as some of you may know, i was in ethiopia for the past 5ish weeks. during my trip i made a few updates and wanted to share them with the rest of the world. they were sent out in a mass e-mail and are heavily littered with grammatical errors and poor sentence structure, please forgive my lack of care in editing them. i hope that the content will shine through all the horrendous grammar. thank you for taking the time to read.
love.
salam my friends
please forgive my poor phonetics of amheric.
sigh.
it has been nothing more then an intense week here in africa. as i sit in a internet cafe on bolle street about an hours ride in a few mini buses my heart melts. i will try to hold back the tears when i explain what i have seen and what i have felt. however, it is good to be in a country where crying is normal, because that i means i fit right in.
it was a 21 hour flight (that is only air time) to get to ethiopia. we left chicago on tuesday the 8th at 7pm and arrived in ethiopia at 3 am on thursday they 10th. i was so excited to arrive and so stirred that i only slept for 4 hours in that time period, but i have been able to get some rest and i am adjusting to the time quite well. i have come to find out that ethiopians do things quite differently then the rest of the world and actually, the rest of africa. it is only 2000 here. so it is a blast to be able to celebrate the millennium all over again. Y2k!!!. as well, they begin there day at 12am when the sunrises. so not only are they 8 hours ahead of central time, but they also are 6 hours ahead of there own time. i hope you’re confused, because i still can’t seem to figure it out.
thursday was the hardest day for me, but it was also a turning point. we woke up at 9 am (or 3am their time) and were split up into 4 groups with a sheet of names and places to go visit. this was difficult. we hopped on their type of public transportation, the mini bus. let me explain the mini bus situation… they’re these nice little toyota vans with 9 seats. it is on rare occasion that there will be that few passengers. usually during the night there will be anywhere from 12-17 and during the day there will be at least 12. as they drive down the road there is one person standing inside the the sliding door with his head out the window screaming the destination. for example, we are staying at makanesa yesus bible seminary and they will just scream out makanesa, makensa, makensa over and over again. this has been quite helpful when trying to navigate the sprawling city of addis. on with the story, as we walked the streets of addis abba, and in particular the gabriel district, i was overwhelmed. i had in my head what type of poverty there would be when i arrived and i was right. i was so unfortunately right, but it takes your heart and rips it a little. the smell of defecation in the streets, the hungry eyes and the amount of pollution in there turned my heart cold very fast. i was angry. i felt useless. i felt as though it was a waste. i wrote in my journal that the disparity in ethiopia was more contagious and deadly then any disease. it was so easy to get wrapped up in the things around me. to be consumed with hopelessness.
i love paul. i love how honest and humble he is. the very next day we did a study on one of my favorite chapters, romans 12. i had read it over and over again. i had it memorized and i had told myself that i would be living it out. however, when i read it on friday it spoke loud to me. “rejoice in hope”.
it was common for me to have conversations with my friends and those around me about how i had hope for change in africa. that i had faith that God would provide miracles and wonders for the people of africa, but when you are faced with the decision of hope, where it is more then a word or a thought, when it is an action that you must take, it was draining. i turned to hopelessness. i turned to an angry and cold person. i kept my eyes above the children’s empty hands and i walked with my broad american shoulders.
i am beginning to realize that hope is enough. that we will rejoice in hope, like paul said. that if you have hope then there is reason to rejoice. because with hope, God can work.
i have met my Ethiopian roommate, Naod [pronounced now-d. he was raised orthodox christian and converted to evangelical christianity when he was 16. the ethiopians hospitality has been such a blessing to me and i can tell that God is already doing work in me through them. i have so much to learn from their faith and beliefs, but it has already been such a wonderful experience to meet all the ethiopian students and chat with them.
yesterday was by far the best day yet. i am working with an organization, win souls, that works with street "people" [for lack of a better word], former child prostitutes, young criminals and hiv/aids awareness schools and programs. as we walked in the these kindergartens the children ran and shouted FURENGEES, FURENGEES, which basically means look at all the white people. they jumped on top of me and ran there fingers through my hair. i don’t know if they understood why i started to cry, but my eyes filled with tears as they said HELLO HELLO and kissed my hands and cheeks and wouldn’t let go. my heart just broke. as i knelt down and looked them in the eye they, traced my face with their fingers and smiled. they held on as i got up and as though i were a coat rack, i had 8 ethiopian children around my neck. when the other kids saw what i was doing they ran over and jumped up and down with they’re arms opened up wide. if this continues to happen i will come back supremely buff.
after the warm greeting [that is an understatement] we were directed back towards an office. we met with a woman who told more of the story. the school was for children in kindergarten – 9th grade. they talked about one of the main issues of poverty and hunger being attributes of overpopulation. the parents want to have more children because it is a sense of social security and labor. instead of sending their children to school for an education they send them to the street to shine shoes and sell gum. this school first educates the parents about how school gives the children an opportunity to make even better money with an education. not only do they educatute them about the importance of school, but they also inform them on preventative ways to stop the vicious circle of HIV/AIDS. 7 out of 100 addis abba citizens are HIV positive.
it is truly amazing to be able to serve this country. i know that it has been very draining and God will continue to break me down in the most miraculous way, but i am also in need of prayers of blessing. prayer that i will continue to let God speak to me and let Him really change me. pray for hope. the real hope. the hope that we can rejoice in. pray for the hope of ethiopians, because they are losing it. God is working here and it is a privilege to be working wit Him.
siled yesus, eznegen
[because of jesus, i am here]
new mini bus record.
22. that is right. 22 full sized human beings in a vehicle designed for 12. it was on our way to church so i knew that nothing terrible could happen.
speaking of which, church this sunday was very good. we went to the international evangelical church here in addis. worship may have been from the late 80’s but the heart was there and it was a nice change of pace to hear english with out it being translated.
i am getting ahead of myself. after i wrote my last email i walked away not knowing what i had actually put down. i have gotten so wrapped up in the moments that are occurring and then i try to put them out in front of me as quickly as possible. however, from the great responses i received from everyone it was encouragement that it wasn’t too terribly put together. i have limited time on the internet so i can’t really reply, but i just wanted to let you know that your thoughts and prayers give me chills and comfort half way across the world. let me just extend an apology for any poor grammar that took place or any misconstrued sentences that didn’t make sense, for the last email and the ones to come.
saturday the rain came. it is interesting, because on friday night i was talking with Jake, the intervaristy leader for the ethiopian students, and he was telling me of how all of east africa had been experiencing a bit of drought in comparison to the previous years. as i went to pray friday night, i was asking God to bring rain and to provide water to those in need. He brought the rain. actually, he brought enough to have the seminary cafeteria and a few of the dormitories flood. i thought leaving iowa, i would leave behind the flooding and evacuation. i was wrong. the water didn’t get above 3 feet and there was no real damage done. however, because of the river water containing various diseases we were asked to re-locate down the street to another church campus. all is well now, as we have made it back to the seminary and we are all settled in. it was a bit of a scare and most of the ethiopian’s were more surprised by the event then us.
sunday afternoon i had the opportunity to attend a traditional ethiopian dinner and coffee ceremony at my room mate’s house. naod has been a real blessing to me. he is a very soft spoken and gentle spirit. meeting his parents and taking part in the 3 stages of the coffee ceremony was such an experience. it was one of the highlights thus far.
the past few nights i have had trouble sleeping and have been running a low grade fever. i’ve taken some medicine and have been feeling better, but it if you have the chance just say a few prayer’s for that. i was not feeling the best, so yesterday i stayed back at the seminary during our work period’s.
last week ended on a high note. i played peter pan in our reenactment of the fairy tale. we were asked to tell a story to the children in the AIDS/HIV orphanage/school and that was the choice.i decided to play the role of peter pan and i swooped through the aisles of the school room and sat at the desk of the children. it gives such a sense of pride and hope when looking into their big eyes and smiling back at them. as we left the children ran up to me, arms wide open, screaming, “PETER PAN, PETER PAN”. i was able to give most of the children a hug goodbye and snapped a few pictures before heading off to another meeting.
the next meeting was with some former street men and women. i work a lot with the homeless of des moines, but it is a totally different scenario here. one story in particular brought all of us to tears as we rejoiced in the redemption of Christ love.
this women was only 35 years old, but the lines and struggle told a different story. she had been on the street for roughly 8 or 9 years. her oldest daughter was 7 years and 10 months and her youngest, a boy, was 3 years and 4 months. at the age of 17 she was forced in to a marriage with what turned out to be an abusive husband. after a few years of living in fear and pain she fled her town to addis. finding out later that she was pregnant. just a few months later she gave birth to her daughter and found shelter when possible. as her daughter grew up she felt as though she needed to reconcile with her family, so she went back to her home in a village an hour away from addis. her mother and father forced her back into the arms of the waiting husband. after another year of abuse she fled again and again, finding out that she was to give birth to another child. and again, on the streets. she spent her time selling corn and beans on the streets; because of her commitment her boss let her live in the shed of his home, but that was her only payment. as her daughter grew, she wanted to give her an education. she told us, “i looked down at my gold ring that my mother had given me, i knew i only had one option.” she pawned the ring for a notebook, uniform and a few pencils.
as the tear dripped from her eye she told of how she ended up with Win Souls for God and how making that trade was the greatest decision of her life. she has hope and she has a future.
hearing stories like these and seeing the smiles of the children have lifted my spirit and it continues to broaden my depth of love. God is continually filling me up, but it gives me so much joy to give it away.
thank you all again for your prayers and commitment to seeing God’s kingdom come and His will done to all the corners of the earth.
love,
phillip.
p.s. i have begun to grow a nice beard and i am getting good at finding shortcuts around this part of town.
again, a sincere apology for fragments, run ons and any other grammatical errors.
i am actually in africa. OMG.
time seems to slip by, but in the same moment it feels as though it is creeping. i understand this statement seems most odd, but i can’t expound much more on that.
this past week and half has been nothing less then an intense reminder that i am actually in Africa. sometimes being in this city of 5-9 million people [they are unsure of the exact population] its easy to forget that i am oceans and islands away from home. i’ve seem to get into a routine and i am able to walk through the day with out being reminded, for the most part, that i am in a completely foreign country. i get used the fact that i can walk down the street, gently place a few coins or a bill into a beggers hand and say, “silled yesus” [because of Jesus] and go on my way. or that i can order a 1.75 bir [roughly 17 cents] macchiato. it gets to be a natural process, except for this week.
last friday the team went to mount entoto. we took a sluggish mini bus half way up, where we were greeted by a hoard of children outside of a large church. as we stepped out of the bus the children rushed towards are awaiting arms and began to pummel us in the most precious way. i’ve gotten used to my white skin being a magnet and my even larger stature being a stronger one. we hiked the 2 miles or so to the top with at least 1, sometimes 3, children in tow. they didn’t ask for money and they didn’t beg for food, the only thing they wanted was some furengee attention. however, they have no idea what it meant to be able to escort them up the mountain. we passed by a football pitch with wooden post and a dirt field. 22 players on the field, all skilled, weren’t going to stop for the caravan that we had acquired up the hill. just another reminder of me being in africa.
this most recent friday we took a trip to awash national park. the real african bush. the large bus rattled and hummed its way over dirt roads and large rocks. my legs didn’t fit in the seat and i ended up laying in the aisle or standing for most of the 4 hour voyage. we stopped at awash lake to walk around a bit on the, for lack of a better scientific term, volcanic rocks. as i took my spot on top of one of the mounds i looked out on the the endless amount of blue sky and quiet lake. untouched. organic. purest state. fresh air. i am actually in africa. we hopped back on the bus for another 20 minutes and headed into awash park. the trail (calling it a trail is a stretch), lead us back to a cliff and on our way there i was able to catch a few glimpses of a couple monkeys and few antelope. the lions tend to stay hidden during the day, however they had rescued one from being held captive and were holding it until a spot in the zoo opened up. as we approached the cliff the sun got bright and the wind started to swirl around us. we looked down a thousand feet to a river that split ethiopia into three parts. the tall trees and the open air slapped me in the face, “hey, you’re in africa.”
last night was another great ethiopian escapade. i was invited at dinner to “an ethiopian’s ladies night”. i thought there had to be some confusion, but it was clearly written, “to: philip” [i wasn't going to make a huge deal out of my name being misspelled, seeing as the invitation was for a ladies night]. i soon found out that i was not the only male invited to the evening’s event and was somehow relieved by that news. as the time came to go upstairs into the common area for the “ladies night”, we were greeted by candle light and grass carefully placed all over the floor. as we walked up the stairs, all the americans, the salutations included hellos from all the ethiopian lady students. dressed in authentic ethiopian garb, they gave us hugs and kisses on the cheek. i was slightly embarrassed, again from this whole concept of being a ladies night, but took my spot in the circle of chairs. the seats began to fill in and the announcement was made, “welcome to ethiopian ladies night[ again, i know that there are culture differences, but i still felt odd], the ethiopian ladies wanted a chance to serve everyone and bless them with some authentic culture”. i was relieved. visions of braiding hair, truth or dare and a chick flick escaped me…finally. as i looked around my eyes were fixed upon the glowing coals. i knew what was next. coffee. not just coffee, but a coffee ceremony. it starts with raw beans and is in three stages. this is one of the greatest things i have learned here and am so very excited to bring back to the states. please, if anyone wants to attend an ethiopian coffee ceremony, i would love to entertain. the night continued with songs and dances. ethiopian ladies night turned out to be a friendly reminder that i was in africa.
this past wednesday night we were able to hit the streets of addis. this past Wednesday night blew me away. it broke me up. we walked through some of the worst parts of ethiopia. we sat to men that haven’t slept for days or weeks because of their addiction to chut [an ethiopian stimulant, natural, but with some of the same effects of meth]. hollowed cheeks and red eyes. we walked past rows of and rows of prostitutes, some as young as 10. they’re rates as low as 1 birr [10 birr = 1 dollar]. i don’t write this to drown spirits, but i write this because they need prayer, we need prayer, the people working with them on a daily basis need prayer. i have hope. i have seen the real life resurrection of these people. i sit across from them at my work site and i cry. i hear stories of life after death. i hear stories of hunger and hopelessness, but i hear that they know that God really loves them. that they are people and they do have a reason to live. i am in africa. i am working with an HIV/AIDS orphanage and hug them and play marbles with them [this has given me great insight into how low my self esteem can crash from a simple marbles match with an 8 year old. i am horrendous at the game]. i believe that Jesus sheds tears over their lives and i believe that God is giving me His heart and it is breaking for them. But, when broken it is filled with hope. their smiles and laughter bring joy to my life. my long arms reaching to the ceilings , with my hands clutched around their waste, both scares them and delights them.
i will leave you with a story that brought laughter and confusion to me.
we walked into AHOPE [the AIDS/HIV orphanage] and 20 toddlers began to sing Christmas carols. belting them out in their loudest and most broken english. they didn’t have to reach so far to try and impress me.
i return august 15th. i am so blessed and honored to be here. God is good, always.
thank you for all your support.
your prayers give me strength and energy.
your words encourage me.
phillip.
as i decompress and digest everything that has happened in this past month, i will write more.thanks for taking the time to read these words.
