Mission Accomplished?

Six months ago I started my mission at a formation camp with VIDES+USA in San Antonio, Texas where I was introduced and accepted into the wonderful community of the Salesian Sisters.  The formation camp provided a good introduction to the values and educational methods promoted by the Sisters in the missions that they operate in. I knew that it was not going to be easy serving my mission in Ethiopia, but it was a challenge that I was looking for. It was also very important for me that I do this experience through a Catholic organization and VIDES, through the Salesian Sisters, proved to be an excellent choice.  In addition, Ethiopia has a rich history with Christianity, dating back to biblical times, so it made the experience that much more meaningful.

To recap, my mission in Dilla was to teach English to community college-level students.  It provided to be a challenging mission at the beginning not just because it was the first time teaching English but also because I had to teach students from a different culture/background. English is not a mandatory subject but since the semester-end examinations that are administered by the local government are all in English, the students are somehow expected to know and understand the language while taking their exams.  Well, the staff at Mary Help College did an excellent job this semester as all the students succeeded in passing their COC examinations (100% passing rate), which was a first for the school.  There was much joy and celebrations at the school, which was capped by a wonderful graduation ceremony.  But while I was able to complete my service of teaching English there were so many other things that my students and the community taught me during my stay in Dilla.

During my mission in Ethiopia, I was able to see first hand the great work that the Salesian Fathers and Sisters do for the community in Dilla. From the adoption program, to the feeding center, and the schools (kindergarten, primary, secondary, and college-level) that they operate, the Salesians really try to do everything to help the families in the community have better lives.  I also had the opportunity to visit their missions in other parts of the country, where they run similar programs to help the children from these communities.  For many families, the missions not only help provide their children with a better education but are also a source of employment.  What I admire the most is how the Sisters, many of whom left their homeland to go on mission, have dedicated their time, love, energy and faith to the people of this country.

At the end of the semester I traveled a bit to visit the northern part of the country, which contains many historical sites and beautiful landscapes. I saw the Blue Nile Waterfalls, the monolithic temples of Lalibela, the ancient stelas in Axum, as well as monasteries dating back 800 hundred years. Ethiopia is a beautiful country with kind people and a proud and ancient history.  The trip made me realize though that I was grateful and fortunate to have spent my time in Dilla.  I returned to Dilla in time to witness the kindergarten and college graduation ceremonies, which are momentous affairs for the students and their families.  This past Friday was sadly my last day in Dilla but these past few weeks have been very special and memorable as we said our farewells. Overall, I will definitely miss the people, the Sisters, my students, the staff, and the smiling children, all of whom made me feel at home over the past five months.

So what’s next in the horizon? I will be in Italy for one week to attend a conference for VIDES International, the organization that I am volunteering with.  VIDES missioners from around the world will share their moments and lessons learned from their different missions.  After a brief break to visit family and friends back home, I will return to volunteer with the Sisters but this time in Geneva, Switzerland.  The Sisters have a human rights office that collaborates closely with the United Nations.  It will be a different experience and type of work but I am hoping that I can incorporate my on the ground experience in Ethiopia with the human rights work that the Sisters promote in Geneva. So long for now, have a great summer and tune in for my next blog series, Discovering CHRISTian in Geneva!

Sunday Mass in Dilla

One of things that I will miss is celebrating mass at Mary Help of Christians Church, which is a truly joyful experience. While they follow the Latin rite (in the north they use the Ge’ez rite, which is the local equivalent of giving a mass in Latin), there are several aspects of this mass that makes it a tad more special from what I am used to in the U.S.   The gem of this church is its choir. It is made up of about 15-20 high school and university students that take up at least six benches.  They are led by a keyboard player and drummer and they sing and clap through about 10-12 songs during a Sunday mass. Everyone joins in with the clapping as the singing and music is infectious.

Mary Help of Christians is a cavernous church, tall at its center, and supported by an intricate latticework of wooden beams. A beautiful horizontal arrangement of stained glass artwork lines the top of the center wall of the nave.  It depicts Jesus Christ in the middle, flanked by six disciples on either side. What makes it beautiful, (this goes for Ethiopian religious art in general) is its depiction of Jesus Christ and the apostles in darker skin as opposed to the lighter skin that I have been used to seeing for the better part of my life. Christianity has a deep history in Ethiopia (or Absyinnia, as it was previously called) and is mentioned on several occasions in the Bible, which makes it that more special that I chose to have my mission experience in Ethiopia.

At church, there is the custom for the women / girls to cover there head with a shawl, or “natale” in Amharic, which is a tradition from apostolic times.  Members of the parish tend to sit in gender groups rather than in families. The men usually dominate the center left aisle, while the women sit in the center right. The benches in the back are sprinkled with a mix of men and women and children.  The choir dominates the left wing where the young people sit while the smaller children mainly sit in the right wing.

The parishioners, especially the elderly ones, exhibit a deep reverence for the Lord, and often are found prostrate on the floor as they pray during the course of mass.  In particular, all the parishioners bow down in reverence to the Gospel book when it passes them by during its slow but ceremonious journey down the center aisle prior to the readings.

The chanting of prayers and hymns is absolutely beautiful to absorb in this church, and one does not need to understand the language to fully appreciate how they can all sing as one in such a beautiful chorus, especially the “Our Father,“ which is chanted in such a beautiful rhythmic manner. 

My favorite part is the time to give the sign of peace.  The priests and altar boys will come out to walk through the aisles to greet the parishioners. But what is even more “charming is that all the smaller children will walk up and down the pews to shake hands with you. I enjoy this custom because of its congenial nature and it allows the members of the parish to take their time to greet peace to one other.

Receiving the Eucharist is also different from the organized manner that I am used to at Roman Catholic churches where every pew goes in turn down the aisle. Rather, here everyone goes at his or her own time down the aisle to receive Communion. I have noticed that the elders will typically go first and then the younger people but the general sense is that you go whenever you are ready.

Another aspect of Ethiopian religion that is different from back home is the honorific manner in which brightly colored, ornate umbrellas are used inside the church to hold over the priests while they give the Eucharist.  And during the two-hour mass, parishioners can come to the altar at any time to bring offertory candles to Jesus Christ or the Virgin Mary, and even eggs or chicken are offered during feast days.

All in all, it’s amazing to see the faith that these people hold dear to, from the young to old, the child, father, grandfather, mother, etc.  It’s truly a Sunday occasion that I will miss and think of when I’m attending mass back home. I consider myself very lucky to have been stationed at the mission in Dilla where I was able to experience this beautiful mass over the past five months.

Feeding the kids

This week I have been helping serve food at a soup kitchen for children.  The feeding program is sponsored by the Salesian fathers and it provides a free meal every day except for Sundays. Between 150 to 200 children come to eat at the feeding center every day. The children range from as little as one year to around 14 years old.  Grandmothers as well as mothers with their newborns also come to the feeding center for their meal.  

The feeding center is operated by five women who prepare and serve the food, as well as try to maintain discipline in a room filled with more than 100 children.  They serve a hearty meal of broth with potatoes and macaroni (some days they include meat) along with a plate of maize.  Some days the kids bring avocados that they would mash into the maize to create a green ball of mash to go with their soup.  The broth and maize are prepared separately in large cauldrons over a glowing fire that somewhat resembles a sorcerer’s kitchen. 

The children wait outside until they get the signal to come and in and take their seats but not without washing their hands first.  Then before every meal, one of the children will go to the front and recite the “Our Father” and “Hail Mary’ while everyone joins in chorus.  One day they recited the “Our Father” in English and it sounded beautiful; I’ve never heard it sung in that chanting manner before. 

After the prayers, three ladies dish out the food from the front of the dining hall while some of the older children play the role of waiters and bring the food to their eager diners.  The children behave well and stay seated while the food is served to them.  After everyone is served, they can come up for seconds which can sometimes turn into chaos as they are eager to eat more so I have had to stringently implement a queue so as not to overwhelm the server.

After the meal is over, a small group of children will stay behind to collect the plates, bowls, spoons, etc. and clean up the tables.  All in all, the whole process takes about one hour after which the children merrily leave on their way to do whatever small kids in Dilla do.

I have always enjoyed volunteering at soup kitchens but I have enjoyed this one the most.  I find it truly amazing to see these children, in the conditions that they are in, but it is a real delight to come here every day to see the smiles on their faces as they enjoy their meal. I’m not sure if it is the only meal they get but I have been told that they do not usually get 3 meals a day.  

They typically sustain themselves throughout the day by eating mangoes or other fruit that grow around here. However,  I can’t imagine how they would sustain themselves without this feeding program but somehow they find a way to survive.

School’s out for summer….

One of two dance skits for the ceremony

No event is complete without a coffee ceremony

Well almost. We celebrated the last day of the semester yesterday with a ceremony that involved a couple of drama skits, a dance contest, and several farewell speeches for the graduating class. It was the last time that the whole school would be together before exams start. Today, the level IV students will take their exams while the level II students take their exams next Friday.  For the level IV students, it will be a culmination of two years of studies at Mary Help College (“MHC”). After passing the exam, they will receive a Certificate of Competence (“COC”) which will allow them to apply for university as well as get decent paid jobs.  The level IV students won’t re-unite until graduation day which is three weeks away. For those students who don’t pass the exam, they will get one more try in two weeks so that they can make it for graduation. Meanwhile, the level II students will need to pass the exam in order to continue to their second year (or level III) of studies at MHC. 

Classmates dance off the last day of school.

Level IV IT students dressed to impress on exam day

Many of these students come from villages and other remote areas to attend MHC. Their dedication and commitment to improve their standing and prospects for a better future for themselves and their family is very remarkable and inspiring.   It has been a difficult semester for many these students; several lost close family members while a couple of students gave birth. But somehow their adversity shines through and they continue to finish their schooling so that they can obtain the CoC.  Some students are forced to stop their studies mid-way in order to find a job to support their families who depend on them.  Nevertheless, these students represent a bright future, not just for themselves and their families but also for the continuous development of their country.

Final instructions prior to starting the exam