Sept. 28 – Oct. 4, 2020

Departure week was momentous, to say the least! Three times there were major obstructions, each larger than the one before.

Problem #1: To get the 2 year multiple entry visa (instead of the get-when-you-arrive 3 month, single entry visa), I needed to appear at the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington D.C. Long story short, per their direction I sent them my passport well in advance and they said it would be ready when I would come in nine days. When I arrived, a day before departing for Ethiopia, they said “No, we don’t have your passport – it’s not here, it’s not here!”! It took most of two hours to sort this out, but after calling back to Ephrata and Nathan Zeiset sending me a photo of the tracking receipt, they looked a little harder ... and found it (it had been sent certified, insured, signature required, and with tracking). Dan Wenger graciously made the second trip for it the next day, as I was finishing packing.

I had also held off on buying the air ticket, but had been checking frequently and the price was always $515 one way. I had a check in my spirit to wait, to have as many things as possible lined up before purchase. Purchase was Monday morning (9/28) for the Wednesday morning flight (9/30) ... and the price for the round trip had dropped $60.

Problem #2: I needed to present a negative covid-PCR test at the Addis* airport, with the sample taken less than 72 hours previous to arrival. I had the sample taken, and flew ... but on arrival at 7:15am there wasn’t a test result in my email.** I wasn’t completely surprised, and began the wait in the airport until it would come in. A very gracious Ethiopian Airlines ground stewardess saw my plight, and made sure my luggage was safely stowed and that I had a free meal voucher and otherwise made sure things were in order. As it got to lunch time and on poking around a bit more, I realized I was also not correctly set up with the portal where the test would be posted, but fortunately I was able to work that out. As the wait continued I pondered my “options,” including an impassioned appeal, when a church member texted me and wondered how things were going. I explained that the test hadn’t come in, and that if it didn’t, I’d need to take the last flight back to the US at 10:30pm (no one is allowed to stay overnight in the airport, and Ethiopian security is tight). Concern was mounting, strongly, on my part, but as she shared with the church and prayers were made, at 4:30 the test came through, clear as a bell, and on I sailed out of the airport. The Ethiopian regulations had changed overnight (while I was in the air), and in addition to sailing through the airport, I was free of any quarantine (hallelujah, though I was prepared for that). And on to ...

Problem #3: I took a taxi across town to the mission Guest House where I had stayed previously, only to find it cold, dark, and permanently closed (there had been a missed return email, which came several days later). This was an incredible and shocking set-back: the Guest House was not only a bed, meals, and roof over my head, but was also intended to be 1) the hub and covering for the duration of my stay until Christmas, and 2) a source of myriad connections with the many who travel through there (well, not as many during covid, which is in part why it closed). 

All of a sudden what was a sure bastion from my growing up days was completely gone, without warning, and the practical safeguards of this trip had been swept away. Though clear about why I came, I had serious misgivings like I’ve rarely had in life, and essentially without any “coverage” on site that I wondered if I would need to be on the next day’s flight back to the USA. Though I have some familiarity here, I knew I would not be able to negotiate the city on my own, that the situation was dire. A couple I know still live at the Guest House, and they allowed me to use wifi long enough to find a satisfactory hotel, where I would stay a day or two to reassess (I checked into the hotel for a week, to cover for any extension that might be warranted).

Two weeks previous I had emailed a number of people to be sure of the covid and political situations in Addis, but no response from the people I would be relating to (another longtime friend had responded, clearly saying “Come,” and with well stated reasons). The next morning as I was getting up there was an email response from a trusted Somali Christian and one of the key contacts. From his response:

I am so sorry to be late with the answer to this email; I did not realize that you've said that you may visit Ethiopia as early as October 1 which was yesterday. We would very much welcome you and would like to do things with you if you finally come - for example, our plan is to visit [a not-to-be-public location] and stay there at least two weeks. I am sure you will enjoy it and will get many new ideas as you think about the future! You are also welcome in Addis to observe what we are doing and share your ideas with us. We have been very busy! ...

We will be glad to see you soon.

In Christ,

Hussein*

What a warm welcome, a joy, and a relief! Contact had been made, and this was somehow going to work out. Some more email back and forth, and it wasn’t long until I was set to stay, long term, in another guest house. While loss of the original Guest House was an hard blow, this may be for the better. Though I will not have the variety and quantity of contacts I was anticipating, this may be God’s hand to physically move me much closer to Hussein & Howa and the vital Somali outreach they are doing. Time will tell, but it may have been God’s hand to “cut to the chase” and get me where I needed to be, rather than “shopping” around various possibilities. The time with Hussein & Howa in Dec./Jan. when I was here was very fruitful, and he has already suggested I join him on several significant initiatives, which I will be glad to do!

The week of cross-Atlantic travel had more than its’ share of major “travel trauma,” but it has all worked out, and I am settled in a peaceful, quiet setting close to those I can relate with. God be praised for His protection and provision.

And now for Sunday, a day of rest ...

____________________ 

* See the Glossary for various names, places, and terms used in the blog. “Hussein” is a pseudonym.

** Flying without already having the covid test results in hand was a known, calculated, and necessary risk. At the point the sample was taken, the provider’s online statement said “at this point results are taking 2-3 days., and with the sample needing to be taken within 72 hours of arrival … “Go figure”!! Flying with the results in hand was virtually impossible, barring results in the absolute shortest time. It had to be done in faith that it would work out, and with a readiness to accept the consequences if it didn’t.

Whether there will be success or not, whether we know what the future will hold, there are times, at the Lord’s bidding, that we must go.

Terah took Abram his son …, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan; but when they came to Haran, they settled there. … and Terah died in Haran. 

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. … 

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him.

Gen. 11:31-12:1, 4

A hymn: Brightly Beams Our Father’s Mercy