There is a Fungus Among Us!

More specifically, on my right arm.

Can you say, "Hello, Mr. Ring Worm!"

Considering the sickness and diseases I'm around, It's amazing that's all I've come down with.

Seriously.

Here is my arm in all it's glory...

For once I have fast-ish internet so I'm just doing a photo post...

This is the beautiful Mesgana and myself. We live together and let me tell you, we have a lot of fun.

Our guilty pleasure... Nutella!

Note: My hair is insanely long! It has grown like a weed.

Many have asked a lot of questions about my house... here's the grand tour! Sorry the pictures are all kind of mixed up.

To start off, this is inside the kitchen. Almost everything is cooked over the fire, including the injera.

On the left is the kitchen and cow barn. Right is the land lords family's home and gathering room. All the neighbors come here to enjoy.

Some of the houses in the compound.

This serves as the one and only sink and even the cow drinking hole.

This is Yinee, the land lord, cleaning out the cows barn. A pretty stinky job. Nonetheless, she is incredibly sweet and loving.

The master bathroom... oh wait...squat hole!

The shower. It is very very cold. I swear it will kill me one of these days. I'm a big pus and can only make myself shower twice a week. The pink door makes it a little better though.

One of the "family members" Fikray washing his clothes. Which, by the way, is a lot of work!

And finally, that is my room... where the door is open.

It's small and simple and I love it.

Oh, this is Boo Boo (Yinee's daugher). Isn't she the cutest little thing?

On to other things... this is Mesgana and her Fiancee Mobe. He is from Kenya and came to visit for a few days.

They are getting Married December 17th! We're all excited for them!

Just as I can't stop rain from falling, I realized I can't stop time from carrying me away. In a short few weeks my time in Ethiopia will be up. I am not ready to say goodbye again, especially to the people, but to the life style and rich culture as well. I love living in an inviting community, where you always ask to share food and drink,where you spend time greeting and joking rather than avoiding each other because of a busy schedule. I feel so blessed to be here. I'm preparing to come back to cold Idaho though!

Hi, my name is Kite.

or Kete and sometimes Kity.

I always slaughter Ethiopian names, but the good news is,

Ethiopians can't pronounce my name either.

It makes me giggle.

Life just keeps getting better and better here.

That doesn't mean things don't go wrong or that I'm always comfortable.

but I've learned that it's okay to change your plans and get out of your comfort zone.

Time here has brought sweeter rewards.The children I spend my time with have touch my heart so deeply.  It has been so fun to get to know them more. To remember their names, to have them come give me hugs and kisses as I walk in the gate, and to simply learn their likes and dislikes. I'm thankful for their examples. 

The past couple weeks I've been a bit in shock. 

I keep thinking to myself with disbeleive, "It's already November?!" 

and then when I realized it's the THIRD week of November, I about die.

Where has the time gone?

I have been a bit slow realizing when Thanksgiving actually is.

Oh, THIS WEEK.

now that is just nuts.

I've been thinking of last years Thanksgiving, I celebrated it in Ethiopia too. 

You can read about it here and here. 

It was quite the adventure. 

I can't wait to find out what this Thanksgiving will bring. 

To get in the mindset of Thanksgiving I've been reading some conference talks on gratitude. What inspiring leaders we have. One of my favorite quotes came out of a talk from our Prophet Thomas S. Monson, The Divine Gift of Gratitude. He quotes Josheph S. Smith--

“The grateful man sees so much in the world to be thankful for, and with him the good outweighs the evil. Love overpowers jealousy, and light drives darkness out of his life. Pride destroys our gratitude and sets up selfishness in its place. How much happier we are in the presence of a grateful and loving soul, and how careful we should be to cultivate, through the medium of a prayerful life, a thankful attitude toward God and man!” 

President Monson continues "A grateful heart comes through expressing gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His blessings and to those around us for all they bring into our lives." I love the power in that profound sentence.  

I'm thankful for you, Happy  Thanksgiving! 

Bridging the Language Barrier

Living in a country where you don't speak the language, obviously, can be difficult and frustrating. I so wish I could communicate better with the wonderful people I am surrounded by but I can't, yet. With the gaping language barrier, I've found another "language," if you will. As I interact with others and especially the children at Mother Teresa's I've realized how loud our spirits can speak. It has been in the eyes and countenance's of the disabled I've truly felt I could understand and be understood. It has transfered a feeling to my heart and bridged the gap. The feeling grips so tightly I can scarce forget about it. Everything around me brings me back to that feeling like a bell, clanging loudly and forcefully. It makes me re-examine my life; leaving me shaking some moments, crying at others and laughing at still more. It is a feeling oddly hard to put to the back of my mind. It is a feeling that stays with me and tickles my conscience; one that keeps me up at night asking myself questions I don't have the answers to.

It is a feeling of love.

powerful and true.

intense,

and always needed,

for all.

I'm thankful for the changing feeling of love I've received and pray I can somehow spread it with others.