A Mixed Bag

One of our favorite things about Awi culture is their hospitality and the way our village neighbors fold us into their community. 

Around holidays, it’s a big of a mixed bag for us as we are so blessed to be invited in, to sit with, laugh with, discuss ideas with our neighbors but the downside to this is our limits on our stomachs. 

Some friends, choking down some “foreign coffee” that is actually Ethiopian, just prepared different than over a three-stone-fire in a clay vessel.

Setting up our home theater. :)  So glad so many neighbors came. 

Imabet, helping to clean up the wood scraps, which she will use for her cooking fire.

After a crazy market day, the only room for me in our vehicle was on the white wheel well.  I was a little annoyed at Jon at how he had loaded the vehicle but quickly found the humor in sheep bleating in my face. 

On the Saturday before Easter, about 80% of people wear grass crowns on their heads.

On Easter morning, we were invited over, just for a “coffee”. Upon arriving, here is what was happening outside the house.  We were served a “little breakfast snack” of sheep “white meat” which in English means “fat”. J was fascinated by the whole process.

 Coffee is normally served in three rounds but I usually have the girls bow out after two.  There was no bowing out on the holiday as the third round is the “blessing”.  In this picture, J is telling me, “Mom, I just don’t want this blessing.” We laughed and I drank it for her. 

So thankful for sweet friends for J and A

Today is 2nd Easter.  I am not joking, we keep making the rounds until the meat is gone, which is about Thursday. Can you say a prayer for our stomachs?  Lunch and dinner out with meat that was butchered on Sunday is a stretch.  In this picture, the girls got a homeschool lesson on sheep skin curing from Zelalem.

This is also wedding season, first one starts tomorrow, as it is after the long fast and technically before rainy season. although our rainy season is in a rush and the weather has cooled significantly and we’ve started with light rains. 

Okay, on the upside, I won’t be doing much cooking. :) Happy Monday!