Sunday morning we had breakfast at the guest house. There was a variety of options from American and Ethiopian food.
We enjoyed walking around the neighborhood while we waited for our ride to church.
We were so thankful to worship alongside the people of Emmanuel Baptist Church of Addis Ababa once again. Kevin, M^, and I had wonderful memories of being with them several Sundays back in 2014.
A Journey, But Not Alone: A day of worship . . . Round 3, Day 7 (ajourneybutnotalone.blogspot.com)
Even though the worship service was all in Amharic, we could feel the Spirit moving among these people. The singing was soulful, the preaching was stirring, and the community bound together in grace and mercy. There is something about worshipping with congregations here, something that is raw. There is an immediacy to the Good News of Jesus Christ among people here. The idea of placing hope in God takes on a new meaning.
It was nice to reconnect with Pastor Mikey. I felt very fortunate to bring greetings from the congregation of Redeemer Lutheran Church in South Carolina. Their congregation prays for us and I told them we will do the same.
After worship we went out to lunch. Allebnany Restaurant, Lebanese food, was one of Kevin and my favorites from years ago. (https://www.facebook.com/allebnany.restaurant/) The food is good. But the desserts are amazing. Baklava that beats any you've ever tasted. There are a multitude of other delicacies and I have no idea what they are called. However, I do know they are delectable.
The falafels were very good. A new food adventure for the Burke girls!
The train system was being built when we were here 7 years ago. It is nice to see it up and running. The rail project was between Ethiopia and Chinese investors. It manages to connect significant parts of the country to the capitol city.
It was time to shop. Since we are here so long and in different places than before, it is necessary for us to have a cell phone while we are here. Plenty of little shops were willing to talk with us. And they always brought out the fancy models first. They shop keepers seemed a bit disappointed when we noted that a very basic model would be just fine.
As a family of seven traveling with our friends through town, making the group at least eight brings a lot of attention. Added to that five of us are white and that creates even more attention. It has been good for us to be in the minority, to not know the culture, to not speak the language. It creates a sense of awareness that we as white Americans often miss out on. Yet, an experience that is good to responsibly place ourselves in. So much to start meaningful conversations with. Conversations that are needed.
That evening we came back to the hotel early. There is a lot to process. So much to absorb. It can be overwhelming for Kevin and I, but I imagine even more for our girls.
Amharic lesson for the day...
Green, አረንጓዴ - ar-en-gwua-de
Yellow, ቢጫ - bee-chaRed, ቀይ - kai
Blue, ሰማያዊ - sam-e-ya-wee
Hide and Seek - akoo-kooloo
It's so great to hear from you and to experience a little of your travels thru your photos! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteAmanda, it is amazing being able to see some of the wonderful experiences you all are having! Being in the minority, not knowing the language, and having to depend on others is life changing!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much fir sharing!
ReplyDeleteHow long are you staying? Maybe I missed that in your previous posts. What an amazing experience!
ReplyDeleteThoroughly enjoying your posts!
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