bucket- we are teaching them to use dish soap and clorox, and sweep out the house. We have had more help than we need but it is fun to work with them. They are amazed at the flushing toilet and the now working stove. These homes are going to be really nice especially when Val tells me what rough roads the trucks had to bring all these supplies out here.
Of course we are not just working on the farm. We are having fun too! Wes has started a wild animal collection. A few weeks ago he bought a baby monkey from some kids. Ever since then the locals have figured out Wes will pay for interesting animals. So far he has collected a baby monkey, a couple of baby African civets, a guinnea pig thing that died when it rained too hard, a tiny turtle (their are huge ones walking around too), and yesterday when he got a cameleon we haven't seen yet. When the locals brought a guinna hen, we ate that for lunch- a little tough but it was meat:) Alyssa & I walked over to a local tarp restaurant set up to feed workers here. It was fun- first they brought us chairs, then a little table complete with table cloth, a coke and then we ordered tibbs for lunch (goat in little pieces cooked with onions & hot peppers) This can be spicy but this time is wasn't. It was tender compared with the beef I've tried here.
Since we are pretty close to the equator, the days are about equal with it getting light about 6:30 in the morning and getting dark around that time too. We play games at night and gaze at the strars which are much, much brighter out there so you can actually see Orion and it really looks like its suppose to. We're glad to have electricity & lights- most don't out here. We have been taking showers from a bucket but they will be getting running water too. And as of last Saturday, Internet service was brought to the compound. Amazing since it really is out in the middle of nowhere.
Last Friday we took a drive to the village of Beltu about 15 kolometers away. It has rained some and is very beautiful and green. We stopped at a spring surrounded by beautiful trees. We saw monkeys, baboons & even a warthog. There is no water in Beltu so they must pack it several miles from the spring. White people are a very unusual site. I took some pictures of some ladies in colorful dresses. (almost all women here wear dresses) They were a bit fearful but interested in seeing their picture on the camera. In Beltu we were mobbed by more than a hundred children which was fine until a group started pinching Alyssa hard. We plan to go back on market day soon.
Alyssa & I flew back to Addis because her children have been released from the VOH. If all goes well they will be coming here today. We are very excited to be getting them. We will be spending our days shopping for them & the farm. We plan to fly back to the farm this Saturday.
This is more than enough for now. Time to get up and greet this new day!
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