Jordan and Laura: An International Engagement

2010-12-01T18:07:00.001-08:00

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Laura

2009-09-02T13:49:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back from Ethiopia! I spent three months with Jordan and we had an awesome time together! It was so cool to be able to see all the things that Jordan has been talking about on the phone and in his emails. After seeing all the things that Jordan has adapted to and dealt with over the past 8 months, I know that I will always have so much respect for him. It is truly amazing to see what he has brought to the people of Yirgalem.

Jordan has alot of projects that he's continuously working on. His favorite project is his permaculture trainings with the PLWHA organization. PLWHA stands for "People Living with HIV/AIDS." It is really important for this group to learn how to make the most of their land and grow as much food as possible, because if they don't meet their caloric intake needs for each day, their HIV could turn into AIDS. Staying as healthy as possible is vital for those infected with the disease. Jordan has been teaching them how to "double dig" their land, use compost, and plant certain fruits and vegetables together, so that they can maximize their harvest. Jordan has taught several trainings, and the PLWHA members are very enthusiastic about learning his methods.

Jordan is also working on a new Beza OVC Village. Beza is the youth center that Jordan works at and the OVC Village will be a place where "Orphans and Vulnerable Children" can live, grow their own food, and earn their own money. Jordan is working on setting up a "meat fattening" IGA (Income-Generating Activity) for them to run and profit from.

Jordan also teaches English regularly at the Cambridge Elementary School in Yirgalem. He occasionally lectures at Furra, the local college. He also started teaching an HIV/AIDS and English class at Beza. He asked us to send him any magazines that he could give the students to improve their English.

Jordan spends most days at Beza planning projects, editing and translating documents, writing proposals, meeting with people, etc.

I've just posted links on the right to some of our photo albums from Ethiopia. I have a ton of things I could write about, but I don't have the time or memory to write about it all now. I will include more stories and info from time to time, as I remember it.

Please keep Jordan in your prayers, that he is able to stay safe and encouraged in the work that he is doing. Jordan loves mail! His email is jordanthomascole@gmail.com and his address is:

Jordan Cole
PO Box 381
Yirgalem, SNNPR
Ethiopia

Jordan

2009-04-20T07:34:00.000-07:00

Hey!

Things are going well! I am currently working on
several things here. Firstly, I am working on creating a survey for
the street children of Yirgalem, to find out the reasons they are on
the street, their knowledge of local resources, exposure to risky
behaviors, and such. UNICEF has a pretty good one they used in
Zambia, which I am trying to adapt to our needs here...it's just
taking time. Also, Mola and I are going to begin trying to make Beza
more professional in its presentation. We will write a history of the
organization, and also create some kind of website for NGOs to look
at. (Beza needs some donors for a new facility that the community is
calling for.) I have also been cleaning up the English in our visual
presentations and publications, which helps a lot when dealing with
English speakers.

In the near future I will begin teaching English as well...people are
getting anxious. Today I had a conversation with a group of young
guys, all about 11 probably, who asked about learning to speak
American English, as well as discussing Martin Luther's Reformation
with me (yes, a young African boy actually used the phrase
"justification by faith alone"), the differences between the Ethiopian
Orthodox Church and the Protestant Church (they don't agree with my
denial of Mary as a mediator between God and man...for now...haha),
then about Laura (yes, Laura, I showed them your picture...they said
"konjo not," which means "she is beautiful"), and then, of course,
what the best food is in America. I said cheeseburgers.

Jordan

2009-04-20T07:29:00.000-07:00

Hey!

With the help of Laura, it has been decided that my food-poisoning was caused by salmonella. I eat eggs on a regular basis, and I hadn't been cooking them well enough. I got salmonella again the other night, after eating eggs, and that was what pointed me to the eggs instead of tomatoes. But I had medicine still from my previous hospital visit, so I took it and it solved my stomach issues, and I only had to deal with the fever for several hours...no big deal. So since then, I have been cooking my eggs VERY WELL. Even more than I want to sometimes.

When people ask what they can send, drink mixes are always a good thing, because I purify my own water, and without drink mixes, a lot of it has a funny taste...haha.

Laura

2009-03-11T07:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I feel like I need to do an update, but I don't feel like I have that much to talk about! Here in Malaysia, it's just the same old, same old!

My mom and Katelyn are coming THIS weekend, which is VERY exciting! Their visit has given me something to look forward to since I came back here after Christmas and I can't believe they're almost here! Time really does fly by! It's been really fun to get everything ready for their visit, plan our days together, and write down everything I want to show them/feed them/take them/etc.

This weekend was really fun. I found some new American friends in my apartment building! I used to be the only American in the building, so it is so exciting to have them closeby. I went to church with them on Sunday, where they introduced me to new friends! I'm always amazed at how exactly when I need it the most, God sends me someone to bring me the exact encouragement I need!

Monday we had the day off from school for Muhammad's birthday. One of my good friends from work, Francis, invited me on a picnic with him, his wife, and their daughter. However, it rained ALL day, so they brought the picnic to my apartment! We ate and then spent the day at the mall. I watched Mary Anne, while Francis and his wife went to the movies. I had so much fun trying to keep up with Mary Anne (she's three years old) and listening to all the funny things she had to say. It was so nice to be able to spend the day with such a wonderful family.

Shieu Ye, Mary Anne, and I at the beach!

Laura

2009-02-11T02:19:00.000-08:00

Lizards are the bane of my existance. On any given day, as I walk to school, I might encounter a rat, wild dogs, angry monkeys and/or four-inch cockroaches, but nothing terrifies me like lizards in the house. The first time I saw a lizard here, I was at someone else's house. They moved a picture on the wall and a lizard came running out from behind it. I screamed and then asked "Is that your pet?!" The Malaysians thought that was a pretty dumb question. It wasn't a pet, but it was welcome in the house. The lizards eat mosquitoes, so if you have a few lizards in your house, it's better than the risk of catching Dengue Fever from a mosquito bite. However, since my a apartment is on the 24th floor, mosquitos rarely come this high, so I didn't think I had lizards!

The first time I saw one in the house, I was walking into the kitchen, flipped on the light and a little, green lizard ran across the cabinets and into the silverware drawer! Gah, it still makes me shiver to think about. I went out for dinner and refused to go near the kitchen for the rest of the night. When my roommate got home, I met her at the door. I said, "Kris, I have some terrifying news. . . There was a lizard in the kitchen." She replied "Yeah, I see them in there all the time. There's one that lives under the couch too!" I almost had a heart attack. For a week, every time something fell on to the floor, I would jump a foot in the air. I mean, a crumb from my sandwich would drop and I would scream and jump back. It was bad.

Well, I have learned to live in peace with the lizards. . . kind of. I just stomp really loudly when I go to the kitchen, so that they have time to run and hide before I get there and I can pretend that they're not there. Then I turn on the light and wait for them to make any final arrangements before I walk in. . . I can't bear the thought of one running across my foot. And when I hear ANY noise at night as I'm falling asleep (barking dogs, the elevator, regular night noises, etc.) I think "I wonder if that was a lizard??" The other night, I was in the kitchen and there was one in the corner a few mere inches away from Kris' foot. I took the opportunity to take a few pictures. Of course, I took the pictures standing on top of a kitchen chair while screaming and begging her to do something with it.

Jordan

2009-01-31T10:23:00.000-08:00

Things are going great here in Ethiopia. I have two more weeks of
language and technical training in Ambo. Our first volunteer E.T.'d
(early termination) the other day due to some issues at home, and it
was hard for us to take. I think he made the right decision, but it
was still tough. All 40 of us had lasted for almost two months, and
most of us had begun to think that we would all make it to swearing
in, and when one left, it was like a member of the family was lost.

It's hard to lose part of the group. I think of it sort of like the
military. When a group goes through so many changes together, and
find that they need each other for so much support, they develop close
bonds. So it has been a tough week in Ambo, but we are all excited to
finish training and begin our service.

Our swearing-in ceremony will be on February 13 at the U.S. Embassy in
Addis. I think I am as excited to get to the capital so I can buy
some things for my new house as I am to be sworn in and become a PCV
(Peace Corps Volunteer) and move on from PCT (Peace Corps Trainee).

My Amharic language is coming along great and I look forward to
improving more and more as the months go on, and I have also decided
to begin Sidaminya (the language of the Sidamo region of the Southern
Nations) once I settle in at site.

I have a two room house with electricity, and running water in the
main house on the compound, which includes an ice-cold shower! Yay!!!
haha. I bought a bed when I was last there, which is as comfortable
as I need it to be (take what you want from that statement). When I
return, I am going to buy a large oscillating fan in Hawassa, the
large town near me. It will be pretty expensive at 380 birr ($38),
but I live in the jungle and it gets pretty warm. Also I am in the
market for a TV and DVD player.

I am healthy, with the exception of the normal stomach bugs and aches
we all deal with here. Our medical staff and support, including any
medicines we might need, for ANYTHING, are top-notch and readily
available. I feel completely taken care of. They say
our health care is as good as Barack Obama's!

Well, I think that's all for now!

Laura

2009-01-31T08:18:00.000-08:00

During my time in Malaysia, I have tried soooo many new foods. Almost everyday someone shoves something in the direction of my face and says "Here, try this!" Sometimes they don't even tell me what it is until I've swallowed it! When I first got here, every time I would go out to eat with people, I would have to try every single person's dish! I wasn't hungry for a month! It's actually quite beneficial for me to try so many things because now, I know what I like and what I want to run away from without looking back. In the first few months, I put about a million new things in my mouth until I perfected a straight face. Even if I wanted to gag, spit it out, or cry, I could keep a straight face, chew, swallow, and say "It's okay. . ." However, now that I know everyone so much better, I'm not afraid to let my reaction show! This post will be dedicated to new foods!

First is Durian. Malaysians call it the "King of Fruits" and they either love it or hate it. It has a bread dough-consistency and such a strong odor, that it's banned from alot of hotels, apartments, and modes of transportation.

Next, is fermented tofu, also known as "stinky tofu." It tasted the way the stockyards smell.

Baby Octopus. I don't think it needs any more explanation.

Even though I had a few scary experiences, I LOVE some Malaysian food! These are a few of my favorites:

Starfruit Juice, Roti Tisu, and Yee Mee Soup

Pau and McDELIVERY!!!

Jordan

2009-01-21T23:35:00.001-08:00

I got to talk to Jordan yesterday. Craig and Karen usually call on Sundays, so I try to call on Wednesdays. That way, Jordan gets a phone call every few days. He has been spending this week in the town he will be working in for the rest of his term with the Peace Corps. Part of his job will be working at a youth center in the town. He said the students range in age from around 7 up to 16.

He also has his own small house to stay in. His house is part of a compound that another family lives in. His house has a bedroom and living room and he shares a bathroom and kitchen with the family. This week he bought a mattress, bedding, and curtains. He is waiting for his bed and he is hoping to buy a couch. His house has electricity. He eats most of his meals at a nearby restaurant.

On Friday, he will be leaving to go back to the training site for three more weeks of training. After that, he will move into his new home for good! He said he got to watch President Obama's Inaguration with the locals in his town. He seems to be having a great time and enjoying the adventure of a lifetime!

Laura

2009-01-21T03:10:00.000-08:00

I am starting my second semester lecturing at SEGi College in Subang Jaya, Malaysia. I spent Christmas at home in the US which was awesome, and now I'm back in Malaysia. I had a very eventful trip back to Malaysia; I stayed one night in Atlanta and one night in China. It took me 72 hours to get back!

I have 120 English students this semester, which will be interesting since they will turn in around 20 assignments each! Luckily, staying busy with paper-grading keeps my mind off missing home. . . and Jordan! I teach in an American Degree Program (ADP), which gives the students the opportunity to experience an American-style classroom, grading system, etc. I am also advising a club called Fayette House. Fayette House celebrates all the major American holidays, sells the ADP textbooks, organizes ADP events, and much more! Last week we had a Freshie Party for the incoming Freshmen and today we did a joint event to celebrate MLK Day and Obama's Inaguration.

Living out of the country continues to be overwhelming and stressful at times, but God has blessed me with so many people here, who help me out everyday! I couldn't ask for better students, co-workers, neighbors, friends, and a God who continues to teach and show me new things everyday.

Jordan's Emails from Ethiopia

2009-01-14T03:47:00.000-08:00

A compilation of Jordan's emails from Ethiopa, so far:

I am in an internet cafe next door to the hotel where we are staying...it is Saturday night, and this is the first time we have been allowed to leave the compound.

It has been pretty exciting so far, and non-stop.

We have been in the capital, Addis Ababa, for two days, and tomorrow, on Sunday afternoon, we leave for Ambo, a town about an hour and a half west of here, to meet our host families, move in with them, and begin our 10 weeks of language training. For five weeks we will learn Amharic, the main language in Ethiopia, and at the end of week five we find out where our sites will be and what language we need to continue to study for that place.

Hey!

The internet here is incredibly slow and nonexistent in most places, but I am at an internet cafe in Ambo. We were in Addis Ababa for several days, being treated like royalty...probably to ease our transition. We stayed in a hotel called the King's Hotel, ate three meals a day in the restaurant, and did some opening type stuff.

They gave us cell phones and water purifiers!!!

The phone service in Ambo is absolutely terrible, because of the congestion...and there is only one tower in a town of 60,000.

Also, I am living with a woman and her family. She is an elderly woman named Wezero (Mrs.) Abebech. She loves to continue feeding me, even after I tell her I am full (in Amharic, she speaks no English). I am on a every-other-day bathing schedule, and when I say bathing, dont think shower. I stand in a basin and pour water over myself with a small jug, in a room with dirt floor and dirt walls...ITS AWESOME!!! The bathroom is the same, just a hole in the floor in a room with dirt floor and dirt walls, which we share with about six other families. It's great!

My Amharic is coming along very well. Amharic is the language of the tribe and region of Amhara, and the national language, so they speak it everywhere.

I am having a great time here in Ambo. I live with a family of all females. My host mother's name is Wezero Abebech. She wont stop feeding me!

My Amharic is coming along pretty fast!

It’s the real deal here. Mud walls, hole-in-the-ground latrines, and bucket baths. I WOULD KILL FOR A SHOWER! Thursday we are visiting villages, and preparing to leave for our sites in 9 weeks. I hope that they put me working with OVC, Orphans and Vulnerable Children. This is the only thing close to my background, so I think it will happen. Chris, one of my friends, took a video when a baboon walked up to us and climbed up my leg!!! It wasn’t violent, it wanted food, so I kicked it off.

The coffee is amazing here. The Amharic word for coffee is bunna (boo-nah) and 2 or 3 times a day, we have a coffee break, and once a day, usually when I get home, we have bunna maflat, the coffee ceremony. First, someone grinds the beans in a mortar, and then they pour the grounds into a ceremonial pot, where they heat it over a fire just until boiling point. Each person drinks about 3 cups during the ceremony, because the cycle occurs 3 times.

Every other day, I take a bucket bath in a separate room of our compound. Luckily for me, and not so much for other volunteers, my family has a plug in heating element that I drop into the bucket for a little while before I bathe. I stand in a basin, soap up, and then use a jug to rinse off. It takes about 30 minutes. My host family is very very gracious and wants to do my laundry, but I am learning how to do it...by hand...in a bucket...one garment at a time. It sure is a lot easier to let a washing machine agitate the dirt out! I brush my teeth with bottled water, just whenever I am inclined. I keep a toothbrush and toothpaste in my bag. The food is taking a lot of getting used to. A flat bread, called enjera (in-jer-ah) is eaten with just about everything. It goes on the plate first, laid out flat, and other food is put on top of it, to soak up the oils and juices. The enjera is the utensil as well as part of the meal, as you always eat with your right hand. But the enjera is very bitter, so I and the volunteers are having a hard time eating as much of it as our host famlilies want us to while we are getting used to Ethiopian food. I have a room to myself with a comfortable bed and a mosquito net.

You can mail things to the Peace Corps HQ in Addis. Here is my address:

Jordan Cole PCV
Peace Corps Ethiopia
P.O. Box 7788
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia