Father, Father, Father!!

At first, it was curiosity mixed with a hint of fear as two new white faces appeared in their kindergarten schoolyard. It was tea break and all 150 kindergartners were gathered in a large pavilion, quietly waiting for the morning snack to be served. We walked in and sat in their midst just in time to hear them recite the Lord’s Prayer. Blue cups were passed out, followed by several teachers pouring a half a cup of tea and giving two biscuit cookies for each student. It was neat to see how nicely the three to five-year-old Amhara, Shanasha and Gmz students waited for their snack. In fact, for the twenty minutes that we all sat in the pavilion, the only times kids were scolded for not sitting nicely was when I (Travis) provoked them by taking and showing pictures on our digital camera.

On our recent trip to the Gmz area to deliver elementary school primers, we had the opportunity to stop by the Catholic mission which is working among the Gmz people just outside of the zonal capital city Gilgel Beles. The Catholic Fathers have been working in this area for about five years in which time they have established a large kindergarten school and a small Catholic congregation. We spent the morning and lunch hour with Father Marco and Father James, both of whom are from Italy. They were very hospitable toward us and excited to hear of our intended work in that area. In fact, Father Marco has already been doing some rough translation in Gmz, having completed more than 1/3 of the Catholic lectionary Scripture readings (although he admittedly says that they are only works in progress and doesn’t have the time or resources to polish them further). One day, these could prove to be a very valuable starting point if we find ourselves working among this particular dialect. But for now, our visit at the Catholic mission has begun for us a relationship with them that we know will be important in the years to come.

After the children’s tea break, they were released for recess. At first we were interesting because we had a camera. But not wanting to be known only for my cool gadget, I grabbed an unsuspecting little guy by the arms and swung him around like a helicopter blade. The next thing I knew, I had a swarm of kids grabbing my arms, wanting to be the next in line (so much for the patient waiting we had seen earlier). After several more swings I realized that my popularity was growing faster than my muscles could handle, so I asked “iger kwas yet no?” (foot ball where is it?). They returned with two soccer balls and I started a “game” (no goals, just running and kicking). Every now and then I’d grab a kid and swing him/her around, and then run after the ball as kids would once again swarm me to be next.

By the end of recess, my popularity had grown to an all-time lifetime high. Even during the singing time that followed, some of the rascal boys were calling out to me “Abba, Abba, Abba” (Eng: Father, Father, Father). Ah yes, Father Travis, a little strange for me, but I can get used to it! Cooling down in the shade of a small tree, we enjoyed watching the singing as several of the kids jumped up to dance (as you can see in the video. Father James also gives a little commentary in the background). This visit with the Catholic mission was by far the highlight of our recent trip and an encouraging start for a partnership down the road.