The Restless Ralstons: An introduction

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

An introduction

I've never been overwhelmingly interested in starting a blog, as I do not feel like I have much to say! Due to attending a recent PD session on blogging though, I was quite inspired to give it a try. There are three driving forces behind this attempt: one, I'd like to track our adoption process and keep a record of when and how we have advanced through our adoption; two, I'd like to share our travels and experiences abroad with our friends and family living so far away; three, I'd like to have a place to share about our biological daughter, Sydnie. She is growing up fast and I feel I haven't been tracking her memorable acts, comments, events and benchmarks. She is our first little miracle (praise be to God)!

Whether you are here to read about our travels, learn from our adoption process or get a taste of Sydnie's blessings, I hope you find something that makes you smile (and ultimately, help us to give thanks to God for the endless, undeserved blessings in our lives)! We know that we have a lot to smile about, as God continues to show us His grace and everlasting love! In spite of disappointments and challenges, we know His timing and His plans are perfect! As the days move on, we therefore wait with patience for the second miracle in our lives, and are content in knowing our Savior is in control!

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More about Ethiopia

*Ethiopia has been around for a very long time. The country's Rift Valley is known as the cradle of humanity - fossils of the oldest known upright hominid (4-million years old) were found here in 2005, surpassing the famous 3.5-million-year-old 'Lucy', which was discovered in the same region back in 1974.

*A thousand years before Christ, the Queen of Sheba, we are told, traveled to Jerusalem where she met King Solomon, married him, and had a son, Menelik. When Menelik reached maturity, it is said he left Jerusalem and took with him the Ark of the Covenant, containing the original 10 commandments, back to Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Christian Orthodox Church says it still has the ark in its possession. No one else makes such a claim...

*Ethiopia's official religion is the 1700 year old Ethiopian Christian Orthodox Church. The Jews of Ethiopia, Beta Israel, are said to have been there for 3000 years. And its Muslim adherents have practiced Islam for 1300 years. Ethiopia is split religiously, with official statistics of 35% to 40% Ethiopian Orthodox primarily in the north, and 45% to 50% Muslim, primarily in the South.

*Ethiopia is the only country in Africa never to be under colonial rule, other than a brief occupation by Italy during WWII. You can visit many restaurants in Ethiopia today due to the influence of Italy during the occupation.

*Traditional Ethiopian food consists of various vegetable or meat dishes, usually a wat or thick stew, served atop injera, which is a large crepe-like sourdough flatbread made from fermented teff flour. One does not eat with utensils, but instead uses a piece of the injera (always with the right hand) to scoop up the sauces.

*The Ethiopian calendar is very similar to the Egyptian Coptic calendar – each have 13 months, 12 with 30 days each and the 13th month at the end of the year with 5 or 6 days, depending on whether it is a leap year. The year starts on September 11th (12th in a leap year). The Ethiopian calendar is 7 years behind the Gregorian calendar, so Ethiopia recently celebrated their millennium on September 12, 2007.

*Coffee can be traced back to the 9th Century where it is believed a shepherd discovered coffee beans in the highlands of Ethiopia, namely the Kaffa region. The Ethiopian people are very proud of their coffee and they show this in their well known coffee ceremonies. The Coffee Ceremony is a very important part of socializing in Ethiopia and to be invited to a coffee ceremony is always considered a sign of respect and friendship.

*There are multiple tribes with different subcultures and over 80 languages in Ethiopia. The Amharic language is a Semitic language spoken in North Central Ethiopia and is the official working language for Ethiopia.

*Family in Ethiopia includes immediate and extended relatives, neighbors, and friends. Faith and family are the foundation of the Ethiopian culture. Ethiopians are very respectful and loving. The elderly are considered very knowledgeable and as a very important part of the family structure. Children are usually raised in a large community that includes extended family and neighbors, and siblings are expected to help take care of each other.

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Wednesday, February 23, 2011

An introduction

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