I Hate Goodbyes!

November 3^rd, 2007

This morning we drove to Belo in the pink vehicle and the drive was beautiful. We crossed a river, crossed a bridge, saw a waterfall, and saw antelope bounding across the grasslands. I almost expected to see a lion chasing them. We brought the cat with us because and let it out at Tomasge’s home. Kate and I felt really bad because she wasn’t put into a box. Instead, she just slid around the vehicle. We were afraid she would either vomit or claw us up – like in the Disney movies! They left her because she was leaving gifts one of the beds and being a nuisance at our compound.

On the way we encountered a group of men who looked like they were pleading for a ride. They were going in the same direction as us. Then I saw that a group of men were carrying one man on a chair. Kate said he was ill. He had a blanket over his shoulders. The men pleaded once more for a ride. But Matthewos refused them because ‘we didn’t have time.’ by the time Kate and I realized what happened (because it had to be translated in order for us to understand what was going on), it was too late, otherwise we would have said something. Kate and I were so angry that he refused them because we could have at least driven them to a certain point. It would have saved them so much time. It looked like Binyam, our driver wanted to stop, but Matthewos was the one who decided. I wondered if we could have helped save a life. I was really frustrated.

We arrived at the church in Belo and some Americans from South Dakota were putting on a program for the children. They were part of a group called “Life Flight,” but FH was housing them. They did a skit in which a chair was sin and only Jesus could get the person out of it. Then they talked about the book with no words and gave them the bracelets that matched (gold, black, red, white, blue, and green). I was a little frustrated because those people already had Jesus. What they need is help with their lifestyles and with poverty. Of course we admire the work they’re trying to do, but they need tangible help. I don’t want to be too critical.

After the service we had lunch at the Belo compound. The food was really good. It was spaghetti. We had a great time talking to the Americans. I think I talked their ears off. It was so nice to just chat with and joke with people who understand our sense of humor. Josh, one of the younger people, said that we talked like we’d been here for a while. And that’s after only being here for two weeks! Now I understand why Robert from Canada talks so slowly and with such diction. He’s been here for 2 years. We were sad when we had to leave the Americans.

On our way home it started to rain, so the red mud roads were super slippery within seconds. We slid over the road. We only got partially stuck once because we had a Land Rover, unlike last time when we had a small Toyota which had to be wrenched out of the mud manually. Binyam kept insisting that we sing. There was some sweet thunder and lightening too. I was glad I brought food because if we got stuck for good, we’d have something to eat. Kate and I kept yelling things like “yeehaw, yeah!” because it was like off-roading to us. We stopped at he waterfall to take pictures and of it and of the Gumu women who walked by. They hold their belongings in nets connected to each end of a stick which is slung over their shoulders.

Gumus are also called Benyshangles and they are darker than the Oromo people. They live right next to they Oromos and they came from Sudan. The Oromo and the Gumus do not get along. The Amhara oppress the Oromo and the Oromo oppress the Gumus. Matthewos is afraid that racial tension will become so bad that there will be genocide there some day. There are peace talks, but earlier this year Oromos met with some Gumus and the Gumus killed 10 people that came. Then the Oromo government sent troops to kill even more Gumus because of the small massacre. So it has terrible potential. Kate said that it takes humility to reconcile. Humility is the key to solving almost all problems. Be humble and forgive and move on. Easier said than done.

During and after dinner we had a good discussion with Matthews about the homeless of America. He didn’t know and couldn’t’ believe there was homeless there! So we said that people don’t have a realistic view of America, just as America doesn’t have a realistic view of Africa. He said he wouldn’t believe it until he saw it. America doesn’t show the world its own problems.

We said goodbye to Binyam last night because he is returning to his family. It was sad saying goodbye to him even though we are happy that he will see his family. He is such a good father and husband. He is so tender and caring. When we were at the hospital he was so comforting to Kate. He’s always helping us. He’ll be missed for sure. Whenever he talks on the phone with his wife and daughter he looks at their photo waves at it, and talks to it. It’s so cute! It must have been difficult for him because he didn’t know English or Oromifa very well, so he could only talk in Amharic with the men on the compound. Now we’ll get a new driver.