So Caleb and I went to go get our Ethiopian drivers' licenses last week, and it's one of those experiences that I could never do justice, but I'll try and relate some of the highlights to you. We needed what is known as a "grade 3" license, because our vehicle is a 10 passenger Land Cruiser, and anything over 8 passengers in Ethiopia requires this Grade 3 license. The Grade 2 license, which most people get, is relatively easy to get, but the Grade 3 has proven elusive to most foreigners without jumping through a lot of hoops. There is an Ethiopian SIM staff member, Nicco, who takes care of importing vehicles, licensing, and pretty much anything to do with the mission vehicles, and so he was kind enough to take us to get our licenses. Actually, Nicco was kind enough to do absolutely everything for us while we stood around looking as ignorant as we are.
We started out the day at 8 am, and spent the next 7 hours working through the process of getting these licenses. (You thought your DMV wait time was bad). We followed Nicco like good little children as he went from window to window, building to building--paying a fee here, getting a copy made here, getting a stamp on this paper, getting a signature on this form. The thing about Ethiopia is that there is no concept of an orderly line or waiting your turn. The person who gets helped is the person who pushes to the front and waves his paper the most enthusiastically in front of the window. Lucky for us, Nicco is very good at this. Plus, he has connections . Eventually as we were waiting around, it came out that we would be expected to take an examination plus a driving test in (drumroll please) a lorry-type truck. Not only would we be driving in a lorry, but we would be expected to double clutch each time we downshifted. (Thoughts here...first, what is double clutching? second, is there actually a driving course back behind this building where we can actually reach speeds in a lorry to warrant shifting up to 4th gear and back down?) Nicco, thankfully, saw my face at news of this driving test, and promised he would get me out of it. Apparently, a woman who cannot double clutch can be safely given a Grade 3 license without taking a driving examination simply because she is a woman. Well, possibly a white woman. So that is great--I was exempt from driving. Caleb, though, would not be exempt. He would need to take the driving test.
So with that understood, we were shuffled off to our "orientation". We were put in a room with a large board of road signs, an Ethiopian proctor of sorts, and a Chinese man. I guess we were lumped with the Chinese because of our common lack of black skin, never mind that the Chinese man could not speak a word of English. We were handed a blank piece of paper and told to write 1-70 the meanings of the road signs. I won't go into detail because I cannot even begin to explain what all happened next, but Caleb and I proceeded to get pretty much every road sign wrong while the Chinese man pantomined the meanings of the road signs in the background to pass his examination. Ahh..Ethiopia.
Somehow we managed to pass our exam, even with all of our errors, and reunited with Nicco to find out he had worked his magic again and somehow had gotten the driving test signed off for Caleb as well. So after 7 hours of waiting, running, laughing, trying to fill out forms in Amharic, and generally being in disbelief the entire day, we emerged victorious with our Grade 3 licenses.
Just don't ask me to double clutch.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
New Contact Information
We now have email access at our house!
Our new email address is caleb.swart@yimesgin.org
Please do not use our yahoo email address anymore, we don't have an easy way to check it.
Our regular mail address is:
Caleb and Joanna Swart
Box 127
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
We'd love to hear from you!
Our new email address is caleb.swart@yimesgin.org
Please do not use our yahoo email address anymore, we don't have an easy way to check it.
Our regular mail address is:
Caleb and Joanna Swart
Box 127
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
We'd love to hear from you!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Don't Eat That Spider (and other ways my life has changed)
The thing about having said that to Elsa earlier today is not exactly
what I said (hey, you may say that you one of your kids one day), it's more
the tone in which it was said. No need for panic anymore at the possibility
of a spider being ingested...comments such as that are becoming
common-place. Elsa, don't pick those leaves, they'll make you sick. Elsa, don't drink
water out of the faucet, it's dirty. Ezra, did you pee on the floor? No matter, it'll dry.
Before we left the US, I made the major purchase and mental switch from
disposable to cloth diapers. What I failed to realize, though, was how
little my children's little buns would need to be covered. Elsa and
Ezra spend the majority of their day running freely un-diapered, because
when it comes down to it, wiping up the floor of a little poo is much easier
than handwashing a messy cloth diaper. So it seems as though the $300 I
spent on diapers could have been better spent on, hmmm, I don't know
what...Crystal Light drink mixes? Now that would have been money well spent!
We will go back up to Addis Ababa on Tuesday morning. Hopefully I will
get to post some pictures. The pictures will do more than I could ever
write about what things have been like. There's nothing like a picture of
Ezra sitting in the kitchen sink, where he spends the majority of his day
(he's not tolerating the heat as well as the rest of us, the kitchen sink is
where he is happiest) to show how far we've come from the snowy, cold days of
Holland, Michigan.
what I said (hey, you may say that you one of your kids one day), it's more
the tone in which it was said. No need for panic anymore at the possibility
of a spider being ingested...comments such as that are becoming
common-place. Elsa, don't pick those leaves, they'll make you sick. Elsa, don't drink
water out of the faucet, it's dirty. Ezra, did you pee on the floor? No matter, it'll dry.
Before we left the US, I made the major purchase and mental switch from
disposable to cloth diapers. What I failed to realize, though, was how
little my children's little buns would need to be covered. Elsa and
Ezra spend the majority of their day running freely un-diapered, because
when it comes down to it, wiping up the floor of a little poo is much easier
than handwashing a messy cloth diaper. So it seems as though the $300 I
spent on diapers could have been better spent on, hmmm, I don't know
what...Crystal Light drink mixes? Now that would have been money well spent!
We will go back up to Addis Ababa on Tuesday morning. Hopefully I will
get to post some pictures. The pictures will do more than I could ever
write about what things have been like. There's nothing like a picture of
Ezra sitting in the kitchen sink, where he spends the majority of his day
(he's not tolerating the heat as well as the rest of us, the kitchen sink is
where he is happiest) to show how far we've come from the snowy, cold days of
Holland, Michigan.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Clinic
I've had my first experiences with the medical work here at OMO.
Caleb's mom, Donna, is a nurse who works a lot with the Daasanech women and
children. She helps to run prenatal and immunization clinics, and also
responds to people's calls for help during difficult deliveries. This
morning I went with Donna to run a clinic at a village across the
river. We had 29 women come to the clinic, and it was amazing to see how Donna
works in this environment. I couldn't help but laugh, remembering my own OB
visits with both of the kids, where everything is so sterile and high-tech,
and then here we are, listening to fetal heart tones with a wooden
feto-scope. I loved my first encounter with what I hope to be doing here when we're
done with language school.
Later that afternoon a woman came to see us, saying that her daughter
had delivered a baby around noon and hadn't yet delivered the placenta (it
was around 5 pm). So Donna and I took the truck down to a nearby village to
see the woman. Donna worked with her for about an hour, finally giving her
a medication to help start her contractions again to be able to deliver
the placenta. We left soon after, with instructions for the family to send
word in the morning what had transpired during the night. If the woman had
still not delivered the placenta, we would take her to the health post and
attempt to manually extract the placenta. The next morning we got word that the
woman had delivered the placenta soon after we had left the evening
before. I have to tell you that I stand in awe of Donna and all she does here.
I have much to learn.
Caleb's mom, Donna, is a nurse who works a lot with the Daasanech women and
children. She helps to run prenatal and immunization clinics, and also
responds to people's calls for help during difficult deliveries. This
morning I went with Donna to run a clinic at a village across the
river. We had 29 women come to the clinic, and it was amazing to see how Donna
works in this environment. I couldn't help but laugh, remembering my own OB
visits with both of the kids, where everything is so sterile and high-tech,
and then here we are, listening to fetal heart tones with a wooden
feto-scope. I loved my first encounter with what I hope to be doing here when we're
done with language school.
Later that afternoon a woman came to see us, saying that her daughter
had delivered a baby around noon and hadn't yet delivered the placenta (it
was around 5 pm). So Donna and I took the truck down to a nearby village to
see the woman. Donna worked with her for about an hour, finally giving her
a medication to help start her contractions again to be able to deliver
the placenta. We left soon after, with instructions for the family to send
word in the morning what had transpired during the night. If the woman had
still not delivered the placenta, we would take her to the health post and
attempt to manually extract the placenta. The next morning we got word that the
woman had delivered the placenta soon after we had left the evening
before. I have to tell you that I stand in awe of Donna and all she does here.
I have much to learn.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Omo
We've safely arrived at OMO. We'll spend the next week and a half here
before we need to head back up to the capital to start language school.
Being here is like taking a breath after being underwater for a very
long time. Both Caleb and I feel such a sense of relief and calm being here
after the semi-chaos of the last three months.
We've stripped the babies down to nothing and they are loving their
freedom. The last few nights up in Addis have not been good. Both kids have had
a really hard time adjusting to the time change and Addis is extremely
cold at night, so that has been affecting the way they sleep. Last night here,
though, Elsa slept through and Ezra did much much better as well. Ezra
and I have been battling some sickness, so that has been making sleep
difficult for him. Please pray for us that we can stay healthy as we get adjusted
to a new environment.
before we need to head back up to the capital to start language school.
Being here is like taking a breath after being underwater for a very
long time. Both Caleb and I feel such a sense of relief and calm being here
after the semi-chaos of the last three months.
We've stripped the babies down to nothing and they are loving their
freedom. The last few nights up in Addis have not been good. Both kids have had
a really hard time adjusting to the time change and Addis is extremely
cold at night, so that has been affecting the way they sleep. Last night here,
though, Elsa slept through and Ezra did much much better as well. Ezra
and I have been battling some sickness, so that has been making sleep
difficult for him. Please pray for us that we can stay healthy as we get adjusted
to a new environment.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Arrived
We've arrived safely in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia! The trip went amazingly
well, thank you to all who were praying for our kiddos on the long trip. Both
Elsa and Ezra slept the majority of the first flight, then we only had a 2
hour layover in Frankfurt, Germany, and then they both slept the first half
of the second flight. We had the bulkhead row on both flights, so we were
able to have a bassinet for Ezra to sleep in on both flights. I can't
remember the last time that I flew without a baby in my lap! It was so great to
have my arms free. Ezra thought sitting up in the bassinet was the greatest
thing, he loved it. And Elsa did so well on the long trip. We wondered
how she would handle being confined for such a long period of time, but she
did better than we could have hoped.
Caleb's parents were at the Addis airport to meet us. We've all dreamed
of this moment for a long time, words cannot adequately express how it
felt to step out of the airport and see their faces. They took us back to our
home for the next year, the SIM's Akaki Compound where we will live and
attend language school. We have a great little two bedroom apartment that is
perfect for our family. The compound is home to 8 or 9 families, with
tons of kids, a swingset, sand box, soccer field, and lots of dogs for Elsa
to throw rocks for. It'll be a really nice place to live while we are
doing our language studies.
We'll be here for the next few days and then we'll go down country to OMO.
We'll fly down on Friday and spend 12 days at our future home before we
need to come back up to the capital to start language school.
I know lots of people were praying us through this trip, so your
prayers were answered! Thank you for your thoughts for us. We'll be in touch.
well, thank you to all who were praying for our kiddos on the long trip. Both
Elsa and Ezra slept the majority of the first flight, then we only had a 2
hour layover in Frankfurt, Germany, and then they both slept the first half
of the second flight. We had the bulkhead row on both flights, so we were
able to have a bassinet for Ezra to sleep in on both flights. I can't
remember the last time that I flew without a baby in my lap! It was so great to
have my arms free. Ezra thought sitting up in the bassinet was the greatest
thing, he loved it. And Elsa did so well on the long trip. We wondered
how she would handle being confined for such a long period of time, but she
did better than we could have hoped.
Caleb's parents were at the Addis airport to meet us. We've all dreamed
of this moment for a long time, words cannot adequately express how it
felt to step out of the airport and see their faces. They took us back to our
home for the next year, the SIM's Akaki Compound where we will live and
attend language school. We have a great little two bedroom apartment that is
perfect for our family. The compound is home to 8 or 9 families, with
tons of kids, a swingset, sand box, soccer field, and lots of dogs for Elsa
to throw rocks for. It'll be a really nice place to live while we are
doing our language studies.
We'll be here for the next few days and then we'll go down country to OMO.
We'll fly down on Friday and spend 12 days at our future home before we
need to come back up to the capital to start language school.
I know lots of people were praying us through this trip, so your
prayers were answered! Thank you for your thoughts for us. We'll be in touch.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
It's Time
Today's the day we leave. It's hard to know what I'm supposed to be feeling. Right now I have to admit that all I want is to close my eyes and be there--bypassing the next 24 hours of flying from Atlanta to Frankfort to Khartoum to Addis Ababa. Pray hard! We have one very very active 21 month old and I'm not sure how she is going to survive being in confined space for such an extended period of time.
We're excited, though. How could we not be? This is what we have dreamed of for the past 3 years. Looking back on the last few years, the Lord has been so faithful to us, we know that He will continue to show his heart for us through the next few days of travel as well.
Our last three days have been so sweet. We're here in Atlanta with Tim and Leah, and Shelah and Dave. Being altogether makes it tempting to wish we weren't going anywhere! It's been so nice to be with our family again.
Our kids have demonstrated lately that they don't value sleep nearly as much as their parents do, so that has been wearing us down. For their sakes as well as ours, pray that we can all rest once we get there and adjust to the new time change.
So...this is it. We're on our way. We'll be in touch from the other side!
We love you all.
We're excited, though. How could we not be? This is what we have dreamed of for the past 3 years. Looking back on the last few years, the Lord has been so faithful to us, we know that He will continue to show his heart for us through the next few days of travel as well.
Our last three days have been so sweet. We're here in Atlanta with Tim and Leah, and Shelah and Dave. Being altogether makes it tempting to wish we weren't going anywhere! It's been so nice to be with our family again.
Our kids have demonstrated lately that they don't value sleep nearly as much as their parents do, so that has been wearing us down. For their sakes as well as ours, pray that we can all rest once we get there and adjust to the new time change.
So...this is it. We're on our way. We'll be in touch from the other side!
We love you all.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Countdown
Officially...5 days. Unofficially...an eternity and a moment all in one. It is hard to believe that we are actually at this point. It's coming fast and at the same time, it feels like it will never come at all. We've spent such a long time planning for this moment that in some ways it never felt like it would really happen. But happening it is! We are in our last week here in America. At the moment we are in Atlanta. We've spent the last two weeks in Tennessee and North Carolina, spening the holidays with some of Caleb's family. We were so pampered and loved on and didn't have to worry about a thing while we were at Caleb's aunt and uncle's house, it was such a great reprieve from some of the stress we've been feeling.
As I sit here and write, Caleb is stuffing an army-green duffle full of who knows what--books for Elsa and Ezra, cloth diapers, tank tops and shorts for the hot OMO weather, blank DVDs to be able to send back home videos of the kids to grandparents and aunties and uncles. We're down to packing the last two bags. Only those who have done it before realize the horror of those last couple bags!! We know it will all find a place and we will make it to Ethiopia...hopefully without losing our minds in the process. I think mine was dropped off somewhere between Asheville and Atlanta.
We have been low on sleep as our kids adjust to yet another move and neither Caleb nor I feel very well...pray for strength beyond measure.
As I sit here and write, Caleb is stuffing an army-green duffle full of who knows what--books for Elsa and Ezra, cloth diapers, tank tops and shorts for the hot OMO weather, blank DVDs to be able to send back home videos of the kids to grandparents and aunties and uncles. We're down to packing the last two bags. Only those who have done it before realize the horror of those last couple bags!! We know it will all find a place and we will make it to Ethiopia...hopefully without losing our minds in the process. I think mine was dropped off somewhere between Asheville and Atlanta.
We have been low on sleep as our kids adjust to yet another move and neither Caleb nor I feel very well...pray for strength beyond measure.
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