Uncommon Coffee, Common Grounds

A few days ago, Barb, Judy and I, were invited to coffee with our Ethiopian friend, Tsege.

Here is a link if you are interested in reading about my first Ethiopian coffee.

Tsege also invited her friend, Gennet, to join us.

We enjoyed a wonderful breakfast of eggs, injera and kik klicha, made with yellow split peas. I took some fruit kabobs as my contribution to our gathering.

Of course, we had Tsege’s specialty Ethiopian ambasha bread, which she has shared many times with us. A bit later, with our coffee, we had popcorn—a staple almost always included at an Ethiopian coffee.

Gennet reminded us that the purpose of coffee is for women talk. She briefly talked about the sadness about all of the wars of men and the difficulty of starting life in a foreign land. It is impossible to choose a good and bad side. She said, “No one is bad all of the time.” Women just want to protect their families and provide for them. She thinks that it would be a better world if all the leaders were women.

Mostly our conversation was women talk—the same topics that the women in Ethiopia gather to talk about. We talked about children and recipes and shopping and food. Our Ethiopian friends were surprised that Judy’s daughter used a midwife rather than a doctor when she had each of her children. They were very interested that my daughter-in-law used doulas when her children were born. Gennet’s daughter is a medical doctor but she also encourages pregnant women to use a midwife.

Finally we prayed together—for Christian spouses for our children, for health concerns, for those less fortunate, for governments. . . as sisters in Christ, united in spirit.

I love it that our Ethiopian friends know the meanings of their names. Letenasaiye, Tsege’s sister, arrived home from her job as we were about to leave. She lets us call her, Letina. Her name means “servant of the Most High”. Gennet means “paradise” and Tsege means “a young green plant.”

It was fitting that Tsege gave me some rue herb to bring home. She told me that it is healthy and that I should break off a sprig and let it steep in my coffee or tea for several minutes before I drink my beverage. She also told me that it is mentioned in the Bible and sure enough, we found it. And so it is, as I drink my coffee this evening, I meditate on these thoughts.

Most importantly, act justly and love God. But also do not neglect to give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs. from Luke 11:42