I've been a little bit slack with this blog of late, work at the cinema has kept me very very busy! Life goes on in Lalibela though and there have been a few new developments. The first is that just before Christmas, a lovely American couple visited the orphanage and were our guests for the weekend. This couple were kind enough to donate some of their luggage allowance to us and brought over some desparately needed diapers and baby things for Ytinet and Hillary, as well as backpacks for each of the kids, exercise books and pens, some clothes and games. S tells me the kids were very very excited about having a backpack of their own to wear to school each day, and Sabi is very happy to have nappies/diapers for the babies as it makes her job that much easier when she doesn't have to wash all the linen and blankets twice a day. I believe the babies are even allowed to wear dresses and pants now, instead of running around in t-shirts and jumpers only!

The second blessing we received was the return of valerie the goat. Valerie disappeared on December 30th and was gone for two days. The kids, S and Ayatil looked everywhere for her, S reported it to the police and we were sure that we wouldn't see her again because goats are very valuable in Ethiopia and there are far too many desperate people who would look upon the finding of a goat as a gift from God. So when Val came wandering back into our yard on New years day with a tiny version of herself in tow, we were all very very excited!!! Val's baby is a boy and has since been named Fred. The kids are very taken with Fred, so I am told.. and i can just imagine, as I saw firsthand how sweet they were with Val, finding all the nicest leaves and plants they could find for her- Temesgen often spending hours taking all the thorns off cactus leaves and then pulverising them into a sloppy goopy mess for Val to eat.

On January 7, Ethiopians celebrate Christmas and S tells me the kids spent days cleaning their best clothes and braiding their hair nicely for the special day. Lalibela is a kind of mecca in Ethiopia and thousands of pilgrims all descend upon the town for christmas each year. All the motels are booked out months in advance, school is disbanded for a week in order to make some temporary accommodation for pilgrims, though most stay in the vicinity of the rock hewn churches. There were so many people in town that S had to keep the kids in the compound for a few days for their own safety, but the day after the celebration, the town emptied once again and things are back to usual. During the celebrations though, S was tour guiding some Australian girls and at some point showed them around the orphanage and told them it was run by a young Australian girl and they were fairly impressed and went out and bought the kids a sheep for their big Christmas lunch. Prior to Christmas, Ethiopian Orthodox christians fast for a week, so it's a big deal having meat on Christmas day. S however, has already bought a goat at the Saturday markets which he had planned to have killed for the feast, but once I spoke to him and heard about the gift of the sheep etc, I insisted the goat join our ever increasing herd. So we now have 3 goats! This 3rd goat is eventually to start a breeding program at the orphanage. Ethiopian admin is very big on 'animal husbandry programs' and I am very big on animals and baby animals in general, so the more the merrier i say! and if it is educational at the same time and we can teach the kids about relavant skills in their hometown, then even better!

In other news, two of the boys beds collapsed in the middle as unbeknown to me, they were all sitting on temesgen and abraham's beds of a nighttime as the other 3 don't have a light in their room. So all the extra weight on the metal frames caused them to bow. so we're in the process of having those repaired and in the meantime abraham and temesgen are cosily sharing a bed. since the only electrician in Lalibela is never able to find the time to repair that light, I think we need to buy a lamp of some description to put in the other boys room, next time we are in Addis.

S also tells me that the kids are all missing me. I too miss them dreadfully!! I have acquired plenty of things that they need such as shoes etc and it kills me knowing that they are walking around in plastic shoes that have holes in them, or give them awful blisters, and here I have these lovely joggers and sandals for them, just sitting in my bag of things to take back. I plan to give the kids a belated christmas once I finally get back to Ethiopia, I have bought a christmas stocking for them each in the after christmas sales, and plan to fill them with 2 pairs of shoes each- a pair of joggers and sandals each, as well as a pair of pyjamas (the currently sleep naked) as well as a toiletry bag (that my nan and myself will run up) with soap and toothbrush holders as well as hairties for the girls etc.

Right now though, my main concern is the next three months rent. Rent is due on the
6th Feb and is $1200 that we don't have. I have complete faith that God will provide us with the funds to pay this, but I have no idea where the money is going to come from. If anyone was contemplating making a donation to the orphanage, now would be the time to do so!!
xx