I had a first last night. It was the first night I've slept in the guest bed. Yep, been married almost 4 years and never, ever, have I been kicked out of bed. Now, you're wondering, why right? Turns out, it wasn't because I was bad. Actually, I slept in the guest bed because I couldn't stop coughing. I've been reasonably sick with a upper respiratory infection and I've been coughing as many times as my sister-in-law Kelsey has freckles.
Now I certainly don't plan to make it a common thing, but there was something I enjoyed out of having the whole bed to myself. It happens to be a pretty comfortable bed and being able to stretch my legs out, hog all the pillows, and not have cold feet put on my inner thigh, all give one reason to enjoy it.
Mrs. McGoo is, however, not the type of lady that will kick me out of bed though and we aren't the type of couple that would send the other to the couch because of an argument. This must mean I've got a pretty awesome wife and marriage eh?
It also means I've got to get creative when I wanna have a bed to myself. Coughing works.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Back in the U.S.
After almost a day and a half of total travel, I've made it back to Memphis. My trip schedule looked like this...
- Arrive at airport in Addis around midnight Wed for a 2am (4pm cdt - Tues) flight to Istanbul, Turkey.
- Flight was delayed an hour and we ended up leaving around 3:30am.
- Arrived in Istanbul around 7:30am
- 4 hour layover in Istanbul until an 11:30 flight to Chicago
- 12.5 flight to Chicago
- Arrived in Chicago at 3:40 pm cdt.
- 5.5 hour layover in Chicago until 9:15pm flight to Memphis
- Delayed for 45 mins on runway for de-icing of the plane.
- Arrived in Memphis around 11:40
All in all almost 36 hours travel from Addis to Memphis. Not entirely fun, but it certainly could have been worse and I was blessed to have good seating, good health, and safe travels.
In the next few days, I'll spend some time reflecting and debriefing with some close friends about my time in Ethiopia and hopefully will get my bearings straight. Right now, I feel a bit off. Not really sick or tired, but my bearings are a little off. Hopefully after a few days of rest, I'll feel better.
Thank you for all the prayers and support Mrs. McGoo and I received while we were away. It was one of the toughest times I've ever had to endure and really felt blessed to have so much encouragement throughout the process.
- Arrive at airport in Addis around midnight Wed for a 2am (4pm cdt - Tues) flight to Istanbul, Turkey.
- Flight was delayed an hour and we ended up leaving around 3:30am.
- Arrived in Istanbul around 7:30am
- 4 hour layover in Istanbul until an 11:30 flight to Chicago
- 12.5 flight to Chicago
- Arrived in Chicago at 3:40 pm cdt.
- 5.5 hour layover in Chicago until 9:15pm flight to Memphis
- Delayed for 45 mins on runway for de-icing of the plane.
- Arrived in Memphis around 11:40
All in all almost 36 hours travel from Addis to Memphis. Not entirely fun, but it certainly could have been worse and I was blessed to have good seating, good health, and safe travels.
In the next few days, I'll spend some time reflecting and debriefing with some close friends about my time in Ethiopia and hopefully will get my bearings straight. Right now, I feel a bit off. Not really sick or tired, but my bearings are a little off. Hopefully after a few days of rest, I'll feel better.
Thank you for all the prayers and support Mrs. McGoo and I received while we were away. It was one of the toughest times I've ever had to endure and really felt blessed to have so much encouragement throughout the process.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
New Years Party Ethiopian Style
Happy New Year to my friends and family back in America! Yesterday, I took a day away from the Drop in Center to rest and get my barring’s straight. I was able to get a good bit of reading done and also worked a little bit from the guesthouse on the sports ministry. I also got invited to go to a SIM New Years party that ended at “Missionary Midnight” (9pm) over at a school for missionary kids. It was pretty cool, as they had some good food and some games for all the kids. I told Mrs. McGoo that all my single friends need to become missionaries and move to Ethiopia. Apparently being a teacher at a school for missionary kids requires you to be single and attractive. I counted at least a dozen twenty something single ladies that, at home in Memphis, my friends would have been fighting over.
Anyway, I stayed away from playing any games as I didn’t really know anyone there and it seemed like everyone was kind of cliquish. But I reluctantly joined in when one team needed another player for dodge-ball. Well, as luck would turn out, I won. Not only did I win, I crushed some girl in the face with a ball and put her out of the game. It was kind of like that scene in “Meet the Parents” when Gaylord Focker is reluctant to play water volleyball, but after some coaxing, he plays and slams that ball in the girls nose, drawing the ire of everyone. Yeah, that’s how I felt. I just don’t do 50%. If you want me to play, I’m going to play and I’m going to try to win. Mrs. McGoo can tell you, I’m a sore loser and thus, I want to win badly.
The theme of the New Years party was “Redneck New Years.” The hosts of the event were missionaries from Alabama and Kentucky, so naturally, I fit right in. When I came to get my reward for winning, they presented me with a snickers bar and asked me to give a speech. Keeping in mind that the theme was redneck new years and the majority of people there were from other countries, I gathered myself, held the snickers up like a sword, and in the most redneck (normal) voice said, "I cept this ward on behalf my baby mamma who ain't hur. She left me while back to head back yonder and tend to the kitchen. While she's here in baby Jesus Holy Spirit, she ain't here no mo, so I'm eatin' it all by meself.”
Crickets.
I did get a good laugh from the two hosts, but other than that, people looked at me like I’d lost my mind. So I took my snickers and sat down. Like McNulty says, “Can’t all be winners Kelly.” Unfortunately, I thought it was pretty good, but to the Aussies, South Africans, and other folks from around the world, they didn’t. In their eyes, I’d crippled a girl’s face and now made a joke about my baby mamma and the baby Jesus. Needless to say, I kept to myself the rest of the night. Anywho, I had fun.
When I got home, I stayed up and talked to Mrs. McGoo for a bit and then headed to bed. I was awoken around midnight by loud gun fire. No, not really, but that’s what the fireworks behind our guesthouse sounded like. I tried seeing them, but couldn’t, so I was subjected to 30 mins of loud and I do mean loud fireworks. Then I went back to sleep…for an hour. About 1am I was woken up by 6 kids in a room next to me jumping off their bed, talking loud, singing, and every other noise you could imagine. This went on for about 45 mins or so. I kept thinking, if their parents (who were out for New Years) knew about this, they’d be pissed. Not so. Around 2:30, the parents came back to the guesthouse and in the process, slammed every door possible, slammed every dresser drawer possible, and didn’t bother to whisper a bit. This went on for another 20 mins or so. It was all I could do to not lose my witness to these folks. I’ve not been that pissed in a long time. So sleep didn’t go very well last night. (Side note – I’m going to blog about my guesthouse experiences soon)
This morning I woke up and went to watch some of the tournament we’re putting on for the kids, and then headed to eat lunch at a really good burger place I found…and had pancakes…Mmmmm. Then we went and watched an Ethiopian premier league match at their stadium here. Pretty cool I must say. We sat in the home side supporter’s area and they sang and chanted the whole time. Until they lost, which, people then came unglued with the home team coach. It was a sight to see. Needless to say, a good finish to a long day. Now it’s bed time…thankfully the family has left and I can, hopefully, get a good night’s sleep.
Anyway, I stayed away from playing any games as I didn’t really know anyone there and it seemed like everyone was kind of cliquish. But I reluctantly joined in when one team needed another player for dodge-ball. Well, as luck would turn out, I won. Not only did I win, I crushed some girl in the face with a ball and put her out of the game. It was kind of like that scene in “Meet the Parents” when Gaylord Focker is reluctant to play water volleyball, but after some coaxing, he plays and slams that ball in the girls nose, drawing the ire of everyone. Yeah, that’s how I felt. I just don’t do 50%. If you want me to play, I’m going to play and I’m going to try to win. Mrs. McGoo can tell you, I’m a sore loser and thus, I want to win badly.
The theme of the New Years party was “Redneck New Years.” The hosts of the event were missionaries from Alabama and Kentucky, so naturally, I fit right in. When I came to get my reward for winning, they presented me with a snickers bar and asked me to give a speech. Keeping in mind that the theme was redneck new years and the majority of people there were from other countries, I gathered myself, held the snickers up like a sword, and in the most redneck (normal) voice said, "I cept this ward on behalf my baby mamma who ain't hur. She left me while back to head back yonder and tend to the kitchen. While she's here in baby Jesus Holy Spirit, she ain't here no mo, so I'm eatin' it all by meself.”
Crickets.
I did get a good laugh from the two hosts, but other than that, people looked at me like I’d lost my mind. So I took my snickers and sat down. Like McNulty says, “Can’t all be winners Kelly.” Unfortunately, I thought it was pretty good, but to the Aussies, South Africans, and other folks from around the world, they didn’t. In their eyes, I’d crippled a girl’s face and now made a joke about my baby mamma and the baby Jesus. Needless to say, I kept to myself the rest of the night. Anywho, I had fun.
When I got home, I stayed up and talked to Mrs. McGoo for a bit and then headed to bed. I was awoken around midnight by loud gun fire. No, not really, but that’s what the fireworks behind our guesthouse sounded like. I tried seeing them, but couldn’t, so I was subjected to 30 mins of loud and I do mean loud fireworks. Then I went back to sleep…for an hour. About 1am I was woken up by 6 kids in a room next to me jumping off their bed, talking loud, singing, and every other noise you could imagine. This went on for about 45 mins or so. I kept thinking, if their parents (who were out for New Years) knew about this, they’d be pissed. Not so. Around 2:30, the parents came back to the guesthouse and in the process, slammed every door possible, slammed every dresser drawer possible, and didn’t bother to whisper a bit. This went on for another 20 mins or so. It was all I could do to not lose my witness to these folks. I’ve not been that pissed in a long time. So sleep didn’t go very well last night. (Side note – I’m going to blog about my guesthouse experiences soon)
This morning I woke up and went to watch some of the tournament we’re putting on for the kids, and then headed to eat lunch at a really good burger place I found…and had pancakes…Mmmmm. Then we went and watched an Ethiopian premier league match at their stadium here. Pretty cool I must say. We sat in the home side supporter’s area and they sang and chanted the whole time. Until they lost, which, people then came unglued with the home team coach. It was a sight to see. Needless to say, a good finish to a long day. Now it’s bed time…thankfully the family has left and I can, hopefully, get a good night’s sleep.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Freedom being a Constraint
As I said in my last blog, I'm reading a book by one of my favorite pastors Tim Keller called, "The Reason for God." I have had the book for a while, but with school being in the way and the amount of reading it requires; it is been put on the back burner for a while. Now that I have had plenty of downtime, I've been able to get in to it quite a bit. The book deals with questions and doubts that skeptics, and sometimes even believers, deal with in the church. What I really like about the book is that it provides a platform to stand your ground as a Christian when you or your beliefs are challenged.
One of the areas of topic Keller deals with in his book is the area of Christianity supposedly limiting personal growth and potential because it constrains our freedom to choose our own beliefs. Keller argues this by saying, "Freedom cannot be defined in strictly negative terms, as the absence of confinement and constraint. In fact, in many cases, confinement and constraint is actually a means to liberation." Keller gives an example - "If you have musical aptitude, you may give yourself to practice, practice, and practice the piano for years. This is a restriction, a limit on your freedom. There are many other things you won't be able to do with the time you invest in practicing. If you have the talent, however, the discipline and limitation will unleash your ability that would otherwise go untapped. What have you done? You've deliberately lost your freedom to engage in some things in order to release yourself to a richer kind of freedom to accomplish other things."
Keller does say that there are certain restrictions and disciplines are not all liberating. He gives an example of a small 125lb male trying out for the NFL as a lineman and how all the discipline and effort won’t help him because he is fighting against a reality that isn’t possible. However, what he’s getting at is that constraints and disciplines only liberate us when they “fit with the reality of our nature and capacities.” Again, another example is a fish out of water – the fish will die if we do not honor the reality of its nature and it is only free if it is restricted and limited to water where it can breathe.
It made me start to wonder how many people work really hard to find something that makes a lot of money, while sacrificing family and love, rather than find something that fits their talents and interests. Such careers can be suffocating that in the long run stifle and dehumanize us. Where’s the freedom in that?
I love this quote from Keller…
“In many areas of life, freedom is not so much the absence of restrictions as finding the right ones, the liberating restrictions. Those that fit with the reality of our nature and the world produce greater power and scope for our abilities and a deeper joy and fulfillment. Experimentation, risk, and making mistakes bring growth only if, over time, they show us our limits as well as our abilities. If we only grow intellectually, vocationally, and physically through judicious constraints – why would it not also be true for spiritual and moral growth? Instead of insisting on freedom to create spiritual reality, shouldn’t we be seeking to discover it and disciplining ourselves to live according to it?”
Just some food for thought
Keller also ties the freedom of Love with being restrictive and constraining. I’ll delve in to that one on the next blog.
One of the areas of topic Keller deals with in his book is the area of Christianity supposedly limiting personal growth and potential because it constrains our freedom to choose our own beliefs. Keller argues this by saying, "Freedom cannot be defined in strictly negative terms, as the absence of confinement and constraint. In fact, in many cases, confinement and constraint is actually a means to liberation." Keller gives an example - "If you have musical aptitude, you may give yourself to practice, practice, and practice the piano for years. This is a restriction, a limit on your freedom. There are many other things you won't be able to do with the time you invest in practicing. If you have the talent, however, the discipline and limitation will unleash your ability that would otherwise go untapped. What have you done? You've deliberately lost your freedom to engage in some things in order to release yourself to a richer kind of freedom to accomplish other things."
Keller does say that there are certain restrictions and disciplines are not all liberating. He gives an example of a small 125lb male trying out for the NFL as a lineman and how all the discipline and effort won’t help him because he is fighting against a reality that isn’t possible. However, what he’s getting at is that constraints and disciplines only liberate us when they “fit with the reality of our nature and capacities.” Again, another example is a fish out of water – the fish will die if we do not honor the reality of its nature and it is only free if it is restricted and limited to water where it can breathe.
It made me start to wonder how many people work really hard to find something that makes a lot of money, while sacrificing family and love, rather than find something that fits their talents and interests. Such careers can be suffocating that in the long run stifle and dehumanize us. Where’s the freedom in that?
I love this quote from Keller…
“In many areas of life, freedom is not so much the absence of restrictions as finding the right ones, the liberating restrictions. Those that fit with the reality of our nature and the world produce greater power and scope for our abilities and a deeper joy and fulfillment. Experimentation, risk, and making mistakes bring growth only if, over time, they show us our limits as well as our abilities. If we only grow intellectually, vocationally, and physically through judicious constraints – why would it not also be true for spiritual and moral growth? Instead of insisting on freedom to create spiritual reality, shouldn’t we be seeking to discover it and disciplining ourselves to live according to it?”
Just some food for thought
Keller also ties the freedom of Love with being restrictive and constraining. I’ll delve in to that one on the next blog.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Alone in Africa
Coming to Africa has been a whirlwind of emotions for me. I was so happy to finally be finished with school and focus on a greater objective. I was probably more excited about flying to Africa than I've ever been for flying anywhere. For those that don't know, I'm not crazy about flying and breathing recycled air. However, I anxiously awaited seeing the staff of Onesimus and the kids that are a part of it for the first time in around six months. It is hard to believe that a kid can have that much of an impact on me after being with them for only a week in June, however, there is something different about these kids. They love spending time with you and are not distracted by the things of the western world (iPods, facebook, cell phones, etc..). So time is all they have; and they love giving it to you.
We were able to spoil Nega and his wife a little and focus on a few aspects of the ministry. One, we loved on the kids, which was the most important for me. Two, we were able to work with the kids with some sports clinics and give them a little exercise in the process. Three, we took in a few football matches and got to see their competitive spirit come out. Four, we got to see go see a few beneficiaries of the Income Generation Activity and how Onesimus, with the Lord's hand, has helped sustain the families and provide food and shelter for them (Mrs. McGoo can explain more about this project in another blog). So overall, it has been a busy, fruitful, and worthwhile trip so far to see all that the Lord is doing in and out of this wonderful organization and city.
However, I must admit, these past few days have been difficult for me. I put Mrs. McGoo back on a plane to the US on Christmas night and immediately felt alone and attacked. Around that time at night is about the time in the US where people made their way to facebook and began bragging and celebrating all the wonderful gifts they received Christmas morning. It was tough to see and read. While I love that so many people were made happy on this day, Satan began attacking me in a way that I wasn't prepared for. Here I sat in a room with a bed, window, and desk, while my wife went back to the US and all I read where people shouting for joy for the material gifts they received and how they were with their families. Satan hit me like a Mack truck. He kept telling me that I was all alone, no one cared, and there was not anything I could do about it. So I spent most of the night and day worrying about where my wife was (internet is very spotty here so flight tracking is impossible), if she was safe in Istanbul, if the weather allowed her to arrive safely in Chicago and so on. Literally these thoughts have eaten me up inside for the past two days. I kept thinking, why am I here in the mission field feeling so alone and suffering when no one back home cares?
This morning I spent some time in conversation with God. I finished the book "Crazy Love" and began reading Tim Keller's wonderful book "The Reason for God." In the second chapter, he tackles the question, 'How Could a Good God Allow Suffering.' Keller says, "In Jesus Christ, God experienced the greatest depths of pain. Therefore, though Christianity does not provide the reason for each experience of pain, it provides deep resources for actually facing suffering with hope and courage rather than bitterness and despair." I began to think, ok, so how does this apply to me? I've been praying for you Lord to show me I'm not alone in this - that what I'm doing here is worthwhile and for the betterment of Christianity. Later in the chapter Keller writes, "On the cross Jesus's cry of dereliction - MY GOD, MY GOD, why have you forsaken me? - is a deeply relational statement. Jesus did not die renouncing God. Even in the inferno of abandonment he did not surrender his faith in God by expressed his anguished prayer in a cry of affirmation, 'MY GOD, MY GOD.'"
I sat on those words for a good bit of time this morning. Even while Satan was attacking and in my loneliness, I was still crying out for the Lord for something. While I'm certainly not putting my small insignificant bit of boredom up with my Saviors sacrifice, it did resonate something in me. I haven't lost my faith, far from it, but I felt in some small way, I wanted to know or have some assurance that what I have doing mattered - that God understood my suffering - because Satan was telling me otherwise. Keller goes on by saying, "Christianity alone among the world religions claims that God became uniquely and fully human in Jesus Christ and therefore knows firsthand despair, rejection, loneliness, poverty, bereavement, torture, and imprisonment...in his death, God suffers in love, identifying with the abandoned and godforsaken."
Keller's words were perfect for me this morning. Godly perfect. Who of all people would know abandonment more than Jesus? Finally, Keller went on to say, "We also need hope that our suffering is 'not in vain'...For one who suffers, the Christian faith provides as a resource not just in its teaching on the Cross but also the fact of the resurrection...we can know that God is truly Immanuel - God with us - even in our worst sufferings."
Have you ever heard someone say, "God spoke to me" and meant it?
This morning, God spoke to me.
We were able to spoil Nega and his wife a little and focus on a few aspects of the ministry. One, we loved on the kids, which was the most important for me. Two, we were able to work with the kids with some sports clinics and give them a little exercise in the process. Three, we took in a few football matches and got to see their competitive spirit come out. Four, we got to see go see a few beneficiaries of the Income Generation Activity and how Onesimus, with the Lord's hand, has helped sustain the families and provide food and shelter for them (Mrs. McGoo can explain more about this project in another blog). So overall, it has been a busy, fruitful, and worthwhile trip so far to see all that the Lord is doing in and out of this wonderful organization and city.
However, I must admit, these past few days have been difficult for me. I put Mrs. McGoo back on a plane to the US on Christmas night and immediately felt alone and attacked. Around that time at night is about the time in the US where people made their way to facebook and began bragging and celebrating all the wonderful gifts they received Christmas morning. It was tough to see and read. While I love that so many people were made happy on this day, Satan began attacking me in a way that I wasn't prepared for. Here I sat in a room with a bed, window, and desk, while my wife went back to the US and all I read where people shouting for joy for the material gifts they received and how they were with their families. Satan hit me like a Mack truck. He kept telling me that I was all alone, no one cared, and there was not anything I could do about it. So I spent most of the night and day worrying about where my wife was (internet is very spotty here so flight tracking is impossible), if she was safe in Istanbul, if the weather allowed her to arrive safely in Chicago and so on. Literally these thoughts have eaten me up inside for the past two days. I kept thinking, why am I here in the mission field feeling so alone and suffering when no one back home cares?
This morning I spent some time in conversation with God. I finished the book "Crazy Love" and began reading Tim Keller's wonderful book "The Reason for God." In the second chapter, he tackles the question, 'How Could a Good God Allow Suffering.' Keller says, "In Jesus Christ, God experienced the greatest depths of pain. Therefore, though Christianity does not provide the reason for each experience of pain, it provides deep resources for actually facing suffering with hope and courage rather than bitterness and despair." I began to think, ok, so how does this apply to me? I've been praying for you Lord to show me I'm not alone in this - that what I'm doing here is worthwhile and for the betterment of Christianity. Later in the chapter Keller writes, "On the cross Jesus's cry of dereliction - MY GOD, MY GOD, why have you forsaken me? - is a deeply relational statement. Jesus did not die renouncing God. Even in the inferno of abandonment he did not surrender his faith in God by expressed his anguished prayer in a cry of affirmation, 'MY GOD, MY GOD.'"
I sat on those words for a good bit of time this morning. Even while Satan was attacking and in my loneliness, I was still crying out for the Lord for something. While I'm certainly not putting my small insignificant bit of boredom up with my Saviors sacrifice, it did resonate something in me. I haven't lost my faith, far from it, but I felt in some small way, I wanted to know or have some assurance that what I have doing mattered - that God understood my suffering - because Satan was telling me otherwise. Keller goes on by saying, "Christianity alone among the world religions claims that God became uniquely and fully human in Jesus Christ and therefore knows firsthand despair, rejection, loneliness, poverty, bereavement, torture, and imprisonment...in his death, God suffers in love, identifying with the abandoned and godforsaken."
Keller's words were perfect for me this morning. Godly perfect. Who of all people would know abandonment more than Jesus? Finally, Keller went on to say, "We also need hope that our suffering is 'not in vain'...For one who suffers, the Christian faith provides as a resource not just in its teaching on the Cross but also the fact of the resurrection...we can know that God is truly Immanuel - God with us - even in our worst sufferings."
Have you ever heard someone say, "God spoke to me" and meant it?
This morning, God spoke to me.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Of Rock's and Men
It is pretty common knowledge when you live in Memphis that violence is a part the life of the city. People carry all sorts of weapons on them; some legal, some not. While most Memphians arsenal include guns, knives, pipes, and bats, you'd never hear of violence committed by a rock.
Addis Ababa is completely opposite of Memphis. Here, people do not have the type of weapons you'd see in America. One, they can't afford it, and two it isn't part of their culture. I hear stories of people being robbed and the robbers return everything in their wallet except the cash. Crazy, I know. A criminal with a conscious.
The one form of violence you see here is fighting with rocks. There are a lot of rocky and dirt roads here and even the nicer roads have their fare share of rocks. Most of the parks that we play at are dirt and rocks. Heck, even the field that the boys are playing their games on are rocks. They slide and dive and tackle on these fields...it's impressive and scary all in one.
Last Wednesday we were at one of the fields we've been using for clinics and had a few run ins with people wanting to fight with rocks. The first instance we had some of the boys scrimmaging each other. There was another game going on with some older guys...most likely in their early twenties. Out of no where, one of our players comes running and hides behind me. I look at him as he is pointing and a younger guy comes running at me with a very large rock in his hand. My first instinct was to level the guy and protect our kid. About that time Nega stepped in front of me and started talking him down. Apparently the ball we were using went into their match and the boy went to retrieve it and did not apologize about it. So that deserved a man possibly ten years older than him to come running at him with a rock in his hand.
The second instance happened the same time the first was going on. Mrs. McGoo was working with a few smaller boys when some of the neighborhood kids came and wanted to join in. We're never really sure who starts it or what is said but before she knew it, kids the age of 6 are throwing rocks at each other. We didn't see what was happening and anyone that has heard Mrs. McGoo knows her screams sound more like a kid that is hoarse. She finally got our attention and Nega went over and calmed things down.
This past Sunday, I was watching a football match with two teams and after the match a fight broke out in the streets. No punches were thrown because no one was close enough to each other to do so. But large rocks bigger than my fist were thrown and it's a wonder that no one was seriously injured.
I'm amazed at how people have taken to defending themselves by throwing rocks at each other. Maybe Ethiopians just aren't good fighters...I dunno. I asked Nega about it and why is it so ingrained in their culture. I guess I can see why a kid living on the street would want to defend himself at any cost, but for adults to go after a kid with one is amazing to me. It can be difficult to discipline a kid that is doing so on the street because you do not know whether you can turn your back and expect a rock in the back of the head.
What I do know is I aim to change the culture in and around our kids. Tomorrow I am speaking with them about it since it is fresh in their mind from the fight they had on Sunday. Also, I've been asked to work with Onesimus ministry to develop policies for their organization in every area. One of the first things I plan on doing is working on policies for children and rocks.
Something has to be done about changing the culture. If not, we're just stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Addis Ababa is completely opposite of Memphis. Here, people do not have the type of weapons you'd see in America. One, they can't afford it, and two it isn't part of their culture. I hear stories of people being robbed and the robbers return everything in their wallet except the cash. Crazy, I know. A criminal with a conscious.
The one form of violence you see here is fighting with rocks. There are a lot of rocky and dirt roads here and even the nicer roads have their fare share of rocks. Most of the parks that we play at are dirt and rocks. Heck, even the field that the boys are playing their games on are rocks. They slide and dive and tackle on these fields...it's impressive and scary all in one.
Last Wednesday we were at one of the fields we've been using for clinics and had a few run ins with people wanting to fight with rocks. The first instance we had some of the boys scrimmaging each other. There was another game going on with some older guys...most likely in their early twenties. Out of no where, one of our players comes running and hides behind me. I look at him as he is pointing and a younger guy comes running at me with a very large rock in his hand. My first instinct was to level the guy and protect our kid. About that time Nega stepped in front of me and started talking him down. Apparently the ball we were using went into their match and the boy went to retrieve it and did not apologize about it. So that deserved a man possibly ten years older than him to come running at him with a rock in his hand.
The second instance happened the same time the first was going on. Mrs. McGoo was working with a few smaller boys when some of the neighborhood kids came and wanted to join in. We're never really sure who starts it or what is said but before she knew it, kids the age of 6 are throwing rocks at each other. We didn't see what was happening and anyone that has heard Mrs. McGoo knows her screams sound more like a kid that is hoarse. She finally got our attention and Nega went over and calmed things down.
This past Sunday, I was watching a football match with two teams and after the match a fight broke out in the streets. No punches were thrown because no one was close enough to each other to do so. But large rocks bigger than my fist were thrown and it's a wonder that no one was seriously injured.
I'm amazed at how people have taken to defending themselves by throwing rocks at each other. Maybe Ethiopians just aren't good fighters...I dunno. I asked Nega about it and why is it so ingrained in their culture. I guess I can see why a kid living on the street would want to defend himself at any cost, but for adults to go after a kid with one is amazing to me. It can be difficult to discipline a kid that is doing so on the street because you do not know whether you can turn your back and expect a rock in the back of the head.
What I do know is I aim to change the culture in and around our kids. Tomorrow I am speaking with them about it since it is fresh in their mind from the fight they had on Sunday. Also, I've been asked to work with Onesimus ministry to develop policies for their organization in every area. One of the first things I plan on doing is working on policies for children and rocks.
Something has to be done about changing the culture. If not, we're just stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Differences: Walking and Driving in Africa
Mrs. McGoo and I have blogged countless times about how there are many differences in Africa and America, but two things we haven't discussed is how we are viewed and how the driving is here.
Think of the busiest city you know, say New York, where people are constantly walking in and out of traffic (While I have never been to NYC, I have seen plenty on tv to know that tons of people walk to and from work amidst a ton of traffic). Now take the same amount of people and shrink the city and you have Addis. It's really crazy. However, unlike the melting pot that is NYC, Addis 99.999999% black; meaning, there aren't many white folk walking around here. So, when there are a few walking around, it is a spectacle.
If you are the kind of person that doesn't like people staring at you, the Addis is not the place for you; or at least you might want to work on getting over it. There is no where, and I repeat, NO WHERE I go, that everyone isn't staring at me. If someone were to stare at you in the states, you might think someone has it out for you or your fly is open or something. So naturally, when you see someone stare at you in the states, you're first inclination is to respond, 'What? Got a problem or something?' Here, you kind of have to get use to it, because it happens everywhere you go. Here's another problem...they think you are someone else. I'll let Mrs. McGoo elaborate on her blog what has been going on lately with me, but let's just say that I'm getting called names by people now.
I continue to ask Nega (the Onesimus Director) why everyone stares at me (outside of the obvious, I’m good looking). He tells me that because I am a foreigngie (their word for foreigner) and they wonder why I’m here – what have I come to do? Also, because I’m a bigger guy (and apparently look like someone famous), which is not very common here in Ethiopia. On the negative side of things, they also think we have money, which leads people to beg quite a bit. While it isn’t overwhelming, it is bothersome because inside of you, you want to help someone. The problem is, if you give to one person, it’s over. You’ll get mauled by beggars who all think you’ve got some more to give.
In addition to people staring at you a lot, that isn’t the only strange thing here; the way people drive is another. I've never seen driving like this. I always thought Memphis drivers were horrible, then I went to Dallas, then I went to New Orleans, and Mexico, and so on. None of those places hold a candle to the way driving is here. Again, people are walking everywhere and traffic is so busy here, it is controlled chaos in that, everyone seems to know what they are doing, but it is completely crazy driving. I believe that I have seen ONE traffic light that is working here, but the rest are not. If you come to an intersection, you have to be what I call, ‘cautiously aggressive.’ You cannot stop and let everyone go, otherwise, you’ll get dominated and never will move. However, you cannot completely drive either or you’ll wreck. Speaking of wrecks, I’ve never seen one here and you’d think there would be one every five seconds. Yet, everyone knows what to expect. I actually like it better than in the states some. No one gets their feelings hurt, no one drives angry, and road rage is not an issue. Likewise, no one follows the dotted lines; they just give you a guide for where you need to be. I see people swaying back and forth all the time – no one bats an eye. In the states, you’d be pulled over for reckless driving. Again, the way people drive is expected here and no one gets their panties in a wad if someone flashes their lights at them, honks their horn at them, or passes them. Flashing lights and honking the horn is just their way of letting you know they are there and they don’t want you to get hit.
All that being said, there are two types of driving here: City driving and country driving.
City driving is a lot of how I explained previously. You have to be cautiously aggressive with crossing intersections and on the major roads. If you give someone more than a few feet, they will take it. So it is always a game of inches…or should I say millimeters here internationally. You also have to be cautiously aggressive with pedestrians. There are more people walking, than there are driving and they want a piece of the road as well. Sidewalks here are pretty much useless since vendors are set up on them, people are sleeping on them, or the sidewalk is destroyed. It is not uncommon to drive millimeters next to another car on one side and millimeters next to people on the other. All the while, both are trying to get ahead, in front, or around you. All of it makes for a very interesting ride.
The other type of driving is Country driving. I experienced this first when we took Nega and his wife Emu to Lake Awassa this past weekend. We made our way out of the city and then began to drive on a long stretch of road. Lake Awassa is 270 km north of Addis Ababa and we remembered every bit of the journey. When I think of all the times I’ve left Memphis and headed north to Nashville or Lexington, on a clear day, the worst one may have to encounter are traffic jams and a truck that is slow here or there. The thing you don’t have to account for is driving while large groups of people are walking on the shoulder, a buggy with a horse or donkey is driving in front of you or on the shoulder, or animals are crossing or walking on the shoulder. It makes for a very stressful drive when having to account for all of the other distractions that may be thrown in you path to get to a destination. On top of that, about every 30 mins, you come to a small town or market where it looks like a parade has come and you are the featured guest. You drive through with people and their animals all staring at you and walking around your car.
Now, imagine all of this, and then imagine YOU actually get to drive in it. Yep, I did. I relieved Nega of driving duties about halfway so that he could rest a little and I could get a taste of what it was like to drive. At first, I felt pretty good – nothing much in my way. Then about 45 mins later, I have three goats standing in the middle of the street. Keeping in mind what I saw Nega do earlier (he went through a line of cows and bulls by honking and slowly moving through them, they managed to move), I honked at the goats and slowed down a little. Apparently goats are completely oblivious to loud noises or are just dumber than cows, because they didn’t move. So I started to drift over to the shoulder where I could go around them. Then they started to move…toward the shoulder and our car. I hit the brakes harder and got a few millimeters from the goats and they jumped out of the way and I carried on. Nega, acting like this was nothing new, was talking on his phone and didn’t bat an eye. Emu, sat in the back seat and didn’t say a word. Mrs. McGoo on the other hand, channeled her inner Cindy Wilson and gave me a tongue lashing (Lloyd knows what I’m talking about). I just brushed it off and kept going. I encountered a few more animals along the way, but handled them like a pro – all the while still freaking my lovely wife out.
In conclusion, it’s crazy over here. And I love it
Think of the busiest city you know, say New York, where people are constantly walking in and out of traffic (While I have never been to NYC, I have seen plenty on tv to know that tons of people walk to and from work amidst a ton of traffic). Now take the same amount of people and shrink the city and you have Addis. It's really crazy. However, unlike the melting pot that is NYC, Addis 99.999999% black; meaning, there aren't many white folk walking around here. So, when there are a few walking around, it is a spectacle.
If you are the kind of person that doesn't like people staring at you, the Addis is not the place for you; or at least you might want to work on getting over it. There is no where, and I repeat, NO WHERE I go, that everyone isn't staring at me. If someone were to stare at you in the states, you might think someone has it out for you or your fly is open or something. So naturally, when you see someone stare at you in the states, you're first inclination is to respond, 'What? Got a problem or something?' Here, you kind of have to get use to it, because it happens everywhere you go. Here's another problem...they think you are someone else. I'll let Mrs. McGoo elaborate on her blog what has been going on lately with me, but let's just say that I'm getting called names by people now.
I continue to ask Nega (the Onesimus Director) why everyone stares at me (outside of the obvious, I’m good looking). He tells me that because I am a foreigngie (their word for foreigner) and they wonder why I’m here – what have I come to do? Also, because I’m a bigger guy (and apparently look like someone famous), which is not very common here in Ethiopia. On the negative side of things, they also think we have money, which leads people to beg quite a bit. While it isn’t overwhelming, it is bothersome because inside of you, you want to help someone. The problem is, if you give to one person, it’s over. You’ll get mauled by beggars who all think you’ve got some more to give.
In addition to people staring at you a lot, that isn’t the only strange thing here; the way people drive is another. I've never seen driving like this. I always thought Memphis drivers were horrible, then I went to Dallas, then I went to New Orleans, and Mexico, and so on. None of those places hold a candle to the way driving is here. Again, people are walking everywhere and traffic is so busy here, it is controlled chaos in that, everyone seems to know what they are doing, but it is completely crazy driving. I believe that I have seen ONE traffic light that is working here, but the rest are not. If you come to an intersection, you have to be what I call, ‘cautiously aggressive.’ You cannot stop and let everyone go, otherwise, you’ll get dominated and never will move. However, you cannot completely drive either or you’ll wreck. Speaking of wrecks, I’ve never seen one here and you’d think there would be one every five seconds. Yet, everyone knows what to expect. I actually like it better than in the states some. No one gets their feelings hurt, no one drives angry, and road rage is not an issue. Likewise, no one follows the dotted lines; they just give you a guide for where you need to be. I see people swaying back and forth all the time – no one bats an eye. In the states, you’d be pulled over for reckless driving. Again, the way people drive is expected here and no one gets their panties in a wad if someone flashes their lights at them, honks their horn at them, or passes them. Flashing lights and honking the horn is just their way of letting you know they are there and they don’t want you to get hit.
All that being said, there are two types of driving here: City driving and country driving.
City driving is a lot of how I explained previously. You have to be cautiously aggressive with crossing intersections and on the major roads. If you give someone more than a few feet, they will take it. So it is always a game of inches…or should I say millimeters here internationally. You also have to be cautiously aggressive with pedestrians. There are more people walking, than there are driving and they want a piece of the road as well. Sidewalks here are pretty much useless since vendors are set up on them, people are sleeping on them, or the sidewalk is destroyed. It is not uncommon to drive millimeters next to another car on one side and millimeters next to people on the other. All the while, both are trying to get ahead, in front, or around you. All of it makes for a very interesting ride.
The other type of driving is Country driving. I experienced this first when we took Nega and his wife Emu to Lake Awassa this past weekend. We made our way out of the city and then began to drive on a long stretch of road. Lake Awassa is 270 km north of Addis Ababa and we remembered every bit of the journey. When I think of all the times I’ve left Memphis and headed north to Nashville or Lexington, on a clear day, the worst one may have to encounter are traffic jams and a truck that is slow here or there. The thing you don’t have to account for is driving while large groups of people are walking on the shoulder, a buggy with a horse or donkey is driving in front of you or on the shoulder, or animals are crossing or walking on the shoulder. It makes for a very stressful drive when having to account for all of the other distractions that may be thrown in you path to get to a destination. On top of that, about every 30 mins, you come to a small town or market where it looks like a parade has come and you are the featured guest. You drive through with people and their animals all staring at you and walking around your car.
Now, imagine all of this, and then imagine YOU actually get to drive in it. Yep, I did. I relieved Nega of driving duties about halfway so that he could rest a little and I could get a taste of what it was like to drive. At first, I felt pretty good – nothing much in my way. Then about 45 mins later, I have three goats standing in the middle of the street. Keeping in mind what I saw Nega do earlier (he went through a line of cows and bulls by honking and slowly moving through them, they managed to move), I honked at the goats and slowed down a little. Apparently goats are completely oblivious to loud noises or are just dumber than cows, because they didn’t move. So I started to drift over to the shoulder where I could go around them. Then they started to move…toward the shoulder and our car. I hit the brakes harder and got a few millimeters from the goats and they jumped out of the way and I carried on. Nega, acting like this was nothing new, was talking on his phone and didn’t bat an eye. Emu, sat in the back seat and didn’t say a word. Mrs. McGoo on the other hand, channeled her inner Cindy Wilson and gave me a tongue lashing (Lloyd knows what I’m talking about). I just brushed it off and kept going. I encountered a few more animals along the way, but handled them like a pro – all the while still freaking my lovely wife out.
In conclusion, it’s crazy over here. And I love it
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