January 2015: The Highlight Reel

I can't believe I've almost been here one month.  Here are some highlights from January.

Saying goodbye to dear friends at the airport.

Handsome brothers at the airport.

-I moved to Ethiopia to teach elementary at Bingham Academy.

Last flight: Ethiopia bound!

View out my back window.

-I live in a lovely house with three other teachers.

Where there is no power.... Headlamp selfie

-Sometimes the power goes out, but that's ok. You just get more time to read with candles.

Cultural night during orientation.

-Traditional food in Ethiopia is Injera.  It's growing on me.
-I'm becoming a coffee drinker! Double macchiato from the souk at the school for 60 cents? I can't complain.

New SIM teachers

Watching Timket

-I'm enjoying learning more about the Ethiopian culture.

Cooked my first "from scratch" meal!

-Learning to cook and grocery shop is an adventure.
-I started language lessons two times a week.
-I teach Grade 4 Science and Social Studies as well as Grade 3 Science. I also help out in Grade 1 and 2.

Field Day 2015

I'm excited for many more months to come!

I love to hear from home! Send me a Facebook message anytime!

Field Day 2015

Field Day(s) is a serious (and seriously fun) event here at Bingham! It is a time for the whole school community to come together for two days of fun competition.  Several families live outside of Addis and homeschool through BA, so this is also a time for them to come have a week in the classroom and join in the festivities.  For the older students, Field Day looks a lot like a track and field meet, and the younger students have some modified events such as the ball throw, sack race, obstacle race, etc. The students fiercely compete for points for their house. (Bingham students and staff are divided into three houses: Taylor, Scott and Carey-All named after famous missionaries.)

Here are some pictures...

Timket 2015

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church celebrated one of their main holidays a couple of weeks ago. Timket. 

Timket celebrates the baptism of Jesus with parades and fanfares around the country.  Members and Priests of the Orthodox Church march with their replica of the Ark of the Covenant from their church to various central locations where they are baptized with holy water.  Since the priests only walk on a carpet, it is a slow moving parade (the carpets are continually run from the back to the front). 

Here is a little video I created to try to depict the celebrations. Now you want to come visit, right?

**Disclaimer #1: I don't know very much about this holiday (but I did enjoy a day off school!).  Please feel free to google it and become more knowledgable.

**Disclaimer #2: I've never used iMovie before, so please don't judge my movie making skills! 

I'm back!

I made it to Ethiopia last Saturday evening.  Traveling here was quite uneventful and all of my bags arrived!

I am still working on getting over jet lag, and I am enjoying getting settles into my new routine and apartment.  This week, we are taking time to learn more about Ethiopia and the school.  It has been a nice way to ease back into the swing of school.  I will be teaching Grade 4 Science and Social Studies, Grade 3 Science, and a variety of other support roles in different classes.

Here are a couple of pictures....

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View from my window

Packing and Prayers

How long does it take you to use a stick of deodorant? What about a bottle of shampoo? Your favorite lotion? If you're going on the mission field any time soon, I suggest you start a nice spread sheet now. 

I'm leaving Friday, January 2nd, and I would appreciate your prayers. Here is how you can pray for me...

• Good health.  The stomach bug has visited our family, and that's no fun. 
• Safe and smooth travels.  I have a short connection in Houston.
• Last minute details and packing to all get done with minimal stress.
• Saying goodbyes to family and friends. (And for the people left behind.)
• Smooth transition into life and teaching in Ethiopia.

Anybody want to come help??
And yes, WinShape friends, that is a token in my suitcase.

December

I've fallen behind on updating my blog, but I sure have enjoyed celebrating the Christmas season with my family. Take a look at some of my December adventures. 

I took a quick trip to Athens, GA to visit dear friends. #campfriendsarebestfriends

One of my favorite Huntsville Christmas Traditions.
Live Nativity in Downtown Huntsville.

And a beautiful walk through downtown. 

This semester, I had the opportunity to work with the Student Ministry at church.
It was a pleasure to serve alongside these people.
Tacky Sweater Christmas Party 2014

Day trip to Nashville to see this dear friend from college say "I do."
It was a nice reUNION. 

My favorite type of Christmas dinner!

Christmas at home.

Christmas Selfie

Every family has two sides, so another Christmas selfie.

Learning to cut the brisket. Poppa approves. 

Sweet TN visits from one of my roomies from college. 

Nana and Poppa

Don't mess with me. I can cut branches off trees. 

Breakfast with this dearie!

Cousins came to town for a night.
Family picture outtakes. 

Quick vacation to Nashville with my family.

Opryland Hotel

Opryland Hotel

Opryland Hotel

Just running into famous [and tall] people. 

Marmee

What a special time to spend with family and friends.  Now it's time to put the final touches on packing. Ethiopia bound on Friday.

One BIG thank you!

THANK YOU for purchasing t-shirts!

Nerd Bird Creative in Memphis did a fantastic job printing the shirts, and my dear friend, Katie Staples, did an excellent job with the design! Greg is a pastor by day and a creative nerd bird for fun. Katie is a (almost) graduate of Georgia Tech with a beautiful heart for ministry. What a blessing it is to have people use their gifts and talents to support my ministry. 

With your support, I was able to raise over $3,000 from the donations.  That covered over 40% of my one time start up fees.  What a blessing! Please remember to pray for my ministry in Ethiopia whenever you wear your shirt. 

I love all the selfies!

Keep sending me pictures! Love it!

I am only 8% away from my final goal.  Would you consider helping me get to the finish line?

laurakay.richardson@sim.org