Project Mercy - Day Ten

From Kyle:

Today was a good day. It was good to get out into the countryside. Project Mercy is located in the Rift Valley; so the scenery was incredible. Marta is an incredible woman. I would love for you to be able to meet her and see the most amazing work they do in a remote and very poor section of Ethiopia. We toured the hospital, the kindergarten and the compound. You just wouldn’t believe what all gets done and how the people in this region are being empowered to help themselves. It’s amazing all of the different people that know and support her work. For example, we were touring the children’s computer lab. She would not have offered it up, but I asked “who donated the computers.” She informed me that Steve Case (the multi-billionaire founder of AOL). He flew to Ethiopia on his private jet for the sole purpose of setting her up with the computers. He and his wife spent a day and a night at the compound, had a quick meeting with the Prime Minister and then flew back home.

It took 2.5 hours to get there. We toured, ate lunch and toured somemore. Then, we were heading back to the main road on what was until a few years ago not even a year-round road. We had car trouble (a wheel issue). So, we became the afternoon matinee for the locals. What would have undoubtedly stressed me out in the States, I savored. While I helped Joseph (Jose) with the wheel, I also took time to take pictures of the locals and play soccer with a tiny ball with two boys. Everyone in town knew Marta and called her their mother. They said that she knows them all by name. After about a 1.5 hour delay, we headed back to Addis. It’s 9:15 and my room service has just now arrived. That’s okay. Another day that was worth it.

Please tell everyone that I am doing well and that I love them, miss them, pray for them daily and am excited to see them.
Love,
Kyle