Day One in Ethiopia One Year Ago

(photo taken from a travelling family for us while we were waiting)

Immediately you see how precious, loving, serving the Ethiopians are. They know no rest.
Our hotel room is very clean. Things I miss already:
1. ink pens
2. paper towels
3. abundant electricity
4. bathrooms that smell good
Last night we each ate great meals. We met a missionary who bases discipleship and relationship first. Then we met Danny, the 12 year old across the street. So precious. He walked us to the gates of Hannah's Hope. It was dark at night and we were a little scared having no idea where we were or where we were going. The streets were packed with beautiful brown skin folks walking to and fro. Some were drunk and sitting along side the road. Some were using the bathroom in very unprivate places. But, we walked on. Danny said there are some crazy Ethiopian people.


It seems like we walked 4 blocks toward the main road, turned left on the main road, went one block, turned left again for 3 blocks. To the left was the infamous RED GATE. I bawled like a little baby in a crib. My husband told Danny that I'm a baby. Yep, pretty much. It was just too much. To see these gates I had seen in other blogs in real life, knowing my girls were just inside. We had worked so hard and waited so long to get here! It was night time but I could see some lit windows and a gatekeeper who made it a little uncomfortable to stay too long. I didn't want to be arrested or anything:)
We walked back to the hotel and it was hard to not love Danny too much. He was so sweet.
Sleeping was hard amist barking dogs and traffic and spicy, smoky scents. At four a.m., the Muslim prayers went over the city in loud speakers and they sent chills up my spine.
I never went back to sleep and I watched the sun come up over the mountains.
Many Ethiopian people had started their day cleaning, walking, and fetching water. Which by the way, the water I saw in pails looked like rust colored paint to me.

(copied from my handwritten journal I kept from this glorious trip)