Welcome to Ethiopia! This African country enjoys the rare distinction of never having been colonized. It is also the original home of the coffee tree and today boasts some of the world's finest quality coffees.

Ethiopia's rugged mountains and isolated river valleys make it one of the most breathtaking nations on the continent to visit. But even more beautiful than its landscapes are the people who call Ethiopia their home.

Our family will be living in the capital city of Ethiopia, called Addis Ababa. Addis Ababa is home to 3 million people. The population of Ethiopia is 72.4 million, all crammed into an area smaller than the province of Ontario.

English is widely spoken in Addis; however, we will spend our first month in Ethiopia learning one of the native languages, Amharic. This will be more important for Pat, who will be travelling outside of Addis to assist with the AIDS clinics located in the nearby cities. We expect that Anita, Abigail and Miranda will spend most of their time in Addis.