Glossary

To help you follow the story, here are key people and items.

Addis Ababa (“Addis” for short): the capital of Ethiopia, and my geographic base.

Amharic: the language of the Amharas, and the dominant language in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia (see map): located in the eastern “Horn of Africa,” Ethiopia is unique in that it is the only African country to never have been colonized. As such, it has a long, rich, and unique history, with much of that centering around its strong Christian heritage and the monarchy. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church has been dominant for centuries (along with historic Islam), with other Christian expressions growing dramatically in more recent years (Meserete Christos Church, the Mennonite church, has over 500,000 in its ranks). Though its monarchy no longer exists (as of 1974), Ethiopians trace their royal lineage, unbroken, back to King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Much of the country is high and mountainous, with the capital being at just under 8,000’ altitude, but there are also low, hot regions surrounding the central highlands.

Ethiopians: Major ethnic groups in Ethiopia are the Amharas, Oromo (a larger group than the historically dominant Amharas, fueling ethnic tensions), Somali (mostly in the east, toward Somalia), Tigray, Sidamo, Gurage, and others. A local joke is that “There are 81 tribes in Ethiopia ... no, 82! – #82 is the Chinese,” who are here in large numbers for development.
Good Shepherd School (GSS): a multi-denominational boarding school in Addis Ababa (1960-1977). Except for one year, this is where I received my schooling from Grades 4-12.

Hussein Musa & Hawa Ibrahim*: a Somali Christian couple living in eastern Africa, with a vital ministry to Somalis in the region and beyond. Decades ago, my father had helped Hussein on his life journey that our story goes far back, with mutually strong Somalia experience. They have approved use of their inclusion here, and they are a married couple (in Somali culture, the wife does not take the husband’s surname at marriage).

Injera & wat: the traditional food of Ethiopians. The injera, a large, thin, pancake-like bread is spread on a plate with various other preparations of mostly meat and vegetables put in assorted piles on the injera. Strips of injera are then used to pick up these preparations, and all is eaten with the fingers – no utensils. Wat is a meat sauce, and is often very (spicy) hot – “doro” wat is chicken wat (doro = chicken). Alecha is a dish of vegetables and potatoes. The meal is frequently eaten with everyone seated around a very large tray, and eating communally out of the one tray.
SIM (Society of International Missionaries): a mission with long standing experience in this part of the world - I knew them in both Ethiopia and Somalia when growing up. Their stated purpose is to reach the least reached for Christ. Formerly known as Sudan Interior Mission, there have been several name changes in the last 50 years or so, but always using the acronym SIM.

Somalia, Somalis (see map): the easternmost country of continental Africa, home of the notorious pirates of the 2000’s, and the most completely Muslim nation in the world (>99%). Somalia is inhabited solely by Somalis - there are essentially no other ethnic groups there (only clans and sub-clans) except for in the far south where there has been some historic mixing with the Bantus from Kenya and Tanzania. Ethnic Somalis are also spread through large parts of eastern Ethiopia (the Ogaden) and Kenya (the NFD - Northeast Frontier District). As a Muslim nation, there are also Arabs, but they are a very small percentage of the population and do not affect the demographics of the nation at large. Somalia has been racked by anarchy and the lack of any stable government since the 1990s, though that is slowly changing.
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* Pseudonyms, for the protection of all.

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature.

For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be the more zealous to confirm your call and election, for if you do this you will never fall; 11 so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. II Pe 1:3–11

A hymn: Beautiful Savior