Ethiopian church preserves its African culture, faith

12/2/2012 Visiting the early Sunday morning service of Fresno’s only Ethiopian Orthodox congregation is like stepping into a land far away. Just like in Ethiopia, men and women wear gabri, white linen garments that symbolize the biblical account in John 20:12 of “two angels in white garments, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.” Standing in the service for long periods, many lean on 6-foot-long prayer sticks for support. The sticks bear the colors of the Ethiopian flag: green, yellow and red.