This was, by far, the most arduous, but rewarding, part of our journey!
We had to meet in the hotel lobby by 6:30 a.m. The van would be leaving at that time. I grabbed a bag containing bubbles, facial wipes and a toy. We made several stops, picking up the appropriate people; then we were on our way—-to a remote Beta Yisrael (Black Jews) village. We drove for over two hours, through the small towns we had traveled before . . . and beyond. At one point, Rabbi Gedamu said, “Look!” And there were four men walking along the roadside carrying a friend or relative on a gurney lifted over their heads. Rabbi Gedamu said they were headed to the clinic. Upon inquiry I discovered that they had quite a distance to go. It was like a scene out of the Bible.
We traveled a winding road that took us around mountains, majestic and untouched. Rabbi Gedamu pointed out a huge hand-shaped rock atop a mountain. It seemed to follow us as we drove. I wish I had taken a picture of it from a distance because the picture below is more of a close up; it does give some indication of how far we walked. 
Soon we were able to veer off the well-paved road onto a rocky path that gradually led upward. This is the point where we got out of the vehicle and walked the rocky path uphill (Rekebena, Sherri, and Askanew, left, Rabbi Gedamu and Aminta, right) until some twenty or thirty minutes later we reached a remote village.
The village consisted of mud and hay huts with thatched roofs. The one below contains two rooms with a dirt floor. There are raised parts of the floor, called medevs, where the inhabitants sleep on animal skins (right).
Inside, an older woman was washing coffee beans and wanted us to stay for a bunna (coffee) ceremony. Rabbi Gedamu thanked her but told her we could not stay.
Children were outside grinding shells to make clay while the older women, some carrying children on their backs, made pottery out of the clay that they will sell at the Marketplace miles away for 2 birr; that is equivalent to 12 cents in American currency.
Some of the residents followed us to the next village. All I wanted to do was wash the children’s faces. When villagers have to choose between water for drinking and water for bathing, there is no real choice. Using the facial wipes I brought, I asked the mothers if I could wash their children’s faces. Although they said yes, the children, as usual, were not in agreement. I had to play hide-and-seek with their faces to even wash them. After I showed the mothers what to do, I left a pack with them.
Unfortunately I did not get a BEFORE pictureof this little boy, but his face looks beautiful in this AFTER shot. The once dirty and mucous-stained face is now clean.
I had also brought bubbles, so they had fun at first running from them and then popping them once we showed them what to do. Below, that’s Aminta showing them a picture that she took of them playing with bubbles. After showing her how to blow bubbles, I left one of the older girls below with the bottle. The fun will be short-lived, but it will be a diversion for lives filled with hard work and monotony.
We checked on their broken wells, blessed them with gifts, and graced their day with the Lord’s presence. I pray that this day lives long in their hearts and memories of a small group from America sent by the love of God to bless them, for it is indelibly etched in my memory of a beautiful, yet impoverished people, subjecting themselves to dire poverty so that one day the dream of returning to Israel will be realized. Father, hover over that dream and perform it for these your beautiful people. Amen!
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