Today was an eye-opening day. After flying from Addis and meeting our contacts from LIA Kenya, we loaded up our equipment and went to the Mathare. The bad news was that it’s the rainy season. So the slums were thickly coated with mud and just utterly horrendous. Rain makes everything so much worse. The smell today was more powerful than any day so far and the conditions were worse as well. The scenes were heartbreaking with the mud and the shear size of the slum. This was larger than any we saw in Addis and tomorrow we go to the largest in Africa…I can’t imagine.

The only thing that kept me from breaking down was the face of the children. They light up when you say hi, touch them, smile at them and share time with them. Stepping out of our comfort zone to be here and to experience brothers and sisters in Africa highlights the world for me in a different light.

As I unpack these experiences over the following days, weeks, and months, all I know is I won’t forget this day.

There were many highlights (believe it or not). Seeing the work of the church in this place was soul empowering. Giving people glasses so they can see, dentistry work so they could live without pain, at least for a few moments, and helping women who had Aids with micro-loans, counseling and support. All good. This all took place in a church in the slums that provided schooling to the children, along with all the activities above plus more. As Brian photographed these kids, they were overjoyed and often fought for a place in line. It was the greatest gift to be a highlight of their day.

As we left to go back to meet with the Kenya board and share a meal, I wondered about their night. What would it be like? I thought of my family and I want to see them…right now.

Dinner was enriching. Surrounded by richly educated Kenyans and Ugandans I saw the hope, the power, the faith, and the readiness to change this place and the rest of Africa. They thanked me and the rest of the team for being a part of the work, and I felt honored and honestly overwhelmed. As a pastor said to us in Addis…”The work is very hard…but it is good.” I would simply add, “…and it must be done.”

As we wearily went to bed that night listening to the rain that began to fall, my heart wept…could it just not rain Lord, not tonight.

So today consisted of the group going to local churches around Addis and learning about LIA’s CHE (Community Health Evangelism) programs. This program is changing people’s lives daily. We witnessed and interviewed people for which the LIA CHE program had done everything from rebuilding houses and kitchens to providing people with toilets, fresh water, elderly care, health care and the like. The most powerful thing about it is that it’s a three-year program. Meaning they get in, fund it and then slowly empower the community to the point where it can take over by year three, and is sustainable and running long after LIA leaves. LIA still supports it, just not with daily funding, but more with counseling and special aid if needed. Pretty incredible and life changing.

One of the highlights was going to a school today where the school kids sang to us–so powerful. If it wasn’t for LIA, all of the 20+ kids would not be in school. When I have any sort of bandwidth I will post the video of them singing to us. You will jump up and clap, I guarantee it.

Tonight, bed early and an early departure to Kenya, where Hello changes from “Tena Yistilign” to “Jambo”.

Not sure on internet access, so I will be back on Monday or tomorrow.

For our adventurous in the arena of food today, please read JJ’s post of today…classic.

The first day was challenging and amazing. The flight was a wonderful challenge seeing that I was wedged in between two babies who wanted to stay up and honor my fellow passengers and me with song. It goes without saying that I was very tired and completely out of sorts, and then we went to the slums. And honestly I can’t do it better justice than one of the team members from LIA who is here with me, the one and only Mr. JJ. Check out his blog entry of our first day.

Day 2 started with an early 6:15AM departure and a 3.5 hour roller coaster ride of excitement as our driver went over 80km/hr down a 1 1/2 lane road dodging trucks, goats, horse drawn carts, and many, many people. All the while on a dusty, rocky, bumpy road.

When we reached Debrebirhan, Ethiopia we went straight to a local church where we met and interviewed some amazing men and woman who were HIV positive. LIA is helping them with counseling, education and micro-loans to help them start businesses to support themselves. They also help with many forms of medicine. The most interesting med to me was the one given to pregnant HIV+ mothers, which at the right time will prohibit the transfer of HIV to their babies. Listening to their stories and what life is like for them is life-changing. Their most powerful comment, like the rest I have heard all week, was that if it wasn’t for LIA and the organizations with whom they work, they would all be dead. Staggering.

The rest of the day we interviewed and shot photographs in extreme circumstances. Things you can’t miss here are the smells, the unimaginable living conditions, the lack of clean water, and the joy you can bring to someone’s life with hope. And with hope comes life…life in abundance.

I’m excited about LIA and I pray about R29 doing incredible things for them. To help serve the people they empower is an honor.

Tomorrow we are off to see some local churches where LIA is doing community health programs in and around Addis.

Food note: Ate some native food with Brian MacDonald today. Had Tibs and Injera. Very good.

JJ’s Second post just as good as the first. Read it here.

We flew to Washington DC early to make sure we did not miss our connecting flight early tomorrow morning to Africa. After meeting our contact and friend from LIA, we decided to take a Segway tour of the city with the extra time we had. I love DC. Site, upon site. The weather was perfect, the cherry blossoms were in full bloom and the city smelled glorious. On the way back all of this struck me as an amazing irony…here I am in arguable the most powerful city in the world about to embark to one of the poorest. My segway rental could feed a family for a year, my Starbucks this morning is more than most earn in a week…humbling.

As I leave to go to the airport I’m wondering how this day will compare to my first there.

Sidenote: I forgot to mention the white supremist parade we rode around. The most depressing site was a 10 year old boy with a swastika shirt proudly marching. It’s a blessing that we have the right to protest they way we do and at times an utter shock.

Tomorrow I will be leaving for Africa. We’ll be going to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Nairobi, Kenya specifically. Rule29 is supporting an organization called Life In Abundance who tirelessly serves Africa’s urban and rural poor. They are doing amazing things in some of the most challenging countries like: Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea, Kenya, Djibouti, Somalia and Ethiopia. Right now, they are probably 35% in Ethiopia, 35% in Kenya, and 30% in the other countries, in which Djibouti is the largest effort.

Why does this matter? Well, Ethiopia alone is among some of the most impoverished in the world according to the UNDP report.

We at Rule29 are hoping to help LIA communicate their needs and how successful their initiatives can be with your support. Stay tuned – I hope to post while I’m gone.

If you could go anywhere to help out where would it be? Down the street or across the world…better yet, how about both?