The Headlines (part 2 of 2) October 1, 2007

Written 9.25.07

 When we agreed to come to work with HOPE Enterprises several months ago, we knew that it was the right fit for the four of us, because they expressed interest in allowing us to utilize all of our talents and educational backgrounds.  This has since proved to be true, and we are all overjoyed to be able to put our specific gifts to use.  Because we are all native English speakers, we will all be in charge of teaching our mother tongue, which we knew would be the case.  Bethany is taking the youngest students, working with 1^st-3^rd grades; Josh will have students in 4^th-6^th grade; Maren is working with grades 7 and 8; and I will have the 9^th and 10^th graders.  On top of sharing our knowledge of English, we also have our own specific duties at the school and within the HOPE organization.  Bethany and Maren will be applying their business experience and knowledge as teachers in the vocational school, which is for students who are unable to pass the standardized test after 10^th grade.  HOPE provides the opportunity to learn about 10 different trades and skills, so that the students can continue to learn a practical profession and in turn be able to succeed “in the real world.”  Josh will be joining the vocational school as an Ethics teacher, working alongside Pastor Mattewos; he will also be joining the pastor on Tuesdays and Thursdays at HOPE headquarters to preach love and hope to the people of Addis who come seeking food and shelter.  I will be using my teaching background to help with the English program for the vocational school students, to assist Dr. Minas (the President of HOPE) in writing and editing proposals, grant requests, and letters to send out to donors around the world, and to help a couple from The Netherlands create the English curriculum for the University that HOPE will be opening in the fall of 2009.  As you can see, God knew what he was doing when he placed Ethiopia on our hearts and minds this past spring.  We are humbled and honored to be able to use these talents to glorify his kingdom, knowing full well that we are working in the context of his will. And now on to some of the significant events we have experienced this past week… We met a couple from Canada last Sunday who have been and will continue to be a great connection and an excellent resource in the city, since they have lived here for the past couple of years.  They informed us about a supermarket near the city center, called Bambi’s, which boasted goods from around the world, with literally almost anything we could need in Ethiopia.  We decided we would check it out, and were not disappointed with our finds:  fresh, quality, pre-packaged meat (rather than having to buy a live animal and slaughter it on a weekly basis); granola mix that reminds us of the cereals we love in the United States; Coca-cola light, which isn’t quite the same as Diet Coke, but is the best substitute we can find; and deli meat for sandwiches, although at the price per kilo (about $30 for 2 pounds), we will most likely save that treat for a mock Thanksgiving celebration, as turkeys (and even chicken) are hard to come by in this country.  Since we can buy almost everything that we need on a daily basis right around our house from the small markets and outdoor fruit stands, we won’t need to make many trips to our newly favorite Disney character—we’ll reserve those adventures for holidays and when we find that we just need a taste from home. Last Saturday we found out that the church that we’ve been attending (the International Evangelical Church of Addis Ababa) was hosting a large bazaar, at which NGOs sent delegates from their organizations to sell their crafts, hand-made items, cultural paraphernalia, and traditional Ethiopian clothing.  Most of the organizations support the impoverished, the disabled, or the homeless, and so we felt that it would be a good opportunity to in turn support these people and to begin to make purchases for our loved ones back home and ourselves as reminders of this already incredible experience.  And again, we were not disappointed, as we were overwhelmed by the talent, creativity, and beauty of the items that were being sold.  We spent a little bit of time and a little bit of money, before realizing that we had another appointment to get to, but we were relieved by the fact that the church hosts the bazaar once a month for the next several months.  We will be sure to return at the next chance we get. After the bazaar, we made our way back to our compound, via mini-bus, and arrived just in time before the skies opened up and literally dumped water on Addis.  Pastor Mattewos had asked us to be his guests at a wedding he was residing at, and so we trudged through the rain across the city, and sat through our first traditional Ethiopian wedding, which started two hours late due to the torrential rains.  It was an honor to be guests in the ceremony, and it was really not all that different than American weddings, in that there was music, a sermon, a bridal party, the exchange of vows and rings, and the introduction of the couple.  It was only in the manner in which the events happened that differed.  The music was led by a small choir who set the tone of the wedding as truly being a worship service, rather than a simple ceremony.  The sheer joy on their faces and in their bodies gave clear evidence of whom they worshipped, and we were sad that we could not join in with their songs, other than through clapping and dancing.  Since everything was in Amharic, we understood very little of the sermon, with the exception of the only English words spoken: “Marriage is a covenant, not a contract.”  Then we watched Pastor Mattewos lead the vows, after which the couple immediately signed the marriage license before the ceremony ended with joyful song and many smiles. On Sunday, we joined Pastor Mattewos at his church (of which he is no longer the pastor, but an active member as a lay leader on many different committees), which is just down the street from our house, and about halfway to his house.  The 2½ hour service was solely in Amharic, as well as the music, but it was clearly evident that God was present and that people were overjoyed to come into his presence.  It was a wonderful experience to be a part of this worship service, regardless of its incomprehensibility to us—we understood clearly that God is the same God in all cultures and in all languages. And the last major thing that we experienced this week was just yesterday morning—the opening ceremonies at HOPE school.  We gathered in front of the 800 students along with teachers, administrators and parents and watched as the school year began with celebration and organization.  We were in awe of the discipline of the students, as they listened to guidelines and expected behavior for about an hour; we were blessed by the clear and beautiful voices of the children’s choir; we were honored when the school director introduced us as being distinguished teachers from very far away, and all 800 pairs of eyes turned to look at us.  As a final celebratory gesture, the school’s music director asked all of the new students to come forward, and when they were gathered in two lines (a boy line and a girl line), the first two were handed the Ethiopian version of a tiki-torch, and the rest of the school whooped and clapped and whistled while the new students marched around the rest of the school body, commemorating the new year, the knowledge to be gained, the friendships to be created, the experiences to be had.  Now that we have seen the way in which both the teachers and students alike value education, we are both excited and anxious to begin fulfilling our purpose in coming here. So there you have it: an overview of a typical day and some of the important events that are shaping our experience here in Ethiopia.  We continue to be daily blessed by God’s presence in our lives, and although we miss friends, family and familiarity, we are learning to embrace Ethiopia as our temporary home, and it is good. With love, Sarah and the other folks Praise the Lord:  further direction in our responsibilities and role at HOPE; the ability to worship God no matter what the language; true Ethiopian friends and surrogate family members; continued protection and provision; growth and learning Pray for us: continued health; peace and confidence as we begin teaching (for real this time) early next week; the ability to grow deeply as a team, relying on each other’s strengths and supporting each other’s weaknesses; continued vision