Chicken business inspections - baptism - Visiting after church - Catching a Papaya

We had the opportunity to work with members and leaders to create this rare project, to help a few faithful, yet needy Church members start a business to help supplement their income so they might become more self-reliant. Most humanitarian projects in Ethiopia do not benefit members of our Church. Sometimes members are involved in serving others who receive the help.

The pictures don't show it well but it was crucial we had a Brother with experience in the Chicken/Egg business. Without him involved I think it would certainly fail. As we visited each member, this Brother would point out certain things to them, based on what he saw. He gave each one his personal attention and care. 

There was one sister who said she used to have a chicken/egg business. We asked her what happened and she said they sold it to pay for children's schooling. 

Each one we talked to we emphasized that other church members from around the world are paying tithes and offerings to help them start this business. And soon they will be able to pay tithes and offerings to help someone else, somewhere in the world start a similar business.  

Sister Martin and I hope and pray that they will remember this and not "eat" or "sell" their business.

The following are some more pictures of our trip to Awassa where this project took place.

We flew down on a turbo-prop airplane.

The interesting drive to our hotel.

By the big lake we saw some different wildlife.

We visited the brother who built our chicken coupes for the project at his wood shop with his son.

After the wood shop we drove to each of the members homes who received the chickens.

On the way, you see all sorts of vehicles.

We hired a taxi for the whole day. In Ethiopia it takes two to run a taxi, a driver and one who collects the money and opens the door. 

Looks like a little fruit stand selling bananas, Papaya, Watermelon, etc.

This home had a shed made of sticks and mud.

Another one of the chicken coupes was in an entire home made of sticks and mud. A couple of the young missionaries dropped by so we took their picture.

One sister had a lot of corn in her front yard. That will help feed the chickens. Wow, they are wearing "Think Celestial" shirts.

We had the opportunity to attend a baptism of a sister. She speaks Sidama language so during the meeting they translated into English, Amharic and Sidama. She was a little nervous, so this sister, who is also in the picture above,  sat by her and gave her a hug. 

     Elder Lee and Elder Staffieri. Elder Lee must be the tallest person in Awassa. 

It was great to see so many members there to show their love and support.

A wonderful baptism, even if the water was cold. The Elders said, they were grateful for the rain that finished filling the font, because they ran out of water. 

The next day was Sunday. 

    Sister Martin led the Primary with the Sister Missionaries. The boy in the orange sweatshirt is the son of the sister who was baptized. 

Missionaries with President and Sister Cowley and a future missionary.

Elder Waters on the right was in our University branch but was just transferred here to Awassa.

Our Elder's Quorum president and his family were so delightful. He helped to translate in English, Amharic or Sidama languages.

I offered to help teach Elders Quorum as there was some confusion that they taught the last week for Sunday School and weren't prepared. I taught or led the discussion on Elder David A. Bednar's talk called "Be Still and Know that I Am God". Link to Talk  

An amazing talk about struggling through trials and focusing our foundation on Jesus Christ and much more. I've taught it twice now and would love to teach it again. It's Sooo good.

They had fun posing on their motorcycle.

After church we accompanied the young missionaries to visit a couple of members.

Here the young Elders are negotiating a Bajaj for our journey.

The Elders taught this young family the story of "A Young Army" from the Book of Mormon. It's amazing the resources on the Church App/Website that are available these days. The first page of the Amharic version and then the English.

Then we visited this sister, the current Relief Society President . We found out that she ran the orphanage of some of the orphans that were adopted that lived in Heber City, Utah near our home. Sister Martin knew them well. She also worked with a woman who runs an NGO that Sister Martin knew when she lived in California. Small World.

Video: She had a papaya tree and wanted to give the young Elders one, but someone had to try and catch it as we pocked it with a stick high in the tree. I got lucky and caught it.

When we finished we went on a walk with her around the corner to get a Bajaj/taxi to take us back. Just then, a man walked up to us and said "Joseph Smith, Joseph Smith", exclaiming he was a member of our church but had not come in a long time. The young missionaries wrote down his information and invited him to church. They said this kind of thing happens all the time when they are with the Relief Society President.