Church

For most visiting foreigners church in Ethiopia is exciting and fun.  But they usually follow up their statement saying something like “but I can’t imagine going there every week”.  This is so true for me.  Church in Ethiopia has proven to be one of my most difficult adjustments.  

Even though I understand a lot of the language here by now, I still have a really hard time following church services.  Even if I have a translator (which of course I almost always do) I still find church really hard.  I think that God speaks to all of us in a different way and I have always felt closest to God through music.  I don’t like the music here.  I don’t like the sound of it and understanding the language is even harder in a song then in regular speaking.  

I have tried and prayed for peace about the church situation especially since marrying Mussie but I still have a really hard time.  So much so, that it is actually painful for me to sit through these services.  The music is soooooo loud and it is so hot and the benches are very uncomfortable.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not looking for a huge, beautiful building, perfect sound decibels, air conditioning, and leather recliners to sit in-but all of these things are really hard to take when you don’t know what is going on.  I can handle all of things when it is understandable to me.  Like, at our new English service.  All of these same discomforts are still there but they annoy me less.

One of the churches I have worked a lot with since I’ve been here, Zion Church, has started an International Service on Sunday nights.  I am on the ministry board at the new services helping out with music.  I am playing clarinet again and I am happy doing that.  

I really love that we have an International service in Debre Zeit.  I now have a church to go to where I can be fed spiritually, serve. . .and understand what is happening.  But now that we have adopted two children we are trying to decide what is best for them.  We obviously want them to be able to attend church and understand what is happening.  They have been coming to the English service but I don’t want that to be their only form of church because I know how frustrating it is not to understand what is happening and I don’t want to do that to them.  But if we go to Ethiopian church in the morning we won’t get out until 1pm and then English church is at 3:30pm and somewhere in between we have to eat and Rebirra has to take a nap.  So we are praying for wisdom on what to do.  Any suggestions?