Sacred Sites

I am completely fascinated with the Sacred Sites within Ethiopia, especially the Ark of the Covenant. Dr. Akbarali Thobhani and Dr Carrie A. Besnette, Ph.D. will be staying in Ethiopia a week or two longer to study and travel to these places. If I wasn't leaving for Australia 3 weeks later I would have loved to have stayed and travelled with them. I'll save it for next year :-)



http://www.sacredsites.com/africa/ethiopia/sacred_sites_ethiopia.html



The Ark of the Covenant was the most famous object in the Tabernacle and Temple of the ancient Hebrews. Made of acacia wood covered with gold, the top of the Ark bore a carving of two winged cherubim. The cover of the Ark is called the "Mercy Seat" in the Authorised Version of the Bible.


The Ark contained the two replacement tablets of the Ten Commandments, made to replace the tablets smashed by Moses; the rod of Aaron that budded; and a vessel of manna from the wilderness of Sinai.


The Ark was the centre of a yearly ritual performed by the high priest of Israel. Once a year, on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, he had to enter the Holy of Holies in the temple with the blood of a goat, sacrificed in the scapegoat ritual, which was to atone for the sins of all Israel. Other than during this ritual, no one was allowed to see the Ark.


It was thought to be the location of the direct presence of God, and as such posed a hazard to mere mortals. To touch the Ark meant instant death, even for an innocuous purpose like preventing it from falling out of an ox-cart. It may be for this reason that the Patriarch of Ethiopia is not eager to make the Ark into a tourist attraction.


The Ethiopians say that Menelik, son of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, brought the Ark to Ethiopia. Menelik went on to become the founder of a long dynasty of Ethiopian kings. Haile Selassie, the last King of Ethiopia until he was murdered in 1975 by Marxist revolutionaries, was the last king of Ethiopia to claim descent from Menelik.

My Travel Mates

The team I am travelling with as dictated by Tammy from our recent meeting minutes......................

Dr. Akbarali Thobhani~ Executive Director, Office of International Studies/Metro State College - no expectations/would love to continue with ongoing studies for Ethiopian History

Carrie A. Besnette, Ph.D. Vice President for Institutional Advancement,Foundation Executive Director/Metro State College

Nicole with Metro State - student choosen - no expectations going with open mind and open to help..has done much in philanthropic world, beads of life, volunteer match.com

Mike Paskowitcz - Superintendent for Adams 12 County School District - No expectations, and intends on taking the experiences hehas and telling the stories

Ruth Paskowicz - his LOVELY wife ;) - she would like to help where she is most needed ;) Also knits - Yea

Jade Paskowicz - (daughter) Sports educatorKelli Buffo - DECA officer and teacher - there to help ribbon cutting for the new Colorado DECA Library around Awassa

Laurie Maves - Art therapist in Denver, is available to teach art, drawings, can do murals ;) - expectations - doing a mural in the library

Brent Weaver - our web master for web site video

Julia George - Knitter extrodinaire, yoga instructor :) - No expectations - raised $7,000 to open a library

Ari Bloom - No expectations - on debate team and hopes to pass on his travels with a sense of another world; Also, help to create Quarters for Kids Int'l at Cherry Creek High School and to date have raised $8,000 with a benefit concert in the works ;) yea! joined by his precious mom - Gwen - worried and a bit overwhelmed, happy Ari is more involved in school and the club ;)

Gabe Keeler - last year's President of DECA and took fundraising to new levels $20,000- $10,000 went to Project Mercy and $10,000 for the very first COLORADO DECA LIBRARY AND LEARNING CENTER traveling to cut the ribbon;) YEA! - currently a freshman at DU

Frances Fisher - ***out of town - able to sell over $6,000 of hearts to high schools in Tennessee!

Hannah Merten & her parents :) - did a video contest submission winning first prize, also involved in creating and running Quarters for kids Int'l at Cherry Creek High School - no expectations - joined by her lovely parents :)

Andrea Nieto - also a video contest submission

Natalie Villa - a video contest submission - wants to be a director - goes to Montbello High likes doing documentaries Kim Miles/Rick (her husband) are from New Mexico and leaving early to have time with Marta and Deme and setting up the bead studio - teaching beadmaking - Kim has contributed to the HOPE Bracelet project by getting a number of Bead artists to make beads SPECIFICALLY for the project every year! Yea!

Alex Boyd to continue teaching the art of bead making, joined us last year and is an amazing artist.

Tammy & Noel as well :)

Ooooh all most forgot my fun fact....

Socializing

The Amhara place great emphasis on formal but very courteous greetings to both friends and strangers. Shaking hands with one or both hands is common between members of the same sex. Friends often embrace each other formally but warmly. There is no physical contact when members of opposite sexes greet each other.

The Amharic home is generally a highly private and personal domain, and it is not usual to visit without an invitation. When visiting a home for the first time, a small gift is in order. Visitors are expected to accept any refreshments or food offered.

Mother Theresa Orphanage

Friday night, all of us traveling to Ethiopia together met at Strings with Tammy & Noel and discussed the trip at length. We found out what we'd be doing each day and where we were staying etc. Noel got to day two and "said and then all of us except Julia" will board the bus and we'll head to Project Mercy, Julia I'll fill you in later".................... NO! you're leaving me behind?. Breathe. So I found out that the Mother Theresa Aids Orphanage have requested that I stay with them for a day or two and pass on some knowledge. Which brings me to................. do I teach them knitting or finger knitting? How do I teach using non-verbal cues (as they dont' speak much english), clearly the usual ryhme to teach kids how to knit is not going to work...........

In through the front door
Around the back
Out through the window
And off jumps jack.

Anyway I am very excited, teany bit nervous about going. Mainly excited.
We are having a "packing party" the week before we go, mainly so Tammy & Noel can tell us what to take and what is ridiculous. Lots of head scarves/ bandanas for bad hair days, medications, basic shoes and clothes.......... I have a two page list - I'll get to it as soon as I pack my house, the dogs and move - my head hurts with thinking about how much I have to do between now and January........ move, Ethiopia, back to USA for 3 weeks and then home to Australia for Christmas.

Details and schedules are changing all the time so its a great chance to breath through it. I have officially let go of all my expectations. My biggest stress about Ethiopia is finding a decent dog sitter, my last one sucked. Marcello & India were NOT happy with me after New York. I need someone more nurturing and ramp up the visits to 3-4 times a day... anyway, something else to work on.

I really like the people I'm travelling with. There is a wide age range. Superintendent of Schools, high school kids, uni kids, a bead maker (who is amazing!!), Professors of International Studies from Metro State, an Artist, and Yoga instructor & Knitter :-)

I have found out there is possible 2 or 3 villages where if you stand on one leg, with your hair pulled back and chew gum, you 'might' get cell phone reception and/or internet connection, so I will hopefully keep up this blog (complete with photos), while I'm in Addis Ababa and Yetebon.

50 days to go and 50 shots

Well yesterday was the first step in my journey to Ethiopia. I had a number of vaccinations and got a prescription for another 3. I have travelled extensively but this is my first experience travelling to a 3rd world country - actually I'm not sure that's what you call Africa, but the shots remind me that I am not going somewhere I can experience art galleries and cafes and the most danger would be jay walking.

I'm excited to be travelling with Noel and Tammy and about 15 other wonderful people; amongst them are students who have raised money for Ethiopia Reads and/ or the Cunningham Family Foundation. I am nervous. I am excited.

I wanted to go on this trip after meeting Noel for the first time. What has since transpired is Noels vision that I share my passion for knitting at Project Mercy. I'm currently putting together ideas, materials and a plan to teach knitting at Project Mercy so that it may become a business for them, just as the Hope Bracelet Project has become.

Todays fact about Ethiopia is regarding food. As I have become Vegetarian, again! it seems I maybe surviving on grains :-)

Eating
The Ethiopian diet generally includes lamb, goat, and fowl. Ethiopians do not usually eat pork, turkey, or ham. Common foods include injera, a fermented bread made of teff flour (a native grain), and wat, a spicy stew made with beef or chicken. Strict religious dietary and fasting customs, especially for Muslims, also influence the diet. Many people survive on grains alone.
Amharic hosts take pride in offering guests the best meal they are capable of providing, and guests reciprocate by leaving some food on the plate to indicate that the host has more than adequately provided for them. Food is eaten with the fingers of the right hand, never the left.