Friday, July 1st

The team's final morning in Ethiopia was spent in a three hour debrief. We affirmed one another, discussed the possibility of reverse culture shock, shared our most memorable experience, had a devotional, and talked about how we think God worked in our lives through this two week experience, and what our lives might look like as a result.

Top View restaurant which overlooks Addis was our destination for lunch. Afterwards we drove to the Leper's retail store but unfortunately it was closed. However, we were able to do a little shopping before heading back to the Ghion.

Bana, Cindy, Heidi, Hope, Kristina, Noelle, and Brett boarded the Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt. Alison, Alwin, Jeff, and Steve stayed in Ethiopia for two more days of teacher training at the Hope school in Addis. It was sad to see the team split up after such an amazing two week experience, but we already have plans for a reunion in early August. As I read the workshop evaluations it was clear to me that we definitely had a positive impact on the teachers we worked with. Here are several quotes from these evaluations to show the appreciation they had for our work.

"I felt from the bottom of my heart that the workshop was very important and necessary to help each of us in our teaching career." Alebachew Yimam, English teacher

"I liked these active learning strategies. I hope I will use all of them in my teaching. I really enjoyed this meeting and learned so much from it." Demis Yesuf, chemistry teacher

"I really enjoyed all the things you taught us and I plan to use the active learning strategies next year in my teaching for the improvement of my student's academic skills and to increase their interest in class." Ketemaw Tilahun, biology teacher

The smiles on the faces of all the children throughout the trip told us how they felt about our time with them and the success of the Vacation Bible School.

This trip would not have been possible except for the generosity of those who supported us. We thank all of those who provided financial resources. We worked very hard to do our best to serve the teachers and children in Ethiopia. It has been a wonderful experience for us all. Thanks!

Steve Hammack
12th Grade Physics and AP Biology Teacher