From Addis to Home

We started our last day in Ethiopia by visiting our newest school and the one which offers the most hope. Two years ago we visited an orphanage for children with HIV. It was run by the Missionaries of Charity and they had a problem. They started the orphanage with forty children, but with advances in medicine the children were living and needed an education...and the numbers had grown to 250. The Sister explained that the Charism of the Missionaries is to serve the dying, not run schools for the living. So they were looking for another religious order to run the school. They had an agreement with another order, but the arrangements fell through, so they approached the Brothers. Although there are still some details to iron out, but Brother Kassu is acting as principal. The school is beautiful...four million dollars worth of beautiful to be exact. In the tradition of Mother Theresa, nothing is too good for the poor.

We then visited St. Joseph School. It is the oldest of our schools in Ethiopia and certainly the most prestigious. It is routinely ranked as the number one school in the country and numbers among its alumni the president of Djibouti and the Ambassador to Egypt. It was mentioned in the book "Cutting for Stone", but erroneously credited to the Jesuits, which may have been a literary device since most people wouldn't recognize Brothers of the Christian Schools.

We then were off shopping. Bargaining is the name of the game. I made such an impression on one shopkeeper, she brought me a stool to sit on and ordered coffee! I had to buy another suitcase to get everything home. But everyone had fun and got into the spirit of haggling.

We had lunch and dinner at small restaurants. Nothing is quick with 25 people, but the kids ordered pizza for lunch, which was very good and there were hamburgers on the menu in the evening...preparing the stomachs for home!

The was security on entering the airport, so we really didn't get to say goodbye to the Brothers. They were wonderful hosts and I can't thank them enough for all they did for us.

I was at the front of the group and told the counter agent that the other leader and I are pretty big, hoping for an exit seat. He asked if business class would be ok? Thank you, Jesus. Cloud Nine service on Ethiopia Airlines is aptly named. Leather seats that fully recline, with back massage no less. Six course meals with appropriate beverages. The seventeen hours just flew by! Love that airline. The upgraded the other two chaperones and Bri, who was under the weather. Did I mention I love that airline.