It was actually remarkable that we even arrived in Ethiopia because we flew on April 15th, 2010, the day the volcano erupted in Iceland. As you likely know, thousands of people were left stranded for days and even weeks. Our 24 hour trip turned into 48 hours of diverted flights, hours of standing in lines, leaving stranded passengers behind. We were literally the last plane to leave Munich. They shut the airport behind us and it did not reopen for 10 days. It was incredible… our luggage never arrived for a week, but we did! God obviously wanted us in Ethiopia and I have to tell you that our hearts are still in Ethiopia!
This kind of unexpected interruption of plans continued...
We were a team of 9 women from BC & Ontario, 4 of us were nurses and, we had been working for months on a partnership with the Sululta Medical Clinic 30 km north of Addis. However, after arriving, our plans at the clinic completely fell apart… and God’s plans began falling into place. Due to the clinic’s own internal politics, they didn't want us… they wanted the money we had fund raised for the clinic, but not our help! So there we were, stranded in a foreign land, absolutely blindsided… After the volcano experience, I found this part exciting, it was a moment by moment dependence on God and I could hardly wait to see what He would do next…
God led us to this destitute community named Korah, where His precious children are living in oppression; in garbage dumps & makeshift homes filled with darkness. Korah is a leper community of 130,000 people in the middle of Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia.
The community is consumed with poverty, where families are broken through illness, death and persecution. They’re seen as cursed, so they’re outcast and forgotten, rejected because of their disease. Few people in Addis know about Korah or have heard of the conditions there. Many are widowed and orphaned. They are extremely vulnerable. Leprosy is not the only disease found in the Korah slums; HIV/AIDS, TB and others run rampant. Sickness and infections spread quickly through scarce and tainted food, filthy living conditions, poor hygiene and the lack of clean water. The closest water source is a 1 ½ hour walk in one direction. Those who survive, do so through begging, prostitution and living off of the city’s garbage dump.
This kind of unexpected interruption of plans continued...
God led us to this destitute community named Korah, where His precious children are living in oppression; in garbage dumps & makeshift homes filled with darkness. Korah is a leper community of 130,000 people in the middle of Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia.
The community is consumed with poverty, where families are broken through illness, death and persecution. They’re seen as cursed, so they’re outcast and forgotten, rejected because of their disease. Few people in Addis know about Korah or have heard of the conditions there. Many are widowed and orphaned. They are extremely vulnerable. Leprosy is not the only disease found in the Korah slums; HIV/AIDS, TB and others run rampant. Sickness and infections spread quickly through scarce and tainted food, filthy living conditions, poor hygiene and the lack of clean water. The closest water source is a 1 ½ hour walk in one direction. Those who survive, do so through begging, prostitution and living off of the city’s garbage dump.
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| Korah Streets |
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| Many are widowed and orphaned |
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| Inside Korah Homes |
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| Surviving at the trash dump |
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| All ages live at the dump |
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| Selling food scavenged from the dump |
Oh Eve...
ReplyDeleteMy heart breaks for these people. I see the faces of children, and I see my daughter to be staring back at me. I am at a loss...
Claire
oh Eve - so many memories come flooding back in my mind - I wish I could go back with you - who knows maybe next time??!! I'm praying for you and can't wait to hear about this next adventure!! WOW - so much has happened since we were there last year - God is good and has hear the plight of his people in Korah!!! Thanks for being so faithful - xoxo
ReplyDeleteDear Eve,
ReplyDeleteAs I look back on this trip of ours, all I can think of is God's incredible plan to reach out to the people of Korah. He took us through the ashes of a volcano, through the trials of lost luggage, through the rejection of failed plans, and right into His master plan for His children in Korah. God will continue to unfold His plan as you journey there again. Of course you already know that I wish I were coming with you, but I will be there in spirit and in prayer. I love your passion and your deep love for Korah and I know that you will be a blessing and be deeply blessed as well. Angie