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Wenchi camping trip
Another month gone here in Addis Ababa. This is the longest that I've spent in this country during rainy season, and it's not hard to see why so many foreigners leave the country during this time. However, being from Ireland, I'm used to this sort of weather :-) It does seem a little odd when I'm riding my motorcycle, trying to decide when to go in order to miss the rain showers. It feels very like riding back home! The school break, though, will fly by, there is a little over a month left before I need to be back for the orientation in August. Do please continue to pray for Bingham's ongoing staff needs, it is understandably causing some stress among the leadership of the school. Please continue to pray that God will provide people to fill the vacant roles, and for strength and stamina for those staff here who will need to take on extra positions and work due to a lack of teachers.
It is hard to believe that I only have 3 weeks of language school remaining. My teacher has just left the school on maternity leave, so for the last couple of weeks I will be learning in the afternoons. Again, I am excited at the opportunities that language study will provide me to share my faith and develop relationships with local people, and am very grateful for this chance that I have been given. Talking with others who have been here for a number of years but have never had the same opportunity at full time language study, makes me ever more thankful for the privilege that I've had.
One of the recent field trips that I went on with the language school took us to a local training centre for blind and deaf people. We saw how Braille in Amharic is written, both using machines as well as using a grid. We visited the library, with many books and dictionaries written in Braille, where the students of the school can study. There was also a part of the centre which manufactured glasses, where people with other disabilities could be trained and employed. 
Amharic Braille machine
Library
Working on the glasses shaping machine
Ethiopian Specsavers.
Last weekend, I went camping with 3 friends to a crater lake about 2 hours drive west of Addis. Aaron White, my good friend who I used to live with is leaving shortly to return to the US so this was a last opportunity to get out of the city and go for a night's camping. It was awesome evening spent with friends, and thankfully the rain held off for us. I look forward to some more camping trips outside the city next year, especially once the rains stop!
The four of us.
More pictures here.
Niall
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