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At the Soddo Christian Hospital in southern Ethiopia there is a great need for an anesthesiologist, and Kari and Asle have been asked to give a helping hand. This web site will provide news and updates during their stay.
For more information about the Soddo Christian Hospital in southern Ethiopia, please visit www.soddo.org
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Below you will find the latest update from Asle and Kari.
Maria, January 4th 2012, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Hi there,
This blog post will be a little different as I, Maria Aarsland, rather than my parents am writing it. Some of you may know that I arrived in Ethiopia around mid-November and have been here ever since. I came in the hopes of securing work that would give me valuable experience in the international development field, and shortly after my arrival such an opportunity presented itself. Praise God! For the next year I will be assisting the project development staff at the Norwegian Lutheran Mission, writing project proposals and reports to donors. I will officially start working in two weeks, so in the meantime I've been out on a few adventures that I though I would share with you.
Since my arrival I've spent time in several different places, including Addis Ababa, Soddo, Ginir, and Awassa. In Addis, I was able to join a few visiting Norwegian nursing students as they toured different treatment and rehabilitation centers. On the schedule was a housing facility for impoverished cancer patients, a rehabilitation center for children who have undergone orthopedic surgery and burn care, and last but not least, the world famous Hamlin Fistula Hospital.
On the agenda in Soddo was a house-visit with one of the American gynecologists, Stephanie, to determine the progress of a premature baby she delivered some months back. We drove on a motorcycle (me on the back) down a bumpy dirt road for about 45 minutes before reaching the small mud house. There we received a royal welcome and found a smiley, healthy baby! 
In Soddo I also made an ambitious hike into a steep valley to reach the bottom of two amazing waterfalls. The trip included climbing up and down on all fours (sometimes pulling myself up by my arms, using strength I didn't even know I had) and wading through water that at times reached my waist. It was one of those extreme experiences that tests your mental and physical strength, but once you're done you felt great and can look back on an amazing time! 
However, maybe the highlight of my stay so far was my trip into Ginnir (east), with the Norwegian missionary, Margrethe. The purpose of the trip was to better my understanding of the work/projects the Norwegian Mission runs there and in the surrounding areas. While in Ginnir, I did a lot of reading, attended meetings, and was able to actually observe a few projects. It was all very interesting. However, there was also time for some socializing and fun. Margrethe and I received several dinner invitations to her local friends, and some of her coworkers even convinced me to try the local favorite: large chunks of sliced raw meat! 
Christmas was celebrated in Awassa along with about seven other Norwegian and Danish missionaries. We had "svineribbe" and "pinnekjøtt", which made it feel like Christmas even in the tropics.
Well that's all for now. I assume life will slow down a little once I start working.....or maybe it will just get more exciting.
Best,
Maria