Hello everyone, I am sorry I have gone so long without blogging, but when I was in Addis I had no time, but now that I have gotten to Harare, there are difficulties with the internet. I have written some blogs that I will post when I have better internet access from my last fews days in Ethiopia, but quickly I will give you a overview of Harare. ( I don't want to lose my connection) Already, we have noticed the political situation here. We have a arranged state visit and everything is very scripted. We are supposed to travel to a rural hospital, but there is a fuel shortage, so we don't know if we will be able to go. The internet is spotty at best and today I finally found a computer that connected. ... read more

I am so sorry this is my first time I have had to blog in a few days. It is a strange feeling that so many people are following my journey and are waiting for new entries. It takes a long time to write down your thoughts and pick out pictures from the hundreds I have trying, to add to the story, so thanks for your support. I will keep it up if I think people want to hear what I have to say. Oh, please excuse the poor editing. I do the best I can, but quite honestly, at times I am typing through blurring eyes that are tired. I don’t catch every mistake. I will edit later when my schedule is not so demanding. And, yes for all those polite questions on whether I ... read more

This morning I spent most of the day in the hotel, but this afternoon I got to see the Ethiopian Health System close up. We toured a typical clinic and a private hospital. I have to say driving through the city of Addis, there are 10’s of thousands of people just walking around. The city has around 3 million people. There is nothing new here except this hotel and a new park that the same billionaire owner of the hotel built. This city is old and over crowded really falling down in most parts. The Ethiopian people, especially now with the current situation, are very guarded and quiet, yet friendly in a strange way. Taking pictures of people causes fear unless you ask permission. Therefore, in these few pictures, that is the reason there are no ... read more

Just for a brief layover in Khartoum... More about this in the next journal! ... read more

June 7th I have to say all the support for this little trip is totally overwhelming. I feel like I am off to the jungles of Africa or something… Oh I am, but not as bad as it sounds, well I think/hope! I think packing has been the worst! It was hard trying to think about everything you “might” need while you're there, since there will be no Walgreens or Target on every corner. I never have been one to pack light, so this is really tough trying to pack for a month. I can only take a certain amount out in the rural areas because we are flying on a small plane. I will have to store the rest at my hotel in Addis Ababa, but trust me this has been a real challenge. I ... read more