Flight back home

I took Ethiopian airlines to Addis via Rome and domestic to Lalibela. It seems to be a very safe and reputable airline.

Great trip!

Children at School in Addis

I visited a Christian school in Addia Ababa where 800 children attend. They come from the slums of the Mercato and even several Muslim families.

Children are Precious

As I walked through the market in Lalibela I was struck by the children who would sell chickens or haul grain at the market. Even despite their hard labor I still saw beautiful smiles on the faces of these children!

Traditional Ethiopian Wedding Celebration

During my second morning in Lalibela we went to the second cluster of rock-hewn churches. On this morning we heard some drumbeats and singing from the largest rock church. We dashed through the rocks and tunnels until we came to a traditional Ethiopian Orthodox wedding celebration.

The Groom and Bride both wore headdresses with regal robes and two ornate parasols over them. There were 200 deacons, elders and wedding attenders singing, chanting and dancing in the courtyard in front of the church. We watched the celebration for about 30 minutes.

Rock-Hewn Churches

The Bet Medhane Alem Church isam the largest monolithic rock-hewn church in the world. It is supported by 36 pillars on the inside and another 36 on the outside. It looks like an ancient Greek temple.

The Bet Maryam ("Bet" means "house" in Hebrew so this is the "house of Mary" church) is thought to have been the first church built in Lalibela. On the inside of the church are carvings of the Lalibela Cross and the Star of David. The upper floor stores church treasures. Inside the church is a pillar that is covered by a veil which reputedly is inscribed with the Ten Commandments in Greek and Ge'ez, as well as the story of how the churches of Lalibela were excavated, and the story of the beginning and end of the world. The local priests say that this pillar glowed brightly until the 16th century, and they claim it would be too dangerous to lift the veil and show it to researchers.

On my second day in Lalibela, I visited the southeast cluster of churches. Some scholars believe these churches have a secular origin and some predate the reign of Lalibela by five centuries. We started this tour at Bet Emanuel where we witnessed a traditional celebration. Bet Emanuel is a 12 meter high monlith and it is considered by art historians to be the finest and most precisely worked church in Lalibela, possibly because it was the private church of the royal family.

Bet Abba Libanos was built around a cave in a vertical face, and although the roof is still connected to the original rock, the sides and back are separated from the rock by narrow tunnels.

The Lalibela Cross

On March 10, 1997 the 800 year old Lalibela Cross was discovered to have gone missing from the church of Medhane Alem. This cross, which is made of solid gold is said to have bee the personal property of King Lalibela, and it is perhaps the most treasured artifact of the Ethiopian Church, more holy than anything in Jerusalem or Rome.

Nothing was heard of the whereabouts of the missing cross until two years laters, when it was noticed by customs officials in the luggage of an art dealer returning home to Brussels from Ethiopia. The Lalibela Cross was returned to its rightful place with a ceremony on May 1999.

Houses of Lalibela

The Houses of Lalibela are unlike anywhere else in Ethiopia. They are two story round stone buildings that sit on the steep slopes of the town. They are called "tukal huts". I stayed in the Tukal village Hotel which replicates the real tukal homes. The Tukal Village Hotel staff told me that President Clinton stayed in the Tukal Hotel (room 11) two years ago.

More Rock Churches in Lalibela

The rock-hewn churches of Lalibela are considered the best in the country for the reason that they are big and they are carved below ground level. The churches have been, for 800 years, an active Christian shrine. As I walked with my guide from church to church I saw white-robed monks emerge with their cross and bibles. I heard drumbeats and chants from the church deacons. It was like a scene from several centuries ago. This medieval town definitely felt like the religious heart-beat of the nation that it is.

Rock-Hewn Churches of Lalibela

According to my tour guide, Lalibela was born the brother of the incumbent king. As a young child he was covered by a swarm of bees, which his mother took as a sign that he would one day be king himself. The king was not pleased with this prophesy and he tried to poison the young boy but instead of dying Lalibela fell asleep for three days. While asleep, Lalibela was transported to heaven by an angel and shown a city of rock-hewn churches, which he was ordered to replicate. Another version of the legend tells of Lalibela going to Jerusalem in exile and was inspired by a vision to create a "new Jerusalem" of rock at Roha.

As soon as Lalibela was crowned king, he gathered the world's greatest craftsmen and artisans to carve the churches. The excavation of the churches is a bit of a mystery. They were carved downward into the rock by an estimated 40,000 people.

The Town of Lalibela

The isolated town of Lalibela (population 2,000) sits high in the mountains of Lasta and its famed for its rock-hewn churches. Its known in history as "Roha", Lalibela was the capital of the Zagwe dynasty which ruled over Ethiopia from the 10th century to the 13th century and its name comes from the most famous rulers of that dynasty, the 12th century King Lalibela.

Mercato

A spent my last day in Ethiopia at the "Mercato" which is said to be the largest market on the African continent. It has so many different aromas of incense and spices but also pungent smells of rotting vegetables and human excretion.

I followed some local Christian leaders through the alleyways of the Mercato to learn more about their ministry to street children, youth, families, prostitutes and venders. We meet a family with twins.

Addis Ababa, The Third Highest Capital in the World

Addis Ababa is a city of about 4 million people. The headquarters of the African Union resides in Addis. The Africa Hall was built by Emperor Haile Selassie to serve as the headquarters of the Organization of African Unity. Up the hill from the Africa Hall is the Imperial Palace that was built in 1955. It is forbidden to take a picture of the palace and it is not open to the public.

I watched a band parade across the busy downtown intersection as festivities are gearing up for the election this month.

Ethiopian Food

The most common food in Ethiopia is "injera", a large, pancake-shaped food made from Tef, a nutty-tasting grain that is unique to Ethiopia and comes in white, brown and red. The Tef dough is fermented for up to three days before it is cooked and the result is a foam-rubber texture. Injera is usually served with a bowl of "wat" stew. An Ethiopian would take a piece of injera in his hand and use it to scoop the stew into his mouth.

The official national dish of Ethiopia is "doro wat" which is made of chicken. Fried meat (siga tibs) is also very popular in Ethiopia. Other dishes are crumbed fish, roast meat, and a spicy stew called gulash.

The Story of the Queen of Sheba and the Solomonic Dynasty

According to the oral tradition, Ethiopia was settled by Ethiopic, the great-grandson of Noah. Ethiopic's son founded the capital of Axum and also a dynasty of rulers that lasted between 52-97 generations. The last and greatest of these monarchs was Queen Makeda who in the 11th century BC owned a fleet of 73 ships and caravan of 520 camels which traded with places as far away as Palestine and Inda. Queen Madeda ruled 31 years outside modern-day Axum which, according to Ethiopians, was know as Sabea.

Early in her rule, it is claimed, the Queen of Sabea (better known to Westerners as the Queen of Sheba) travelled to Jerusalem to visit King Solomon. She brought with her gifts of gold, ivory and Spices and in return she was invited to stay in the palace. According to the Ethiopians, Queen Makeda returned to Ethiopia three years later converted to Judaism and pregnant with Solomon's son, Ibn-al-Malik (Son of the king) whose name later became Menelik. According to traditional history, it is ssaid that when Menelik turned 22 years of age he want to Jerusalem to visit his father. He stayed for three years, learning the Law of Moses. When he returned to Ethiopia, King Solomon sent 1,000 people with Menelink to Ethiopia. On Menelik's return, his mother abdicated the throne in his favor. The Solomonic Dynasty founded by Menelik ruled Ethiopia almost unbroken until 1974 when the 237th monarch, Haile Selassie, was overthrown in the socialist revolution. Most Ethiopians accept this version of history unquestioningly, but it has never been taken very seriously by Western historians.

Religion in Ethiopia

I was told that 90% of Ethiopia is Christian and 10% Muslim. The majority of Ethiopian Christians belong to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, which is often referred by outsiders as the Coptic Church. But this seems to be a false term for the Ethiopian Orthodox church as the Coptic Church is an Egyptian Church which started in Alexandria in the 2nd Century and broke away from Rome and Constantinople in AD 451 following the adoption of the Monophysitic doctrine. This doctrine asserts the single and primarily divine nature of Christ, was considered heretical by Rome and Constantinople, whose dualistic philsophy held that Christ had both human and divine personalities.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church was founded in Axum in the 4th century AD. Strong ties have always existed between the churches of Ethiopia and Alexandria. It seems llike the fundamentals of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church are Christian, the rituals are infused with all sorts of archaic Jewish influences, acquired from the ancient Jewish sects that lived in pre-Christian era Ethiopia.

At the heart of Ethiopian mysticism is the relationship between Christianity and the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant was in Jerusalem but disappeared before the reign of King Josiah in around 650 BC. Ethiopians believe that the original Ark was brought to Axum in the 1st

Millennium BC, and that it rests there is to this day. When I visited 10 rock churches in Laibela, I learned that the most holy item in every Ethiopian Orthodox Church (ancient and modern) is the Tabot - a replica of the Ark of the Covenant (or actually a replica of one of the Tablets of the Law which wer placed in the Ark by Moses). The Tabot is in the Holy of Holies in every Ethiopian Orthodox Church and it is at all times hidden from view by a cover of draped sheets.

It's the year 2002 in Ethiopia

When I started to talk to the local Ethiopian people I learned that in Ethiopia the year is actually 2002 and the new year begins on September 11 instead of January 1. I learned that the Ethiopian calendar consists of 13 months of which 12 have 30 days each, while the remaining month is just five days in duration. The locals told me that in 1582, the Christian world dropped the Julian calendar in favor of the Gregorian calendar. Ethiopia did not drop the original Julian calendar and as a consequence, Ethiopia is seven years and eight months "behind" the rest of the world. Fortunately, most institutions that are used by tourists - banks, airline reservation offices - run the western calendar, but all the Ethiopians use the Julian Calendar.

To make matters more confusing for foreigners, Ethiopians also measure hours of the day differently. They measure time in 12-hour cycles starting at 6:00 am to 6:00 p m and the next 12 hour cycle begins at 6:00 pm. So their 7:00 is our 1:00 pm

Background on Ethiopia

Formerly known as Abyssinia. Ethiopia shares its longest border with Somalia to the east aslo borders Kenya to the south and Sudan on the west. It is the tenth largest country in Africa. It covers approximately the area of the state of Texas and five times the area of the United Kingdom.

The capital of Ethiopia is addis Ababa where I stayed four nights, It lies in the heart of the country in the central highlands at an altitude of about 7,000 feet. It is the third highest capital city in the world. When I landed in Addis I expected the familiar oppressive heat of other Sub-Saharan countries but the altitude makes Addis and the entire country quite comfortable. The temperature stayed around 75 degrees fehrenheit.

Reflections on 4-14 Window Ethiopia Consultation

It was such a privilege to participate in the 4-14 Ethiopia Consultation and All Africa Summit in Ethiopia. As we know, mission is understood as "finding out where the Holy Spirit is working and joining in". By going to different nations of the world and listening, learning and sharing with the local church we soon recognize the distinctive mission of each local body and find ways to cooperate in the unity of the Holy Spirit. I realize as I experience the workd of the Holy spirit in local churches around the world - Ghana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Cambodia, China - that we need both the local witness of our church and also the connection of the Church globally. When we travel to meet our brothers and sisters from other cultures we have the privilege of learning about what the Spirit is witnessing to them. We have much to learn and much to share when we take the opportunity to meet together.

4-14 Window Family Track in Ethiopia

Time was allocated for each track to discuss the draft vision, mission statements and strategies with their counterparts of the global track. Here is a picture of our presenation at the plenary session and the members of our working group.

4/14 Ethiopia Consultation

A Total of 130 senior Ethiopian church and para church leaders participated in the Consultation. The group broke up into 8 working groups or tracks to establish close working relationshiop with their counterparts at the global level. I am the track leader for the Family Track of the Global

4-14 Initiative. A new National Steering Committee was commissioned by the participants of the consultation to coordinate the work of tracks and follow up on the execution of the mission of the global 4-14 Window in Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian participants included a total of 128 people of whom 63 were track members and 65 church and parch church leaders. There were also 6 people who came from different couontries in Africa: Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Sierra Leone and Swaziland. So the total number of attendees of the Consultation was 134.

What is the 4-14 Window?

The 4-14 Window is a new missions focus. It is a movement of God around the world calling the church to radically change the way we view children and to respond to their strategic importance. It is a new global iniative of collaboration and mobilization of the body of Christ worldwide to prioritize their mission in reaching, equipping and empowering the 4-14 generation to maxmimize their transformation impact.

4/14 Window Ethiopia Consultation

The Ethiopia 4/14 Window Consultation on "Raising up a New Generation from the 4/14 Window to Transform the World" was held on April 27-29, 2010 in a small urban center called Debre Zeit which is located 45 kilometers southeast of Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. The Ethiopia Consultation was initiated by the participants of the July Ethiopia 4/14 Window Summit and later on during the September Global 4/14 Window Summit in New York at the Promise Church. The insights gained as well as lessons learned and witnessed, together with the strong support of the Global Steering Committe inspired and encouraged the Ethiopian participants of these meetings to look for ways to share and multiply the 4/14 initiative so that its vision and mission get rooted in the hearts and minds of Christian leaders in particular and the whole of the Christian community in Ethiopia.

The theme of the event was "Putting aflame and harnessing the potentials of the 4/14 Window for Ethiopia's transformation."