Thoughts from Ethiopia

 We have come upon the one year anniversary of when I got the blessing of traveling to Ethiopia with a work team from Harvest Church.  I randomly stumbled upon some thoughts I wrote down shortly after returning. Thought I would share them with you:)

What did I take home from Ethiopia?

It has been hard to process all that happened in the ten short days we experienced Ethiopia. Coming home was a total mix of emotions. I cried on my front step for a while after arriving back. I sat and talked with God about the new parts of his heart I saw and what in the world to do next? When people ask me “how was your trip?” I have a hard time describing my experience. I just reply, “It was amazing!” and don’t know where to go from there.  The most common questions I have gotten upon on returning has been, “Did seeing all that poverty depress you?” or “Were you totally broken while you were there”? And strangely enough, my answer is no.

It was difficult at first when we arrived in Addis. The standard of living for some is something I am not accustomed to seeing.  It was difficult to have children regularly begging us for money. Some of the houses people live in are in worse shape than our flimsiest tool sheds. As I sat in one of the houses I thought, “I could never fall asleep here.” There is no Wal-Mart or Target for you household accommodations, but the streets are lined with vendors selling out of holes in the wall. All of this at first was weird and uncomfortable, until I started to step out into Addis and meet the people of the city. It was amazing how quickly the things that were visible faded away, and what was invisible became clear. The invisible, which is the hope, joy and love that lives in the people of Ethiopia, completely overshadowed any shabby structure or dirty street. I didn’t care if my coffee was ground by a re-bar found at the dump; I was being served by some of the loveliest ladies I have ever had the fortune of sitting with. Having nothing us Americans would think was worth a dime, they served us fabulous coffee roasted and ground by their own hands. We hardly knew each other, but the way they treated us revealed Jesus to me. The way they served in the midst of having nothing, reminded me of how a true servant acts, who gives no matter what the cost. Nothing could have stopped these people from making us coffee or using the water they had walked miles for to wash our dirty hands. It is not an option for them to think about loving their neighbor; they live for each other, not for themselves. I loved being around the poorest of the poor that lived in Ethiopia. It was not depressing, but inspiring. I can see why Jesus liked to hang out with them so much as well. Their eyes are never on themselves or the things that they have. They look at each other and up towards God the Father, who they rely on for everything. I got to take away the biggest gift I could have possibly gotten, being taught about Jesus by the people of Ethiopia.