Dispatch from Ethiopia by Suzanne Bates Mueller

Reflections vs. Play-by-Play

Like a lot of things about our trip, our blog writing expectations did not match our reality. We envisioned real-time communication of our activities with much more frequency than we delivered. Of course, being busy and a lack of reliable wi-fi are two factors that kept our writing at bay. But I've also discovered that sharing our experience through our words is best served with a healthy dose of reflection.

On a typical trip, I could easily crank out the details...."Today we saw Big Ben and Parliament, strolled through St. James park and caught the changing of the Guard at Buckingham palace." This was not that kind of trip. A play-by-play entry would read more like...."Today we rode the short 2 miles to the BESS school in the back of a pick-up truck. We worried it would overturn in the deep mud bog, but with the help of a few locals, we made it through."

Sightseeing in Ethiopia is more about taking in what surrounds you, paying attention to how it affects you, and discovering how it changes you. We've all needed more time to process our experience before we can share it. In the coming weeks, you will continue to see reflections on our excursion in the blog. And if you see us at church or around town and ask us how the trip was....pull up a chair, because it will take a little time.