“A September to Remember”

Friends and Family,

This past month has been an incredible time of growth and learning for the team and me. We are thankful to be settling into a routine and getting more comfortable and confident with the language and our surroundings. As we patiently await the arrival of our container, we are learning a lot about being flexible and adaptable and making the most of every opportunity to be a part of the Ethiopian culture.
Living in Addis Ababa definitely has its advantages. We are becoming more familiar with the city. We know which markets and shops to go to for our necessities and food needs (almost everything we get comes from a different location). We know which taxi-buses will take us to church and how much they should charge us for each trip. We know the seminary guards, cafeteria ladies, grocery and internet store owners all by name and we try to converse with them in Amharic as much as we can. Although our vocabulary is still limited and somewhat broken, everyone is so happy to help us learn. We just completed our 5th week in language school and we’re beginning to conjugate verbs andspeak in sentences (Yay for small victories!). Our teachers at the school, Ebisse, Jallalie and Salemawit, are so patient and encouraging. It truly is a blessing to be able to communicate with those around us.
September has been full of so many neat cultural experiences, starting with The New Year. That’s right! On September 11th we joined our friends, the Haileselassie’s, for a sleepover celebration to ring in 2004! It was an emotional day as we watched the BBC World News broadcast of the 9-11 Memorial presentation in New York and remembered what that day means to each of us and to our country. We also had a chance to reflect on the day’s church sermon titled, “Living Like A Tree: A New Year’s Message” based upon Psalm 1. Coincidentally, Psalm 1:3 had been the inspiration for the mural painted by our team at the school. We prayed for this upcoming year, the future of this group and the future of the school. We listened to Haile and Tsedale’s beautiful story of how God brought their family back to Ethiopia from America and how He has been using them and blessing them for their steadfast obedience to him. It is so amazing to look back and see God’s providence and know that He has been in control this whole time and be able to rest in the confidence of knowing that He IS in control NOW. He intentionally intertwined all of our paths and brought each of us together for His purpose.
Our next big cultural experience was the celebration of Meskel, an “ancient seasonal rite” that has become an integral part of the Ethiopian Christian (Orthodox) Calendar. We joined a crowd of well over 20,000 people in Meskel Square to be a part of the event. We watched curiously as color processions of priests, deacons and choir boys and girls of Sunday schools wearing embroidered robes walked around a huge pyre, bearing ceremonial crosses and wooden torches decorated with olive leaves. We missed the parade, but saw a marching band as they were finishing and listened to different groups sing and chant throughout the crowded area. As the sun began to set, we were all given slender sticks to burn in the crowd. Torch-bearers lit the large pyramid-shaped structure, topped with a cross made from the yellow flowers known as Meskel daisies which are placed on the tallest central pole. Though we were too far away to really see the large figure burn, we witnessed many fireworks and neighborhood bonfires on our way home and watched the entire presentation replayed on television the following day. This celebration is believed by the Orthodox church to commemorate the finding of the “true cross.” (It’s way too long to try to explain, but if you’re curious I would encourage you to Google it.) For some, Meskel is an important religious holiday; but for most others it is a time to give thanks, join in feast and fellowship with friends and family members, and to say goodbye to the rainy season and welcome in the sunshine. Besides the arrival of the much-needed sunshine, my favorite part of Meskelwas that it was on My Birthday – which meant no school! Being the first from our team to celebrate a birthday in Ethiopia, everyone went out of their way to make it really special for me. Tsedale worked tirelessly to prepare two delicious birthday meals for me and we enjoyed a yummy layered pastry cake from a bakery downtown. They even sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me in Amharic! Between the kindness shown by everyone here and the encouraging cards, phone calls, e-mails and facebook messages from all of you back home – this birthday has been one that will not soon be forgotten. This little girl has one big, fat heart-full-of-happy!
As you can see, this really has been a “September to Remember” in Ethiopia. I’m so thankful that you have all chosen to share this amazing journey with me. Please continue to pray for the team and me…not that things will get easier and that the challenges will be taken away from us, but that we will continue seeking God and striving to bring glory to His name in all that we do. I have also attached our monthly newsletter with a few more specific prayer requests.

In His love,

Kandi Marie Ledford

“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.” 1 Timothy 1:12