Some favorite photos from Ethiopia

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News from Lalibela, Ethiopia

I've been having the hardest time connecting the past few days.

But here, in the little town of Lalibela, deep in the heart of the Ethiopian highlands, I finally succeeded to connect to Blogger!

Here's the news:

Thursday

I’m still shaken up. This morning, the taxi Bethany and I were in hit a pedestrian. The guy was going at least 40mph (60kmph) at the time. And like all taxis here seem to do, he kept squeezing through really tight spaces at high speed. He was going down a straight road (Equatorial Guinea Drive, I believe) and seemed to decide he could squeeze between a truck on the left and the pedestrian who walked on the road, just off the sidewalk.

But he couldn’t.

It’s one of those really, really bizarre moments when you think, What’s this guy doing? But you can’t get it out soon enough.

So with the corner of the little blue Lada we were in, we hit her! The whole car shook. The driver came to a screeching halt, still smiling, and ran to get the girl. He was literally carrying her holding on to her breasts as handles (!!!), half dragging her. And still smiling!

As I’m sitting there, he’s pushing her into the back seat, telling Bethany and I we cannot get out! But we did. He had to get her to the hospital! He seemed more concerned to get the fare from us than to care for the girl. We paid him and urged him to get to the hospital. The side view mirror was busted. The front corner of the car was dented. The insulation from the window was ripped out.

As we walked the last 200 yards or so to the hotel to meet the group, Bethany and I prayed for the perhaps teenage girl, that she would be OK. And that the man and women who jumped in the cab with her would fight for the girl! They seemed adamant not to let the cabbie get away with the accident. I heard them mention “police” several time while talking Amharic.


I keep wondering about the girl, though. Does she have internal bleeding? Will the cabbie pay for her bills? How’s this accident going to affect the rest of her life? Her right arm and leg HAD to have been shattered! God, help her!

We spent some time in class yesterday talking about justice. How do we live justice daily. Personally. As families. Businesspeople. Educated individuals. NGOs.

And so, as we’re heading out to visit a monastery, the sight of the young teenage girl haunts me. The anguishing pain was all over her face… Was getting out of the car the right thing to do? Is that “living justice”? If it weren’t for the fact that several Amharic-speaking eyewitnesses jumped into the cab to help, we would’ve gone with her to the hospital. But as foreigners, we would’ve been in the way.

Still, it bugs me that we don’t know how the girl is. It’s hard.

On a different note: We went to visit the Archbishop of the Catholic Church yesterday. He’s a delightful man with a heart for uniting the Trinitarian churches of Ethiopia (as in, the churches who believe in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.) He urged us to visit the Missionaries of Charity, which we did. However, it’s very, very awkward walking into a ward filled with men in uniform pj’s and be told, “And this room is the men with TB…” None of us felt comfortable with being tourists of other people’s suffering. So Ray (our prof) politely explained that we love what they are doing, but we need to go because we’re late for our next appointment, which we truly were.

Oh, about Kenya. If you’ve read the news, you’d know that today’s mass protests were called off, that 200 youth militia were arrested in Kitale (not too far from where I live), that Kibaki finally agreed to creating a Prime Minister position for Odinga. How exactly it will work, I don’t know yet. But things are looking up.

Class is officially over, and little by little, the students are leaving. Tomorrow morning, I’ll fly to Lalibela for a 2-day visit before returning to Nairobi. Lalibela is famous for its rock-hewn churches dating to the 13th century. I look forward to time alone with God in places where people have been worshiping him for centuries.

I will only be able to blog again after my trip to Lalibela.

Till then,

SALAAM!

Last Sunday

It's been a very, very good experience. An eye-opening one in terms of urban issues and ministry. Today, we were supposed to visit 6 churches, but due to getting stuck in a church parking lot behind other vehicles, we ended up just visiting 5. Everything from an Ethiopian Orthodox Church in the morning (where, by the way, you're not allowed in if you've had intercourse in the past 48 hours, or if you're having your period) to a Pentecostal church, a Lutheran and an international evangelical church. Huge differences, not only in the style of worship & liturgy, but also in the type of people they attract.

Our class is made up of a fascinating bunch of people. There are 3 students from the US (2 of whom are the only other ladies in the program), and then one guy from each of the following countries: Angola, Malawi, Kenya, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria. And then 2 guys from Ethiopia.

Yesterday, we drove for 13 hours (seriously!) to see the Nile River Gorge. Actually, it was about 6 hours there, and then we turned around immediately. We weren't even allowed to get out of the bus to walk across the bridge over the Nile. We made the mistake of taking photos of the bridge (as well as the grand one they're constructing right next to it), but the military came and insisted we had to erase the pictures. I don't get it. Anyway. We turned around, drove 4 hours to a monastery (Dobre Libanos) where monks stay in mountain caves, but by then I it was too late to visit the caves, so we saw yet another church. And then drove back to Addis.

Had a good time visiting in the bus, though, especially the last 2 hours when we were really, really tired. The 3 American students plus the program coordinator and the other Kenyan guy and I were having a blast, singing songs, playing "two truths and a lie" and so on. Just fun stuff. The only American guy (other than our professor) is African American, and a pastor at that. He was getting us to sing songs the African American way. Much fun was had. At least by us.

Want to get home early and get some good rest before we head into yet another packed week. Hopefully I'll get to upload a photo or two tomorrow. Will try my best.

My mind's turning from all I'm learning, and with the thought of how things are in Kenya right now…

Back to Today

So, since I didn't think I'd come to Ethiopia anytime soon again, I decided to take a 2-day trip to Lalibela, to see the famous rock churches. Saw 6 of the 11 yesterday, and in the evening, decided to go out with the group I connected with an have some tej (honey wine). It's not good, by the way. I had hardly had a few sips when I decided to head home. On foot, since it's so safe. Over rock roads built hundreds of years ago. Crawled into bed at maybe 9 pm, just to wake up several times in the night. It was either the tej or something I had eaten earlier in the day, but I didn't feel good at all. Still don't. I've taken some meds and decided to stay in this morning.

If I feel better by the afternoon, I'll walk around the Saturday market. And very, very early tomorrow morning, I'll head back to St. George's (look it up on Wikipedia) and see a celebration. People will start gathering there at midnight tonight to start with chants. Should be interesting.

**
I'll connect again on Monday, when I'm back in Nairobi.

Tuesday in Addis

We've had packed days and limited access to e-mail. Below are updates I had written last week. Today, we're off to meet the archbishop of the Catholic Church in Ethiopia as well as a number of evangelical colleges, learning from all what they're doing in the city of Addis. I'm learning lots. It's been good. I'll try to upload photos to Flickr. Not sure if it'll work.

Wednesday

Today was a really insightful day. On our tour of Addis Ababa the other day, I was watching people kneel in front of the church, praying for what could’ve been hours. I wondered if they truly had an understanding of the Gospel, or if their devotion is a blind desperation, if you will. It also didn’t make sense to me that they would pray to pictures of Mary and Jesus, or bring flowers or candles as gifts.

But today, we went to visit His Holiness, The Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. (Basically, it means he’s like the pope of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.) First, we were received by His Grace, The Archbishop of the Church in Southern and West Africa. (Those of you who know me well would know that I don’t usually pay much attention to titles. But we were drilled on the right way to address or talk about these men, so there you are. We visited with HH and HG.) Ray (our professor) explained to us various aspects of the liturgy, how, in the Orthodox Church, “worship is the recreation of the drama of our salvation.”

Going on a 2-hour tour of the Patriarch’s Museum (led by a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic tour guide) opened my eyes to much of this expression of worship. And while I don’t enjoy liturgy and traditional religion, it did make me wonder if we as modern-day charismatics haven’t lost some reverence for the cross.

However, I didn’t like how some Ethiopians were bowing before HH, kissing the end of his robe, and kissing the cross… Ray had explained that the kissing was merely a hope that the virtue of a person (or icon) would rub off on you. Still, to me, it seemed more like people were worshiping the person and the cross, both of which are merely pointing to Christ. I could be wrong

Thursday

Today, we’re going to visit one of the slum areas of Addis to see the work Jember’s group has done. After that, we’ll be having a class on Poverty and Race. That should be interesting!

My roommate Bethany and I have been able to move out of our expensive hotel and move into Kristin Davis’ place. What a blessing! (I met Kristin once in Kenya. She’s the cousin of my former neighbor, Davis.)

Tomorrow, we’re having a “tourist day,” visiting the Nile Gorge as well as the oldest monastery in Ethiopia. Speaking of the Nile: I never realized how much of a source of contention the Nile has been in this part of the world. Egypt reaps all the benefits and balks every time Ethiopia, Sudan or Uganda want to use the water to irrigate their own countries. In fact, we were told that if Ethiopia could use the water in the Blue Nile and in Lake Tana for irrigation, they could grow enough food for all of East Africa. But they can’t. Egypt says the Nile is theirs. Someone even mentioned that they believe the next big war in this part of the world will be because of the Nile. Yikes, eh? (In case you’re confused by where Uganda comes into play: The White Nile starts there and the Blue Nile in Ethiopia. They merge in Northern Sudan.)

Friday & Saturday

Yesterday, we walked some of the slums of Addis. It’s hard to believe that 80% of the city’s people live in slums! And check this out: ALL the land in the country belongs to the government. You can own a house, but you don’t own the land. During the Derg era (communism), the government claimed all land. And though it’s now a federal government, they’ve not given back the land to the people. Crazy, eh?

So, anyway, we walked the slums to see the projects Jember’s group has done. They had broken down shanty homes and built brick houses with shared kitchens and communal pit latrines. (Some areas still simply have open sewage.) They built schools and youth centers, a daycare facility for the elderly, care centers for mentally and physically disabled. Projects you’d expect a government to take on, which they don’t.

People were friendly, and as always, the kids were adorable. No-one should have to live in slums, though. No-one.

Today, we’re going to visit a monastery in the Nile Gorge. Should be interesting. Oh, and BTW, I woke up last night to the laughing of HYENAS! In the city limits, yes. Kristin says this is one of the only African cities where they have to deal with the danger of hyenas. I lay in bed thinking, “That’s a hyena! No, it can’t be!” But indeed, it was.

News from Addis Ababa

I’ve been having a hard time getting onto e-mail. My roommate Bethany and I hiked to the Hilton today after class to use the Internet here, since, as far as I can remember from 2 years ago, it’s much faster here than at the Ghion.

The entry below is from my first night in Addis. I hadn’t written about yesterday and today’s class yet. I may add something at the end.

Monday night

So, I’m back in Addis. It’s so much easier to travel to a place like this when you’ve been here before. At least I knew my way around the airport. The people around me looked different than what I expected, though. That’s because a flight came in from Yemen right before mine. At the luggage carousel, I was surrounded by women in black burkas and red, green and yellow headscarves. Quite the contrast, I know. At first, it seems that Ethiopians have this thing with Rasta. But the truth is that it's merely the colors of their flag, and their previous emperor (Haile Selassie) was known as Ras (like Duke) Tafari (his actual name prior to coronation). But when he visited Jamaica, there had been a long drought, and upon his arrival, it started raining. So they decided he had brought the rain, and from there came Rastafari, the religion.

Once I wrestled my luggage off the carousel, I had to try and get it on a crowded conveyer belt again to be X-rayed before I could leave the customs area. There seemed to be maybe 5 male travelers for every 20 women, at least, and the women were feisty, pushing luggage away to get theirs on…

Outside, the arrivals hall had far fewer people than the Nairobi arrivals (though, nowadays, it’s not at all crowded due to the 80% drop in tourism…) In Addis, people have to pay 2Birr to be allowed into the airport. So unless you have to go in, you don’t.

There was a vendor trying to hawk bunches of fake flowers for 20Birr. He also doubled as a taxi agent, asking me time a number of times if I need a taxi. Which I didn’t. I was just walking around to try and find a person with a BGU sign. (I found him an hour later, but I wasn’t concerned. I knew a few others were coming in after me, so he might be late.)

I did find an ATM, which was a pleasant surprise, seeing that I couldn’t find a single, working ATM in Addis during my last visit 2 years ago. But alas, this one was out of order, too. In fact, it didn’t even have a bank logo on. The screen above the ATM had the name of a bank scribbled in magic marker. To get money out of the machine would take some other magic. It simply wasn’t going to happen.

As I was taking in the sights around me, a woman started wailing. Serious wailing, to the extent that pretty much every person in arrivals was watching her. She was with friends who took turns to hug her and console her till she stopped crying. It was a sad sight. I thought she must’ve lost a loved one. It certainly wasn’t tears of joy!

The other 3 students arrived, and with that, Imme, our driver. We walked out into the warm air of Addis and drove through the colorfully-lit streets of the city. Everything seems decorated for their recent millennium celebrations. (Ethiopia doesn’t use the Gregorian calendar like we do. According to the Ethiopian calendar, the year 2000 just arrived in September last year.)

Tuesday morning

I’m heading downstairs for a cup of famous macchiato. Not the Starbucks type. Real Ethiopian coffee. I slept OK once I got up to put my earplugs in. Lots of unfamiliar noises around.

Had a great time visiting with my roommate last night. Bethany’s a 28-year-old pastor from Chicago. Today’s schedule holds mostly introductory stuff, and then a t0ur of the city. Hopefully Bethany and I can find time in there somewhere to look at a nearby guesthouse, which is far cheaper than the hotel where we’re staying… Hopefully that works out!

It’s nice and warm, by the way. Not hot. Just comfortable.

Despite all the excitement of learning new things today, I cannot help but keep thinking of neighboring Kenya and today’s press conference. I’m praying that February 19, 2008 will go down in Kenya’s history as a day that brought peace…

Wednesday evening

Since we’re studying urban ministry models, we had a tour of the city of Addis yesterday. Jember told us about her city. I thought she has to have a real passion for history. She was able to tell us in minute detail about the city, what happened when/where. We drove to the highest hill, to Entoto, to view the city from where Emperor Hailen Selassie’s home was before they moved into the valley and established Addis Ababa. At the end of the 6-hour city tour, we stopped at one last large home that used to belong to one of the rastas (dukes) prior to the Derg (Marxist) era.

Today, it made more sense. I learned that she herself was a niece of the Emperor. I wrote the bit below during the introductory session this morning. Yes, I like to multitask.

MaAfrika, she’s been hailed. Ethiopia’s Mother Theresa. She’s sitting behind a desk that dwarfes her. Her polite smile and soft-spoken demeanor hides what a phenomenal woman Jember is.

Ethiopians call her “Sister Jember,” or Doctor Jember. Not the ordinary nurse, this is. She is the niece of the last Emperor, Haile Selassie I. Her husband, Dr. Hailegiorgis, a man with a PhD in architecture who had designed some of the most phenomenal hotels and parks in Addis, was a descendent of another monarch, Emperor Menelik II. He was also the mayor of Addis. (Menelik I, it is believed, was the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.)

Their wedding was a royal one that lasted 5 days. But because of them being royal, Dr. Hailegiorgis was imprisoned for 12 years by the Marxist government. While in prison, Jember took her husband 2 meals a day, never allowed to see him. He asked for more food because he was sharing his food with the others in his cell.

Jember, herself, was later imprisoned for 5 years. She started a Red Cross training program for inmates and guards, and when she was released, she insisted on being allowed back to complete the training.

Only once everyone in the program had graduated did she leave for England, to be with their children. When her husband passed away from cancer, their sons could not attend the funeral since they’d immediately be drafted into the Marxist army. Their youngest son jumped off the 15^th floor of a building to be with his father in death…

Jember returned to Ethiopia and started a program to serve the city in a way that God would want.

It was one of her husband’s dying wishes that Jember be challenged to get a doctoral degree, which she completed in 2001. Part of the D.Div work included compiling a Handbook for Poverty Alleviation through Holistic Ministry.

And so, here we are, learning from a woman who has suffered much, but persisted through it all and is still persisting to bring about change in a country with a federal system that still bears too many resemblances to the former Marxist beliefs.

Tomorrow, we will be visiting the Patriarch, Abune Paulos. He’s a friend of Jember’s, thus the privilege of meeting him. As the head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, his position is similar to that of the Pope.

After that visit, we’ll be going to some of the major Orthodox churches. I look forward to learning more.

In case you wonder: The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is indeed the oldest church in Africa after the Egyptian Coptic Church. Many of their traditions come straight from the Old Testament. But they do worship Jesus as the Messiah. In a way, it’s almost like the Messianic Jewish church.

I didn’t bring photos with me to the Hilton. I will try to post photos later this week.

I haven’t been able to read the Kenyan news tonight yet, so I don’t know what’s happening in Kenya. I am desperately praying that things are going well, that there has been a breakthrough in talks.

Why you *might* not hear much from me the next two weeks

For the past 2 weeks, as I've been away from the unrest around our village, I was able to get my studies done (for the most part) in Nairobi. Today, I'm meeting a fellow APU grad at church, and tomorrow, after hopefully finally getting my work permit - it only took 2 years - I'll be off to Addis for 2 full weeks of classes.

When I was in Ethiopia 2 years ago, the Internet connection wasn't the best. But nevertheless, I'm hoping to post updates from the lobby of the Ghion Hotel, where I'll be staying.

However, if you don't hear from me, know that I probably have lots and lots to tell you, but simply cannot get onto the Internet.

In the meantime, please keep praying for Kenya. The next 2 days are critical in the peace process, and we should know by Tuesday what the verdict is on power sharing, and after that, if the people are happy with what has been decided...