Today was another long road trip in the car. Zerihun and I travelled to Addis and the rest to Nazarit. If we had gone straight there it would have taken us about 6 hours on these roads. It’s about 150 miles directly from Hosanna to Addis, but we took a longer route so we could all ride together. The longer way had more paved roads, so I was definitely on board for that! After a week of countryside driving, it was nice to drive more than 5mph on a flat surface.
The trip was fairly low-key. I slept off and on so I probably missed all the fun. The highlights for me included seeing some monkeys cross the road and a herd of camels running across a field. I’m sure there’s a joke in there somewhere but I’m a little dull right now. We stopped for macchiatos in Butijira (buh-TOO-juh-ruh) and again in Modjo for lunch. This is where we parted ways with the others, for now. We plan to meet them in Addis on Monday to teach in Sefara, God willing.
Zerihun and I took a car from Modjo to Addis. I was a little nervous riding with a new driver. Elias has done an excellent job and I trust him to keep us safe. In Ethiopia, traffic is crazy and so are the drivers. However, Z assured me, not only did he know this man, but he was someone who would keep us safe.
This is the first time I’ve gotten to spend quality time with Z. We chatted about the work, his involvement, my role and what the future was like. He reflected on David’s work in the past and expressed deep appreciation for his commitment to the gospel in Ethiopia. David has made a tremendous impact on the faith of so many people here. I have been reminded almost everywhere I’ve been that I am walking in David’s legacy. Again, I don’t mind at all. It is helpful and humbling. I'm really glad he's my father-in-law and can guide me as I learn about this work. Furthermore, I am grateful that those involved have accepted me and entrusted me to this good work.
We dropped Z off at his house, and then took me to my hotel. I thought this would happen in quick order. However, my hotel was on the other side of town, and we had to drive in rush hour traffic. That meant there were more cars, more people, more animals and things on the road than usual. It was pretty stressful. The trip took us another hour.
Usually in these circumstances, I talk to ease my nerves. But the driver, Hilu, hadn't said in a word in English since I'd met him. I didn’t know what to do. Suddenly, he started talking in excellent English: “How are you? Did you have a good trip?” With excitement I responded by telling him “Yes!” and gave a few brief details. However, I quickly realized that was the best English he had. He furrowed his brow and tried to understand. I tried to simplify my words to help. But we weren't getting anywhere. We stumbled through a few exchanges before mutually deciding in our own minds just to keep quiet.
We made it to the Hilton with no incident. Before he left, I arranged for him to pick me up tomorrow for my program. Despite our awkward attempts at conversation, I very much appreciated him. I paid him, hugged him, and said “āmeseginalehu” (AH-mes-saga-nah-lew) which means, “thank you.” He smiled and said, “you’re welcome.” Randy tells me I hug too many people. I’m not sure what Ryan thinks but I don’t really care. I’ve enjoyed the friendliness of this culture and the impact it has on my daily mindset. When I get home, don’t be surprised if I hug you.
I checked into my room with two twin beds. Jordan is scheduled to arrive tomorrow morning and we'll share a room for a few days. I’m looking forward to being with him on this side of the world. I've known him most of my life, but look forward to sharing in this work with him. For now, I’m going to enjoy a hot shower with good water pressure, and scrub the countryside dirt off me.
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