Day 2 – Poverty, Privilege and “the one who came with Fanosie!”

(written March 12, 2015)

The Muslim call to evening prayer echoes through the streets of Nazret as I sit down for a cold Coca-Cola after a warm, dusty, and wonderful day!

This morning we began our teaching assignment and were ferried to the church in a Bajaj driven by a young man who graduated from college as a licensed auto mechanic and went into business for himself as a Bajaj owner…his reasoning – he’s able to fix it when it breaks down and he has some control of his income stream.

You couldn’t/can’t say as much for the day labourers who were building a new hotel next to ours. I watched from the hotel balcony as a team of 3 guys carried 2 cinder blocks each up to the fourth floor…I felt exhausted simply watching. I asked Fanosie what these labourers might expect to receive for a day’s work…as little as 100 Birr (or $6.25 CDN for the day!). My lunch of fried lamb injera cost more!

 

Poverty smacks you in the face at every turn in Nazret, and yet this is a proud people.

Fanosie spoke with a maid in the hotel lobby whose job is to watch over the public washroom. Whenever someone uses the facilities she enters as soon as they leave to make sure it’s completely clean (I wouldn’t mind if some of our restaurants back home were that concerned with cleanliness). Fanosie asked her how she felt about her job – “I am thankful to God for the work…so many aren’t as lucky as I am.”

Privilege is as readily apparent as poverty.

As our expert Bajaj driver maneuvered through the streets and alley ways, we came up behind what was probably a 2001/2 Toyota Corolla – in excellent condition, polished and clean. Fanosie asked if I could guess what a car like this was worth in Ethiopia. I haven’t figured out the money in relationship to value, but Fanosie indicated a probable cost of about 450,000 Birr (we got an exchange rate of 15.995 Birr = $1 CDN earlier today…you can do the math)! Because of the state of the road ways, the government has attempted to place a limit on the number of personal vehicles allowed on the roads…

The way they police the limit…charge a 300% tax on the purchase of personal vehicles.

It really puts things into perspective when the Bajaj you are riding in is jostling with air-conditioned Toyota Land Cruisers alongside the overfull taxi vans, horse carts, and the occasional donkey (I saw some working camels today, but they were waiting at the side of the street and didn’t interfere with the traffic flow).

When we finally arrived at the church – nearly two hours behind the originally proposed schedule (is this the famed “African time” revealing itself?), we were greeted by the high volume and intensity of a worship leader declaring the wonders of the Holy Spirit. I have never seen a worship leader as expressive as this young man (yes, even more expressive than worshiping with our Tamil friends in Markham this past Christmas!). Our stoic stand-in-your-place-with-minimal-movement and follow the song leader or worship band wouldn’t cut it here. The joy of the Lord was readily evident as pastors and church planters danced and jumped and lifted HALLELUJAH’S to the heavens! Before the teaching began everyone had worked themselves into a sweat and the heat of the day hadn’t yet arrived!

And then Fanosie and I were introduced…

Or to put it correctly, Fanosie was introduced…

I was introduced as “the one who came with Fanosie.”

I thought it was greatest introduction ever! When the introduction was translated for me, a broad smile and then hearty giggle grabbed hold of me (I tried hard to contain the laughter that wanted to escape!). What a wonderful way to be introduced…the one “who came along with the friend you know and appreciate” (in Fanosie’s defense, not nearly everyone knew who he was and he had to give a detailed introduction which included how/why he now lives in Canada).

More on the teaching time in a future post. Time for supper… (Did I mention that I’m wearing shorts and sitting outside?).