I wish I had a photograph of the Amish couple that I saw in Nazret, Ethiopia.

Yes, an Amish couple. Josh and I were traveling in a Toyota Rav 4, (built, by the way, to seat four). There were six of us in the vehicle and it was SO hot. Your choices were open the windows and let in a beautiful breeze, but also get pelted like you can’t imagine with sand, dirt and exhaust, or, the equally unpleasant option of rolling up the windows and sweating. We altered back and forth between the two, leaving us hot, sweaty and completely filthy at the end of the day. We had been in the car for hours, and were on our way back to Addis, coming through the town of Nazret. I was looking out the window at the many things there are to see out the window in Ethiopia when I saw…an Amish couple! They looked like they had been plucked right out of Lancaster Pennsylvania, with their full traditional Amish garb, and that somehow one of our long summer drives back East in the US had been crossed with this long, hot drive in Ethiopia. The couple stood out so drastically against all of the dark Ethiopian faces that filled the road. I turned to Josh (who was riding in the trunk/hatchback) and asked if he had seen them, and he gave me a look as if I had been in the sun too long. Ok, so I HAD been in the sun too long, but I had seen an Amish couple, an old man and an old woman with pale white skin and grey hair in traditional Amish clothing, walking down a dusty, bustling Ethiopian road.

I don’t know if I convinced Josh into believing me or not, but I swore up and down that they were real. Our week went on and I had almost forgotten about them until we were nestled into our seats in the back of our plane, preparing ourselves for the 19-hour flight ahead that would take us home. I was watching the people as they walked past us, shuffling up the row, carryon luggage in hand, looking up at the numbers of the seat rows, trying to find their place on the overcrowded flight. And then to my surprise, I saw them coming. The Amish couple was on our flight! I hadn’t been suffering from heat stroke. They weren’t a mirage. Hardly believing it, I discreetly pointed toward the aisle to Josh and when he saw them his face went from complete shock, to a small smile and then he bust out in a hardy laugh.

Yes, I wish I had a picture of the Amish couple that I saw in Nazret, Ethiopia during the hottest, dirtiest car ride of my life.