Getting to know Ethiopia... again.

Many people have asked me about the changes I’ve noticed since I lived here the last time. My first answer is that there are a lot more roads paved, groceries available, and the city has grown in general. 

But there’s a certain familiarity to the buildings, the people, the dust. My initial reaction when I stepped off the plane was of coming home. The smells were the same (love that diesel fuel), the food was just as spicy, the sun still shines just as bright, and Bingham holds many memories of the adventures we had. 

However, the longer I’m here, I realize I am a different person since the last time I was here. Eight years ago, I was a child who saw things through the eyes of the child. I remember being nervous about the beggars at my window and anxious about not understanding the language or being understood.  I was unsure of myself, as many adolescents are, and trying to make sense of the world around me. 

On the other hand, thing were a lot more black and white. I saw life here in Ethiopia as the norm, rather than comparing it constantly to what is different than “home.” Ethiopia was my home and America was a place I visited. A big part of that reality was that my family was with me. I was still a child who had my mom to cook for me and my dad as a teacher. I was a student, and that was a role with which I was comfortable and familiar. I had a community in Boarding and my friends in my class. I was here because my family chose to come. 

Wow... where has the time gone??

This time, I’m here on my own. 

I have the independence, but I also have the choices that come with it. I have to do my own grocery shopping and cook for myself. I must work to build my own community and friendships. I am now a teacher with responsibility, as I still try to figure out what exactly that means. 

First time driving on the streets of Addis! Success!

But I also see Africa differently. I have a love for the Ethiopian people that has replaced the previous anxiety. The driving is still terrifying, but I know I can conquer it. I have a freedom to travel and explore and see parts of Ethiopia I have never seen before. I have a confidence that God has put me here for a reason and it will be revealed in time. Bingham is a living, growing organism that I get to be a part of and contribute to impacting the world for God’s glory through these students. 

So to answer your question, yes it’s like coming home, but as a new person. It’s still my beloved Ethiopia, but I get to chance to experience it in a whole new way.