Sing until your voice is gone

June 26th we fly out of Ethiopia— our last month here.  Leaving this place and these people will be difficult for us, as they have come to be a part of our lives.  Last week the Lalmba staff that we work with organized a field trip to the Tepi Crater Lake about five hours away. The staff organized everything and invited us to go along.  When the big day finally arrived, 38 people loaded into one bus and one car with everything they might need for a great cookout—firewood, two goats, lots of knives, and a huge drum.
Ethiopians know how to have fun.  We have been on a few short field trips in our four years here, so we knew what to expect.  They display their excitement by singing and clapping during the entire ride. But this trip was five hours one-way.  Andrew confidently predicted, “Surely they won’t sing for five hours straight. I bet it will only last an hour or so.”  Oh, no!  Singing and shouting for five hours up and five hours back.  It was a blast.  Kaffa songs are more like military chants, they have one person improvising short phrases while everyone else repeats a melodic answer. The people sang until their voices were hoarse; they beat the drum until their hands were numb. It baffled me how they could be so joyful on such a long, uncomfortable ride in an over crowded bus on a bumpy road.  Ten hours of drumming, clapping, singing, and shouting—truly amazing.
The Tepi Crater Lake was beautiful as most everything is in the southern part of Ethiopia.  The staff all crowded around the water’s edge to just stare in wonder at the stillness and peace of the place.  It was wonderful to watch them all take in the beauty.
Next came the cookout.  They slaughtered the two goats that had been tied to the top of the bus. It was a gruesome ordeal, which our daughters watched with curiosity and wonder.  We might have hidden their eyes them from such a sight, but it is just part of life here. There is no grocery store to buy packaged meat. Everyone took part in the process of slaughtering and cooking the goats.  The aroma drew in several curious onlookers.  Although they weren’t invited, it is an absolute obligation in Ethiopian culture to share whatever you have with anyone who shows up.  And so many of the women scooped a much smaller portion to themselves in order to share with the many uninvited guests that had crashed our party.
After all had finished eating, we gathered together for a tradition we had never witnessed before—a time of blessing. People came to the front of the crowd and begin pronouncing blessings on the whole group speaking of how they were all sisters and brothers. They blessed each other with the Lord’s favor, and thanked them for being a part of their lives. Even the uninvited guests were included in the blessings and given a chance to give thanks.
Before getting back in the buses, the people huddled together for another dance. With every beat of the drum they got closer and closer to the center, causing a tight mob that seemed impenetrable.  Not only was the day a blast, but also it was a great illustration of the lessons we have learned from Ethiopia.
1)    Circumstances don’t bring joy; it’s the people you are with.
2)    Take the time to stop and look at the beauty around you.  Our God is a GREAT creator.
3)    Death is a part of life. Don’t hide it from children, but acknowledge it as a reality.
4)    Hospitality is about giving to all who come around, invited or not.
5)    Sing until your voice is gone. It makes life fun!