God's Glory

Despite the reputation of a desert wasteland that Ethiopia acquired during the famine 35 years ago, Ethiopia is a beautiful place. I have traveled through many parts of Ethiopia and have been in awe at the incredible beauty it contains.

Last week I, Faith, and a few friends went to the most spectacular place thus far- the Semien Mountains. This is a large mountain range in Northern Ethiopia that contains the highest peak in Ethiopia. It is the rainy season, but despite the high chance of rain, it was a recommended "must see", so we traveled 3 days by bus to reach the Semiens in order to see what all the fuss was about.

When we arrived to the first drop-off point, we jumped out of the car in high-spirits and with wide-eyes as we began our 3-day hike into the mountains. Within a few minutes of hiking in a lush, dense countryside we saw the famous gelada baboons all around us, grazing in the green, open fields. My eyes could not take in enough of the beauty that surrounded us. I was excited about the upcoming 2 days that it would take to reach the most spectacular viewpoints.

Howevehttps://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=b5ee50e3ab&view=att&th=132b0bce5e08d6a2&attid=0.1.1&disp=emb&zwr, a few hours into the hike, thunder began to role, the wind began to pick up, and thick fog began to fall down all around us. It was impossible to see much more than 20 feet. We kept hiking, hoping the storm would come and go quickly, but to our dismay, the fog and wind remained as a curtain around us for the entire 3-day hike. There would be brief 5-minute periods of visibility, just long enough for us to glimpse the amazing world we had been traveling through. And each period of relief from the weather would open up to us a new world that was completely different from the one we had last glimpsed. One minute, we would be walking through a meadow of wild flowers, streams and waterfalls. Then fog. A few hours later the fog lifted and we found ourselves in a Dr. Suess book with tall crooked, puff-ball trees, and round mounds of dirt with a toupe of grass on top. Then fog. Another few hours passing, we would see rocky cliffs, deep canyons, and large boulders that were shaped like a chair, inviting the passer-bys to stop and rest. Then fog. After another few hours of intense hiking, we came into a world that was created for Hobbits, with short trees that formed a house-like structure over a patch of clovers and daisies covering open fields.

I have to admit that I was disappointed by the weather conditions. It was gruesome hiking, and little reward to speak of since all the famous viewpoints were only a cloud of white. But in some ways, I am thankful for that white curtain that masked all the beauty around us. For when that curtain did lift, it was a magnificent surprise that forced us to stop and just take it all in, knowing that in only a few minutes time, the beauty would again fade. Had it been clear weather, I would have appreciated it less. But, because the beauty came in rare, small glimpses, I appreciated them much more.

Andrew has always told me that when you are hiking up a mountain, and your body is crying out in pain, you swear that you will never do something that hard again. But then when you are off the mountain, immediately you remember it with fondness and start planning the next trip. He was right, while on the mountain, I swore off doing something like it again, but as I write this blog, I remember it with fondness and am already contemplating my next adventure.