The 'Hebrew Hostel'- shalom and sabbaba

Tsofia- the first of many Israelis to visit us.

About three years ago, we picked up an Israeli girl who was hitchhiking her way around Ethiopia. Her name was Tsofia, and we had such a nice drive together that we invited her to stay with us in Turmi for a few days.
She was visiting the southern tribes before she went back to northern Ethiopia to teach Hebrew at a settlement of Jewish Ethiopians. They are called the ‘fallujah’- a remnant of Jews who migrated from Israel long ago in ancient times.
We said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. Then a week later she came to our town of Arba Minch. Wanting to contact us and come to our house to say hello, she went into an internet cafe. As she was typing an email (the only contact info she had)

This is peanut butter tea. It tastes as bad as it looks. Supposedly it gives you energy when hiking but seems like a waste of good peanut butter, to me!

Shakshuka did'nt last long!

Hadas and Shachar

and looking out the window, outside on the sidewalk Tom walked by! So we had another few days together at our house. Tsofia told all her friends if they are ever in Ethiopia they should call Tom and Teresa. And they did! Then thanks to Facebook, it seems we become the unofficial ‘Hebrew Hostel‘.

Miriam was quite the artist and left me a chalk drawing of a Mursi woman complete with lip plate and ear gages!

Now we have had at least 6 different groups of Israelis visit us since then.
It has been a wonderful experience-learning some of their cultural ways and we have had many interesting talks about God AND Jesus. We have had some guests that kept a kosher diet. The hebrew word ‘kosher’ means ‘fit’ or ‘appropriate’. That means they only eat certain foods, and when preparing those foods they must bring their own pans and utensils to use. My pots and pans are ‘unclean’ by their religious views because I have cooked meat, pork, eggs and milk products in the same pans.
Many of our jewish guests simply follow a vegetarian diet in this modern world today.
In supermarkets, foods that are deemed kosher have a symbol on the package Ou (Orthodox Union). Examples of kosher foods are meat from animals with cloven hooves that chew their cud. (No pork) Fish must have scales and gills (no crab or lobster)
In the Bible New Testament (Acts 10:9-33) the ban on pork and shellfish was released as was the separation of Jews and Gentiles- all were now deemed to be acceptable and good and there was to be no more distinction between people groups.
However, since our Jewish friends don’t believe the New Testament-this restriction still stands.
Some are orthodox and follow their traditions even when they travel. We have been privileged to watch a few of them celebrate shabbat--their holy day of the week
with candles and singing. Shabbat is from sundown on friday until sundown on saturday. It is a reminder of the culmination of Gods creative work done in Genesis-the day He rested from His labors. Also, its a reminder to the Jews how God long ago rescued them from their harsh lives of slavery in Egypt, by setting aside a day of personal freedom from the harsh demands of their labor. So the same for todays Jews- they work during the week, but then on sat. they rest and reflect on Gods goodness. Since there is a ban on travel-they can only walk. They often share the shabbat meal with family and friends. Lighting candles, eating a wonderful meal, laughing and singing--this is a precious part of their lives according to some of our guests. Then since there is also a ban on electronic devices, they pass the day reading, playing board games, taking walks, visiting shut-ins, etc...
And then, some of our guests have been atheists-agnostic-not sure what they believe about this whole God thing. It must be very confusing living in a country like Israel.

Crowded with so many religions-all laying claim to the same small piece of land. (only 8,000 sq miles-about same size as New Jersey-takes less than an hour to drive across the whole country!) We have learned that there are Jewish citizens by nationality, and Jews by religious convictions.

One group I met for the first time at night at the bus station. They had been hitchhiking near Addis and our friend Ben picked them up. When he found out they were headed south to see the tribes, he said “Call Tom and Teresa”--and they did! So I go to the bus station where some pretty sketchy looking guys hang out--and picked up 4 pretty scruffy looking kids with huge backpacks. They were a laughing, good-natured bunch and even cooked a couple of traditional Israeli meals like shakshuba (eggs pouched in tomato sauce) They were only going to stay overnight with us, but we kind of begged them to stay with us a few more days! (we like english speaking company any way we can get it!) They went with us to see the zebras and crocs by the lake near our house.
One of the guys was an excellent guitar player and one night when we had no electricity, we lit a bunch of candles and sang around the ‘campfire’. Hearing those rich, haunting melodies of their traditional music was such a treat-it was a night we will never forget.
So--our lives are the better for opening our house to scruffy strangers who then become friends. And we have a standing invitation to come to Israel and visit them. Maybe someday we will !! Yala bye ! Shalom. 

Sharing in Joy of the Prodigal...

Last week in church I was privileged to witness a special joy that needed no translation. Normally I sit in church up front in a wooden chair by the pastors and guests bench.
Not that I like to sit in the front row-but as a ferenji, that is their custom. Also, they know about my back problems so they provide a chair with a back on it. Everyone else sits on crude wooden benches. One advantage though to sitting up front- I am just barely out of the direct path of their new mega watt jumbotron speakers turned up full blast. (A few rows back and I would have had to put in my earplugs!)

Since I don’t know any of the words they are singing, I just make up my own and clap and try to sway in rhythm with them (it ain’t easy being a white girl with no rhythm!) But while we were all singing, suddenly a woman came up to the front, smiling ear to ear. She was singing and pointing up to heaven and then over at someone. She was dancing (not unusual over here) and the joy on her face was unmistakable. She was then joined by her husband and two sons. Now EVERYONE was up on their feet singing and dancing, like I said, JOY. My friend leaned over and whispered to me “This son was lost for a year-now he comes back”
Now he comes back. My mind immediately went back over the years to when I had my own prodigal son. Nothing wounds a mothers heart more than rejection by her child. During my own sons’ ‘wandering in a far away land’ I experienced such depths of anguish over him. We all did. It affects the whole family. Christmas with the empty place around the table. His birthday when we didn’t know where he was-or even if he was alive. Then the darkest day of all- the phone call saying he was in jail.

But like so many times in our lives- what we think are terrible things happening, oftentimes God will make something good come out of it. I am reminded of the story of Joseph from the Bible. He was sold into slavery by his jealous brothers for 20 pieces of silver. Years later, after he has risen to power in Egypt because of his God-given ability to explain dreams- he was able to feed his brothers and save them from starvation. The brothers were expecting death from Joseph for their misdeeds to him years earlier-but Joseph forgave them. And in one of the most astounding verses from the Bible-Genesis 50:20 “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”

Now, here my son was in jail. No doubt about it- that was bad. But guess what? Here is the good that God made it into. While in jail he started attending a prisoner-led Bible study, and the Father’s kindness and grace brought him back to repentance.
In his prison cell, he gave control of his life back to Jesus!! And he was a changed man after that. He went on to graduate from Seminary, became a youth pastor, got married to a beautiful redhead, gave me one beautiful red haired grandson and a baby grandaughter on the way-and they are moving to Colorado next year to start up a church in Lakewood Colorado. Hows THAT for a ‘prodigal story’? God’s amazing grace.....
And now, I was witnessing another mothers broken heart being healed. The father spoke about his son’s ‘wandering’ while the little brother cried next to him..........
I have no idea of the details, but my heart was cheering- another prodigal was found! “Bring him a new robe (or in this case, a brand new Ethiopia tshirt) put a ring on his finger and kill the fatted calf for a feast. For my son who was lost has now been found”. (Luke 15:22......)
Hallelujah!