It is a cold and starry night, perhaps the same kind of night that the shepherds camped out under on the night of Jesus’ birth. I have been in Mehal Meda, a town about 290 kms/ 175 miles northeast of Addis Ababa, but a world away from the city. It is a town up in the Amhara highlands, I’m guessing about 3000/3500 meters or higher (just under 10,000 feet). The high today was perhaps 15°C/ 60°F but if you stand in the shade it is cooler than that. If you stand in the wind, well, it’s much cooler. And now, in the early evening, it is certainly in the 40’s and sure to hover just above freezing overnight.
MCC has a project here, in conjunction with our partner Meserete Kristos Church Relief and Development Agency (MKC-RDA). It is a peace project (appropriate time of year, being Advent). In an area with a history of revenge killings MKC came with a peace pamphlet and peace trainings into the community. People were suspicious and skeptical at first, after all MKC is an evangelical church and this is an Orthodox region. Any evangelism is unwelcome here. But the MKC workers gained their trust through a series of meetings with the police, the Orthodox leadership and final the people in the community. The peace pamphlet is neutrally Biblically based, which gained a seal of approval from the local priests. The peace trainings were clearly about how to deal with offenders and victims, an approach desperately needed here.
Mehal Meda may mean ‘center field’ but it is off the beaten track. One has to drive about 3-4 hours off the main road from Addis to Dessie in order to get to it. The road is not paved. But that’s not the worst of it. Driving out to the 2 kebeles, or districts, takes you 25 kms into the country where there is no road to speak of. This is off-roading in the purest sense of the word. It is in these places that an SUV is necessary. We made it through open pastures, down into rugged stony creeks, up the sides of rock formations while narrowly avoiding eroded land pits and scenic gorges. There were many times I drove on nothing more than a footpath. But we made it. As we pulled into windswept villages, people would emerge from all around us to gaze in wonder at our silver Toyota Land Cruiser.
Peace committee members and community leaders awaited us in Kebeles 13 and 14 to tell stories of the success of the Peace Committee. What inspiring stories they were. Men talked about how the peace committees act as intermediaries, going between families to prevent further violence and to try to reconcile the families back to each other. Women talked about how, since the arrival of the peace committees in the past 2 ½ years, violence against women has gone down. Wives are beaten less, young girls aren’t forced into early marriages like before. Families of young girls are also persuaded to let their daughters continue in school.
The police had nothing but good to say about the Peace Committees in their kebeles. One police officer said that his kebele was one of the most crime-ridden in the whole woreda (region) and they had two police checkpoints in and out of the area. There was constant fighting and theft. Since the Peace Committee crime has dropped so significantly (he said ‘100%’) that the police no longer man the checkpoints, they aren’t needed anymore. In the other kebele the police officer said that he had learned a great deal about community policing. When he arrived 3 years ago he tried the ‘top down’ method of policing; enforcement and punitive measures. It was what he had been taught and all he knew.
But with the arrival of the Peace Committee and the trainings they gave he began to work with Peace Committee members and the community. He went out and talked to people and people began to respond. Up until then people in the community knew the presence of the police meant only two things; that someone would be beaten up or that they would be hauled away to prison.
Now they see the police as ones they can trust to report crimes and misdemeanors and this police officer was grateful for that. Story after story was told which clearly indicated that our partner MKC RDA was successful. It felt like the Spirit of the Lord was moving in this project.
21 January 2009 Post Script: This blog entry has waited patiently for me to get my act together and post it. My memories of Mehal Meda are these:
Travel – The drive to Mehal Meda was long and hard, mostly washboard dirt roads where I drove between 40-80 kph max. The drive from MM town to the districts was like nothing I have ever done before. I was so grateful for a 4 wheel drive SUV. Most of the time there was no road, just a hint of a footpath perhaps. Talk about rugged terrain! Imagine driving out in western Montana with absolutely no roads. You look ahead on the horizon and simply drive cross country through grassy prairie or across shallow streams. At least once the Ethiopians in our vehicle told me the stream or land was impassable, we should get out and walk. I just said, hang on, put it into 4WD and we made it through. Wow! In these areas I could manage a speed of 10 kph max. It was that rugged. Just like in those SUV ads in North America that suggest cross country freedom to drive anywhere, except that 95% of SUV owners don’t need an SUV for their driving needs. But I did.
MM Peace Program – I consider myself fortunate to have seen a program that has made such a radical difference in the life of the communities there. A profound change has occurred and it is because we funded a program that was desperately wanted and needed by the villagers in these windswept remote central highlands of Ethiopia. Everyone was so grateful; the villagers, the police, priests, the local leadership, the regional authorities. All expressed a strong desire to see the programs continue and to introduce it into neighboring districts. Local farmers walk around with the small MCC/ MKC peace and reconciliation booklet in their hands, using it as a daily resource.
The landscape – It was truly spectacular in its barrenness. If you have visited or seen photos of the Scottish highlands then you will have a good idea what the Mehal Meda region looks like. The grassy meadows were interspersed with rocky paths, huge boulders jutting up in places and thin streams to ford. The growing season is short and restricts the crop varieties. The air was thin and cold but the sun warmed us up during the day. At night the cold settled in and in unheated rooms it chilled one to the bone. But the clear night sky! The stars were brilliant in this unlit part of the world. And then there were the people. Those who inhabit this distant corner of the world are weather worn and tough but they welcomed us with open arms. Children of the villages seemed amazed at our presence. Vehicles are rarely seen in the highlands. As I drove children appeared out of nowhere it seemed and followed us for up to a kilometer sometimes. Modern conveniences of Addis are far removed from the daily lives of the people. Of course the housing is much cruder and government services non-existent. But these highland villagers are fiercely independent and suspicious of any government control. They are willing to live hard lives for freedom from outside influence.
Funding – As I write this MCC is struggling with a serious financial crunch. Our budgets will be slashed across the board. At the same time the Ethiopian government has passed a law that is aimed at cutting the heart out of NGOs (non-government organizations, like MCC) and CSO’s (civil-society organizations), both international and national. The law is said to prevent all peace and reconciliation work in country. The project in Mehal Meda seems threatened on all fronts. But it is our hope that this program will continue.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Roth Amstutz Christmas Letter
Peace prevails in this pleasant room at the Mennonite Guest House in Nairobi, Kenya. I may have been wound up a bit tightly lately by all the cares of the world, our jobs and our lives. So now I am unspooling . . .
It was the many hours of work that wound us up, both Wanda and me. The many meetings with so many folks who all seem to have good causes. The many hours looking at proposals and at budget numbers. The many hours of dealing with ‘a situation’. Then there were the many hours where someone in the house was experiencing illness. Bugs, amoebas, viruses, bacterias . . . somehow they managed to slip through our defenses. The worry of watching a loved one in pain or suffering from nausea, diarrhea, headaches, fever, etc., can wear one down.
So the retreat at Brackenhurst (a Baptist facility) was the beginning of the unwinding and the days of rest & relaxation at the Mennonite Guest House was the continuing of the unwinding. To hear the voices of loved ones far away on Skype has added to that peace. And the openness of time has brought on the peaceful, easy feeling.
This Christmas will feel different from last Christmas. We now have one Christmas in Addis under our belts so we know what it will feel like. We will feel the separation from family but we won’t be alone. There are too many good friends who will celebrate with us together. Our house will be filled with laughter and voices of Christmas present. Memories to be created in the moment.
Now a word about our girls: Amani, Abigail and Sophia continue to grow in mind and spirit (growth in stature has been incremental thanks to the Amstutz DNA. But don’t worry, one of these years they’ll shoot up). Amani loves to read and is very conscientious in her studies. Abby is not far behind but she is more the social of the two. Sophia is doing well in her studies this year but isn’t much into reading at the moment. However she is still the little teacher and we can hear her teaching a virtual reality class in her room, often consisting of names of classmates past and present.
2008 – Ah, but what about the year, you say? What about 2008 past? Yes, it was a full rich year. As a family we did our share of traveling together. We all went to the MCC East Africa Regional Meetings (EARM) in southern Sudan in the spring and Arusha, Tanzania in the fall. We went on a safari in Tanzania, an experience of a lifetime. We drove the northern tour of Ethiopia and learned why most folks fly to the ancient and great cities of Lalibela, Axum and Gonder. The roads were rough and the travel was hard on the family but it was a tremendous experience which none of us will forget. Oh yes, the girls will store it away as another experience, just as I did of our family vacations as a boy, but someday they will pull it out of their memories and, with prompting of photos, remember that most singular tour. And of course we’re now in Kenya. What a privilege it is to travel, to meet colleagues and friends and to discover new places.
Our pets have kept our family occupied. Our two dogs, two cats, rabbit and turtle have kept the girls company and kept us busy feeding them and keeping them healthy. Coca and Peanut are the ‘guard’ dogs. They keep watch in the sense that they raise a ruckus whenever someone comes into the compound. Coca might defend/ attack in a pinch but Peanut would surely turn tail and run. Fortunately we have not had to face such a situation yet. Spot and Princess Waffles are our two cats. Spot is a laid back male and PW is a slightly neurotic female and together they make a nice pair. Will there be kittens in the future? After one fiasco (both kittens died, PW is not mother material), we hope not. Cindy the rabbit just keeps getting bigger and bigger in his cage. The question is whether he is a pet or culinary feast, right now the former only. And there is the turtle which I love the most because Yertle the turtle is maintenance free.
The girls have settled into Bingham and now know what to expect at school. This fall hasn’t been easy because of all the school they have missed by either traveling with us (one week in Tanzania and one week here to Nairobi) or because of illness. We hope they will have a better track record in the spring. We have enjoyed meeting a few more families at Bingham, particularly one family, the Johnsons, who play Rook and Dutch Blitz like we do! What a pleasant surprise to find that out! We’ve also played Frisbee football on Saturdays with them as well.
Wanda and I have been happy to see MCC partners accomplish a number of the goals set to feed the hungry, comfort the ill and give hope to the poor and disadvantaged. We have been especially happy to see some of the peace projects paying huge and immediate dividends in the communities where our partners are working. But we continue to find challenges with getting the information about the projects back to us and on to Akron or Winnipeg. Sometimes it is benign neglect, sometimes it is more intentional. We struggle with that. I have more gray hairs now than I did a year ago.
Meserete Kristos Church is our main partner, although we have others as well. MKC is the “Mennonite” connection in country and the leadership continues to learn about MCC and the Mennonites in North America even as we learn more about who MKC is. We have made many good friends in the church, most of those are people we work with either in the head office or in their relief and development agency wing (RDA). Our other church connection has been the International Lutheran Church (ILC) on Sundays where the service is in English and we connect with fellow believers who are mostly ex-pats from around the world. Wanda and I have occasionally led worship services there and have enjoyed that familiar feeling of being up front. But mostly we are content to sit in the pew with our girls and be in the congregation on a Sunday morning.
Ethiopia remains a country to be explored by us. From the Bale Mountains in the south, to the Simien Mountains in the north. From Wollega in the west to Afar in the east. Ethiopia has its share of problems, both political and economic. The country is progressing when it comes to infrastructure and parts of the economy but regressing when it comes to elections, government and politics. We can hope for stability, peace, progress, good government to bring hope, justice and liberty to all in the future.
It was the many hours of work that wound us up, both Wanda and me. The many meetings with so many folks who all seem to have good causes. The many hours looking at proposals and at budget numbers. The many hours of dealing with ‘a situation’. Then there were the many hours where someone in the house was experiencing illness. Bugs, amoebas, viruses, bacterias . . . somehow they managed to slip through our defenses. The worry of watching a loved one in pain or suffering from nausea, diarrhea, headaches, fever, etc., can wear one down.
So the retreat at Brackenhurst (a Baptist facility) was the beginning of the unwinding and the days of rest & relaxation at the Mennonite Guest House was the continuing of the unwinding. To hear the voices of loved ones far away on Skype has added to that peace. And the openness of time has brought on the peaceful, easy feeling.
This Christmas will feel different from last Christmas. We now have one Christmas in Addis under our belts so we know what it will feel like. We will feel the separation from family but we won’t be alone. There are too many good friends who will celebrate with us together. Our house will be filled with laughter and voices of Christmas present. Memories to be created in the moment.
Now a word about our girls: Amani, Abigail and Sophia continue to grow in mind and spirit (growth in stature has been incremental thanks to the Amstutz DNA. But don’t worry, one of these years they’ll shoot up). Amani loves to read and is very conscientious in her studies. Abby is not far behind but she is more the social of the two. Sophia is doing well in her studies this year but isn’t much into reading at the moment. However she is still the little teacher and we can hear her teaching a virtual reality class in her room, often consisting of names of classmates past and present.
2008 – Ah, but what about the year, you say? What about 2008 past? Yes, it was a full rich year. As a family we did our share of traveling together. We all went to the MCC East Africa Regional Meetings (EARM) in southern Sudan in the spring and Arusha, Tanzania in the fall. We went on a safari in Tanzania, an experience of a lifetime. We drove the northern tour of Ethiopia and learned why most folks fly to the ancient and great cities of Lalibela, Axum and Gonder. The roads were rough and the travel was hard on the family but it was a tremendous experience which none of us will forget. Oh yes, the girls will store it away as another experience, just as I did of our family vacations as a boy, but someday they will pull it out of their memories and, with prompting of photos, remember that most singular tour. And of course we’re now in Kenya. What a privilege it is to travel, to meet colleagues and friends and to discover new places.
Our pets have kept our family occupied. Our two dogs, two cats, rabbit and turtle have kept the girls company and kept us busy feeding them and keeping them healthy. Coca and Peanut are the ‘guard’ dogs. They keep watch in the sense that they raise a ruckus whenever someone comes into the compound. Coca might defend/ attack in a pinch but Peanut would surely turn tail and run. Fortunately we have not had to face such a situation yet. Spot and Princess Waffles are our two cats. Spot is a laid back male and PW is a slightly neurotic female and together they make a nice pair. Will there be kittens in the future? After one fiasco (both kittens died, PW is not mother material), we hope not. Cindy the rabbit just keeps getting bigger and bigger in his cage. The question is whether he is a pet or culinary feast, right now the former only. And there is the turtle which I love the most because Yertle the turtle is maintenance free.
The girls have settled into Bingham and now know what to expect at school. This fall hasn’t been easy because of all the school they have missed by either traveling with us (one week in Tanzania and one week here to Nairobi) or because of illness. We hope they will have a better track record in the spring. We have enjoyed meeting a few more families at Bingham, particularly one family, the Johnsons, who play Rook and Dutch Blitz like we do! What a pleasant surprise to find that out! We’ve also played Frisbee football on Saturdays with them as well.
Wanda and I have been happy to see MCC partners accomplish a number of the goals set to feed the hungry, comfort the ill and give hope to the poor and disadvantaged. We have been especially happy to see some of the peace projects paying huge and immediate dividends in the communities where our partners are working. But we continue to find challenges with getting the information about the projects back to us and on to Akron or Winnipeg. Sometimes it is benign neglect, sometimes it is more intentional. We struggle with that. I have more gray hairs now than I did a year ago.
Meserete Kristos Church is our main partner, although we have others as well. MKC is the “Mennonite” connection in country and the leadership continues to learn about MCC and the Mennonites in North America even as we learn more about who MKC is. We have made many good friends in the church, most of those are people we work with either in the head office or in their relief and development agency wing (RDA). Our other church connection has been the International Lutheran Church (ILC) on Sundays where the service is in English and we connect with fellow believers who are mostly ex-pats from around the world. Wanda and I have occasionally led worship services there and have enjoyed that familiar feeling of being up front. But mostly we are content to sit in the pew with our girls and be in the congregation on a Sunday morning.
Ethiopia remains a country to be explored by us. From the Bale Mountains in the south, to the Simien Mountains in the north. From Wollega in the west to Afar in the east. Ethiopia has its share of problems, both political and economic. The country is progressing when it comes to infrastructure and parts of the economy but regressing when it comes to elections, government and politics. We can hope for stability, peace, progress, good government to bring hope, justice and liberty to all in the future.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
A Wake Up Call
I heard the Imam make the call to prayer at 5:15 this morning. It wafted through the valleys and along the hillsides where we live. I had been waiting for this morning for a long time. Election Day in the U.S.A. Waiting with anticipation that Barack Obama might win. Fear that something might happen that would throw the nation in turmoil and dash my hope . . . our hopes. Wanda and many of our friends and family were holding on to the same hopes and fears.
With fear mingled with hope I turned on the computer to go online. This is the moment when I would peer into the darkness to learn the results. For some reason the Old Testament story of Daniel in the lion’s den came to mind. Daniel, King Darius’ most trusted advisor, had been betrayed by palace intrigue and was sentenced to death in the lion’s den. He was thrown in overnight, if he survived the night in the presence of hungry lions he was free. King Darius stayed up all night, refusing food and waiting for dawn. At daybreak he went to see if Daniel made it through the night alive, hoping against hope. And he had. What a relief and joy that must have been! And it was a similar feeling that I had, going to been hoping against hope that everything the pundits were saying was going to happen, but fearful. And as North America was going to bed, we were rising to the news of an Obama victory. And we shared our relief and joy in the morning.
Over the past year of campaigning (he said 22 months ago, for him) Barack Obama has shown an incredible steadiness, intellect, discipline and, frankly, a Christian witness. In the face of much false charges and innuendo he has not responded in kind as is normative in political campaigns. In his speeches Obama has always been gracious. In his victory speech in Grant Park in Chicago, he acknowledged his opponent’s achievements. He said that Americans owed a debt of gratitude to John McCain for the long service his has given to his country. He said that he wanted to be president of the all Americans not just those who voted for him. He has steadfastly refused to take the low road in politics, not demonizing his opponent, even though he has been the recipient of slander. Not once did he attack Sarah Palin personally although she personally attacked him time and again. What a witness! On the one hand I was proud to associate myself with such a person of high character. On the other hand I was embarrassed by those who call themselves Christians who supported all the personal attacks from the Christian conservative far right.
So I echo the words of Michelle Obama in saying that I am proud to be an American today. When Michelle said it in the primary season she was attacked for the implication it made and after that we never heard from her again. But many of us silently nodded and understood. I am proud to be an American today, I have never been able to say that with such conviction and passion in my adult life before, in a political or national sense. Oh, I remember being happy that Bill Clinton was elected President but it felt like the lesser of two evils. I was in high school when Jimmy Carter was elected President so I didn’t have the experience of years to feel joy (but I have grown in admiration for Jimmy Carter over the years, a truly Christian man). I am proud that America has elected someone of Obama’s character and intellect. I am proud that America has chosen the high road over the low road in politics. It makes me believe that change is possible over the next 4 years. A hope I haven’t had in a long, long time.
Finally, this blog was a long time in coming. I wasn’t sure whether to write it or not. But I thank my MCC colleague in Bangladesh who wrote so well about her feelings on the eve of this historic election: We are hoping to celebrate the election of Barack Obama as next President of the United States. You may be able to hear us from across the ocean if you listen carefully, or maybe not, maybe there will just be silent tears of joy as the full impact of the news really settles in. I'm not trying to start a political debate, I am aware that some of you are hoping for different results, but not to mention it would be to leave out a huge part of our lives here.
That applies to us as well. At the risk of starting a political debate, I write this blog because leaving it out would leave out a huge part of our lives here as well. Our office is adorned with an Obama/ Biden sign and the Ethiopians love it! So there it will stay for a long time. And so on Friday night we will celebrate fresh start with a party at our house. And so I await the next milestone in this journey, January 20, Inauguration Day . . .
With fear mingled with hope I turned on the computer to go online. This is the moment when I would peer into the darkness to learn the results. For some reason the Old Testament story of Daniel in the lion’s den came to mind. Daniel, King Darius’ most trusted advisor, had been betrayed by palace intrigue and was sentenced to death in the lion’s den. He was thrown in overnight, if he survived the night in the presence of hungry lions he was free. King Darius stayed up all night, refusing food and waiting for dawn. At daybreak he went to see if Daniel made it through the night alive, hoping against hope. And he had. What a relief and joy that must have been! And it was a similar feeling that I had, going to been hoping against hope that everything the pundits were saying was going to happen, but fearful. And as North America was going to bed, we were rising to the news of an Obama victory. And we shared our relief and joy in the morning.
Over the past year of campaigning (he said 22 months ago, for him) Barack Obama has shown an incredible steadiness, intellect, discipline and, frankly, a Christian witness. In the face of much false charges and innuendo he has not responded in kind as is normative in political campaigns. In his speeches Obama has always been gracious. In his victory speech in Grant Park in Chicago, he acknowledged his opponent’s achievements. He said that Americans owed a debt of gratitude to John McCain for the long service his has given to his country. He said that he wanted to be president of the all Americans not just those who voted for him. He has steadfastly refused to take the low road in politics, not demonizing his opponent, even though he has been the recipient of slander. Not once did he attack Sarah Palin personally although she personally attacked him time and again. What a witness! On the one hand I was proud to associate myself with such a person of high character. On the other hand I was embarrassed by those who call themselves Christians who supported all the personal attacks from the Christian conservative far right.
So I echo the words of Michelle Obama in saying that I am proud to be an American today. When Michelle said it in the primary season she was attacked for the implication it made and after that we never heard from her again. But many of us silently nodded and understood. I am proud to be an American today, I have never been able to say that with such conviction and passion in my adult life before, in a political or national sense. Oh, I remember being happy that Bill Clinton was elected President but it felt like the lesser of two evils. I was in high school when Jimmy Carter was elected President so I didn’t have the experience of years to feel joy (but I have grown in admiration for Jimmy Carter over the years, a truly Christian man). I am proud that America has elected someone of Obama’s character and intellect. I am proud that America has chosen the high road over the low road in politics. It makes me believe that change is possible over the next 4 years. A hope I haven’t had in a long, long time.
Finally, this blog was a long time in coming. I wasn’t sure whether to write it or not. But I thank my MCC colleague in Bangladesh who wrote so well about her feelings on the eve of this historic election: We are hoping to celebrate the election of Barack Obama as next President of the United States. You may be able to hear us from across the ocean if you listen carefully, or maybe not, maybe there will just be silent tears of joy as the full impact of the news really settles in. I'm not trying to start a political debate, I am aware that some of you are hoping for different results, but not to mention it would be to leave out a huge part of our lives here.
That applies to us as well. At the risk of starting a political debate, I write this blog because leaving it out would leave out a huge part of our lives here as well. Our office is adorned with an Obama/ Biden sign and the Ethiopians love it! So there it will stay for a long time. And so on Friday night we will celebrate fresh start with a party at our house. And so I await the next milestone in this journey, January 20, Inauguration Day . . .
Monday, October 27, 2008
What’s Going On?
How are things? Good friends and family want to know and we are grateful for their concern. The short answer is that everything is fine. No major accidents or injuries or illnesses to report. But there is a longer answer I can give, so I will for the sake of good friends and family.
Health: we are fortunate for overall relative good health and when we are ill we are grateful for medication that cures. All of our family has fallen ill with headaches, diarrhea, achiness, fever, occasional vomiting and general weakness. Not all at the same time nor the same symptoms. For the more severe we are grateful for Ciproflaxacin, the miracle drug of choice for gastro-intestinal illness. Wanda and I were hit with something just before we came out to Tanzania, then last week at EARM we were hit again. I took Cipro and Wanda got a stronger prescription from a doctor in Arusha. We’re both fine now but Amani isn’t feeling well. Now all this talk of health issues may make you wonder why so indiscrete? But anyone who has lived overseas in a 2/3 world country will tell you that when ex-pats get together it’s one of the first things to come up in conversation. It’s so common. But even more than that, one can more readily sympathize with the people we are serving who struggle against other, more deadly, diseases and illnesses on a daily basis. It makes me wonder how often the Ethiopian population actually feels healthy.
Animal news: When we left Addis all our animals were doing well. But we had a traumatic time with Princess Waffles, our female cat. It became clear in September that PW was pregnant. Who the father was, we don’t know for sure although we’d like to think it was Spot, our male cat. When PW was in heat though neighborhood Toms did come around and it was hard to keep her away from them. Wanda guessed that she might have kittens while we would be in Tanzania. But she had them the Monday before we left. Just 2 kittens, one DOA and the other should have been because PW rejected it. The girls were alternately thrilled by the birth event and then horrified when PW treated the kitten with contempt, biting it and throwing it up in the air. So our family separated mother from infant. But then it became our responsibility to keep it alive. All week long the girls, Wanda & I tried. We made PW lie down and tried to get the little kitten to nurse. It was hard since PW had no interest in the event. Hands had to hold her down and prevent her from grabbing the kitten and running off. We also tried to keep it warm by wrapping it in a wash cloth and holding it in our hands to stay warm. Then we tried feeding it with a syringe and later an eye dropper. In all cases short term success but ultimately failure. The kitten would cry and we tried to make it comfortable. But by Thursday we were losing the battle and it was getting weaker and in the night it died. It’s hard to say who was sadder, the girls or the parents. In the end Wanda & I tried to keep it alive for the girls’ sakes. Being invested meant being sadder. In talking about it afterwards Wanda & I both found out that we chastised ourselves for feeling something when all around us, every day in Addis, are sad, sad cases of people and animals who are in misery. One wee kitten dies and we are getting emotional? Yes, for in the end it is the personal that counts. That’s the way it works for all of us, isn’t it?
School news: Just before we left for Tanzania we sat down with the Grades 4 and 5 teachers. The good news is that our girls are very strong in reading and ‘riting. The bad news is that they aren’t in ‘rithmetic. They need to learn the multiplication and division tables which will make life easier for all of them. But in their reading comprehension and writing skills they are all at the top of their respective classes. They also seem to not be a problem in class behavior as well. So Wanda & I were grateful for those reports. It made it easier to travel and miss a week of school for this trip. But the girls did bring homework along with them to work on.
Piano and Lessons: Just before we left we bought a used electric piano off another expat family. It is a Kawai and seems to be good enough for the girls to use. We also found a young woman who is with her family who is at Bingham Academy this year. She graduated from university back in New Zealand and is willing to teach piano for the year for free! We are grateful for her servant attitude and look forward to the girls starting piano the week after we return to Addis. Will our girls end up like my sister Anita, who stuck to her lessons and is an accomplished pianist, or me and Lon, who took the obligatory lessons until we could get out of them and never looked back, until well into our adulthood. Yes, I wish I could play now. You were right Mom.
Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, Easter and then . . . Yes, we are looking forward to the various high points of celebration coming up but it is true that we are looking forward to June 2009 when we’ll be coming to North America on home leave. Let’s see, that would be 8 months from now . . .
In the meantime, we’ll try to keep up our correspondence with friends and family. Thanks for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers.
East Africa Regional Meeting
Mennonite Central Committee calls for 2 meetings each year for Country Representatives. Our regional meetings are known as EARM, or East Africa Regional Meeting. Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda make up EARM in MCC (there is also WARM in the west and SACG in the south). This ‘fall’ (we still use North American seasonal names even though they don’t correspond to the African seasons) we met in Arusha, Tanzania in a Danish-Tanzanian retreat centre.
Mennonite Central Committee is going through a re-evaluation period known as New Wine-New Wineskins. This is both a North American and worldwide event over 3 years. The hope is that when all is said and done something new and fresh, both in structure and in relationships, will pour out of the work. The hope is to invigorate and point MCC in a 21st century direction. Toward that end MCC partners were invited to the meeting for 3 days. Jan Schmidt from Winnipeg led the proceedings. Small groups of our partners and the CR’s were used continuously and given assignments that met the Appreciative Inquiry guidelines (a ‘positive’ way to develop a shared understanding on what MCC is good at and how that can help us in thinking about the future direction). We were asked to share what personal accomplishments we felt good about and what MCC accomplishments we felt good about. In order to be creative we were asked to illustrate by way of drawing, story, skit or song to convey our message.
One exercise included colored pipe cleaners. It seemed a little juvenile to play with pipe cleaners to get a message across but everyone was still in good humor on day 1. Afterwards we were told by one of the leaders that in purchasing the large amount of pipe cleaners needed for the exercise, the vendor wondered aloud if MCC has a large group of pipe smokers! Of course, it was noted, add the New Wine-New Wineskins theme and outsiders might wonder if we are all big smokers and drinkers!
There has been a tug of war going on in North America over the “MCC soul”; is MCC to move towards mainly being a professional funding agency, thereby allowing overseas staff levels to fall to minimal levels for maintenance alone (more efficient use of money). Or is MCC to maintain the idea of being relationship driven which means building up MCC volunteer postings worldwide, particularly in Africa, which can be so important in building relationships between peoples? How important are church-to-church contacts, such as in Ethiopia between MCC and MKC?
How will MCC address the problems that were talked about? The situation in many areas seems to be the same all across Africa. Some things MCC can address, others are out of our control.
Education – too many children in too small classrooms. Not enough space, not enough teachers, not enough education materials (uniforms, textbooks, pens and paper). Motivation is low because teachers are poorly paid, students are poorly educated and there are more graduates than jobs. Education is the key to all other areas listed below.
Health – HIV/AIDs tops the list, but don’t forget about malaria, river blindness, sleeping sickness, tuberculosis and complications surrounding birthing. Not enough doctors, too many patients, not enough clinics and so on.
Agriculture – there are many areas that are food insecure or suffer from a water shortage, or both. Ethiopia is one place for both but the problem is growing in other countries as well, especially as the climate changes. How to care for the soil so it won’t become depleted or eroded, or how to bring the soil back from those conditions (a much harder proposition). How to feed growing populations on limited land?
Peace – It is no secret that war and violence are rampant in Africa on a larger scale than anywhere else in the world. When governments purchase the missiles, tanks, warplanes, guns to equip and train militias and armies, the next logical step is to use them. It doesn’t help that western and eastern nations (from the USA to Europe to Russia and China) are willing partners in crime, for there is money to be made. Merchants of death have never had any moral pretense in selling weaponry over the centuries and it certainly hasn’t changed. On a smaller scale both MCC and its partners agree that teaching about the things that make for peace, especially reaching across religions, is extremely important. Hearts and minds can overrule weapons only if love and trust replace fear and injustice. But even here, peace is a word that causes suspicion in some governments. They know their dirty souls and suspect that peace would target them. After all, the popular saying, If you want peace, work for justice, is tacitly acknowledged as true . . . and dangerous.
Political – this is also a sensitive subject in Africa. But participants affirmed the importance of CSO’s (Civil Society Organizations) that do advocacy work on behalf of the marginalized and voiceless. Government responses range from partial engagement to tolerance to outright hostility. Sometimes NGO’s like MCC can do all the relief and development work they want and still fail in the long term because at the end of the day the governing structures are so poorly designed and implemented. Corruption is rampant in all countries and the participants noted this (however, corruption is more visible in some than in others).
So we were told to dream of an ideal world 10 years in the future. What would it look like in the communities where the participants came from? What could MCC do to bring about that dream? Time and again we heard that MCC should be doing what it is continuing to do. Based on our resources and our size, it feels like we are at full strength. The peace and justice part could be expanded but everyone acknowledged that that could jeopardize MCC presence in their respective countries. Perhaps one needs to be selective, like Daniel or Esther in the Bible, and know when that time is come to speak up. Our partners would need to prompt us, like the Jewish communities of Daniel and Esther’s time.
EARM wasn’t all New Wine-New Wineskins. After 3 days our partners left and the Country Reps and MCC Africa Desk leaders from Akron stayed and spent an additional 2 days going through a laundry list of things to talk about. But it was more informal and relaxed by now, perhaps because folks were so ‘talked out’ from NW-NWS. There are new CR’s this year in Sudan, Kenya, Somalia (that’s still up in the air because of the political situation) and in January there will be a new layer of authority, MCC Regional Reps based in Nairobi. Bob & Judy Zimmerman Herr will take over many of the duties of Africa Desk directors Bruce Campbell-Janz and Melody Rupley. This is seen as a positive because they will be so much closer to the action in Nairobi. Akron is a long ways away in more than one sense. We all look forward to working with Bob & Judy.
Mennonite Central Committee is going through a re-evaluation period known as New Wine-New Wineskins. This is both a North American and worldwide event over 3 years. The hope is that when all is said and done something new and fresh, both in structure and in relationships, will pour out of the work. The hope is to invigorate and point MCC in a 21st century direction. Toward that end MCC partners were invited to the meeting for 3 days. Jan Schmidt from Winnipeg led the proceedings. Small groups of our partners and the CR’s were used continuously and given assignments that met the Appreciative Inquiry guidelines (a ‘positive’ way to develop a shared understanding on what MCC is good at and how that can help us in thinking about the future direction). We were asked to share what personal accomplishments we felt good about and what MCC accomplishments we felt good about. In order to be creative we were asked to illustrate by way of drawing, story, skit or song to convey our message.
One exercise included colored pipe cleaners. It seemed a little juvenile to play with pipe cleaners to get a message across but everyone was still in good humor on day 1. Afterwards we were told by one of the leaders that in purchasing the large amount of pipe cleaners needed for the exercise, the vendor wondered aloud if MCC has a large group of pipe smokers! Of course, it was noted, add the New Wine-New Wineskins theme and outsiders might wonder if we are all big smokers and drinkers!
There has been a tug of war going on in North America over the “MCC soul”; is MCC to move towards mainly being a professional funding agency, thereby allowing overseas staff levels to fall to minimal levels for maintenance alone (more efficient use of money). Or is MCC to maintain the idea of being relationship driven which means building up MCC volunteer postings worldwide, particularly in Africa, which can be so important in building relationships between peoples? How important are church-to-church contacts, such as in Ethiopia between MCC and MKC?
How will MCC address the problems that were talked about? The situation in many areas seems to be the same all across Africa. Some things MCC can address, others are out of our control.
Education – too many children in too small classrooms. Not enough space, not enough teachers, not enough education materials (uniforms, textbooks, pens and paper). Motivation is low because teachers are poorly paid, students are poorly educated and there are more graduates than jobs. Education is the key to all other areas listed below.
Health – HIV/AIDs tops the list, but don’t forget about malaria, river blindness, sleeping sickness, tuberculosis and complications surrounding birthing. Not enough doctors, too many patients, not enough clinics and so on.
Agriculture – there are many areas that are food insecure or suffer from a water shortage, or both. Ethiopia is one place for both but the problem is growing in other countries as well, especially as the climate changes. How to care for the soil so it won’t become depleted or eroded, or how to bring the soil back from those conditions (a much harder proposition). How to feed growing populations on limited land?
Peace – It is no secret that war and violence are rampant in Africa on a larger scale than anywhere else in the world. When governments purchase the missiles, tanks, warplanes, guns to equip and train militias and armies, the next logical step is to use them. It doesn’t help that western and eastern nations (from the USA to Europe to Russia and China) are willing partners in crime, for there is money to be made. Merchants of death have never had any moral pretense in selling weaponry over the centuries and it certainly hasn’t changed. On a smaller scale both MCC and its partners agree that teaching about the things that make for peace, especially reaching across religions, is extremely important. Hearts and minds can overrule weapons only if love and trust replace fear and injustice. But even here, peace is a word that causes suspicion in some governments. They know their dirty souls and suspect that peace would target them. After all, the popular saying, If you want peace, work for justice, is tacitly acknowledged as true . . . and dangerous.
Political – this is also a sensitive subject in Africa. But participants affirmed the importance of CSO’s (Civil Society Organizations) that do advocacy work on behalf of the marginalized and voiceless. Government responses range from partial engagement to tolerance to outright hostility. Sometimes NGO’s like MCC can do all the relief and development work they want and still fail in the long term because at the end of the day the governing structures are so poorly designed and implemented. Corruption is rampant in all countries and the participants noted this (however, corruption is more visible in some than in others).
So we were told to dream of an ideal world 10 years in the future. What would it look like in the communities where the participants came from? What could MCC do to bring about that dream? Time and again we heard that MCC should be doing what it is continuing to do. Based on our resources and our size, it feels like we are at full strength. The peace and justice part could be expanded but everyone acknowledged that that could jeopardize MCC presence in their respective countries. Perhaps one needs to be selective, like Daniel or Esther in the Bible, and know when that time is come to speak up. Our partners would need to prompt us, like the Jewish communities of Daniel and Esther’s time.
EARM wasn’t all New Wine-New Wineskins. After 3 days our partners left and the Country Reps and MCC Africa Desk leaders from Akron stayed and spent an additional 2 days going through a laundry list of things to talk about. But it was more informal and relaxed by now, perhaps because folks were so ‘talked out’ from NW-NWS. There are new CR’s this year in Sudan, Kenya, Somalia (that’s still up in the air because of the political situation) and in January there will be a new layer of authority, MCC Regional Reps based in Nairobi. Bob & Judy Zimmerman Herr will take over many of the duties of Africa Desk directors Bruce Campbell-Janz and Melody Rupley. This is seen as a positive because they will be so much closer to the action in Nairobi. Akron is a long ways away in more than one sense. We all look forward to working with Bob & Judy.
Rhotia Valley Tented Lodge (written Oct. 22)
How much can one expect of lodging? Should one just expect high prices, indifferent service, uneven food service and sloppy maintenance (or none at all)? Our experience so far in Africa has been all of the above . . . with 2 notable exceptions: Sabana Beach Lodge on Lake Langano in Ethiopia and now Rhotia Valley Tented Lodge near Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. (http://www.rhotiavalley.nl/html/tented_lodge.html)This was our safari tour’s second choice and after hearing that the first choice had a pool and this one didn’t, we were worried (for our girls’ sakes). So what about this ‘tented lodge’ that was off the beaten track through poor villages, up a mountainside? But I told myself wait, hold your judgment. It certainly looked nice enough but what was it like up close?
When the owner met us shortly after we stepped out of the vehicle I felt good. A Dutch woman who has decided not only to build the lodge but tie it in with a children’s home which will assist underprivileged children in the area. It’s brand new, opened this summer of 2008, and is a series of tented lodges overlooking the valleys and hills.
The owner has made the lodge and quarters just right. The attention to detail is amazing. Little things like a garden that you walk past on the way to your lodge, with the fresh produce on your table that night for dinner. Or the price of drinks being reasonable. Or the bottled water at the dinner table, gratis. Or having the system set up well to let people know when the hot water is on, when the electricity from the generator comes on and goes off. Or the layout of the tented rooms. Or choosing to bill one by exactly how much time one used instead of an exorbitant flat fee. Or coming back from dinner to find the tent flaps zipped up (keeping the room warmer, nights are cool at 1,700 meters) and hot water bottles in our beds.
But it was the hospitality of the owner who really set this place apart in my mind. She was interested in who we are and we wanted to know more about her project. I’m sure if we weren’t in a talking mood she would have stayed away but it was such a refreshing change of pace for us. So tonight we sleep in rustic luxury . . .
Tanzanian National Parks
Picture this; a lodge built on a ridge with a sweeping panoramic view where a ribbon of river splits the valley below. There are ‘tented lodges’ that are really half and half, half tent with zippers to enter and a tiled back part for a bathroom. There are bungalows that are rounded one room structures with a thatched dome roof which makes for a high ceiling inside. A partial wall separates the beds from the bathroom. The ridge is dotted for several hundred meters with these tented lodges and bungalows. A beautiful swimming pool is ready for all those who put in a hard day of safari in the hot, intense African sun. Cool and refreshing, a swim just like those European explorers took every afternoon after their safaris (not!). In the middle is a great lodge with a grand patio. This has a thatched roof and a vaulted ceiling and oversized chairs to sit in. There is a dining hall which is open, looking out over the valley. 
And the valley is a place of action during the day as the animals come to the river to drink. Elephants, zebra, all manner of deer (from tiny dik diks to large impala) and the occasional giraffe. The landscape has been well-grazed and is left with dry grasses as well as dotted with trees from the baobab to the acacia and tamarind. The lodge is not fenced off so by day one can spot dik dik between the tents. Monkeys roam the grounds. Not far off zebra and water buck move. By night lodge guests are escorted by a man armed with a flashlight. No one should walk unescorted from the main lodge to one’s lodging, there could be lions or leopards about. 
The first afternoon we went on safari. Now I know what a safari is. Basically one goes out in the morning and afternoon in a Land Rover or Land Cruiser or similar SUV-type vehicle. Most of the vehicles have roof hatches than one can open and stand up and observe the game while either driving or stopping. The vehicle also has three rows of seats, the last row slightly raised for that ‘riding shotgun’ feel. Our girls couldn’t see out in the middle and front seat so they ended up standing on the seats or the armrests or even on the headrest for the best view! So we would drive on the beaten paths through the game parks, never straying from the road (it’s against the law although, ironically, we saw game park workers flagrantly violating the law). No one is allowed to leave their vehicles in the game park so it was one long ‘Sunday afternoon drive’. It ended up being pretty relaxing overall, especially since I left the driving to someone else. But the sun beating down on us soon zapped us of our energy. We did lather up with sunscreen but the intensity was strong. So we drank our bottled water (no other options available, apparently). On long safaris we would have a packed lunch from the lodge we were staying in and stop at an official picnicking spot in the reserve.
Our driver Urio Amos was very laid back, in fact his demeanor and smile reminded me of the father of a boyhood friend. He tended not to speak unless spoken to or if there was something worth viewing. We did talk about some things, especially when we said we resided in Ethiopia; a little politics, religion, game parks, economies, etc. But for the most part he let us do the talking and basically said nothing as occasionally family dynamics played out (children that went from silly and happy to whining and complaining). The safari was for 5 days but we realized after 2 days at Taranguire that a 3rd day was not only unnecessary for our family but that we needed a break. So we cancelled the safari that day and stayed at the lodge swimming and relaxing. Urio was expressed mild surprise and suggested even a short drive. It seemed that he was disappointed which surprised me a bit, after 30 years of driving in these game parks I would welcome a paid day off. But then what could he do at the lodge? At any rate, he said no more and the next day inquired only once how our ‘day off’ was (it was great!).
Tarangire National Park is in Tanzania just south of Arusha town and Mt. Kilimanjaro. The park has both savanna and marshes which are mostly dried up during this time of year. In two days of safari we have seen a huge variety of animals. This park is full of giraffes, elephants, zebras, lions, ostriches, gazelle, impalas, water buck, water buffalo, warthogs, mongoose, a variety of birds and more. We haven’t seen rhinos or hippos but may in the other two locations we plan to visit. Here is a blurb from the internet about Taranguire:
Day after day of cloudless skies. The fierce sun sucks the moisture from the landscape, baking the earth a dusty red, the withered grass as brittle as straw. The Tarangire River has shriveled to a shadow of its wet season self. But it is choked with wildlife. Thirsty nomads have wandered hundreds of parched kilometers knowing that here, always, there is water. Herds of up to 300 elephants scratch the dry river bed for underground streams, while migratory wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, impala, gazelle, hartebeest and eland crowd the shrinking lagoons.
It's the greatest concentration of wildlife outside the Serengeti ecosystem - a smorgasbord for predators – and the one place in Tanzania where dry-country antelope such as the stately fringe-eared oryx and peculiar long-necked gerenuk are regularly observed. During the rainy season, the seasonal visitors scatter over a 20,000 sq km (12,500 sq miles) range until they exhaust the green plains and the river calls once more. But Tarangire's mobs of elephant are easily encountered, wet or dry. The swamps, tinged green year round, are the focus for 550 bird varieties, the most breeding species in one habitat anywhere in the world. On drier ground you find the Kori bustard, the heaviest flying bird; the stocking-thighed ostrich, the world's largest bird; and small parties of ground hornbills blustering like turkeys. More ardent bird-lovers might keep an eye open for screeching flocks of the dazzlingly colourful yellow-collared lovebird, and the somewhat drabber rufous-tailed weaver and ashy starling – all endemic to the dry savannah of north-central Tanzania.
Disused termite mounds are often frequented by colonies of the endearing dwarf mongoose, and pairs of red-and-yellow barbet, which draw attention to themselves by their loud, clockwork-like dueting. Tarangire's pythons climb trees, as do its lions and leopards, lounging in the branches where the fruit of the sausage tree disguises the twitch of a tail. [Size 2850 sq km (1,096 sq miles)].
Manyara National Park is a mostly a ground water ‘rainforest’ which includes a large lake/ wetlands as well. It is abundant with wildlife and birds of all varieties, including those who fly south from Europe for the winter (they were just starting to arrive as we left). We saw hippos, but alas no rhinos. We drove under the canopy most of the morning and eventually over to the lake in the afternoon. Here is a description of the park:
Stretching for 50km along the base of the rusty-gold 600-metre high Rift Valley escarpment, Lake Manyara is a scenic gem, with a setting extolled by Ernest Hemingway as “the loveliest I had seen in Africa”. The compact game-viewing circuit through Manyara offers a virtual microcosm of the Tanzanian safari experience.
From the entrance gate, the road winds through an expanse of lush jungle-like groundwater forest where hundred-strong baboon troops lounge nonchalantly along the roadside, blue monkeys scamper nimbly between the ancient mahogany trees, dainty bushbuck tread warily through the shadows, and outsized forest hornbills honk cacophonously in the high canopy. Contrasting with the intimacy of the forest is the grassy floodplain and its expansive views eastward, across the alkaline lake, to the jagged blue volcanic peaks that rise from the endless Maasai Steppes. Large buffalo, wildebeest and zebra herds congregate on these grassy plains, as do giraffes – some so dark in coloration that they appear to be black from a distance.
Inland of the floodplain, a narrow belt of acacia woodland is the favoured haunt of Manyara’s legendary tree-climbing lions and impressively tusked elephants. Squadrons of banded mongoose dart between the acacias, while the diminutive Kirk’s dik-dik forages in their shade. Pairs of klipspringer are often seen silhouetted on the rocks above a field of searing hot springs that steams and bubbles adjacent to the lakeshore in the far south of the park.
Manyara provides the perfect introduction to Tanzania’s birdlife. More than 400 species have been recorded, and even a first-time visitor to Africa might reasonably expect to observe 100 of these in one day. Highlights include thousands of pink-hued flamingos on their perpetual migration, as well as other large waterbirds such as pelicans, cormorants and storks. Size: 330 sq km (127 sq miles), of which up to 200 sq km (77 sq miles) is lake when water levels are high.
On our final day we visited Ngorongoro Crater Park. This is an amazing park. A former volcano at the beginning of the long chain of ancient volcanoes that now make up the Rift Valley which stretches through Kenya, Ethiopia and into the Middle East, Ngorongoro was active about 3 million years ago. Then it became extinct and collapsed within itself, leaving a large plain that is guarded 360° by the ancient volcanic walls of Ngorongoro.
The Ngorongoro Crater is the world's largest intact caldera in an exceptional geographical position, forming a spectacular bowl of about 265 square kilometres with sides up to 600m deep, the stalking ground of around 20,000 to 30,000 wild animals at any one time. The crater floor consists of a number of ecological environments that include grassland, swamps, forests and Lake Makat, a central soda lake filled by the Munge river. All these various habitats attract various wildlife to drink, wallow, graze, hide or climb. Although animals are free to move in and out of this contained environment, the rich volcanic soil, lush forests and spring source lakes on the crater floor tend to incline both grazers and predators to remain here throughout the year.
The Crater rim, over 2,200 metres high, touches swathes of clouds for most days of the year, with cool high altitude vapours that seem to bring a clean lightness to the air, and also a chill. These highlands wake up to a misty fog in most months, other than the high dry season during December and January.
More information on this amazing place can be found at the Wikipedia website:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ngorongoro_Crater
I’m sorry to say that I cannot add photos momentarily due to technical difficulties. My hard drive crashed about a month ago and even though I have a new hard drive much was lost, including my Sony camera software. We’re working on it, so you may see photos later, when this is all resolved.
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