Soddo Homeschool Trip

Hey, y’all!

I was able to go on a little trip downcountry! We visited the town of Soddo, which is about 5-6 hours from Addis. It was beautiful – I have a lot of pictures to share when I get back! The compound we stayed on was at Soddo Christian Hospital. (They have Wi-Fi!!!!!) The purpose of the trip was for us to observe, help, and encourage the moms who homeschool their kids.

Homeschool moms (or dads) are incredible. These women not only have the roles of mom (which is huge in itself) and wife, but now teacher as well. Teaching is hard work when you teach one level, throw on two, three, four levels and it just blows my mind. A lot of the homeschool moms here do not have a teaching background, they are figuring it out as they go along. When they finish teaching, they continue being mom and wife (wives to doctors: ER docs, pediatricians, surgeons, and more). Incredible.

Since we were on the same compound as one of the best hospitals in Ethiopia, we took a little tour with Dr. Dave Ayer, one of the homeschool families’ dads. One thing that’s a little different than America is we were able to check out all kinds of things. So we started in the ER. We walked in to where the patients were. One person had been in a bad car accident, so we didn’t see him – it didn’t sound too pretty, though. We saw two other kids who had been in car accidents: one must have had his leg broken because it was all bandaged up with blood seeping through the bandages.

We continued on.

We went to the surgery part. We walked into an operating room and Dave told us all about the different equipment and how it is good for Ethiopia, but still sub-par for America. There was an operation going on in the next OR, so we poked our heads in. There was a pregnant lady having a C-section. There was blood everywhere. (Pretty much all I saw was a big belly, blood, and then I shut the door. Dave told me there was blood everywhere-like on the wall everywhere. Praise God I didn’t see that!)

We continued on.

Since this hospital is small and cramped the ICU and Recovery is in the same room, which is where we went next. As soon as we got in there everyone prayed together; not just the forengie’s, but the African people, too. The first boy we saw was about 4 years old. He was in the ICU part, not the recovery part. This boy is suffering from a type of paralysis that starts in your feet and works its way up. It happens quite rapidly. He has been in there for one week and the paralysis has taken over his body leaving his neck and head the only non-paralyzed parts. I prayed over him, then looked into the most scared child eyes I’ve ever seen. If he can make it past the next two weeks he should be fine. Pray that God heals his little body and he is able to grow in faith and spread the Gospel.

The next patient we saw was the smallest baby I have ever seen in my life. She was born four weeks early, which wouldn’t be a big deal if we were in America. We prayed over her little life and for her family. She was hooked up to this little machine with a small mask covering her nose and mouth pumping oxygen into her lungs. Pray that God strengthens her physically and mentally so she can grow to love Him and spread the Gospel.

We also saw a patient who had his jaw wired shut. Something started bleeding internally and he couldn’t get it out through his mouth because his jaw was wired shut. We looked over and blood was gushing from his nose. Doctors surrounded him trying to clear the blood and his airway. By the time we left he was back to his state of stability.

We continued on.

The rest of the hospital tour was less gruesome and heart-breaking. We saw one baby girl that was in an incubator. Her story is tragic, but her life is a miracle. While her mom was pregnant with her they were in a tragic car accident. They traveled a long time in order to reach Soddo Christian Hospital. They reached the hospital, got into emergency surgery, and began the C-Section. The next morning the mom lost her life. However, she gave life to this beautiful little baby girl. Pray that she will not blame God for what happened, but instead find the life that she has been given my Him.

Before we went Soddo there was a Measles outbreak. People, kids, were dying from this outbreak. Thankfully these doctors were able to administer the medicine that would save many. The end of our tour included seeing the last two Measles patients: two boys under the age of 2. They were healed from this outbreak – praise God. These babies were not granted the opportunity of a longer life, but they also now have the opportunity to be adopted by loving, supportive families. Upon leaving the hospital they will be taken to Italy, waiting, hoping, and wanting to be adopted.

Soddo Christian Hospital is a beacon of light for African’s all around. Many people from Ethiopia, Sudan, and probably other countries travel hours –days—to reach them. The doctors are knowledgeable and excellent at what they do. More important than that, they are compassionate. Their compassion reaches beyond the medical needs to the spiritual needs. Many of the doctors pray for their patients-which is so cool. What is even cooler, though, is the fact that their patients are open and willing to prayer. People come to know Jesus Christ because of the light that literally shines in a dark place.

Pray that the Lord will continue to work through this hospital, and through the doctors. Pray that the Christians are constantly seeking the Lord, allowing Him to take the hurts and worries and burdens of all that comes with being a doctor. Pray for the mom's and the children to be filled with love, joy, patience, and knowledgeable. Pray for the moms that are homeschooling to be filled with patience and encouragement. Pray that the people of Soddo see this difference in the Christian community and be changed because of the amazing grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ.