"Tenastillign Selam" are the first words of greetings while one is in Ethiopia's capital city Addis Ababa amongst the Amharic people. It was quickly replaced by "Male, Asalaam Aleikum" (Nuer language), and many other languages when Dave Schwinghamer and I traveled 800 kilometers, southwest of Addis to visit Dick Baker in Gambella. We left the heat of Dar es Salaam on an early January morning and arrived mid-day in Addis to the cool air of the higher altitude. Our first host was George Cotter who met us at the airport and gave us a quick tour of Addis as well as our first traditional Ethiopian meal.

The following day we flew to Gambella and were met by Dick. Upon entering Gambella town it was obvious that we were back to the familiar sights and faces of Africa. The area is much lower than Addis and a lot warmer. The people are Nilotic as compared to the highlanders of the mountains of Ethiopia who are of Cushitic-Semitic-African heritage.

The little Amharic that we might have tried to use was of no use since the majority of the people in the area are Anuak and have a different language. Our second day we traveled to within 30 kilometers of the Sudanese border for a liturgy with Nuer people, some of whom had been baptized by a catechist a while ago and have yet to receive the Eucharist. We had an enthusiastic reception as well as hearing another language. The following day we traveled a rough road in another direction to Pinyudo, a refugee camp for 35,000 people from Southern Sudan. Here the liturgy was in Arabic, and English and the homily in four languages including Dinka and Nuer.

It was quite an experience to be welcomed so graciously by the refugees and to share in their joyful liturgical celebration. Despite their being outside of their own country, the presence of the Church with them seems to offer them a focal point of hope. Both the camp and the Church reflect what can be done when peoples of different ethnic groupings live and pray together. This might be part of their vision for the future when they can once again return to their homeland. This is the camp where Dick plans to establish a residence for himself in the near future.

After a two-day drive back to Addis through the magnificent mountains and valleys we once again could use our Amharic greetings. We had a delightful visit with George Cotter at his home outside of Addis. George shared with us some of the work he has been involved with over the past few years collecting Oromo proverbs and applying them to biblical themes and passages (to be published in a book by the African Proverbs Project).

In brief, it was a special privilege for Dave and I to be able to enter into the worlds of other peoples with the guidance of our fellow Maryknollers Dick and George. Despite our own language handicap we had some of the best guides.

Dick's Biography             George's Biography

Dick's Reflections             George's Reflections

Dick's Ministry             George's Ministry

     View the Gambella Photo Album    

Maryknollers in Ethiopia