It has been 15 days since we arrived in Ethiopia: fifteen days filled with intense emotions, feelings and colors.
To travel as a family with two daughters, 14 and 15 years old, is much more complicated than when we traveled to Mozambique several years ago. In fact, for them it is their first contact with Africa (at least that they can remember), with all that it implies of differences in everything, not only in what the cities look like, the fruit stands, crazy traffic, the feeling of drawing attention wherever we go, but above all for not being able to speak their language and consequently not being able to get to know the people’s views of the world, of life and of their reality.
Here in Awassa there are several three and for story buildings, and more are being built in a place where, we are told, much has changed over the last few years, with wide paved roads, and many hotels. In fact it is the second or third city in the country and perhaps the most beautiful, situated as it is near a fairly large lake, with an incredible vegetation and wild life, which makes it one of the favorite tourist attractions for the Ethiopians themselves. Yet, all this notwithstanding, the contrast with our Spanish cities is huge. Our daughters are surprised by the dirt roads, the piles of wood used for cooking, the goats, the sheep and even some cows meandering freely in the streets and that, when it rains, life does not stop and nobody uses and umbrella… But above all, they notice the kindness of the people, the fact that everybody smiles at you and greets you, that people are not scurrying to and fro, that Mass will last one hour and 45 minutes and people are happy about it… I hope they will learn a lot from these people and that the experience will teach them values that are different from those of our first world.
Both the Comboni communities and the CLM communities take good care of us and are ready to accompany us and to try to explain to us the reality of this beautiful country. It has over 80 million people. Of these, 6% live in the capital, only 0.9% are Catholic, the remaining being 45% Orthodox Christians and 45% Muslim. It is a country where in many areas the Catholic missions are places of first evangelization, very much in need of indigenous vocations, and where even from the scarcity of their numbers they are greatly helping the people in their social and human development. We are being given the opportunity to get to know the work done by other religious congregations here in Awassa, running hospitals, primary and secondary schools, nurseries and professional schools… There is a lot to be done in the promotion of women, education, health… In providing the means for real development in this population.
The CLM community has been telling us about the various activities they are involved in, both in the apostolic and in the social field and, inasmuch as possible, we accompany them to get first-hand knowledge of what they accomplish, and above all to see the love with which they do it: the sweetness and affection they show to children in special difficulties; the work they do with the parish youth; their sense of responsibility; the witness of family life; their commitment to the poorest. And all this flows from the charism of St. Daniel Comboni, striving to save Africa by means of Africa, leaving the limelight to others, accompanying rather than commanding, in a spirit of simplicity and humility as befits strangers, sent as a community to proclaim the Love of the Father and to build His Kingdom.
We thank the Father for this vocation and for the opportunity to live this experience as a family.
Maricarmen, CLM-Spain on a visit to Ethiopia
