On Thursday we traveled about an hour and a half from Langano to the larger city of Awasa.  We had lunch with the Röschlis, a Swiss couple.  Mrs. Röschli shared their story with us.  Their journey began when Mr. Röschli lost his job in Switzerland, and they decided to move their family to Israel.  While in Israel the Röschlis became Christians and were baptized in the Red Sea.  Later Mr. Röschli got a job in Ethiopia, and they moved to Addis Ababa.  Soon six Ethiopian orphans found their way into the Röschli family.  Later, through the Röschlis, an orphanage and vocational school were founded. 

The orphanage now has 400 orphans who all refer to the Röschlis as Mami and Papi.  Long before the U.N. met to create the MDG’s, the Röschlis saw children with no food, clothing, or education and began meeting that need.  Sitting with us at lunch were four men who had grown up in the Röschlis’ orphanage. They are all working for Selam and Water for Life now.

After lunch we visited the vocational and training college.  The learning workshops there produce the pumps for Water is Life as well as other much needed agricultural tools like rice thrashers.  The school was impressive, and the graduates we have spent time with this last week are a testament to the amazing vocational education as well as spiritual and personal growth that takes place there.

Water has been the theme for our time here in Ethiopia.  It’s the rainy season, and it has rained every day we’ve been here.  We’ve stayed next to beautiful lakes in both Langano and Awasa.  And we’ve seen the transformative power of clean water on communities and individuals.  Water changes everything.  It cleans dirty bodies; it quenches thirst; it allows a garden to bear fruit.  Access to clean water is only a subpoint in MDG #7 on environmental sustainability. But our time in Ethiopia today has revealed how clean water affects all of the other goals. As people of faith we know how important water is.  We have found the water of life—the ultimate cleanser; the ultimate thirst quencher; the ultimate famine ender.