Feast of St. Gabriel

July 26, 2011
Hamle 19, 2003 ec

Happy St. Gabriel’s Feast Day! There was no school today, but we still had to wake up early. It was a treat for breakfast this morning because along with our normal bread rolls there was a fresh jar of nutella and strawberry jam.

After breakfast we all dressed in our Sunday best for the celebration of St. Gabriel’s Feast Day in Lagahare. We had to drive what we thought would be 20 minutes but really turned into a hour drive, but we can’t complain too much because along the way down the mountains there was beautiful scenery as usual. Nineteen of us fit into the Brother’s van and the rest rode in the back of the Brother’s pick-up truck! Don’t worry though, in Africa riding in the back of a pick-up truck is considered safe and legal.

Once we arrived we were shocked by the traffic and amount of people all gathered for this saint’s feast day. Think of the Minnesota State fair multiplied by 2. Apparently all Christian Orthodox Ethiopian’s gather for this day, and some even spend the previous night sleeping by and around the church to ensure a chance to pray to St. Gabriel for hope. We still haven’t gotten used to being stared at by every passerby, it was like a “ferengie parade” (the word they use for white person). There were even some locals that stopped us to ask for a picture with us. When we finally arrived to the beautiful church there were people EVERYWHERE. We felt like elephants in a line holding on to the person in front of us in hope that we would get pulled through and stay together. We walked around the whole church and then we took off our shoes so we could enter the church. Once inside we all walked around and looked at all the beautiful ceilings, walls, altars, and decorations. We took some pictures and some time to take it all in and pray.

After we left the church we all walked back and on our way we stopped to buy some necklaces and bread, they are beautiful and the bread was delicious! Brother Getachew decided to take a short cut home and this short cut included what we called our “hike number 2”. We very carefully went down a side of a hill to beat the hustle and bustle of the celebration. It was a little scary, but we trusted him and it gives us something extra to journal about.

We rode back 19 to the van and 6 in the back of the truck again, once again beautiful sights to see. Once we got home we all were tired and tried to take naps, but it was too hot so we all went outside (yes it is hotter in our room than outside)! Not many kids showed up to playtime today because of the feast day celebration, but a few did so we all played basketball and volleyball.

After playtime we took two trips as a group in the back of the truck and we went to visit The Missionaries of Charity, it was a care center for kids, men, and women. These individuals are cared for from birth until death. While we were there Sister Maria Thomasma, originally born in Italy, gave us a tour of both the men’s and women’s facilities. Although it was difficult for us to see people in these situations, it was remarkable for us to experience the love of the sisters and patients who are there every day. After our tour it began to rain and so we left The Missionaries of Charity and went back in the back of the truck. When we got home we all gathered for dinner, and after as usual we reflected on our experiences of the day.

The past two blog entries were written by Lexie, Krista, and Olivia
Krista- I would like to give a shout out to MJ, Rog, Naney, Welty and Skeat and all my other family and friends! I miss you all and love you all so much! I hope everything is going well!
Lexie- I want to send my love to My Mom and Dad, My Brother Taylor, and all my family members that are following this blog! I am having a great time in Ethiopia and can’t wait to share my experiences with all of you when I get home!
Olivia- Hey every one! Happy early 21st Kelsey! And to the rest of the fam.. mom, dad, Sam, Megan, and Maes and all my friends: I miss you all and love you so much! See you soon!