Coming home?

When I set off on the first three week trip to Ethiopia I was very comforted by the fact that I would be traveling with Eric (our wonderful Glimmer Director of Development who has a heart bigger than himself). Considering the fact that I knew nobody in Ethiopia, it was reassuring to know that I would at least be traveling with a colleague and good friend and mentor. Unfortunately, a bad mixup with our flight from Houston to Dubai changed that. Somehow our flight to Dubai was overbooked and Eric and I were both dropped from it. That left us stranded in Houston (note: While it was incredibly annoying that Emirates overbooked and then dropped us, the Emirates representatives in Houston went above and beyond to get Eric and I both rescheduled and to Addis as quickly as possible). During the crazy scramble to get on the next possible flight, it was determined that Eric would leave on a Qatar flight later Wednesday night, which would get him into Addis on Friday afternoon as scheduled. I would leave Houston the next day, arrive in Dubai Friday night, and get to Addis on Saturday around noon.

The overnight layover in Dubai gave me a few hours to explore the city.

Now this wasn't that big of a deal, I've traveled across the globe by myself before. However, it did mean that I would be arriving in Addis by myself and would have to meet Muhammed, the Glimmer of Hope Finance Manager, at the airport and then ride with him down to Awassa to meet the rest of our travel group. Gulp. Arriving in a foreign country, looking for a stranger, traveling 5 hours with said stranger and not entirely sure we would be able to communicate easily. I was definitely hit with a sudden wave of nerves just before the plane landed. I was preparing myself for a little bit of awkwardness and an uncomfortable 5 hour ride to Awassa. I had been anticipating having my friend Eric as a crutch to lean on, at least during those first couple of days when everything was new. All of a sudden that crutch was gone.

My new home sweet home. This is in the streets of Addis on my first day.

Little did I know that landing in Addis wouldn't require a crutch....it would be like coming home. At least, that's the kind of greeting that I received. After landing, clearing customs and picking up my baggage I emerged into the International Arrivals hall. I wasn't sure who I was looking for and didn't understand what the hotel and taxi solicitors were asking me. I was definitely out of my comfort zone. Just when I was starting to get a little anxious I turned around and saw a friendly looking man striding across the room. As he got closer, he called out "Mary?" I nodded and thought "Oh, this must be Muhammed" Then, much to my surprise, he broke out in a huge grin and gave me the biggest hug ever. Seriously, you would have thought that I was the prodigal child returning home or something. "We are so glad to have you, Mary! I am so sorry that I am late but I had a little bit of trouble getting here." (he wasn't late at all! but was just concerned that I might've had to wait for a couple of minutes when I arrived) From that moment on I felt like I was among family. It was my first encounter with the kind of overwhelming hospitality that I soon realized characterizes the people and the culture of Ethiopia. I think I have a lot to learn from Ethiopians, but perhaps the biggest lesson is one in love and generosity and hospitality. It is a lesson in treating all those around you as if they were family. I kept seeing it time and time again, but it all began in those first couple of minutes...

A beautiful lake resort where Ethiopian families go for vacations.

Muhammed stopped here on the way to Awassa. I think he wanted to show me that there is much more to the country than the poverty that we were seeing along the road. I have so much to learn from my colleagues and friends in Ethiopia and happily, they are eager to teach me!

I had been so wrong thinking that it would be awkward riding 5 hours with a stranger to Awassa. First of all, Muhammed did not feel like a stranger at all. He treated me like a mix between his daughter, his colleague, and his friend. It was wonderful. He explained things to me for the entire drive. Pointing out people and sites along the road, telling me the history of the country, cracking funny jokes. The language divide that I had imagined didn't really exist (except for a few funny mispronunciations that had us both in stitches!) and we had a great drive down South.

From those very first hours I could tell that this was going to be a place where I would be comfortable, a place where I could be home. Maybe that's why we missed the flight. Maybe I was supposed to get separated from Eric, supposed to be yanked out of my comfort zone....perhaps it was all to show me right off the bat that "Hey, you really can do this. You're gonna be ok. You don't need a crutch at all. These people will help you and they will teach you and they will open their world to you as long as you approach these new situations with an open heart and an open spirit." That's definitely how I felt anyway. Like I needed to arrive in Ethiopia by myself to see that I would be ok living there by myself and to see that I would never really be alone. That feeling of being right where I was supposed to be never left for an instant of the trip. Even when things were hard and the days were long I knew that this is what I was/am supposed to be doing. God works in funny ways...I'm pretty sure he was showing me something that day. It's not a coincidence that I was welcomed to Ethiopia, a wonderful country full of kind and loving and gentle people, by one of the most kind, loving, and gentle men I have ever met. I don't know if Muhammed even realizes just how much he helped me on that first day, just how much he opened my eyes and helped me to open my spirit as I took my first steps on this new journey....

My first morning in Ethiopia. Truly Awesome!