Driving in Addis is like nothing I have experienced. The cars all drive so close to each other, there are no traffic lights or signals, and if traffic is jammed the vehicles just hop on the sidewalk and move forward down the road. It’s wild – I watch just waiting for someone to collide with us, but the river continues to flow. It looks like chaos from an outside perspective but it works.

As we continue there are cars coming in and out of the lanes, barely missing each other, what is happening? I am constantly fighting the idea that this works. How can something work like this without structure or control? You watch them drive and there is no anger, no stress, no road rage, they just work together giving each other a courtesy honk and letting them in. It is like nothing I have ever seen before, but amongst what seems like chaos is actually nothing but love. Time is not relevant here, it’s beautiful. As I sit and watch all that is going on around me, God’s presence overwhelms me, it is so real. I find myself wondering what can I learn from these amazing people?

“The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it whenever he will”      Proverbs 21:1 

I watch this river of traffic wind around and snake through narrow side streets, and I think to myself, “there is way too much control in my life”. Time controls my life. I always try to work hard and carry the weight of the world on my shoulders. I am strong. I can handle it. But in the midst of it all, I am left forgetting the strongest part of my life. God. He is always there and he has a plan for me, instead of gripping the reigns and trying to be in control, I just need to let go and pray for guidance. 

As each day fades, I see God’s image in all of the people we see, and in everything they do.  I see it so clearly now. The time they take to truly listen, truly be part of the conversation. riding with Ephraim has been such a bonus to this trip. He has so much to tell us about his beautiful country. One day while traveling down their busy streets, he turns back so excited to tell us this story. Right in the middle of the best part, his phone begins to ring. One ring after another, he continues his story. I begin wondering to myself is he ever going to answer it? He doesn’t skip a beat, our conversation continues. The time spent together was more important than any phone call. There is something we can all take from that. Take the time, it can wait, God is with all of us and the relationship we have with each other. Loosen the grip time has on our lives, shut out the world and find the love and spirit within each other. Put time and control in the rear view and truly be a part of the relationships we build together!

– Dakota