8:45am. Waking up to the sound of a quiet room, the soft and familiar hum of a fan, darkened by beautiful lavender curtains, the smell of fresh homemade cinnamon rolls and the feeling of a solid night’s rest. The only thing on my mind is “God is good” and “where am I?”
Rewind 3 weeks. My team and I have landed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia with no place to lay our heads, no host to show us the safe places to eat and wide eyes as we gaze at the rolling hills covered with smog and smell the freshly butchered goats across the street. Too overwhelmed to cry, I load my bag into the back of blue “taxi” to leave the comfort of our squad and begin venturing into, quite literally, the unknown. My faith was strong but my emotions dramatically wavered as we passed huts and homes made from metal sheets, abandoned half-finished buildings and every type of cattle you can think of. People started at us as we passed them. Some even came up to bang on our window and held their fingers to their mouth signaling “I’m hungry and I know you have money because I can see the color of your skin.” Woah. If this isn’t culture shock, I don’t know what is.
Our first few days in Addis were spent in prayer and worship, preparing to travel south. While our Team Leader Rachel made phone calls for what seemed like hours upon hours, we researched the people group we were assigned to and how we could get to them. The first 2 full days in Addis we did not have one full meal. We didn’t know how to navigate the city, we didn’t speak the language and we didn’t know what was safe to eat. But finally, the clouds parted as a restaurant listing popped up on my Trip Advisor app. Bunni Burger. A sandwich place just one mile from our guesthouse. It didn’t have many reviews but the few pictures posted looked promising. So we ventured out.
We were met with several smiles that hid honesty of complete surprise by the few women that worked there. We sat down and eagerly peered into the small menu. We didn’t mind a lack of selection, we were so hungry for a real meal. The food was good, and though we returned to Bunni Burger several times those next few days for more Chicken Focaccia sandwiches, that is not the magic I want to share with you.
On our 2nd to the last day in the city, we ventured to Bunni Burger for one last familiar treat before heading into the Bush of southern Ethiopia. We arrived and were shocked to see we would not be the only white people in the restaurant today. Another family, 3 adults and 5 children filled (literally, filled) the room. We whispered at our table “I wonder where they’re from. Do they speak English? Should we talk to them?” These are the questions that overwhelm our minds these days while seeing other foreigners, or as the Ethiopians call is “for-en-gis.” We overheard the children sharing conversation and heard not only English but American accents! As the were leaving the restaurant, one of the women approached our table and shared the Gospel with us. “Not only Americans, they’re Christians!” my team communicated through eye contact with one another.
The Fuessner family lives in Ethiopia as missionaries, in the process of building a church. Josh, Krystal and their 5 kids all under the age of 11 are in their third year here and they invited us to attend their Bible study the next morning. Warmed by their sweet southern accents, we agreed and received the directions to their home. The next morning, we set out to find their home and fellowship with, what we had perceived to be, angels of the Lord! Their home is beautiful and big, perfect for a family of 7. The service was wonderful; complete with familiar hymns sung loud by the four young boys and a scripture-filled teaching by Brother Joshua. After our study, they took us to a traditional Ethiopian restaurant where we enjoyed some of the best Injera and meat! They offered to help us with anything we need as we prepare to head into the Bush.
We decided to keep some of our valuable possessions at their house and each just take one bag on our journey. They sent us on our way with homemade cinnamon rolls and security of prayer.
Our month was full of adventures. We traveled far south and stayed in a small town called Jinka to begin outreach to our people group, the Hammer-Bana tribe. We worked alongside some of the most brilliant minds and powerful Kingdom developers. Upon returning to Addis at the end of the month, we were reunited with our family from Tennessee. Josh and Krystal let us know that they had been praying and felt led to offer their home for us to stay in during our final days in Addis before leaving for Rwanda. Our team leapt in excitement and shed tears of joy for the overwhelming provision of this family!
So for the past 5 days, we’ve been staying with this blessing of a family. Their boys have enough energy and imaginations to keep us entertained for a life time! And Josh and Krystal overwhelm us with their sweet hospitality. They have gone above and beyond to make this place a home for us. We sleep on comfortable “rainbow foam” mattresses (the boys say they’re the best mattresses in the world), waking up to delicious coffee and spend our days sharing stories about God’s goodness and provision. Though the power goes out often (a regular thing in Ethiopia), it doesn’t bother us because Brother Joshua reads exciting war stories by a candlelight. The other day we played Clue, ate homemade Ethiopian food and sat next to a campfire sharing personal testimonies.
As their youngest boy, Judson, fell asleep in my arms, I couldn’t help but wipe away tears, not only seeing but feeling the Lord’s good and precious gifts. This family has been more than a blessing. They’ve been a safe place. A place to call home. Though the soft cotton sheets, oil diffusers and homemade cinnamon rolls are such sweet blessings, I can’t help but recognize the extreme provision from the Lord in introducing us to this family. They’ve encouraged us, prayed over us, laughed with us and cried with us. Their boys have given us energy through their creativity in playing with Lincoln Logs and sweet bedtime hugs. I will never forget the past 5 days. God gives good gifts to his children and this time, it’s almost too overwhelming to receive. But he gives anyways. So we have received and walk into our last 2 months of this journey, renewed and refreshed, ready to take on whatever challenges await us. Because we know God holds us in the challenges and is waiting on the other side, ready to greet us with a plate full of warm, homemade cinnamon rolls.
