Phil and Chris in Ethiopia

Timket and Toothpaste

Posted by Phil on Sunday, 25 January 2015

Bunting. Miles of bunting.Somewhere in Addis there must be a big warehouse full of bunting. Red yellow and green bunting. And hundreds of Ethiopian flags. You can tell “Timket” (Epiphany) is due because suddenly bunting and flags appear everywhere. Its strung across roads, beside roads, all over roundabouts, even up the middle of the half-constructed railway lines on the poles holding up the (hopefully not yet live) electric cables. When driving home from church last Sunday we were held up briefly on a couple of occasions by committees of young men stringing up the bunting.  With no-one apparently in charge, no seeming order or structure, it all still gets done.

Field Days, Family and Fame

Posted by Chris on Saturday, 24 January 2015

The annual Field Days have taken place this weekend. There has been a carnival atmosphere as special food has been served, music has been playing and the whole school body has been excited at the prospect of a variety of athletic pursuits. According to a longstanding parent at the school, I’m reliably informed that there is one tortoise who really likes field day and sure enough he made himself part of the proceedings. One child couldn’t resist putting a winners ribbon on his shell. Our Kindergarten team ran in the staff relay and appropriately used a teddy as a baton.

A Tale of Two Christmases

Posted by Phil on Monday, 12 January 2015

Mushrooms

It says "melkam gena" - happy Christmas!We’ve been celebrating Christmas for nigh on a month. Term ended on 19th December, and in the run up to this Chris had inevitably been heavily involved in a school Christmas play. We had various celebrations including a huge “gibsha” (feast) for all the ex-pat and Ethiopian staff at Bingham, attended by a couple of hundred people – out on the school field of course, in the lovely warm sunshine. It was traditional Ethiopian food followed by a coffee ceremony; no turkey – there’re aren’t any in this country. (I chatted about turkeys to Haile and when he looked puzzled I showed him a  picture of a turkey. He laughed loudly. Live full-feathered turkeys do look ridiculous don’t they?) Neither were there any mushrooms – unlike in our apartment.

An Early Morning Jog

Posted by Chris on Saturday, 10 January 2015

The sun is shining and there’s not a cloud in the sky. I’m on a jog around the school cross country track. Small brightly coloured birds similar to finches wait until the last moment to fly from the path. There is an evocative smell of pine as a gardener trims the fir hedge by the car park. I wave to the noisy children in the open stairwell of the school next door and admire the orange tropical flowers that seem to have been blooming constantly in the garden I’m passing through. The jacaranda tree is now covered in purple flowers and a stunning sight as it sways gently in the breeze.

A local shop

Posted by Chris on Sunday, 14 December 2014

Just before we left for Ethiopia our church home-group kindly raised some money for us. The purpose was to help alleviate some of the needs that we would encounter in Addis. I used part of these funds this week. Some of our Y’Tesfa Birhan girls had been asking for several weeks if we could get them an Amharic/English dictionary to help with language learning. Knowing that this would be a useful Christmas gift we sought to purchase twenty four.

Trees of Glory

Posted by Phil on Sunday, 7 December 2014

PB304283Even though we were with a large group most of whom were Ethiopian, the small children seemed to gravitate to white faces. As I walked to the cowshed to see how Simret’s herd had grown, I found myself with one small child hanging off each hand.  The smallest one was probably four or so. Either rejected by their family or orphaned at a young age we don’t know, but we do know that here they will be cared for , loved, fed and educated. And they will hear the Gospel, in an area of the country spiritually struggling under the dark grip of animism and witchcraft.

Shine Star, Shine

Posted by Chris on Saturday, 6 December 2014

This could arguably be the busiest week I’ve experienced here in Ethiopia. Not least because it’s been the week of the Christmas play. The children have worked hard and have had three opportunities to show off their talents. Performances to Middle and High school as well as Elementary and of course the parents. The stars, camels and sheep all fitted their part sporting smart themed headbands adorned with wool.

 However we did manage to select the most non-maternal Mary ever. As she became distracted, baby Jesus was held variously by a leg or arm or she even put him across her knees and used him as an elbow rest. Despite many demonstrations showing how to cradle a baby from adults and children alike, she just didn’t get it.

I did it!

Posted by Chris on Monday, 24 November 2014

It’s 7am on Sunday 23rd November and I am about to embark on another unique Ethiopian experience. Quick pocket check for emergency supplies – door key, tissue, money, plasters (just in case). We travel in a minibus together - twelve of us about to take part in the Great Ethiopian Run. It will be 10km following a kind of circular route around the streets of Addis.

Light in the Darkness

Posted by Chris on Thursday, 13 November 2014

 It was six fifteen and darkness was falling. Mulawork (who, along with her grandma had been forced to leave the housing they had shared with a relative), was now keen for us to visit her new home. Just before we finished the session, Tadalech and Meseret also spoke to us and made us understand that we should visit Meseret’s mum. Why, we had no idea but they were so insistent.

Shorts

Posted by Phil on Sunday, 9 November 2014

Crossings

Things are getting so familiar here that it is difficult to know if what I write will be of any interest. Since we returned from Tanzania life has been busy but perhaps unremarkable - to us, anyway.  However something I noticed today on our way to the SIM prayer afternoon was how people behave on pedestrian crossings. The crossings are everywhere and many have recently been repainted, but neither pedestrians nor motorists seem to take much notice. Why is it (I know I should never ask “why?”…) that when I stop at a pedestrian crossing the few people approaching it refuse to cross until I have gone past, when the rest of the time they wander around in the road as if no cars exist? If I stop at a crossing, smile and wave they just stand beside the road smiling and waving and not crossing. The few that do cross look rather worried. It’s a topsy turvy world!

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