Enjoying Life Together in TN: Bound for Ethiopia - Employment, Shopping and Sponsorship

Today we patronized places that serve women through employment. The first place we visited was Elillta fashionABLE. We toured the place where the ladies dye and weave the scarves. After the tour we were able to purchase scarves and other items they make to sell.

Keri had a lesson in weaving. According to her, "They make it look easy!"

Lauren and Beza talked with some of the women.

Emily's new scarf to support their work...

Kylee's supporting their work with a new scarf too.

We had different drivers today so it took us a little while to find where we were going. By the time we did some shopping in the Post Office district (it's where people go for inexpensive souvenirs), it was time for lunch. We went to Lucy Restaurant for a nice lunch outside.

Beza recognized a man having lunch at a nearby table. He noticed her noticing him so he walked over for a photo with Beza and Robel. He is a famous tv star in Ethiopia. Sadly, I don't know his name to tell you who he is. But these two kids were thrilled to meet him!

Enjoy lunch outside...

One long table for lots of conversation...

Beef Stroganoff

Amber's plate...forgot what she ordered but it looked good.

Ethiopian food. It looked pretty.

Emily's "sizzling steak" was really sizzling! :)

Beza and Robel had fun sharing food.

The green bags are our "take away". Most the time we would give our leftovers to people on the street or children in Korah/on Entoto Mountain.

After lunch we headed to our next place to visit. However, our drivers took us on the "scenic route" so we saw Entoto Mountain again.

Person asleep on the side of the road.

Woman carrying bundle of sticks down the mountain for a few birr (less than $1 USD).

Some views from Entoto Mountain....

Once the driver realized we did not need to be up on the mountain, he had to turn around. That was an interesting adventure. But soon we were headed back down...

Goats...

cows...

donkeys...all within a few minutes.

Back to city traffic. And finding our original destination....

Entoto Beth Artisan (Entoto Jewelry). After seeing the ladies at work making jewelry and baskets, we did a little shopping there as well to support their work.

Outside one of the rooms where the ladies work. We weren't allowed to take photos inside but it was fascinating to watch the ladies work.

We stopped in Korah on the way back to the Life Center. This is the "home" of Kore Beth Coffee. Lauren will be in Ethiopia for several more months. She plans to help expand this business to employ more people of Korah. The team was very happy to patronize this business!

A few of us went with Amy to visit the family she and her husband will sponsor. She was introduced to them while doing home visits with Pastor Tesfaye on her first day.

When the two young boys saw us and were told why we were there, they darted away to get their mom from a neighbor's house. All three came hurrying back together in no time! Tekabe acted as the translator since Tesfaye could not be there.

I cannot imagine what was going through this mom's mind as she heard the news that her family has a sponsor.

We went to their home.

We could not all fit inside the house. So Amy went inside with them to give the boys the clothes and shoes she had brought them from our team donations. (One of the boys with s who loved using my camera stood at the doorway and took these photos.)

There were lots of hugs while we were there.

Renee photo bombing us. :)

(I'm happy that the kids learned to use my camera because that means I'm actually in some photos. By the time we returned to the Life Center, my camera battery was dead. You know you have to look at the photos after you take them.)