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Images of  Ethiopia
with
Jeff Ryman, Kathleen Haines, Doug Sensabaugh


Lush, green forests, brightly colored flowers, rich, black earth! Not exactly the images one expects when thinking of the African country of Ethiopia. Yet, the rainy season in June and July adds green to the fields and hillsides, and causes the flowers and trees to grow and blossom.
  


Our first few days in Addis Ababa, the capital city and home of the country's primary airport, enabled us to adjust to the altitude and to the wet, "wintry" climate. This is the winter in Ethiopia, and the people reacted the way we do in winter with colds and respiratory problems. But our summer in May and June prepared us well for this climate.


The streets of Addis were filled with all kinds of traffic - cars, vans, donkeys, goats, cows, people. And they all seemed adjusted to sharing the streets with each other. Our first days were filled with exchanging our American dollars for Ethiopian birr at the commercial Bank, visiting some of the local tourist shops for souvenirs, and sampling the national food dish - injera.

En route to Metu, we visited the Gore Home for Children where 115 children, who are either orphaned or whose families are unable to care for them, live while attending the Gore public school. Fifty of these children are supported through Shenandoah Presbytery's iCARE program. As students graduate from high school and move on to the university, new children are accepted into the home. The truck that Shenandoah Presbytery purchased for Brian Gilchrest while he worked at the home was our main transportation while in the country.




Metu, a city of 30,000 people, is the home of the Illubabor Bethel Synod (IBS) compound and is where we lived during most of our 15 days "in country," In Metu, our work was interspersed with visiting several churches, shops and cafes in town, sharing meals with many of the staff either at the IBS compound or in their homes, and learning about the many ministry programs of the synod.


Jeff, Kathleen and Doug were prepared to work in specific areas of interest with the people in Metu. Jeff taught keyboard and choir classes, as well as met with the Bedele church, church-to-church partner with his home church, Covenant Presbyterian in Staunton. Doug worked with developing computer skills such as web design and email systems with several of the synod staff. The synod wants a web site, which will present the various ministry programs supported by the synod.


Kathleen was interested in developing an English tutoring ministry in Metu. Students must be able to read and speak English to progress past the 10th grade and to be admitted to the university. Kathleen worked out a project plan with the IBS staff to send 4 teachers to Metu next summer to tutor students and adults.


The real story of our visit, however, is centered around the wonderful people we met.  The IBS staff - our hosts throughout the entire visit - took us everywhere we needed, and sometimes wanted, to go.  We had meals in their homes, had coffee and conversation about our work together, and took an exciting trip to the remote Sor River Falls - an adventure we will not soon forget.


We vowed to exchange information about the work of our churches.  We have exchanged a listing of our presbytery staff for their listing of synod staff.  Our mutual agreement is to pray for each other's work.  That's what it really means to be in partnership - to share together, experience give and take, to learn from each other. And to always celebrate our unity in Christ.