Monday in awassa, Ethiopia

I can not believe that as of tomorrow we have one day left here in awassa.  Time has flown by.  We have seen the lord in many ways this trip.  We have met many people.  Ethiopians, Americans, Canadians, Swedish, Germans, and the list goes on...I think my favorite part about this country is that this country is warm...even though at times your not exactly sure what is being said, there is still usually a smile on each others faces while trying to understand. I know I as an American can get caught up in my day to day routine and just put my head down and continue to grind through my day without even having to be social to anyone...that is not the case here. Today is the first day we went out on our own into town.  Kinda scared about it for the first couple of days...but after the first couple of days I was ready.   We went and got coffee....oh yum!  Let me just say we went to time cafe and got a double coffee, large 2 ltr bottle of water, and 4 glass bottle sodas and we paid $4.00!  I'm so gonna miss this!  We then ran across the street for our new friend Ellen...she needed some bread to make the kids in the children's home some radish sandwiches....I just so happened to make some butter [a VERY hot commodity here] and all she needed was the butter, bread and radishes which they grew in the garden at the children's home....after we got our bread we headed back to the house and then went and saw the kids again for the 3rd time that day.  Those kids are just so precious!  Each one has captured a place in my heart.   There's [4] that have especially captured my heart....one is a 10 year old girl named marta...her sweet spirit has won my heart...em really enjoyed playing with her today so much...holding hands, playing soccer together....while we were inside em and the girls were outside playing and I could hear all of there belly laughs which was so great to hear! The next one who has also captured my heart is lantou.... She is so precious! I could just listen to her talk for days...she is so sweet and loves Jesus! Soon I will post a video of her love for Jesus... The next one is amanu...this little boy is usually a sad boy, who doesn't smile much, but has been so smiley since we've seen him...he is the little boy that had malaria pretty severe and almost died...he is I believe only 2...oh how I love to see his face light up when we come in the gates...and he just loves to sit on my lap and wear my sunglasses and bracelets.... And then there is mieret...she is beautiful and sweet and just turned one year old...and of course she keeps with my theory of the cuter they are the fiestier they are...she loves to play hard to get.... I could go on about each child there....but I won't this time.... On Sunday tony got to teach at the children's home...that was cool...a little put on the spot, but a blessing for sure.... Tonight was our first walk home hearing the hippos!  That was sweet! Tomorrow [tuesday] on the agenda is lunch with our friends..Rachel and argaw and Ellen [which I'm sure they must be sick of us by now, but wont admit it!]...and then were off to our "house" where there offering kids sports and our kids and the kids from the children's home will get to play around a bit...I'm sure they will love that.   Seriously I can't believe our time here is almost up...everyone one and just about every experience is going to be missed very much! Love, Gina