Missionary Emma Geswein

Updates from Ethiopia

A beautiful view of Lake Awasa during our short trip to the southern part of Ethiopia last month.

Last month, we held a new class to educate some of the women in our program at BHDO. I explained what happens during the menstrual cycle, what goes on inside our body each month and why it happens, and we discussed the symptoms we experience. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of engagement I had from them, asking questions and giving their own personal answers. It is so important for them to be educated about these topics!

My friend who is a nurse, Karry, explained what is normal and when to see a doctor.
We also gave away some reusable pads that were donated! These will be a huge help because when we asked, the women said that they use random scraps of clothing as pads because the disposable are too expensive.

On August 16th, my husband Abenezer and I celebrated our one year anniversary of marriage! We are so grateful for what God has done in our lives and are so blessed that He brought us together.

Towards the end of August, my mom came to visit us! We got work done and had lots of fun together, but I want to highlight our travels to the Southern part of Ethiopia, where we spent time with my adopted brother Aaron's grandmother and sister.

This is Aaron's sister, Mirtinesh. She is beautiful and has grown up so much! We took her and grandma Hannah out to lunch, and then got them some much needed new clothes. It blessed us so much to spend this time with them.

This is Eyerusalem (Jerusalem), a sweet young girl in our program. She was born with cerebral palsy and has been dealing with pneumonia for the last few months. It is with a heavy heart that I'm sharing she passed away earlier this week.

Eyerusalem was the sweetest, happiest little girl. She could light up a room with her smile and you could feel the joy radiate from her – all of this despite the condition she’s in.

The last home visit I had with her before she was admitted to the hospital, her mom said “I will never give up hope to see her walk one day”. Now she is in a place where she’s completely healed, running and playing to her hearts desire.

Please pray for her mother’s aching heart, her brother, and the rest of the family. May this beautiful soul Rest In Peace.

I can't thank each of my monthly partners enough for joining me on this mission! You make all of this possible. I'm so grateful for these opportunities and I don't take it lightly that God is calling me to do this work. Please pray as I continue to work with many needy families and continue to adjust to life in Ethiopia.