Our plane was leaving for Aksum early in the morning, so we were coming down the mountain in the hotel bus.  To our amazement, everywhere were people coming out of their little homes—tukul huts—dressed in their finest and heavily laden with sacks and bunches of things to sell or trade in the Saturday market.  They were driving donkeys loaded with all manner of things and driving goats and sheep—probably to sell or trade.  Some of them would walk 30-40 kilometers up the hill to get to the market—we could tell it is a big weekly event!  We flew to Aksum and made it a point to go to the Saturday market day there.  It truly was like going back in time—in fact the whole visit to Aksum was like were caught in a time warp.  Men and women walking the dusty roads in sandals with long robes on and heads covered—often carrying a stick.  I felt like we were in Galilee or Jerusalem at the time the Savior lived.  There were camels on the streets carrying burdens—along with donkeys, sheep and goats—everywhere.  The only cars were tourist vans and a few little blue taxis.  We toured all the ancient sites—many of which go back 2000 years BC.  Archeologists have only begun to explore and discover all that is there.  We stayed in the Yeha Hotel which was on a hill overlooking the Stelae park and the whole city.  The stelae were markers of ancient tombs.  Several stood 11-13 stories high and were beautifully carved with false doors and windows—almost like a tower with an imaginary stairway to heaven for those who had died.   We explored the few uncovered tombs.  The Ark of the Covenant is in Aksum!  Can you believe it?  All Ethiopians do!  It is kept in a special building in the city between a monastery and the main church—however, no one can see it except a special monk whose calling it is to maintain it.  There is a legend that the Queen of Sheba (in ancient Yemen) had a son by King Solomon (of the Bible) named Menelik (“Son of the Wise”) who became the first Jewish King of Ethiopia in 950 BC and he brought the Ark with him to keep it safe.  Then Christianity was introduced in about the 3^rd century AD—and again the people today are extremely devoted and believing.  (See Acts 8:27-39)  We wanted to attend a service on Sunday morning before flying back to Addis Ababa, but the service was 3 ½ hours in length and you are required to remain the entire time.  We would have missed our plane.  So we stood on the hill above the church early in the morning listening to the drums and chanting calling the people to worship.  We watched as they flocked from everywhere to the church which holds about 3000—and then they stood all around on the grounds where the chanting was able to be heard.  They were all dressed in white with the white woven cotton shawls (habesha ne Tele) over their heads and shoulders.  It was an incredible and spiritual experience for us to watch and hear all of this from the hill.  It is our hope and prayer that one day they can know the truth—as I truly felt their forefathers had—and find again the joy of the restored gospel.

Families coming from all over the countryside to Saturday market in Lalibela.

Again, the women carry everything on their backs.

A country family in Lalibela, Ethiopia--mother, grandmother & daughter

The ancient overlaps with the modern--so amazing!

Market day in Aksum, Ethiopia.  We were the ONLY white people there.

These baby carriers are family heirlooms.  They're made of leather and decorated with shells.  They are handed down from generation to generation.

The men are all buying special sticks used in threshing the harvest of teff.

The women weave these beautiful colored baskets.  The large ones are used to carry "injera"--the bread they make from teff--when they visit other families.

The view of the stelae park in Aksum from the hill where our hotel was located.  The building in the foreground is the home of the Bishop of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

The stelae park in Aksum.  The largest (13 stories) fell many years ago and still lies in broken pieces along the ground.

This is a young boy in this cactus tree with his school books.  We were so curious--and the guide told us that the sap of this tree is a very strong glue.  He was glueing his school books back together.

This is where the Ark of the Covenant is kept.  We didn't get to see it, but they all assurred us that it is truly there.