If you are in a traffic accident as a foreigner, it is always your fault.
You will get a ticket if you attempt a Chinese fire drill.
Single file lines are simply a figment of the imagination.
When you attend a soccer game, it is imperative you understand you will be sharing your seat with three other people.
If someone asks to touch your "eye bush" do not be concerned. They merely want to feel your eyelashes.
It is common for a 12-passenger-city transportation-van to hold 20.
It is common for a beggar to practice auctioneering skills with foreigners… "10 birr… Okay, 5 birr… Okay, 1 birr… Okay, coins." This continues until you invest.
It is common for foreigners to have mental and emotional breakdowns in the post office.
Copyright laws do not exist here. So do not fill yourself with false hope when you see "Sally Beauty Supply", "Home Depot", or "Burger Queen". Yes, Burger Queen.
Lanes and street signs are only small suggestions.
If you expect to receive e-mails in a timely manner, you are an idiot.
If you spend your time trying to make sense of things here, you will die ignorant. Therefore, it is crucial you avoid the question "why?"
at all times.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
THANK YOU!
Yesterday I went to the post office and had 3 slips of paper for packages. I had to go back this morning and get them. So I walked up to the post office near my house, handed the clerk the 3 slips along with my ID (which I had to go make another copy of because of the whole "Sierra, Lauren"/"Lauren Sierra" fiasco last time). After I paid the women, she had me come around the corner to get my packages. They were huge. I looked like an idiot carrying them but felt like a kid at Christmas. I got to my house, laid the boxes out and tore into them. The first two were packages from my mom... she sent me some clothes and shoes. I planted my face into the clothes and inhaled deep. It smelled of home and that just made everything that was homesick in me disappear.
The 3rd package was from the Brown Family. Wow. 3 books, cheez-its, trail mix, 2 packs of twizzlers, an outrageous amount of koolaid, skittles, pasta sides (6 of them... cheddar broccoli with the small noodles are my favorite), a CD, and a singing card... when I opened the card it still worked!! I couldn't believe it! The words were so kind. I keep every card taped to the inside of my closet door and every morning look at them. So, Brown Family, your card is taped up and I think of you often.
I just wanted to say thank you to anyone who has sent me mail. It takes time, I know. Writing a letter to me from this far away or sending me a package means more to me than I can possibly explain. It's tangible. I can smell things and taste things and put cloth between my hands and read your handwriting with a card between my thumbs and pointer fingers.... it makes everything hard go away for a time and it's like I'm carrying you through the streets I live in. SO THANK YOU!
The 3rd package was from the Brown Family. Wow. 3 books, cheez-its, trail mix, 2 packs of twizzlers, an outrageous amount of koolaid, skittles, pasta sides (6 of them... cheddar broccoli with the small noodles are my favorite), a CD, and a singing card... when I opened the card it still worked!! I couldn't believe it! The words were so kind. I keep every card taped to the inside of my closet door and every morning look at them. So, Brown Family, your card is taped up and I think of you often.
I just wanted to say thank you to anyone who has sent me mail. It takes time, I know. Writing a letter to me from this far away or sending me a package means more to me than I can possibly explain. It's tangible. I can smell things and taste things and put cloth between my hands and read your handwriting with a card between my thumbs and pointer fingers.... it makes everything hard go away for a time and it's like I'm carrying you through the streets I live in. SO THANK YOU!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Ten things about my life in Ethio...
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1) I went to a local soccer game and it was, by far, the craziest sporting event I have ever been to.
2) One of my students wrote a paper about her family. The last sentences say, "we have no father and mother. both are died. we love each other"... I keep it in my journal.
3) One of my co-workers has satellite and we watch "So You Think You Can Dance" every Tuesday night after cooking dinner with one another
(okay... I might not cook, but I bring stuff... I'm like my momma).
The season is from last year but it's new to all of us. It's our time as a team to really get away for a little bit. This Tuesday night is the season finale. Who will it be? Katie, Joshua, Kourtney, or Twitch??
4) I have an Ethio family here who takes very good care of me... and longs to someday meet my family.
5) My Ethio family is Dagi's family. Dagi is doing great and can't wait to meet some of my friends who might get to visit. She turned 18!
See picture.
6) I went to get a package the other day and they wouldn't give it to me because my drivers license says, "Sierra, Lauren" and my package said, "Lauren Sierra". They said the package wasn't addressed to me.
15 minutes of explanation and a photo copy later, I got my package.
7) My internet connection is awesome. See picture.
8) KIDS! See picture. One of my roommates guaranteed I could fit a couple in my check in for under 50 pounds... I know that's terrible but sometimes you just have to joke to get past the reality of it all some days.
9) Everything is done in community. You eat off the same plate and to do so is to commit to friendship. The food is so dang good, too...
despite its appearance. See picture.
10) One time, I accidently took money from a beggar. My roommates like to hold it against me.
2) One of my students wrote a paper about her family. The last sentences say, "we have no father and mother. both are died. we love each other"... I keep it in my journal.
3) One of my co-workers has satellite and we watch "So You Think You Can Dance" every Tuesday night after cooking dinner with one another
(okay... I might not cook, but I bring stuff... I'm like my momma).
The season is from last year but it's new to all of us. It's our time as a team to really get away for a little bit. This Tuesday night is the season finale. Who will it be? Katie, Joshua, Kourtney, or Twitch??
4) I have an Ethio family here who takes very good care of me... and longs to someday meet my family.
5) My Ethio family is Dagi's family. Dagi is doing great and can't wait to meet some of my friends who might get to visit. She turned 18!
See picture.
6) I went to get a package the other day and they wouldn't give it to me because my drivers license says, "Sierra, Lauren" and my package said, "Lauren Sierra". They said the package wasn't addressed to me.
15 minutes of explanation and a photo copy later, I got my package.
7) My internet connection is awesome. See picture.
8) KIDS! See picture. One of my roommates guaranteed I could fit a couple in my check in for under 50 pounds... I know that's terrible but sometimes you just have to joke to get past the reality of it all some days.
9) Everything is done in community. You eat off the same plate and to do so is to commit to friendship. The food is so dang good, too...
despite its appearance. See picture.
10) One time, I accidently took money from a beggar. My roommates like to hold it against me.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Give us this day our daily bread.
If you have never read my blog but only look at pictures... please read this.
Today I walked to the post office to check the mail. I was walking back to my house one foot in front of the other staring at the ground in my own little world. I past a man who put his hand to his mouth and looked at me with tears in his eyes. "Dabo", he said. Bread. "Dabo yellenim.... coy." I don't have bread... wait. I went to the nearest place that sold bread, passing 2 other young boys along the way who were in need of food. Again I said wait. Then I past another woman in a full black burka... "salamalakum" (I have no idea how to spell that) I said and smiled. I'll pretend I saw her smile back through her covering. So I bought 4 big rolls of bread and headed back to the old man. I past the 2 young boys and gave each of them a roll. They smiled big and sat down immediately to dine together. The older man saw me in the distance and began limping toward me. I gave him the bag with the 2 rolls in it and he began to weep. "Semay mahno?" What is your name? "Berano", he mumbled.... I strained to hear him. "Lauren ibalahlo" I said, introducing myself. "Ena Xabier yeastaline". And may the Father provide for you." I put my hand on his shoulder and smiled at him as tears poured over his cheeks. I have given plenty of people bread before.... in the states and out of the states. I have never witnessed someone weeping from 2 rolls of bread. Weeping in gratitude for bread. "Give us this day our daily bread." I had to keep myself from losing it on the street with this man. The inside of me twisted in a way that it never has... and I can confidently say that I will never be the same after a short 5 minutes of my life with one person who had nothing, yet everything, to offer me.
Today I walked to the post office to check the mail. I was walking back to my house one foot in front of the other staring at the ground in my own little world. I past a man who put his hand to his mouth and looked at me with tears in his eyes. "Dabo", he said. Bread. "Dabo yellenim.... coy." I don't have bread... wait. I went to the nearest place that sold bread, passing 2 other young boys along the way who were in need of food. Again I said wait. Then I past another woman in a full black burka... "salamalakum" (I have no idea how to spell that) I said and smiled. I'll pretend I saw her smile back through her covering. So I bought 4 big rolls of bread and headed back to the old man. I past the 2 young boys and gave each of them a roll. They smiled big and sat down immediately to dine together. The older man saw me in the distance and began limping toward me. I gave him the bag with the 2 rolls in it and he began to weep. "Semay mahno?" What is your name? "Berano", he mumbled.... I strained to hear him. "Lauren ibalahlo" I said, introducing myself. "Ena Xabier yeastaline". And may the Father provide for you." I put my hand on his shoulder and smiled at him as tears poured over his cheeks. I have given plenty of people bread before.... in the states and out of the states. I have never witnessed someone weeping from 2 rolls of bread. Weeping in gratitude for bread. "Give us this day our daily bread." I had to keep myself from losing it on the street with this man. The inside of me twisted in a way that it never has... and I can confidently say that I will never be the same after a short 5 minutes of my life with one person who had nothing, yet everything, to offer me.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
What I do here
1) Every Monday, Wedneday, Thursday I teach class for an hour and a half. My class and I are reading the Chronicles of Narnia and discussing new vocabulary, tenses, and summaries of a chapter each class. There has been some great discussion on the story of Adam and Eve.... the corruption of man... and our inherit nature of depravity... my students call it "the disease of sin"...
2) I meet with my friend Dagi every Thursday at 4:30 to study the Word. We are going through the book of John.
3) We have a part of the city that is 100% Som. people. These people fled from Som. to Ethio and live in a particular part of the city that is extremely close to where I live. One of my teammates, Allison, and I are beginning to p-walk in the area that we call Little Mog (Mog. is the capital of Som.).
4) I hang out with my teammates and laugh a lot. We have House Ch every Friday and a women's group on Tuesdays. I enjoy the women's group the most probably. There are some incredible people here that are extremely knowledgeable and I love soaking it all in.
5) This Friday we are going to pick up our newest team member, Erin and another group. Erin and I will be roommates for the next however long until I leave. For 2 weeks I will also be roomies with three other 2-year folks until they move up to Bah. D (the place I spent 3 weeks in). Please pr for Erin and her transition. She is leaving the states today.
2) I meet with my friend Dagi every Thursday at 4:30 to study the Word. We are going through the book of John.
3) We have a part of the city that is 100% Som. people. These people fled from Som. to Ethio and live in a particular part of the city that is extremely close to where I live. One of my teammates, Allison, and I are beginning to p-walk in the area that we call Little Mog (Mog. is the capital of Som.).
4) I hang out with my teammates and laugh a lot. We have House Ch every Friday and a women's group on Tuesdays. I enjoy the women's group the most probably. There are some incredible people here that are extremely knowledgeable and I love soaking it all in.
5) This Friday we are going to pick up our newest team member, Erin and another group. Erin and I will be roommates for the next however long until I leave. For 2 weeks I will also be roomies with three other 2-year folks until they move up to Bah. D (the place I spent 3 weeks in). Please pr for Erin and her transition. She is leaving the states today.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Random things I have been thinking about: Please read my heart. If salvation depended on loving God and loving people, would I live differently? If I would then I don't live to love Go d or people theway I was called to and perhaps have watered down and muddied the message of Jeuse for others and in my own life.There is this self-righteous side of me that pretends that I know whatch is "supposed" to look like. I have found myself complaining aboutthe dynamics of ch... and shame on me for thinking or judging the bodyof believers. Plus, if we complain about the body... and yeah sometimes we do need to take note of things that are wrong... but if we complain about the church we have to be apart of the change... if wearen't apart of the change, then why are we complaining???? We are just apart of the problem. That is something I have thought a lot about lately. If you are only critiquing the problem then that's aproblem in itself. I live in the mist of war. Something I have been contemplating is if I am ready to die for the gospel. I'm reminded of Stephen when he is being stoned (Acts 7:54-59). He is getting pounded and pounded with rocks until he dies and his last words, as blood is trickling down hisface and he is gasping for air, he speaks.... "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Am I willing to die for others to know that grace of Jesus?I hate the "M" word. It kinda makes me cringe. The "M" word entails some "saint" or something... like people that have their life so together that they can work on other people's. missionaries are "good people".Yeah... no freakin' way. Gah, I struggle so bad in sin. My intentions are jacked sometimes, my mind is messed up, I don't pray all of the time or read the Word as if it's bread for my hunger... no...I'm not there in any of those things. If "M" entails sharing the gspl... then I sure hope that people don't think I'm an missonary only sometimes. I hope people always see Jesus in me through my actions, love,and mess ups where His grace is provided infinitely. If you are afollower of Jeuse... you are an "M" (missionary).... or maybe none of us are missionaries...we are just people who love Jeuse and believe in His message... we do notneed the "M" label. I do not desire that label...
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Monday- 10/6/08 I start classes tonight!!!
1) When I got back to Addis a package was waiting for me! My familysent me and the roomies a package of the best food... and I'm reallyexcited about it.
2) Mesfin is a brother in JC. He is one of the most lovable people.He is moving to Kansas City for the next few years. This is at hisgoing away party. He hates Chelsea so last year I always wore myjersey around him... then my name went from Lauren to Chelsea. So I thought to continue the trend to make him laugh at his going away shin-dig (and he stole my hat).
Please pr for him and his family. It will be a big transition for both.
1) When I got back to Addis a package was waiting for me! My familysent me and the roomies a package of the best food... and I'm reallyexcited about it.
2) Mesfin is a brother in JC. He is one of the most lovable people.He is moving to Kansas City for the next few years. This is at hisgoing away party. He hates Chelsea so last year I always wore myjersey around him... then my name went from Lauren to Chelsea. So I thought to continue the trend to make him laugh at his going away shin-dig (and he stole my hat).
Please pr for him and his family. It will be a big transition for both.
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