Last Sunday, I drove to Toronto, Canada to learn from and help Ethiopian brothers and sisters share their culture and ministries in their homeland.
I serve remotely from home, about 8,000 miles from my field colleagues in SIM South Africa and about 14 hours’ drive from my sending office colleagues at SIM USA in Charlotte, NC. However, I’ve long yearned to visit my SIM Canada’s Toronto office and to meet colleagues there—my “closest cousins,” so to speak—it was a blessing to finally make this trip.
“Love Ethiopia Night” was arranged by a SIM Canada colleague who is seconded (missionary speak for “loaned out”) to another organization and by those working with him in that and other ministries. SIM Canada shared their facility, and anyone who came early enough was welcome to help prepare four Ethiopian women and an Ethiopian man (all of whom live in Canada) prepare several dishes from their culture.
I enjoyed being one of the many chefs’ helpers, learning from the Ethiopians who led the team there. I split my time between the camera and a colander.
Although many of the attendees grew up in Ethiopian culture, she kindly instructed the whole group on how to eat Ethiopian food properly.
After the meal, we learned about ministries and programs in Ethiopia in mentoring, technology assistance for schools, local outreach between Ethiopians, and churches in Ethiopia sending missionaries as well as receiving them.
I didn’t have enough time to do reporting on this trip, to interview the presenters about their ministries more fully or to write the articles from that, but I was so glad to cross cultural and national boundaries to meet other Christians, to learn together and share a meal, and to offer them some photos that will help them promote their ministries in many ways themselves.
I hope to visit again soon—at a time better suited to office hours and when I’m not preparing for another local mission trip…but that is another story to share soon, and for now, I need to finish packing for it.
The Heffron Family 