Roth Amstutz Christmas Letter

Can one write a Christmas letter when it doesn’t feel like Christmas? Of course, some folks have never experienced winter.
This Christmas is new for our family. Warm weather (70’s F/ 20’s C), blue skies and sunshine every day and low humidity. So low that skin dries and hands get chapped. But we’ll try this kind of Christmas for 4 years.

One year ago we were deliberating on MCC’s offer to be the Country Representatives in Ethiopia. We were looking at the opportunity through a keyhole. Was this what we were supposed to do? Leave family and friends to be strangers in a strange land? Was this how we were to live out God’s call in our lives?

The short answer has been, “yes." So one can split our year into two halves: the first half was preparing to leave and saying good-bye, the second half was arriving
and getting adjusted to a very different world than we were used to.

The First Half: Amani, Abby and Sophia were active in school and activities. They successfully completed swimming lessons up to the 3rd level. Glad to know that they have confidence in the water now and we don’t have to watch them every second. They also completed another level of piano lessons and can find their way around the keyboard. We would love to see them continue such lessons here in Addis but need to find a piano and a teacher. The girls also did quite well in school, we heard nothing but praise for their academic achievements and attitudes, that felt good. They were also getting accustomed to sitting by themselves in church on Sunday morning, being as their parents were always busy. They were growing up into young ladies and we were proud of them.

Wanda and I were trying to tie up loose ends in those last couple of months. Selling the house was the biggest concern; the price and the timing. Selling our possessions was another because of our limited storage space between the two families. We did have a successful yard sale in early May and were grateful to Mary Kaufman for coming up from Scottdale to help us. I can see why people don’t move much. To clean up stuff that has accumulated over years, to organize what’s left of what you will store, to pack things into boxes and finally to move it all. It’s making me tired just thinking about it. Special thanks to all the troopers who helped us in those final chaotic days; you know who you are. We couldn’t have done it without you . . .

The Second Half: Amani, Abby and Sophia have been adjusting well considering their world has been turned upside down. First were all the rainy days when we first arrived. But there also has been the arrival of all these pets; Coca the dog was waiting for us here, Cindy the rabbit was chosen by Abby at the IEC (International Evangelical Church) Bazaar, Peanut the puppy was chosen by Sophia from Yeshi’s dog’s family and soon Amani will be choosing a kitten as promised (more details soon on that). The girls started school in late August to everyone’s relief. They were ready to do something. But school wasn’t quite as easy for them as it was at Port Weller Elementary, for a variety of reasons. Nevertheless they are hanging in there, making adjustments. They are spending hours on homework now each night and Wanda & I are their tutors. Everyone has made friends. Friends who come from Denmark, England, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Ethiopia, and other parts of Africa. Amani and Abby tried gymnastics after school and Sophia tried Tae Kwon Do, all of which lasted about 2 months.

As for Wanda and myself; we have worked to make the house a home. Wanda oversaw some minor remodeling of the MCC house, mostly of the kitchen. But then nothing is minor when one is working on it here. We are grateful to have a good staff of workers in the compound, the guards and the housekeepers. We are also fortunate to have a great staff of MCC office staff workers. Mekonnen is our program manager and Yeshi is our bookkeeper/ secretary. She has been on vacation in the States for the past month and a half and we now know how much we miss her! We couldn’t do the work without either of them.


What do we miss? Family for sure, friends as well. The girls miss their friends very much. Wanda and I miss calling up our pastor peers and going out for lunch or just for coffee (or to play tennis, I miss that Troy!). We miss our favorite foods like all the North American dairy products like ice cream, cheese and milk. We miss our favorite cereals, junk foods and good meals we made in our kitchen or out on the grill. We eat a lot less meat and junk foods. The good news is that the adults have lost weight! In some ways we’re eating much healthier. We miss the weather and the lengthening, and shortening, of days. We miss the 4 seasons, yes even the cold weather. Of course, come February and March (the ugliest months of the year in my opinion), I may change my tune . . .

We miss watching TV. Our favorite sports and entertainment shows. Just two channels here, both government channels that, even to Ethiopians, are surely boring most of the time. I do check on my Ohio teams on the internet but it’s not the same. But I am anticipating one game; watching OSU vs. LSU in the BCS championship in January. We have made friends with many folks in our new church and one couple has AFN and invited us to watch the game. I can’t wait!

What do we enjoy? The weather . . . now. That rainy season was hard for starters. But now every day is the same. Sun rises around 6 a.m. and sets around 6 p.m. Cool in the morning, pleasant during the day. We also enjoy new challenges and coming to Ethiopia gives us that. We enjoy working with people and programs, knowing that these programs are helping those who are struggling with life. We have seen how children who are orphans because of HIV/AIDS have received love and care thanks to MCC and MKC RDA (that would be our partner Meserete Kristos Church, Relief and Development Agency). We have seen how a Cash-For-Work project in the south, where the land erosion was so bad and the local people were chronically hungry, has given people work, food and hope, thanks to MCC, MKC RDA and CFGB (Canadian Food Grains Bank). We are watching in joy how even in our neighbourhood local NGO’s (non-government organizations) are helping people who have spent their life in the Addis Garbage City and are trying to get out. Help equals hope. That is what we see when we administer MCC programs and projects and we feel good to be a part of this.


How have we celebrated Christmas? By finding the plastic Christmas tree in the guest container and setting it up and decorating it. By getting out my CD collection (all contained in our computer) and playing our Christmas collection of songs and hymns (the girls like Amy Grant, Wanda likes Bruce Cockburn, I like “Old World Christmas” and we play them all). By making a new batch of Christmas cookies weekly; so far we’ve made Molasses Crinkles, Gingerbread/Syrup, Thumbprints, Sugar, Buckeyes, No-Bake Chocolate. By wrapping all the gifts from the 2 families and putting them under the tree. By going to Christmas parties at our friends the Knudsens, the Fords “Cookies & Carols” tradition, and attending the Mennogroup Christmas today. By going out and buying gifts for stockings at the last minute. By buying extra wrapping paper at Bambi’s Supermarket (where all the ‘Ferenji’/ foreigners shop for their familiar western goods). And of course, by worshiping at our church through Advent and Christmas, offering glory and honor to God through Jesus Christ.
May you have a blessed Christmas.

Season’s Greetings,

The Roth Amstutz family Doug, Wanda, Amani, Abby, Sophia

The Possibilities Are Endless…

I love to get out into the field where the action is. As Reps we often find ourselves in our office trying to get all the administrative work done that comes with heading up a large program of over 20 projects worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. But, last week we had the opportunity to visit a couple of MCC partners.

On Thursday we jumped in the Land Cruiser and headed to Debre Zeit to visit our partner Meserete Kristos College. We have one program with them and are connected to them simply because they are a part of the larger MKC, begun by Mennonites from Lancaster. They have a new president, Negash Kebede, and we were looking forward to our first meeting with him.

The college is in the midst of a huge building project and so far only one wing of the education building has been built. So, it’s being used as the administrative site, teaching site, and the classrooms on the upper two levels have been transformed into dormitories. Negash joked that it looked like a used-shoe sale when he gave us a quick tour of those floors. Having lived in dorms ourselves for many years out of our lives, there was no need for apology or explanation.

The college serves the MK church by educating its leaders.
It has a number of programs and has hopes of becoming a liberal arts college in the future when it has finished its building projects and has secured enough resources.

MCC has a project with the college in helping to translate textbooks into Amharic. However, while we were there we learned they have a great need for textbooks. Period. English textbooks are also badly needed. Currently the instructors copy reams of reading materials that the students then take with them which causes the process to need to be repeated all over again next time.

The college also has a need for teachers in English and the humanities. As Doug and I were listening to Negash describe their needs to us our wheels began to spin. After all, we have both been theologically trained so the mission of the school is close to our hearts. How can we get textbooks over here? Are there connections we have with the publishing house that we could plug into? Who do we know some people would make a good addition to the college faculty? The needs are great, the possibilities are endless….

The next morning we headed down the street on foot to the nearby Kale Heywot church. MCC partners with this church to support people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Doug and I had the honour of meeting those who receive the monthly support provided by MCC through our partner. Each of these PLWHA receives 120 Birr ($12) monthly to buy food, pay rent and pay for children’s education.

It was difficult to hear them thank us for their support because it seemed like so little to give to someone who has such a great burden. It was even harder to hear how much they are struggling to make ends meet with that amount of money. As we are listening to the stories our wheels begin to spin. Could we supplement the payment with food? Could we increase the amount we are giving without jeopardizing similar programs in the area? Could there be some scholarships for the children? The needs are great, the possibilities endless…

After visiting with these beneficiaries we took a tour of the school that the church also runs. They serve children in the neighbourhood from pre-K to grade 9. I love to hear the chattering voices of children. It just brings a smile to my face. We were swarmed as often happens when you visit a school. Every child wants to shake your hand and practice their English “how are you?”

I was touched as a looked at their spartan classrooms and school supplies. The teachers have been creative with what they have. They’ve produced homemade posters and alphabet signs. They’ve made kitchen centers and store centers for the young ones with what they can find. It touched my heart.

Then, I thought about the classrooms my girls were in at home in St. Catharines and my wheels started spinning. I thought about the day care center my sister administrates and my wheels started spinning. Could teachers in N.A. save the resources they no longer have a need for? Could I somehow start a drive for school supplies and classroom resources?

The directors also talked about the need to have an English speaker teaching English. Could this be a SALT placement (a one year volunteer program for young adults)? Could MCC find someone to come to the school to teach English?

The needs are great, the possibilities endless….

From Grumbling to Gratitude

Our water was off again. Second weekend in a row. No water for 4 days. Seems there is a water shortage in the city so they turn off sections for 3-4 days at a stretch. No warning. At least that is what the locals are saying. It went off, they asked why, the officials told them, that’s it. The first weekend caught us off guard. Our water tank (pictured) ran dry on Saturday after we had used it all day Friday and the guards had watered all the plants overnight. So we brought jerry cans of water into the house to wash ourselves, wash dishes, flush toilets and boil water for drinking. That was no fun. So last Friday I inquired of our guards, do we have water (“wuha alle”)? Yellum (there is none). So no watering outside, conservation inside . . . and we made it through the weekend without resorting to jerry cans. But now we have 10 jerry cans full of water in reserve. For the foreseeable future water will be 4 days off, 3 days on. All laundry will happen on those 3 days.

Saturday night I was making pizza again. In the two hours it took for me to make it (making the dough, letting it rise, preparing the pizzas) the girls were hovering around claiming advanced states of starvation. Finally, as it was turning dusk (6:30 p.m.), it was time to put the first pizza in the oven, when the power went off. We looked at each other in the semi-darkness, realizing that if the power stays off all night there will be no pizza coming from the electric oven. Children will starve. Adults will be grumpy. Ethiopia Power and Electric’s name will be mud (at least muddier than before). So we lighted candles and waited. The Christmas music played on the computer speakers (battery good for 2 hours) leveling out the grumbling with the familiar and loved music. And then, voila!, the power came on . . . then it went off. Five minutes isn’t enough to even warm the oven up. And then it came back on! I rushed to turn on the oven again. The first pizza was finally baked, and the power went off . . . but it came back on and the second pizza was baked.

Sunday morning came around. Time to drive to our church, International Lutheran Church. But how to get there? Every route to the church is under construction. Roads are being built and expanded everywhere. This causes big traffic jams with trucks, buses, taxis and cars all pushing forward, rarely queuing up in nice neat lines. Should we go past the Canadian Embassy, through Mexico Square? Long lines all week long. Perhaps through the Katenya Hulet roundabout over to Lideta? Same problem. Nothing makes me grumpier than line jumping and there are always a handful who think they are the exception to the rule. Everyone else can wait in line but them. That’s a big pet peeve for me. It’s hard to arrive at church in a worshipful spirit after that.

But Wanda and I were to lead the worship service at ILC. Wanda managed to put together a service and sermon and off we went with our friends to church (other Mennos come out when we are leading worship at ILC, very encouraging). The service was going well enough, like any normal service we have led over the years, until the prayer time.

In a moment everything changed. In the midst of corporate/congregational prayer, our friend Lars stood up. As the head of the Danish Lutheran Mission, he had just received a call that 2 of their mission workers were involved in an accident moments earlier. A child, a little girl, had run in front of their car with no warning and the young Danish woman driving hit her. The child was taken to hospital, but was pronounced dead on arrival. Lars asked for prayers for the family of the girl and for their workers. Stunned silence, coughs, a muffled sob, and the sound of quiet crying rippled through the congregation. I managed, in a choked voice, to pray for the family of the little girl and for the young Danish workers. Someone was going to be in jail that night and maybe many nights thereafter.

Suddenly, losing water and electricity didn’t seem a priority. A child killed in a road accident sobered my mind. Death will do that to a person. Happens all the time. Daily problems that annoy and frustrate become insignificant in the face of death. And what about the young Danish man and woman? We all could nod our heads in understanding at what they must be going through. Every expat who navigates the roads in Ethiopia knows the fear of hitting a pedestrian. That is why Ethiopian drivers are in demand. No one wants the agony of being responsible for the death of a person. And no one wants to fall into the hands of the law where everything is dragged out over long periods of time.

I found out that the young woman did stay overnight in the jail but with company. Another young Ethiopian woman, a member of the Mekane Yesus Church, tried to convince the officials to take her instead to go to jail over night, but when the request was turned down she asked to accompany the young Danish woman, which they granted. Instead of a holding cell, they let them stay in an office, also a blessing. The Mekane Yesus Church officials are working with their Danish Lutheran counterparts to deal with the situation. The Danish young man and woman both had plane tickets to fly to Denmark on Dec. 13 but now that won’t happen. (update: it will happen! The Danish twosome is flying out tonight. She will have to return in February for a court date. She is being charged with vehicular homicide with a fine up to $600 and a jail term of possibly 1-5 years. The family of the little girl has been most gracious in understanding that it was an accident and there was nothing she could have done to avoid the 5 year old, who ran out on the road at the very last moment. We are praying for the family and the Danish young lady and the mission).

I still will get annoyed by the water and the electricity being shut off at a moment’s notice. But my family is safe and sound and, Lord willing, that will continue throughout our time here. I am grateful for the blessings that have come our way; new friends and neighbours, a job that is very meaningful and a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our daughters that they are experiencing; joys and sorrows alike. Life is rich.

What we are doing

People have been asking what our job is like and what we are doing. I know that moving to Ethiopia sounds exotic and exciting, and it often is. But much of the work is administrative and relational. It is interesting but going to the office (which is the building next door in this same compound) is often just like going to the office in my previous work. But there are differences so here is a synopsis so far:

Personnel – That would be us, the Amstutz 5, and Tamara Hayes. That’s it (for the moment anyways). MCC Ethiopia is mostly projects and programs, very few North American MCC people on the ground. But we are hoping that will change. Tamara is teaching next door at the local school. She was a SALT’er last year and has extended to become an MCC worker.

We do have an MCC Ethiopian staff which do a great job for MCC. There is Yeshiareg (or “Yeshi”) who is our bookkeeper/secretary. She is currently in the U.S. for a family wedding and will be back in mid-December. We miss her, not only for her expertise but her quiet, solid presence. She knows people in the neighborhood, our programs and who needs what. The office phone has been mostly quiet since she left. Once people knew she wasn’t here, they stopped calling (which is good because we can’t converse in Amharic so all we can say is yellechim, she isn’t here).

Mekonnen is our long time Program Manager who is something of a ‘renaissance man’. You need some basic wiring or plumbing done? Mekonnen will do it. What about talking with top leadership with our partner, Meserete Kristos Church? They all know Mekonnen and he knows the church politics. Do you need a bunny cage built? Mekonnen knows a carpenter who can do it. Who do we call on when we need background on programs we are running or the history of some partners? That would be Mekonnen. Vehicles are breaking down, Mekonnen will get them repaired. I need a work permit, Mekonnen will deal with government officials. The list goes on and on . . .

Then there is our friend Assefa. Assefa has been the MCC go-fer for about 5 years. He retired from his profession (foreman in construction) and wanted something to do and MCC hired him for twice a week (Tues. & Thurs.) to get the mail, go to the bank, and run various and sundry errands. He also helps with tasks around the compound. He is currently helping us get new screens for our windows. We also have the 5 guards who watch our compound day and night. By day there is one guard and by night we have two guards. The guards have their own schedule and Abebe is the senior guard who does the scheduling. Communication is pretty basic since we don’t speak Amharic and they don’t speak English (mostly greetings).

Yeshi the housekeeper works from 8-4, five days a week. She does all our cleaning; floors, dishes, laundry, rooms. She also makes lunch and supper when we have recipes and ideas for her. All those untidy beds are tidied up by mid-morning, the bathrooms and kitchen are all cleaned up by mid-day as well. A helper, Alem, comes 2x a week to help clean our offices and help Yeshi with the ‘big clean’ on Thursday of our house (beating the big rugs, vacuuming and dusting, and cleaning the bathrooms). And there you have our personnel.

Programs/Projects – “What kind of work does MCC do?” is the oft asked question.

We work with food security, HIV/AIDS, Education, Community Development, Women and Peace issues. We are a mostly a funding agency at this moment. That is, we work with partners who are in the field doing the work and we provide funds for their programs. We have over 20 different programs and partners we work with so allow me to offer a couple of examples of what we are doing.

Food security – We partner with Meserete Kristos Church in a number of programs. MKC is our ‘sister’ church to the Mennonite Church. We are working on big project in a southern province called South Nationalities & Nations Peoples (SNNP). Western Ethiopia is home to mountainous regions many of which are, sadly, denuded of all trees. At one time the mountains were forested but as the population grew and the poor people needed the wood to live, the trees were cut down. During the rainy season (June through September) the good soil is washed away as there is nothing to hold it in place. Soil erosion makes for some sad looking brown hills with washed out gullies everywhere. So MCC, with MKC’s Relief and Development Agency (RDA) instituted a Cash-for-Work project which helped the locals make money and do good to the environment. The local community built holding ponds and rock walls to prevent water from rushing down the mountainsides.

In just 3 years the hillsides are now covered with grassland and small trees, thus preventing the soil from washing away. The cash helped them invest in their own “mutual funds” which they call “Equbs”. This traditional savings plan has 6-8 households pooling a ‘tithing’ of their resources which is then given to one household at a time. This allows that household to buy an animal, like a cow, sheep, goat or chickens which is then raised as livestock. The equity is in livestock. So herds have grown in households in Boricha in just 3 years. It has been a success even recognized by the Ethiopian government. In August RDA was awarded the “green award” for the Boricha project over 200 other NGO’s in the region. MCC also partnered with Canadian Food Grains Bank (CFGB) on this project and it was they who provided the funding of over $600,000. We are seeing the fruits of all who labored long and hard on this project.

HIV/AIDS – We also work with MKC with their AIDS Prevention Office (APO) which works with their churches all around the country. A couple of months ago Wanda and I attended a day gathering of churches who have HIV/AIDS orphan clubs. Ten MKC churches each chose a dozen orphan kids (that is, a child who has lost a mother, father or both to the disease, not that they have the disease) to attend this all day affair of fun and fellowship. The kids played games, listened attentively to sketches of Bible stories, were prayed over, enjoyed a full meal of injera and wat (the national dish of Ethiopia), and played sports. Churches go into the communities with volunteers looking for kids who are on the street or without a home and reach out to these orphans by bringing them to church. The kids are surrounded with love and taught the love of God. The volunteers minister to their physical needs and try to find a foster home for them as well. What a privilege it was for Wanda and I to observe the work these volunteers are doing and it is all being funded through the MCC Generations At Risk (GAR) Program that specializes in helping those with HIV/AIDS around the world.

Peace – This is an exciting new ‘pushing out the margins’ of MCC’s borders. MCC has been developing peacebuilding throughout Africa in this century and there are 2 regional peace workers on the ground right now; Carl Stauffer for Southern Africa and Gopar Tapkida for Western Africa. Here in Eastern Africa we await an appointment of a peace worker with eager anticipation. Nevertheless peace work is happening here. MCC has a special Peace fund that gives money for projects around the world. Here in Ethiopia we have already tapped this fund to deal with situations like the one in Jimma, a city to the south west of Addis. Tension between religious communities, particularly Christian and Muslim, exploded in violence with fighting between factions. People were killed, property was destroyed. MCC was invited in by invitation of MKC, which had some churches that were on the receiving end of some of the violence, to do conflict and reconciliation work. Mekonnen was joined by Gopar Tapkida and did workshops and seminars for the leaders and the community. The amazing thing was that for the first time the different faith communities starting talking to each other instead of past each other. There was genuine reconciliation, what a great use of the MCC Peace Fund!

Education – We fund a few education programs but we also do some staffing. MCC helps fund Carl & Vera Hansen in their positions at the MKC Bible College. We also have Tamara placed at the local elementary school as an English teacher. A SALT’er has been placed there for 4 years now (Tamara is in her second year there, now as an MCC service worker) and the school has gone from being on the brink of closing to being awarded top prize for student testing within our sub-city area—about 30 schools! The turn around began at the same time we placed a SALT’er there. There is some prestige in having a “Ferenji” (white foreigner) teaching in a school so what once was an ignored school has become a magnet for students. We also have provided small scholarships to students our local community which gives them a chance to go to the school (a 75 Birr scholarship, about $8, allows a child to buy needed school supplies and a required uniform). We share a common wall with the school grounds so we can hear the bells ring and the students at play throughout the day. It feels good to know that MCC has made a difference in the life of the students and the school.

Community Development – We partner to do several of these programs as well but one that is near and dear to our heart is an MCC Global Family Project program. Our friends, Ghash Alemu (“Honorable” Alemu) and Ato (Mr.) Sammy lead the Remember the Poorest Community (RPC, look it up on the MCC website) which is helping a very poor section of Nazret (a town about 90 minutes SE of Addis). The unemployment rate is high, the poverty rate is high, school attendance is low and with inflation outpacing wages the squeeze on all families is quite hard. This program provides special schooling for street children. They take on 100 children a year with a chance to turn their lives around. They are given all the basic necessities of life; food, clothing and most importantly job training. This is their chance to get out of the street life. The results have been encouraging. The local community has embraced them and trust RPC to do the right thing. Unfortunately, this year another major donor suddenly cut off funding without warning and they are suddenly struggling to pay their bills. The reason has to do with some shenanigans by a former middleman who has absconded with NGO funding and accused them of corruption. Their books are in order, independent reviews have shown. But right now they are hurting financially. If you are looking for a good cause to help for Christmas, RPC is a good cause.

Relationships – MCC is a partner to many NGO’s, we don’t actually do the work, we partner with folks who do. It reminds me of the old BASF commercial which said, we don’t make the stuff you use but our technology makes the stuff you use better. The middleman who makes good things better. So the NGO’s (mostly Ethiopian) bring us proposals and we offer the expertise of MCC and the funding to the partners. One of our most important relationships is with Meserete Kristos Church. They have a variety of programs (a few stated earlier) and we see our partnership with them as unique and special. They are the sister church to the Mennonite Church in North America and we find a kinship in working with them. It is a proud fact that they are independent and able to stand on their own in financing their own internal church programs but we are happy to assist with programs where we share a common goal, such as the issues stated above; food security, HIV/AIDS, peace, women empowerment, education, etc.

So there is an overview and that is just a glimpse of the programs we work with! I hope that in the future I can focus on specific projects from time to time to give you a taste of the good work that is being done. Rest assured, I can see in my mind thousands of folks who donate time and money to work on MCC Relief Sales, the Canning Project, Material Goods as well as those who make the crafts and quilts for the Relief Sales, every time we hand out funds to orphans, poor school children, farmers in poverty in the southern hills of Boricha. For me the connection makes a complete circle of MCC, a beautiful circle. May the circle remain unbroken . . .