Sunday, June 25

We started the morning off with breakfast as usual by our wonderful cook, Tiblets, at the guest house- oatmeal, eggs, bread, and cereal. We then went to church. We walked about two blocks down a rocky path to arrive at the church. When we got there the church was about three-fourths full and we sat in the back. I was all set to be bored for a two hour long sermon in Amharic- I had my Bible, journal, water and snacks to keep me occupied; what I experienced was something totally different. We sang about three or four songs in Amharic that lasted for over an hour. This is what God intended worship to be like. People cried out to God in ways and sounds I had never experienced. I was overwhelmed with emotion- surrounded by God's children. We ended our time in church as the Amharic sermon ended and walked to our bus- filled up by the love of Jesus.

Sunday afternoon we invited the teachers from Dessie to join us for a trip to Lake Hayk. We left around 2 p.m. on a very bumpy road. On the way we passed acacia trees and small canyons. The people on the road smiled and waved at us as we moved along slowly. We arrived at this beautiful lake surrounded by mountains. Other Ethiopians were relaxing by the lake. The whole group was able to go into the spinning room where the nuns made a variety of clothes. After we bought things in the shop with borrowed money, the women weren't allowed to go into the monastery so we walked around a bit and relaxed. We didn't know it at the time, but we met the head of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church who was being filmed by a TV camera crew. We ended our time at the lake with food (cookies and roasted barley) and beverages.

Kristina Rodriguez
2nd Grade Teacher