As we in America said goodnight to 2010 HWI was simultaneously welcoming in 2011 at Soddo Christian Hospital (SCH) in Ethiopia. Nine hours ahead of Wheaton, Illinois, a container was pulling into the hospital compound. Those at SCH celebrated the arrival of the container and we did too because it included our first crate of 16 trike kits.
This momentous event completes two HWI mile markers and begins yet another new adventure. Back in 2005, three miles from home, through an Ethiopian; the trike division vision was sparked. After seeing a picture of a trike we bought in Nigeria the Ethiopian said, “We need these trikes throughout Africa for those impacted by polio, those hit by landmines and those with other disabilities.” I left with a dream to take a welding class, thinking, if I could weld, I could build a trike. God knew better. A month later while at a party I met Kevin. He said, “I’m a mechanical engineer. Can I design, build and pay for the prototype.” Kevin later told me “it was your determination that moved me to help.”
Then in 2007 I met Carolyn and Harold Adolph, both part of SCH. We began brainstorming about getting trikes to Ethiopia and starting a vocational rehabilitation center at the workshop on the hospital compound. The dream became a reality. But God knew we needed a headquarters from which to construct, pack and ship the crate. On May 1, ten days after signing our new lease, the crate left our headquarters.
The next important job was praying that the container would reach SCH, clearing customs. The container arrived at SCH on January 1st. On December 31st, Carolyn arrived at SCH, during a visit from the States. She saw the container pull in, participated in the celebration and watched the Ethiopians begin unloading it before she had to leave.
In 2008 I heard about Mellessa and how a few years earlier the orthopedic surgeon at SCH bought him a locally made trike. Mellessa paid for the trike by working at the hospital. There the surgeon discovered he speaks eight languages. Now Mellessa is the surgeon’s translator, facilitating communication between the surgeon, patient, and family members. I never dreamed our first trike to Ethiopia would replace Mellessa’s old trike.
