Ethiopia: So many scarves!

It's only a handful of days since spring break and I'm already looking at the calendar thinking, when is the next break? Where will I explore next? That said, I had an absolutely wonderful time in Ethiopia. It's truly unlike any place I've ever been. I was blessed to visit friends in Addis and fly out to Gondar and Lalibela (more to come on those places).

These white scarves are what the Orthodox Ethiopians wear. 

Women who wanted me to take their picture in Gondar.

While in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, we visited a few different shops that feature some of the beautifully crafted scarves from Ethiopia.

This place used a lot of silk in the products.

At one of the shops a German school was there on a field trip, so we were able to tag along on their tour. At this particular shop they use silk from worms harvested there in Ethiopia. Silk worms, a few moths, and the cocoons were on display for us to see.

Silk worms and the cocoons that the silk comes from.

We learned about the process of spinning cotton into thread and watched women pedal the spinning wheels to do so. 

Women working on spinning wheels.

To get the bright colors, they used natural dyes from flowers/seeds like marigolds. The children there got to dye a piece of fabric.  

Some of the thread that is ready to be woven.

2nd graders dying fabric using natural dyes.

Men operate the looms that weave the cotton into designs with bright, bold colors. Depending on the size or design, it could take anywhere from a couple hours to a couple days to create a scarf or other textile. 

At Sabahar, all kinds of textiles were created to send around the world.

Finished products drying in the sun until they are shipped around the world.

Since these shops provide jobs and sustainability for villages or women coming out of difficult situations, it was totally a win-win shopping experience. In total I purchased six for me...you can't have too many scarves, right? Excuse me while I go hop on Pinterest to pin more exciting ways to wear these beautiful works of art.

Wearing a fun, Ethiopian infinity scarf while grinding coffee. 

Here are a couple of the places we visited in person that you can visit online:

http://livefashionable.com/

http://www.salemsethiopia.com/

http://www.sabahar.com/

Looking back on the Wild, Wild Spiritual Emphasis Week

Boots, belt buckles, pearl-snaps, and lots of plaid were sported by elementary students and teachers a couple weeks ago. The reason? Our elementary school participated in Spiritual Emphasis Week, essentially Vacation Bible School. Rosslyn's Eagletorium (where students eat lunch) was transformed into Dirt Clod, a small town out West with a terribly bully, Dirty Darlene, played by yours truly. Darlene eventually gets put in her place (jail) by Sheriff Sunday (played by our principal) who upheld the law with a water-gun.

Chapel with all the kids and 5th graders leading worship.

Our little Eagles wore their best western get-ups and enjoyed all the exciting elements that VBS has to offer: worship, skits, songs with hand motions, recreation, western-themed crafts, and off course refreshments. Teachers taught the first half of the day, then chapel began after lunch.

A cowgirl has to have a horse, right?

Our kids learned all about God's Plan, God's Power, God's Rescue, and God's Love. We saw these topics played out in the story of Moses. How God had a plan for him, that included being place in a basket and sent down the river. Students learned God rescued the Israelites and provided for their needs, and sent Jesus to rescue us.

Putting together the pieces of a Bible story at recreation.

Students in grades 1-5 were split up into 15 groups with a leader to travel around to different stations. My group was the Javelinas- I had to explain what a javelina was to most of my group. (It's a desert pig if you're wondering.) I really loved getting to know kids in the different grades and helping them to memorize the daily verse....or put together a play dough cactus.

Putting the prickly spikes (spaghetti) on the cactus was fun.

Students who memorized all the verses received a special treat...a fake mustache.

My mustache-wearing Javelinas.

It was an exhausting week, but so much fun! Students were presented with the Gospel and learned more about our Savior. SEW may be over, but the primary students still lovingly call me Dirty Darlene.