There has been a lot happen in the last two weeks and I know that most of you will hear stories on facebook, twitter or one of the other many social media events current to our culture, but I want to tell you one story that I think you need to hear.
We are back, and so is my phone, internet, email string, calls, job notices, inboxes, outboxes and meetings. I am barely back and yet I feel at times I have never left. But, I know that something in me has changed, as well as all of us. The guys I think will share my sentiments. As they stare at their computers today they will hold back tears as they see the two widows that we began to support. As they read their emails, they will almost hear the old priests words of gratitude about the day he saw first water and how this was his happiest day of 85 years. When they run into a problem today they will just smile remembering Gebre’s smile that just opened our hearts on the last day out to see the wells and how it never stopped one time, even when he spoke of the death of his father and his mother leaving so many years ago. They will remember all the smiles, laughs, cries and tears.

The last couple of weeks we have dodged donkeys, cars, trucks, camels, chickens and even humans in our fishbowl on wheels. We have honked our horn 572 times at last count and felt dizzy looking down the face of a 12,000 ft mountain in the simiens. We have held back tears as we listen to a widow mother of 2 with 2 hearing impaired kids tell her story of absolute survival. We laughed when we taught the elders to juggle and we almost died of lack of oxygen as we played soccer with the local kids. We got our hands dirty with the villages and our feet were tired from walking. Our butts hurt, our bodies were tired and our minds were reeling from all of the information, But through it all we changed.

We changed in little ways and big. We will no longer sit and drink ice water or turn on a faucet without remembering those with none. We will never walk the same without remembering yedesta carrying water with club feet. We will never look at things the same without looking into the eyes of each of our angels. Each one of us had them. It may have been the girl in the schoolhouse for Andrew or the green eyes of the little girl for me. I don’t know, but for each person their was that angel that will forever hold their hearts. That smile that will make them smile, that laugh that will make them laugh or that face that will make them cry.

We have been through multiple power outages, no internet, no water, missed lunches and not so sure stomach’s, but through it all we have changed. We became immersed in this culture, this experience, the dance and the language. Even to the point that Brad is saying ish to the waiter instead of yes. We have changed in ways that we may never realize. We have become stronger, sturdier, smarter and more in love. In love with a culture, a people a village and country. We have walked and talked with them. We have fed them and clothed them and gave them something to drink. Is this not what God has asked us to do. He said whatever you do for the least of these you do for me. Brad, Andrew, Mike, Bill and Brian. This week as you gave water to these villages and people and kids and as you handed out water bottles, soccer balls, candy and your hearts you placed it in the hands of the King.
Need I say more.

Mike Koch

 There has been a lot happen in the last two weeks and I know that most of you will hear stories on facebook, twitter or one of the other many social media events current to our culture, but I want to tell you one story that I think you need to hear.
We are back, and so is my phone, internet, email string, calls, job notices, inboxes, outboxes and meetings. I am barely back and yet I feel at times I have never left. But, I know that something in me has changed, as well as all of us. The guys I think will share my sentiments. As they stare at their computers today they will hold back tears as they see the two widows that we began to support. As they read their emails, they will almost hear the old priests words of gratitude about the day he saw first water and how this was his happiest day of 85 years. When they run into a problem today they will just smile remembering Gebre’s smile that just opened our hearts on the last day out to see the wells and how it never stopped one time, even when he spoke of the death of his father and his mother leaving so many years ago. They will remember all the smiles, laughs, cries and tears.

The last couple of weeks we have dodged donkeys, cars, trucks, camels, chickens and even humans in our fishbowl on wheels. We have honked our horn 572 times at last count and felt dizzy looking down the face of a 12,000 ft mountain in the simiens. We have held back tears as we listen to a widow mother of 2 with 2 hearing impaired kids tell her story of absolute survival. We laughed when we taught the elders to juggle and we almost died of lack of oxygen as we played soccer with the local kids. We got our hands dirty with the villages and our feet were tired from walking. Our butts hurt, our bodies were tired and our minds were reeling from all of the information, But through it all we changed.

We changed in little ways and big. We will no longer sit and drink ice water or turn on a faucet without remembering those with none. We will never walk the same without remembering yedesta carrying water with club feet. We will never look at things the same without looking into the eyes of each of our angels. Each one of us had them. It may have been the girl in the schoolhouse for Andrew or the green eyes of the little girl for me. I don’t know, but for each person their was that angel that will forever hold their hearts. That smile that will make them smile, that laugh that will make them laugh or that face that will make them cry.

We have been through multiple power outages, no internet, no water, missed lunches and not so sure stomach’s, but through it all we have changed. We became immersed in this culture, this experience, the dance and the language. Even to the point that Brad is saying ish to the waiter instead of yes. We have changed in ways that we may never realize. We have become stronger, sturdier, smarter and more in love. In love with a culture, a people a village and country. We have walked and talked with them. We have fed them and clothed them and gave them something to drink. Is this not what God has asked us to do. He said whatever you do for the least of these you do for me. Brad, Andrew, Mike, Bill and Brian. This week as you gave water to these villages and people and kids and as you handed out water bottles, soccer balls, candy and your hearts you placed it in the hands of the King.
Need I say more.

Mike Koch