Hospitality Ethiopian Style

Tsion preparing the coffee ceremony

Today was Sunday so we attended church with our friend Genaye at the International Evangelical Church, where her parents attend. The IEC was launched 40 years ago to minister to missionaries, diplomats and other foreigners in Addis Ababa, as well as the local community. The service is completely in English, and the guest preacher was a Texan who was part of a Dallas Theological Seminary training at the church, so it felt like home. We were actually a bit disappointed since we had been anticipating experiencing something new, but it was a very nice service all the same.

Worship at International Evangelical Church

After the service, we were invited to lunch at Genaye's house. We know her mother, Tsion, fairly well, since Tsion has visited Sacramento several times to see her other daughter, Selam. Tsion made us a feast of Ethiopian food for lunch -- about 10 dishes in all. Then she brought out a giant object wrapped in a towel, which ended up being dufo dabo, a traditional Ethiopian bread. According to tradition, our family had to gather round the bread, put our hands on the handle of a long knife and make the first cut. I didn't catch the meaning of the tradition, but it was done with great fanfare. 

Cutting the dufo dabo

Then Tsion went through the Ethiopian coffee ceremony, which includes popping popcorn, lighting incense and heating the water and coffee grounds in a special pot over an open flame. The resulting brew is rich and thick and served in small espresso cups to be sipped and savored -- preferable with a lot of sugar. Like everything in Ethiopian life, the process is slow and patient, and Tsion told us the tradition is to serve three rounds of coffee to guests, the third one called the "blessing." So we enjoyed the coffee and the company.

Tsion and her husband are utterly delightful people who have lived a very full life. Tsion, especially, is a force of nature in her joy and vitality, and in the ways she serves her church and community. Right now, she is helping several handicapped people with their bathing each week. She is also putting several orphan children through boarding school and having them live in her home over breaks. And she has her own little soup kitchen where hungry people from the street can line up at her door for a meal. I love her spirit and admire her energy, so it was a privilege to spend time with her and her family.

Some cuddle time with Genaye's puppy. Most Ethiopian dogs are used as
guard dogs and can't be petted, but this little guy was friendly.

We were very full and satisfied after that meal, but then we got in the van and headed to dinner at Mamusha and Leke's home. As you may recall, Pastor Mamusha is involved with Equip ministries, pastors a church and travels the world speaking to churches and groups. He will be one of our African visiting preachers this summer. Leke served another large meal of Ethiopian food but we could barely fit another bite, so we just nibbled. We had a very interesting conversation, including much discussion about the recent coup attempt and assassinations. We feel so fortunate to be able to spend time with so many dynamic Christians and learn about their culture and country from them.

Running at YaYa

Godebo and Bereket are missing out on summer cross-country conditioning, so we promised their coach we would do our best to find opportunities for them to run. After all, Ethiopia and Kenya consistently produce some of the best runners in the world, so we hoped we could figure out where they train and perhaps have Bereket and Godebo join them.

The first two times we tried this, rain got in the way, but today we got it right. Our driver took us to YaYa Village, a resort just outside Addis Ababa that was built by the most famous Ethiopian runner in history, Haile Gebreselassie. After he retired from running, he became a businessman and built several resorts around Ethiopia, and one of them, YaYa Village, has a running track used by local runners to train.

We arrived around 7 a.m. and already there were about a dozen runners training. Godebo and Bereket jumped right in, with Godebo even joining a group of male runners for much of his workout -- and they set a pretty fast pace. The elevation (about 8,000 feet) provided extra challenge, but both kids got a good workout and really enjoyed running with some very talented athletes. Meanwhile, Jeff walked the track, I did run-walk intervals and Noel found a decent weight room for his workout, so we all appreciated the chance to move our bodies and sweat a bit.

After the workout, we got a private tour of the small Haile museum from the YaYa Village manager, and then we had a nice brunch at the restaurant before heading back to Addis. It felt great to move our bodies and get out of the bustle of the city. 

Starting to See the Sparkle

Pastor Mamusha Fenta, his wife Lette
 and our friend and tour guide, Genaye --
meeting over Ethiopian coffee, of course!

 One of our goals in coming to Africa was to learn more about what is going on in the African (or specifically, Ethiopian and Kenyan) church, and on Friday we hit the jackpot as we spent the morning with Pastor Mamusha Fenta and three other staff members at Equip-Ethiopia Ministries. Equip spreads the love of God through two tracks: training and equipping emerging Christian leaders and serving those in need through programs like child sponsorship. What makes their ministry so exciting is that they have been working in Ethiopia long enough to see some incredible fruit from their labors.

When they started Equip, the country was just coming our of an oppressive communist regime during which Christians were tortured and imprisoned. But at the same time, an undercurrent of Christian revival was taking place, especially among young people who met secretly in homes. After the Communist regime fell, Equip was available to help train these new leaders, who then spread throughout the country planting churches and building relationships with non-believers. Mamusha and his three Canadian colleagues, Brian, Jeremy and Val, had story after story of miraculous events in which persecutors became converts and then crusaders -- not only through human proselytizing but from incredible Damascus Road-type experiences where God spoke directly into people's lives. This movement has changed the country for the better with a reduction in radicalism and corruption.

What I appreciated about their stories was their humility in insisting that they didn't have a plan for any of this. They simply stepped forward willing to serve and then let God invite them into His work. That's something I've been ruminating about lately in my own life, the difference between trying to create kingdom movement where there is none versus simply making oneself available to be used wherever God's kingdom is already at work. The Equip staff is clearly concentrating on the latter, and God is using them in incredible ways.

So much construction in Ethiopia. See if you can spot
the worker on the fourth floor balancing on precarious wooden scaffolding--yikes!

Another thing I gained from this conversation was a new perspective on Ethiopia, not simply as a "flies in the eyes" people overwhelmed by poverty but as a strong and vibrant nation. Since then, I've been able to notice not just the great need here -- of which there is much -- but also the great promise. There are high-rises under construction, modern coffee shops packed with young professionals and thriving restaurants and spas. The streets are crowded and noisy, but it no longer feels oppressive, it feels more like a community that enjoys being out and about, talking, eating, playing in public, rather than behind fences and closed doors. Good work is being done by foreign NGOs but also by the people here, who want their country to thrive. Ethiopia may be a diamond in the ruff, but she's starting to sparkle, and it's great to be here to catch a glimpse.

Dinner and entertainment at a cultural restaurant.

Bereket and Godebo got their hair braided at a fancy salon.

Holding Plans Loosely

I’m sorry we have not been able to post our blog for the last week. Internet access is already unreliable in Ethiopia, but then some political unrest in the northern part of Ethiopia led to the assassination of five military leaders, and the government shut down the internet altogether to prevent a spread of violence. (Granted, that strategy would never fly in the U.S., but that’s how it’s done here.)

It has been a strange sensation to be disconnected to the rest of the world, especially when we know our families will see the news and be worried. Rest assured, we’re in good hands here. We have several Ethiopian friends here who are well-informed and keeping us safe. 

Unfortunately, some of those well-connected friends don’t think it’s wise for us to travel to some of the locations on our itinerary. The next leg of our journey was supposed to be in northern Ethiopia, where we were planning to visit some ancient churches and also take a trek into the mountains. Sadly, the north is where the assassinations took place, and there’s still tension there that could turn into more violence. We will have to regroup and figure out an alternative plan – very disappointing, but this is part of the reality of Ethiopia: a largely peaceful and democratic nation that is still troubled by some ethnic and political tensions that go back hundreds of years. The nation has been in mourning all week over the loss of its leaders; there are military checkpoints on all the roads, checking for guns. It’s a time of grieving and uncertainty.

Thanks for your prayers as we try to remain patient and flexible.

Meanwhile, I'll start posting the blogs I wrote earlier in our journey, so things may be a bit out of order. 

Getting Adjusted

We made it! After 26 hours of travel, three flights, three security checks (one in which Jeff got searched because of his suspicious-looking backgammon set) and many uncomfortable sleep positions, we have arrived in Ethiopia. We are still jet lagged and feeling quite queezy, but all-in-all thrilled to be here.

Our guesthouse is simple but clean and comfortable. The meals here are delicious. And we have flush toilets and hot showers -- both a luxury in this country. That said, the internet in Addis Ababa is spotty at best, and the power goes out occasionally. (More on that later.) Tomorrow, those hot showers will go away since there is no city water on Fridays and Tuesdays. So after I write this, I will hightail it upstairs to get clean.

Yesterday was spent getting acclimated. We showered and napped, then took a walk to get Birr (Ethiopian currency) and take in the environment. Let me just say that Addis Ababa is a cacophony of sites, sounds, sensations and smells. Sites of the hundreds of vendors selling their wares along the street -- everything from flipflops to plastic containers to papayas to sticks one can use to clean one's teeth. Sites of women draped in bright-colored headcloths, often with their babies strapped to their backs; children begging in Amharic, touching their

mouths to indicate they need food. The sensation of the crumbling sidewalk under our feet, the moist air warning that a rainstorm is coming. The sounds of honking horns; chants being amplified from mosques, orthodox churches and catholic churches almost every hour. The thick smell of car exhaust, smoke from roadside coffee ceremonies and from corn-roasting stands. And everywhere we go, the sense of being on display as we are so clearly not from this land. Except for the mission groups and missionaries sharing the guesthouse with us, we haven't seen any foreigners since we arrived. All of this has taken some getting used to. We're not accustomed to being so conspicuous. 

 Today, we played tourist with our tour guide Genaye (sister of our friend Selam). She took us to the Addis Abeba Museum and the National Museum, where we learned of Ethiopia's proud heritage first as a functional and ethical monarchy that refused to succumb to Europe's attempts to colonize them; then as an oppressive communist country; and now to a relatively healthy democracy trying to modernize and create opportunity for its people. The National Museum, by the way, is also known for being the home of "Lucy," the remains of the oldest human ancestor (3.2 million years old). 

After a fantastic lunch of Ethiopian doro wot, fir fir and shiro, we made a long bumpy

journey up the mountain to Endoto, the site of the first Ethiopian king's humble "palace." Sadly, the museum there had lost power, so we relied on our very kind tour guide to shine his tiny flashlight at all the treasures and try to describe what we were seeing. It was somewhat humorous but also a bit disappointing.This country is such a gem of history and culture, and we're trying to take it in from every angle. 

Postscript: I just made it halfway through my shower before the water stopped, conditioner still in hair and body unwashed. Then the internet went down for the night. I guess that's one "angle" I'd prefer to live without -- water and energy shortages!