A Mountain Adventure Turns Dangerous

Mountain ranges abound in Ethiopia. They are stunning and one is in awe of God's grand display of greatness. But sometimes a particular mountain stands out and it is waiting to be climbed. 

There is a mountain like this that stands within sight of our friends' home. And so we planned to spend a night en route to Addis so that my husband and son could climb this peak with our friend Jon. The weather was clear and they left first thing in the morning.

A mother's heart is always concerned for safety and so prayer went up throughout the morning for a safe climb to the top and back. I expected my son would come home with a grin on his face and a lengthy explanation of all they had seen and experienced.

Instead, he was sober and his replies were stilted. Something had happened but he was hesistant to share. No injuries in sight. Slowly, the tale unfolded.

A beautiful climb. Rocks were dry, long grass available to help grab onto, a gorgeous view, an eagle flying through the sky near the mountain top. Then came the descent. They met shepherd boys on their way up but as they passed them on their return, demands for money were made but ignored.

Minutes later, rocks began to rain down on this threesome. The shepherd boys were acting out in violence likely unaware of how dangerous their throws were. Rolf grabbed Joel and the 3 of them began to run down the last part of the mountain with rocks narrowly missing their heads. After a safe distance, Rolf called out strong warnings of the consequences of violent behavior. The Lord had kept them safe but they were shaken.

Despite speaking to adult members of the community, it seemed that this rock throwing incident was not unusual and little concern given. But this event had impacted Rolf, Joel and Jon Although they saw the evil intent of these boys, they also saw the power of God as rocks fell by the side.