I apologize for not getting a blog out earlier, but the last couple of days have been interesting. We have had no power at times and no water at others and even both at a few.
Yesterday and today were such a blur that they have kind of passed us by with the blink of an eye.
Yesterday started out with a broke down vehicle and a day of rest turning into a found vehicle and a mad dash out to Robit all crammed into a land cruiser that lived up to its name. We bounced our way out to this village of some 7,000 people to find about half of them waiting in the school lot just wanting to tell us their story. We made our way into the schoolblock to begin to meet with the widows, orphans, disabled and the elders. We heard many stories of daily struggles with finding clean water, food to eat and medicines to keep them healthy. We heard from widows with hungry children and orphans with no means to care for themselves. We heard many stories that made each one of us tear up.
But in all of this, they could not stop thanking us for all that we had done with the nearly completed water project that would provide for their town. They told us how it will change their lives because they will not have to walk so far for water, and they will not have to worry about whether their children will get sick from it. It was a blessing to hear this, but also surreal in the midst of hunger, lost fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers. Lost to water borne disease and malaria, hunger and the undefined.
It was a good day and moving for the group and a good way to begin the next part of our journey.

We started today early with a trek to the simien mountains and like my first time, the group stood atop a mountainside 12,000 feet in the air and looked straight down at the majestic scenery below them and commented that “this is not the Ethiopia that you think of.” We all walked the mountainsides and we saw the menelik buck and the most amazing waterless waterfalls as it is the dry season, but you could almost hear the rushing of the water as it fell thousands of feet had it been flowing.
It is really an awe inspiring site and thought that God just created something so beautiful and amazing in the midst of such hunger and suffering. I know that this trip has been life changing for the group and I hope you look forward to the stories that they will tell you because they could just change your life as well. This group has been through a lot and are tired, but excited. Excited by the change that they are seeing as they work beside the communities to get fresh, clean water. They have seen first water and the light come on in the eyes of some that have been dimmed for generations. I know they will continue to change and I look forward to watching the next several days as this happens.

Mike Koch.

  I apologize for not getting a blog out earlier, but the last couple of days have been interesting. We have had no power at times and no water at others and even both at a few.
Yesterday and today were such a blur that they have kind of passed us by with the blink of an eye.
Yesterday started out with a broke down vehicle and a day of rest turning into a found vehicle and a mad dash out to Robit all crammed into a land cruiser that lived up to its name. We bounced our way out to this village of some 7,000 people to find about half of them waiting in the school lot just wanting to tell us their story. We made our way into the schoolblock to begin to meet with the widows, orphans, disabled and the elders. We heard many stories of daily struggles with finding clean water, food to eat and medicines to keep them healthy. We heard from widows with hungry children and orphans with no means to care for themselves. We heard many stories that made each one of us tear up.
But in all of this, they could not stop thanking us for all that we had done with the nearly completed water project that would provide for their town. They told us how it will change their lives because they will not have to walk so far for water, and they will not have to worry about whether their children will get sick from it. It was a blessing to hear this, but also surreal in the midst of hunger, lost fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers. Lost to water borne disease and malaria, hunger and the undefined.
It was a good day and moving for the group and a good way to begin the next part of our journey.

We started today early with a trek to the simien mountains and like my first time, the group stood atop a mountainside 12,000 feet in the air and looked straight down at the majestic scenery below them and commented that “this is not the Ethiopia that you think of.” We all walked the mountainsides and we saw the menelik buck and the most amazing waterless waterfalls as it is the dry season, but you could almost hear the rushing of the water as it fell thousands of feet had it been flowing.
It is really an awe inspiring site and thought that God just created something so beautiful and amazing in the midst of such hunger and suffering. I know that this trip has been life changing for the group and I hope you look forward to the stories that they will tell you because they could just change your life as well. This group has been through a lot and are tired, but excited. Excited by the change that they are seeing as they work beside the communities to get fresh, clean water. They have seen first water and the light come on in the eyes of some that have been dimmed for generations. I know they will continue to change and I look forward to watching the next several days as this happens.

Mike Koch.