52 Days and Counting

What to take, what to leave, what to sell, what to give away. These have been the abiding questions for us as we get ready to leave for Tigrai, Ethiopia. The cost of shipping makes some decisions easy for us. What's light enough and valuable enough to pay to send? What do we have to take to do our jobs correctly, regardless of the cost?
    Most of the trimming down has been surprisingly enjoyable. With every perceived treasure we decide to part with, we discover the people and memories attached to it are still with us. The stuff itself is not what carries the value. So we look forward to traveling light. We'll ship one cubic meter of stuff by sea, take two 44 pound suitcases, one carry-on and Roscoe the Yorkie. We'll rent one container that will stay here to store basic kitchen stuff, some simple furnishings, and the things that sustain day to day housekeeping. Everything else goes!
    We plan to purchase another laptop for Jane and some curriculum we think will work well in Mekele. Since I will spend much time teaching American English, I'm purchasing some really good teaching material that come in print and on DVD.
    The purpose of this blog is to keep in touch with friends and family while we spend our time in Mekele. However, some of you have asked if you can help out financially. The answer is yes! The Timothy Project has agreed to allow us to raise support through their organization. They are a 501c3 non-profit organization and all contributions are tax-deductible. Their mailing address is:

The Timothy Project, PO Box 193, Wheaton, IL 60189-0193

    Please mark your check, payable to the Timothy Project,  for support of Ted and Jane Scheuermann. Currently we could use some help with shipping to Ethiopia. That will cost $650.00 or more and that's by ocean shipping, the cheapest option. We also need to purchase that second laptop computer.

Scholarship Students at Simret Learning Center

    Now for the fun part. We have finally gotten pictures from Simret Learning Center in Mekele. I'll include some here for you to see. Please note the number of scholarship students. They are usually children who have been orphaned and are living with extended family such as aunts, uncles, older siblings, and grandparents. They need and want education, but their families cannot afford the tuition of 300 Ethiopian Birr per month (about $18.00 US). If we get contributions for scholarships, we can add more students. I understand there is a limitless supply.


The 2010 Kindergarten Class

    Finally, take a look at the Kindergarten graduating class from last year. One picture says it all. We'll be filing our visa applications next week and having our estate sale sometime during the next two weeks. Of course we want everything to go smoothly, but we'll settle for things going exactly the way the Lord wants them to go.

Where Is Ethiopia Anyway?

As we tell people about moving to Ethiopia, we realize that most folks don't know where it is. The typical response is "Is that in Africa?" Anything past that, for the most part, is beyond most folks' awareness. So I thought I'd include a link to the CIA's page on Ethiopia: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/et.html  And if your curious about the city of Mekele where we will work, here's another link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mek'ele  Now you know where we'll be, but we'll continue to tell you how we are and what this little spot on the globe means to us.

We've mentioned the super-puppy Roscoe, our two year old Yorkshire Terrier. He's six pounds of fighting fury and unrestrained ambition. While pets are a luxury in Ethiopia, we're hoping his small size and dynamic personality will be a hit with the kids at Simret School and in the neighborhood. But he really represents a living link to our home and family. He's one of the crew.
We leave exactly two months from today and really can't wait. The tediousness of getting things settled here and the sorting, packing, etc. is taking its toll. C'mon Mekele! Let's get it on.

We're Going to Ethiopia

Well, it's really going to happen! After months of talking (and talking and talking) and praying and thinking, Jane and I are really going to Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia.
It wasn't a hard decision, really. I think the Lord has been getting us ready for this for a long time, we just didn't know it yet.
It all began with our friend Tesfai, an Ethiopian American who has represented to us all the positive things about Ethiopian culture and the people of Ethiopia. I remember him bringing a calendar to show me once, years ago, showing all the tribal areas that make up his country. I was thinking, "Why is he showing me this? Does it mean anything to me?
Well, it does now. For some reason we don't really understand, we love Ethiopians. So when Tesfai said to me some six months ago, "Why don't you guys retire to Ethiopia? I know someone who has a school in Mekelle and he needs some American people to go over and help teach educational methods and American English. He has been praying for someone just like you two." (For those of you who know me well, imaging anyone praying to have me come and help. Go figure!)
We plan to leave around January 15, 2011. And we have an organization, the Timothy Project, that is willing to help us raise support for our time there. I'll post all the specifics later.
Pray for us, please! We have a lot of stuff to get done here before we leave.