It is 7:54pm on October 24th and I am in the Addis Ababa airport awaiting my flight.  I can't believe that it is already time to go home.  There is still so much work that needs to be done in Debre Zeyit, Ethiopia and still so much that I wanted to personally do. 

 

The people of Ethiopia are truly amazing.  They are so generous, humble, resilent, and strong.  The other American missionaries and I kept joking around and saying "Ethiopians-strong, Americans-weak".  We were joking but it is true in so many ways.  I don't say that to put down Americans-but to lift up Ethiopians.  I have been amazed at the work ethic here.  The vast majority of people in Debre Zeyit don't have machines and gadgets to do the work for them.  For example, it takes them about 20-25 minutes just to make coffee and they do it at least three times a day!!  They walk everywhere and then carry back any supplies that they have purchased.  They can make a meal out of next to nothing.  So many evenings I would look in the kitchen trying to figure out what to make for dinner and would decide that I didn't have what I needed.  Then 5 min later Mekdes (a 14year old foster child) would walk in there and prepare a wonderful meal.  In America I consider myself to be a good cook. . .in Ethiopia I just felt helpless!

 

I shared so many wonderful experiences with the people of Debre Zeyit over the past two weeks and I can't wait to share many more with them.  Lord willing, I will be back next October as my heart now belongs to the wonderful people I have met in Debre Zeyit.  My initial plan was to come here every two years but after coming and meeting them-I want to come twice a year but will settle for once a year!

 

Some interesting things I learned about Ethiopia and its people:

 

*Schedules are a suggestion.

*There is only one traffic rule-yield to anything bigger than you.

*Animals are not considered part of the family.

*Water pressure is horrendous. . you will never rinse out all of your conditioner-stop trying!

*You are welcome in anyone's home at any time.

*Your neighbors will pop in if they hear you making boona (coffee).

*Napkins are a commodity.

*They like to follow white people around-just to see what they are going to do.

*Running water and electricity are a luxury.

*Shintabays (basically a hole in the ground used as a toilet) don't have doors.

*You may have a toilet, sink, and shower but you have no running water.

*The government turns off electricity every few days to conserve energy. . .but they do it at 6:30pm because that is the middle of the night for them-their new day starts at 6pm.

*People don't put their feet on furniture because you get so dusty walking around.

*It is unwise to pull out a camera with more than 5 kids around.

*They think you know every American that has been to Debre Zeyit.  They are shocked that I don't know who Tony is-I mean, we both live in America after all.

*Cows and bulls will not just charge you, they are actually nice.

*All prices are negotiable but they go up if you are furunngie (foreign).

*I am considered wufrum (fat) in Ethiopia.

*I may be wufrum but I am also conjoe (pretty).

*Kids laugh hysterically if you call yourself wufrum.

*Kids will not eat or drink anything a furunngie has prepared. . .even water!

*Kids come running if they see you unzip your bookbag.

 

But what I learned most of all from these beautiful people is that their faith is stronger than their circumstances.  So many people's faith is relative to the adversity in their lives.  Not Ethiopians, their faith is extremely high. . .no matter their circumstances.