Here in Addis the weather has been cooler than what we are used to. Mornings and evenings it is in the 40's but by noon it is back up to the average Ethiopian temp of 75. The sky is blue and the scenery here reminds me of the Gungor song,"Beautiful Things" It talks about about how God can take the things from the dust and turn them into Beautiful Things. Drive after drive of people laying on the streets, families setting up houses on the side of the alley out of tarps, and most of the buildings just emerging from the dust. But with all of the poverity and all of the dirty roads and tattered buildings, I have found a culture that has emerged beyond the brokennes most see and can't get past. What I see here are beautiful faces I have grown so much in love with. There are a group of boys just beyond our gate, most carring 20 liter jugs ready to shine anyones shoes, or clean anything for that matter. We call them water boys, because you notice the bright yellow water jugs they are lugging around with them. They started early in the week asking to shine our shoes every time we exited our gate, but a family staying with us took notice to them. We were blessed by there heart for these boys. We got to share in the blessing of a pick up street frisbee game and a soccer game with these boys. They love it! We loved it! What I forgot to mention is, one day earlier Awan decided she would hand out snacks to them. It started with three boys, soon there were more than 20. Poor Awan was in a sea of brown faces, and soon the engery of this fun occasion became a tiny bit hostile. The boys were afraid they were not going to get one, they were hungry. They needed this snack. The older boys were trying to help Jeremy get the smaller boys away from Awan, but some punches were thrown! Awan made it out safe but was startled by the experience! LOL She laughs now, because these boys have become her friends. Today we found out these boys are from Sodo, the region where Tadios is from. It's more than a 6 hour drive to Addis. Heaven knows how these boys got here. But they are here, and they are working, and for now, thanks to our guest house friends, they have helped us realized that just beyond our gate are boys just waiting to play!
I had a startling realization that you all back home are preparing for Christmas. I was on facebook briefly today and saw a number of crazy posts about Christmas and getting things ready. How silly of me to forget about Christmas. But we have. There is no sign of Christmas here on the other side of the world. Ethiopian Christmas is celebrated in January, but as I have been asking, it is nothing like our celebration. They actually have a bigger Easter celebration. I really liked that! They have told me that here Christmas is simple they have bread with family, they go to church and they celebrate. Most don't exchange gifts, but if they do it is done at Church with families of other finanical levels. I thought for a moment and then realized what accountablitiy that would be for us if we had to open our gifts or our kids had to open their gifts in front of others in our Churches whom may have nothing this season. This trip has been the best kind of season for us as a family. We have receive priceless gifts. A handwritten letter in English by an 8 year old girl who speaks mostly Amharic. A mother who lives in a 10 sq home who embraces me with a hug, another mother who prepared us her finest bread and popcorn and soda and coffee to celebrate our company in her home. These things have been priceless gifts that can't be store bought. Though there are no Christmas jingles, no snow fakes falling, no sign of Christmas here in the air, I have a feeling that this culture embraces the real meaning of this season of giving and community more than we will ever understand. It comes without headache or complaint. It comes with complete honor and graditude. It comes with hope. At each of our sponsor's homes, I noticed one thing. Each family had barely anything in their home. But what they did have placed in plain sight, was their first sponsor letter with each of our childrens photos posted to the small mud hut or tin wall. Can you put a price or value to walking into a home a world away and seeing your child's photo on their wall? One mom said she looked alone, so I put my daughter's photo with her! Oh the love and grace that dwells in the hearts of the people here. Though Christmas is not seen here, and most will never see a package this year or have a tree. They have something that emerges from the dust of the Ethiopian streets, it emerges with in the hearts and souls of each of the people, living and breathing and leaning on each other. What I have seen here, this trip has truly been Christmas in a way I hope to always see it from now on. Christmas here is beauty emerging from the dust.
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