Its a Long Road Home

Fuel check.
Oil check.
Flaps check.
Cow check.

OK let’s go....So you may be wondering at this point what this blog is going to be about . Here goes : it is a day of miracles, a day of exhaustion a day of God’s riches and love: a day of safety despite nature and politics. 

As we write, we are in Addis airport waiting for our flight to Dubai ...safe and sound now that the runway is clear of a cow! But we are getting ahead of ourselves... we’ve been traveling 12 hours now and will start at the beginning.

Continuing from yesterday....Emotions were undoubtedly running high, but to look at the group, you would never know it. Everyone maintained such positive attitudes, and the Lord filled us with his peace through prayer and faith that he is a God that keeps His promises: and he goes before us, he goes behind us, and he hems us in, wherever we find ourselves.And the icing on this cake is the short time we enjoyed with colleagues from Switzerland and Germany who were stranded en route to Addis and just “happened” to meet our group yesterday afternoon in Butajira. What a warm, vibrant group with quite the mission themselves, training others about trauma informed care and caring for individuals with disabilities.
 

Our luggage was loaded last night before we turned in for the evening and everyone – yes, even the Turts – arrived on time at 3:45 AM for our anticipated departure at 4 AM. With our newly and found European com padres arriving shortly there after, we were all on the road by 415...

After Bete shared a prayer for safety as well as a “memorable” adventure. A six hour ride ahead of us, we rested, we talked, and we enjoyed a glorious sunrise over the mountaintops and scenic fields of teff, maize, banana trees, and bright flowers.
 

Driving through towns small and large – most notably Wolaita Sodo, we saw all sorts of activity. School children dressed in royal blue uniforms dotted the busy highway, while boys from elementary through perhaps college age drove two wheeled wagons pulled by burros. How they balance on those precarious contraptions is quite a feat! Our bus came to halt over and over to allow the cows and goats to pass.

 

Our time in our Arba Minch was brief and surreal. We quickly unloaded the bus, aided by local attendants, while Bete confirmed the manifesto for our 24-person strong group. We enjoyed a quick time of refreshment, from kaz kaza (cold) ambo and colas to stimulating macchiatos. We then quickly went through a second security line before walking on the airstrip to the Ethiopian Airline prop plane awaiting us.

 

 

 
As we walked across the hot tarmac to our Prop plane accompanied by Bete, the open door of the plane wafted air cool air onto our sweat laden skin. The Ethiopian airline flight attendant welcomed us and told us to “sit “ where we wanted . Empty seats surrounded us.

Each of us reveled in the cool air as the plane started to take off from Arba Minch. Just as we started to lift off from the tarmac, the plane came to screeching halt. Our pilot announced over head with apologies that due to an animal on the runway we would turn around and try again. Obviously the men who monitor the strip had missed a stay cow. Thanks to God we did not hit the poor creature.
Nothing is by chance and we cannot underestimate nor overstate our great appreciation and respect for our project Mercy family who clearly has the right connections to make such details align and in such short order. We asked Bete how this miracle was possible: chartering an Ethiopian airlines plane that seats 50 and his response was “God is good , and I know people who know
People.”.

We praise the Lord for caring about details big and small. And we continue to pray for peace within this country.

(This last paragraph was written after the group arrived in Dubai)

So it's Saturday.  We all slept a few hours in Dubai and are recollecting and remembering the details of the last ten days.  Our hearts are filled with mixed emotions: excitement to see family and sadness to not be with our Ethiopian family.  The beauty of this land the people profoundly effects each of us.