Visitors from afar

Epiphany was an amazing celebration! I felt very privileged to witness such a culturally rich ceremony. It was nice to have my Canadian friends with me as well. On the eve of epiphany, we went to a large field where there were thousands of people gathered to welcome the parades of people coming from the various parishes. Each parish had several groups of singers, musicians and people dressed in liturgical garments leading the procession of the tablets (with the 10 commandments written on them) which were carried by the priests of their church. There were some very elaborate robes and hats. It was beautiful. It took quite a while for all the parishes to process in. The orthodox pope was in attendance and a ceremony involving chanting in an ancient liturgical language called Ge’ez and dancing followed the procession. We were able to get special passes from the sisters to allow us to get closer to the ceremony. Even then, it was a little bit difficult to see, but it was really neat none the less.


The next morning, we went to a cafe for some coffee and discovered that the view on TV was better than we could get at the field. So, we stayed at the cafe until most of the ceremony was over and then went and stood along the street to see the processions leave. We had a great view of two of the parish processions leaving the field. It was beautiful to see so many people participating in the ceremony. The streets were packed with people and traffic was shut down for several hours.

The next day, it was back to work and back to my patients. I was sorry to hear that one of my good friends had passed away while I was gone. He was a beautiful little man in room 4 who only had one tooth, and the GREATEST smile ever! He would kiss my hand and ask me for more bread every morning. He was special to many people and it was a difficult goodbye for us. He had been there since I arrived here in Addis, so it’s strange for me to walk into that room and not have him there. Knowing that he is in a better place, with plenty of bread makes me happy though! Ha ha

This week we have lost quite a few of our long term patients. In a previous blog, I wrote about Aragow. He was a man in room 4 who was suffering a lot with cancer. He would often cry out in pain, and it was growing increasingly difficult to manage his pain. Many times we prayed with Aragow, mostly that the Lord would relieve his suffering. Sister Martha John had told me that we only had one day left of pain medication for him. That night before leaving, she told Aragow that she was going away for 3 months and that he might not be there when she got back. She asked him to pray for her when he got to heaven. The next morning Aragow passed away peacefully surrounded by people praying for him. It was beautiful to witness the peaceful end of such a long battle.

My friend Erinn is still here with me, and it has been nice to show her my work, and have her participate a little in some of the things I do. She has started working on the ladies side and it’s nice to hear her stories at the end of the day, and hear her different perspective on some of the things that have grown a little routine to me.

This week I started my Amharic language classes. It’s very exciting. While I have picked up several words and even some phrases, it’s nice to have a formal class to learn the proper pronunciation of things, and some more vocabulary and grammar. I can’t say that learning a new language is easy, but I’m grateful that I have been hearing it spoken for the past 5 months, so many of the sounds are familiar to me. Its fun to see the shocked faces on people when I test out my new words as well. I work at the compound in the mornings and then attend my class in the afternoon. It’s a great way to apply what I’ve learned right away. I’m anxious to be able to communicate more effectively with my patients!

Never a dull moment here in Ethiopia. Even after 5 months, I’m constantly discovering new things and being challenged in new ways. Having Canadian company has opened my eyes to realize yet again how much my life has changed over these past months. I’ve been told that I’m much more mellow and easy going. I feel like even though my days are VERY full, they are that much more fulfilling. I continue to live in a spirit of peace and joy that gives me great confidence that I am where I need to be. I’m busy finishing the paper work for my business visa that would allow me to stay here for up to 3 years. I have confidence that if it be God’s will, it will all come together.

Having my Canadian friends here reminds me of some of the funny things that go on daily that I’ve grown accustomed to. For example; have you ever wondered where all the thrift store clothes go when no one buys them? Well, I can solve the mystery for you!! The other day, we were looking for a mini bus, and one of the attendants (a guy) was wearing a ‘World’s greatest Mom’ sweater. That’s the best one we’ve seen so far, but I’ll keep you posted if I find one that surpasses it. I’ve also been able to introduce them to one of my favourite snacks... juice. Don’t be fooled, it IS in fact a snack here. They take the whole fruit and puree. It’s very tasty, and it’s highly nutritious. My favourite is avocado and guava. The juice is so thick that if you get a mix of different fruits, they sit on each other in layers, and the glass looks very pretty.

My mom arrives this week, so it will be fun to show her around. I’m looking forward to having her experience some of what I’ve come to love. My boyfriend Hailu is anxious to meet her as well. Should be interesting!!