After coming to the United States when I was 8 I would go to church with my mom every Sunday. I loved that I was able to continue learning my native tongue and be with people who looked like me. I went to school with one other Ethiopian at the time and she only spoke English. Needless to say I looked forward to church on Sunday. I loved the smell, how it looked, how we dress, pretty much everything.
When my mom had to work two jobs she was no longer available on Sundays. We would go during the Holidays and whenever she was off. Then I stopped going all together. In college I was on a search for God again. I felt like I needed faith for stability. I went to a few churches close to campus (all non denominational). Later I started going to The Life Church. It was my junior year and church was so unfamiliar that I was too scared to go. I kept thinking I don't know enough. I don't belong. I've sinned too much. After going a few times being a part of this churched eased me back into feeling comfort within a church again.
I graduated and moved back home. A month after I get rear ended at a red light and had to get knee surgery. I was driving a Honda CR-V and there was a truck in front of me. The hood of the car was pushed back and the engine of the car pushed down. I could not thank God enough for letting me come out of that. The man that hit the car was driving a four door and all I kept thinking was how bad it would have been if he had hit the truck himself. That day I was suppose to take a different road but kept straight because that was the road I was familiar with. This shook me and made me realize that life is way to short not to live it right.
The search continued. I was following my college church online, but it wasn't the same when you don't have people to connect with. Being home meant I could go back to my childhood church, which was farther out. One day me and my sisters were in the car and we were talking about how we need to start going to bible study. We started going.
 |
| Sisters! Cousins, older and younger sisters. |
The church held an exhibit on the history of the Orthodox Tewahedo Church. This sparked my interest more and more and I started attending Sunday School. This was the best decision I could have ever made. The community, the love, the togetherness. Not enough words in the English vocabulary to describe.
My older sister had moved away to Denver, my little sister went off to college and my boyfriend at the time and I broke up. I felt alone at times but having my church family helped get me through.
 |
| Me and my uncle on our way to church for a holiday |