Getting ready for Ethiopia

Well, the time has come. I am off to Ethiopia on Thursday!

It should be an interesting trip. I, and 8 others, will be there for 3 weeks of eye-opening experience. We will do the "historic circuit" which will take us around the country to all of the historic and cultural sites. After that, we are going to take in some of the sustainable development that CLWR is involved with. And throughout we are going to be staying at the Lutheran Seminary in Addis Ababa. We also get the wonderful pleasure of celebrating both Christmas and Epiphany with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church!!!

I will, of course, be posting my journey and some pictures when I return at the end of January. If I get a chance, I will make a post or two while I am there - but I cannot promise that this will happen.

I am all packed and ready to go, more or less. I do not travel really well. I get anxious in the airports because of all the people, and I am not the type of person to be exceptionally comfortable on an airplane, but I can make do. I don't imagine that many people are comfortable on airplanes, but I often feel as though I am one of the most uncomfortable. Hopefully sleep will carry me away on the longer flights.

For those of you interested, we are leaving on the 31st from Saskatoon. First stop in Calgary, then Toronto, Frankfurt, Cairo, and finally - Addis. We are getting there at 3am on the 2nd of January. We return on the 21st - leaving Addis at 4am, then Cairo, Heathrow, Toronto, and finally Saskatoon. Arriving at 11:55pm on the 21st. Certainly makes for a long day!

I know we all appreciate any prayers for our safety, growth in understanding, and learning while we are there.

I wish you all a Happy New Year! See you in 2010!