We slept in, showered (our last warm one for awhile!), ate breakfast, and packed our stuff for Gambella. About noon, we headed to the airport, checked in, ordered some french fries to go, found our gate, met Azeb, and boarded our flight to the twins' birth town.
Once on board, I talked to several members of a mission team from Texas. They teach VBS to kids in Gambella Town and refugee children from South Sudan. The first year, they had 30 students. Last year, they had 1800! They said that for the first time, they have been able to teach the Bible to the Anuak, Nuer, and Dinka tribes together, and they are learning to love each other instead of being enemies. They also taught sign language to some local pastors, and so for the first time ever, the deaf community there is able to have their own language with which to learn about the Bible. I was so impressed! God promises that His word will not return void!
I sat beside a man who works for the Ministry of Health. He told me that the biggest health challenges in Gambella are malaria, malnutrition, TB, and HIV.
Goodbye for now, Addis!
Hello, Gambella!
The Baro River:
We landed, picked up our luggage and donation totes, met Wass, and headed down the very long and very bumpy road to town. Wass very carefully drove some of our group, while Rachael and I rode with a man from the hotel. He flew over the potholes like a race car driver, and we were jostled up and down and side to side, leaving the other vehicle in the dust behind us. I think we got to the hotel a good 15 minutes before Wass's van-load. Whew!
We checked into the Baro Hotel, and were given the old rooms (same section we stayed in last time.) Each room has 2 twin beds, and the twins wanted to stay together again. So Chris and the boys took one room, Shana and Rachael took another, and I got a room to myself.
Wass drove us to the prison to buy local beadwork, but it was closed for the day. We headed back to the hotel and decided to try again the next day. Azeb called A, the boys' birth mom, to find out what time we should meet her in the morning. It was special to hear her voice on the phone. It was decided to meet her at around 9 am, and she would take us to her house. Wow...I was not able to even comprehend or process what was about to take place.
We sat outside the restaurant for awhile and visited before ordering dinner. We all got traditional Ethiopian dishes, and thoroughly enjoyed them! Several guests joined us for our meal...namely, some very hungry and outgoing Colobus monkeys!
We headed to our rooms at about 8:00. Tomorrow will be a very emotional day, I'm sure!
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