Okay... so the thought is if I don't go down to southern Ethiopia/Awassa.. then where do I spend the rest of my time that I planned on being in Ethiopia(my flights are already booked)... I figure I have about 2 weeks or so open.
My next thought was go visit Abebe and Lola House. Abebe for the 3 of you reading this blog who don't know him personally was the social worker at AHOPE while I was there. Abebe himself was an orphan from the Tigray region in Northern Ethiopia and has always planned to open an orphanage for HIV+ children in that area, as there aren't any. So, after getting some good experience while working for AHOPE, Abebe left this past fall and begin his own place in Mekele, Ethiopia. It is called Lola House and is starting with 15 children with the hope of becoming much larger.
I know Abebe, I trust Abebe.... so I Facebooked him. (it still kills me that you can do that across the world. :) ) He got right back to me and said, of course we'd love to have you.. just tell me when.
So thoughts anyone??? My gut is saying this is probably the right thing to do for me and for whomever I am working with, as you have to go in it with the right spirit.. and I am not feeling that at the moment for my other option.. though it is hard for me to change directions mid stream, just not my style... Anyway, as I have been thinking about this.. I started doing some research into Mekele.. these are photos I've found online... the Starbucks one really kills me!!