Day 20
Tuesday, Sept. 30
Addis Ababa
Our day in Addis ended in a cold, wet splash! As we were being taken through a leper colony by Dundee and Tamarat, Ethiopian friends of the Harris’s, along with three teachers from Bingham Academy (Jane, Summer and Christina), the heavens opened and it poured. We weren’t prepared and were all soaked to the bone, and cold. Here in Addis with an elevation of 7600 feet it is much cooler (sweater and jacket) weather. And of course because it’s in the northern hemisphere, the rainy season is just ending.
Despite the wet chill, we had a good day being shown around by our new acquaintances. Addis is a large sprawling city of contrasts – modern skyline with shanty town slums next to modern buildings. The poverty we saw here hit us differently, and really quite hard, particularly the homeless on the streets, the begging, and the conditions in the leper colony. Somehow the dignity of the villagers in Malawi and their pride in their compounds, and the laughter of the children were missing.
Our whirlwind tour included a lion zoo, an Ethiopian Orthodox Cathedral and Museum, a women’s ministry where they bake pastries and run a small café, a short talk by Anthony of the Joshua Campaign ministry, and some last minute souvenir shopping.
At supper at the hotel this evening we realized that it would be our “last supper” together as a team. We gelled well as a team and are all thankful for everyone’s contributions, the laughs and tears together, and the prayers that gave us strength from on High.
Tonight’s flight to Washington is an all nighter, then it will take us all day to get home from Washington.
Tuesday, Sept. 30
Addis Ababa
Our day in Addis ended in a cold, wet splash! As we were being taken through a leper colony by Dundee and Tamarat, Ethiopian friends of the Harris’s, along with three teachers from Bingham Academy (Jane, Summer and Christina), the heavens opened and it poured. We weren’t prepared and were all soaked to the bone, and cold. Here in Addis with an elevation of 7600 feet it is much cooler (sweater and jacket) weather. And of course because it’s in the northern hemisphere, the rainy season is just ending.
Despite the wet chill, we had a good day being shown around by our new acquaintances. Addis is a large sprawling city of contrasts – modern skyline with shanty town slums next to modern buildings. The poverty we saw here hit us differently, and really quite hard, particularly the homeless on the streets, the begging, and the conditions in the leper colony. Somehow the dignity of the villagers in Malawi and their pride in their compounds, and the laughter of the children were missing.
Our whirlwind tour included a lion zoo, an Ethiopian Orthodox Cathedral and Museum, a women’s ministry where they bake pastries and run a small café, a short talk by Anthony of the Joshua Campaign ministry, and some last minute souvenir shopping.
At supper at the hotel this evening we realized that it would be our “last supper” together as a team. We gelled well as a team and are all thankful for everyone’s contributions, the laughs and tears together, and the prayers that gave us strength from on High.
Tonight’s flight to Washington is an all nighter, then it will take us all day to get home from Washington.
posted by Dr. Hendrik Visser at 4:30 PM
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