Weekend at a River

Last weekend, we were invited to visit another missionary family that works 2.5 hours west of us among the Gumuz people. These Gumuz speak a different dialect that here in Gesses and they also have the luxury of living near a large river. The last hour of our trip was on the roughest road I have driven in Ethiopia. Rainy season makes it even more challenging. The kids were thrilled to be able to take Friday off of school for our "field trip" and we arrived just before lunch. The first thing I noticed was that the Gumuz men and women had fishing nets. The second thing I noticed is that their bodies and clothes were much cleaner than the Gumuz here and for good reason. The shallow river gave plenty of water for washing bodies and clothes.

These friends have been living in this village for 8 years and it was wonderful to see the fruit of their labors. Visiting them in an even more remote location made us appreciate some of the luxuries that we have: cell network and a fairly decent road. It also made us yearn for the beauty of a river. Growing up in Manitoba with numerous rivers and lakes made swimming a daily activity in the summer months. So here in the heat of the dry season, we yearn for water and yet these are the very months we must ration our water supply.

So we spent two glorious days at the river. The kids swam and waded. They slid and tubed down little waterfalls and the little ones dug in the sand. It was encouraging to visit with this family and Rolf had the opportunity to visit one of the evening church services as well. It was supposed to be a 5-8pm event but it became much lengthier. An hour drive, a 20 minute walk, a 2 hour wait, an hour service, 1/2 hour hospitality, a 20 min walk home, an hour drive home and they arrived sometime after 11pm.

The kids and I went to bed in our tin roofed and tin walled guesthouse and I was glad I wasn't a newcomer to Ethiopia. The river sounds were plentiful and the sound of hyenas seemed somewhat close. I imagined that the car had broken down and the men were walking home. Without cell phone network, there was no way of knowing. The 104F temperature of the afternoon had dropped and the night was cool and comfortable.

We had a lovely time connecting with this family who have 3 children, one studying at a missionary school and the other two Joel and Ariana's ages. It was so special for our kids to have playmates that live in such similiar circumstances and for me to connect with another missionary mom who homeschools her kids in the morning, does ministry when able and attempts to creatively feed our families with limited resources (no store or market to buy food from). It was good for Rolf to share ministry challenges and joys and be encouraged to persevere joyfully.

It wasn't just a weekend at a river but a time to share with another family who has left the comforts of home to bring the gospel to the ends of the earths. There are times that we question if what we are doing is worth the cost. Somehow knowing we are not alone in these unusual struggles fills me with renewed joy.