There Is No Me Without You, One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue Africa's Children by Melissa Fay Greene

I just finished reading an amazing book called There Is No Me Without You (One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue Africa's Children) by Melissa Fay Greene.  I picked it up from the library last Monday and could hardly put it down until I had finished all 400+ pages. I am usually not an avid reader, in fact for the past 6 years (since the birth of our first child)  I have struggled to walk daily in the WORD. But I was completely paralyzed/mesmerized by this book. Even though I still have the book loaned to me for another three weeks I am going to HAVE to get myself a personal copy.  Currently this book is sitting on my husbands night stand.  I know he will enjoy it too.  In fact, I think this is a book I would recommend to anyone.  Outside of the Lord's Book I don't think I have recommend any others.  

While reading There Is No Me Without You I went through a whole spectrum of emotions and relished the last few pages as if I wanted them to go on forever.  It even left me with dreams of beautiful children singing songs in Amharic. I also had some dreams what left me unable to drift back to sleep easily.  Some of the book was hard to read, (hard for my heart to hear) but it is a honest and beautiful story of hope, love, and strength.

It is not a new book, published in 2006, but a great book for anyone looking for an eye opening and honest look at hardships faced by people living in Ethiopia.  Here is a link for anyone who wants to find more information about this book:  http://www.thereisnomewithoutyou.com/

 

Yesterday the boys and I got a chance to take a drive out to Killingsworth Street and  stopped in at a few East African shops.  At both shops the owners were very welcoming to my questions about this item and that, and both opened up very quickly about their own lives.  The nice gentlemen at the first shop has lived in several countries in Eastern Africa, and now Northwest America.  He had Somalian "folk" dancing/singing on the television hanging in his shop and translated a song for us.  He said in his country it is not uncommon for families to have as many as 20 children!  He asked if it was just the two boys and I said I had three, but have dreams of five.  He said he had five children and that "life without children is worthless."  I agreed and added that they were my joy.  His words were so striking to me because of the title of the book I just mentioned.  The charming lady at the next store also asked about the children and guessed their ages.  She was very kind to put up with me and explained some of the spices, how to prepare some of the food I wanted to make, and then told me that it would be too complicated for me to make coffee in the Ethiopian traditional manor, but if I wanted to use a Jebana (an Ethiopian coffee pot) I could just brew some in an automatic coffee maker and pour it into the pot to serve :)  If you live in the Portland Oregon area and have a desire to try injera, berbere, beautiful smelling incense and myrrh, and wonderful Ethiopian coffee try : 

Meskel Market

839 N Killingsworth Street
Portland, OR 97217

and

The East African shop two doors down on the same block.

♥  Katie          

  

P.S.  I am making these recommendations because they were things that I enjoyed and wanted to share with all of you, not for any other reasons :)

Children are a heritage from the LORD,
   offspring a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
   are children born in one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
   whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
   when they contend with their opponents in court.  

 Psalms 127:3-5