Adwa marks the final battle that caused Italy to leave Ethiopia in 1896. Adwa is close to the border with Eritrea and at one point we were within 15 miles of it. We spent the night at the home of Rick and Elsa Stoner. Cindy will elaborate, a wonderful, wonderful couple. In about a week and a half, we hope to meet Elsa and Rick again in Addis Ababa prior to leaving Ethiopia for Germany.
Cindy’s note:
Rick and Elsa welcomed us as though they had known us for years. Rick and I share a friendship with Carl Dean, Roger and Susan Whitaker. The four of them were all in the Peace Corps group that stated in 1968 so Carl, Susan, Roger, Lynne, and I taught together in Woldia. And now at this time, Carl put me in touch with Roger who put me in touch with Rick who recommended Cheru. Much like in the nursery rhyme, “This is the house that Jack built.” And so this is the trip that friends built and I am very thankful.
We arrived at their home and were captivated by the beauty of the house and the design of the Cultural Center and the beautiful bridge that they built to help the community. What an amazing couple. I am always surprised by people who can focus and put one foot in front of the other to get a job done. Rick is originally from Columbus, Indiana and after the Peace Corps worked at Cumins until his retirement when he was involved with Save the Children in Africa. All along the way he worked on projects for the Peace Corps, especially in training. Elsa has worked on various projects both in the USA and in Ethiopia, the latest being the restoration of the family home and the plans for the Cultural Center. We were saved a lot of trouble by following thier advice.
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The Cultural Center |
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