8:35 AM Eastern Africa Time - Airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
"If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me." John 8:54
I'm sitting at the airport in Ethiopia hanging out with the team (minus four). I cannot stop thinking about a line I heard in a movie that I watched on the long flight from DC. In Joyful Noise, Queen Latifah's daughter is singing the lead part of, Michael Jackson's "Man in the Mirror," with her church choir and is heavily ornamenting the melody. Queen Latifah notes that her daughter is showing off and tells her, "I don't want to hear you. I want to hear God through you." May this be the prayer for all of the music that we play this week and when we return to our individual lives. May we never strive to be heard as ourselves but as God singing and playing music through us!
To be completely honest, the long flight was rough. There's something about the combination of being in close quarters with strangers, airplane food, and my body fighting against gravity while failing to fall asleep that can be somewhere close to miserable. I had to keep reminding myself that I am not on this trip for me. I'm here for Him and Him only. I have no right to complain, but I should, instead, be honored that God chose me to go do His ministry in Rwanda. In fact, I will never have a right to complain. I am alive for His glory and His glory only.
One of the biggest immediate shocks was the condition of the airport in Ethiopia. I had never exited a plane by staircase, and not for lack of flight experience; The planes I have been on have always pulled up to gates with the long gray walkway ramps. The domestic terminal at Addis Ababa consisted of a plain beige hallway with a small waiting area for each of the ten gates. There were no stores or dining options. There was a single box tv with the flight information flipping back and forth from Amharic to English so quickly that it was difficult to read. Each gate had one plain unmarked desk which was unmanned until just a few minutes before boarding. There was no loud speaker, no board to post flight information, just a person who announced when it was time to board.
10:30 AM Central Africa Time - en route from Entebbe, Uganda to Kigali, Rwanda
While I was at the airport in Ethiopia, I befriended and engaged in conversation with a woman and two men from India as well as a woman from the UK. I noticed mehndi on the Indian woman's arms, which is an Indian tradition I had learned about from a coworker. Mentioning the mehndi served as a great conversation starter! I love hearing travel stories. It is my favorite part of flying. In fact, whenever I sit next to a stranger on a flight, I like to ask where he/she is headed, which usually sparks a conversation involving the story of how and why the person is going from point A to point B.
The woman from the UK was headed to Uganda, her birthplace. She has been living with her mom in the UK for 20 years and, although she speaks to him weekly on the telephone, she had never met her dad in Uganda. She had not been to Uganda since she was 8-years-old and was going to surprise her family members with a visit. Her story and excitement were incredible.
The woman from India shared that her husband lives and works in Uganda. Now that she finished up at a university in India, she is moving to Uganda to live with him. She hopes to get a job in business, but she will be a housewife until then. As she and I talked, I learned that she is trying her best to become fluent in English and thoroughly appreciated being able to practice with me. She also shared that she recognizes the name "Amy" from Hollywood movies, and she said my face resembles a Hollywood actress. It was rather flattering. :o) haha. She also mentioned that meeting an American is comparable to meeting a celebrity. She said all of her younger siblings would be jealous of her for having met an American. It was wild to try to comprehend! The woman and I talked for a long while at the airport, and even chose to sit next to each other on the 2 hour flight to Entebbe, Uganda. We talked about cultural differences of India and America, religion, and likes/dislikes.
When we landed in Uganda, I could not believe how beautiful it was! The green hills rolled as far as I could see with palm trees speckled in between. I mentioned to the team leader how beautiful I thought it was, and he said, "Oh- you just wait!" I am so excited to see the beauty Rwanda has in store! I like to think of Heaven in this manner. I talk about the most beautiful place on the Earth, but God says, "Oh- you just wait!"
8:30 PM Central Africa Time - Park View Court Apartments; Kigali, Rwanda
We made it safely to Rwanda. The customs process at Kigali International Airport was quick and painless. The trip leader said that Rwanda is one of the easiest countries to get into, and I most certainly believe him.
Our guide/translator, Jane, and our bus driver, Alfonse, picked us up at the airport and took us to our home for the next couple of nights, the Park View Court Apartments. They are nice apartment-style units. Our unit has two bedrooms with two twin beds in each room. Other than sleeping under mosquito nets and having to be careful with the water, we are by no means "roughing it."
I never considered myself to be prissy or too much of a girly-girl. I have never been afraid to get dirty. In fact, I remember numerous times coming in after playing outside and my parents being upset that I had mud all over me. However, for some reason (perhaps for a good reason considering the possibility of illness/disease), I am fearful. I pray that these fears do not get in the way of ministry. The germophobe in me makes me not want to touch or eat anything. I have found that if there is a toilet seat, it is usually covered in urine (which makes me believe that a spring hinge toilet seat that stays up would be a wonderful invention). Even washing my hands makes me feel dirty because I know the water may not be purified. This could make for a long ten days and a very skinny me unless I adjust quickly! I am constantly having to remind myself, "It's not for me- it's for Him!"
Thanks for sharing your mission. You share so beautifully!
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