06/21/2016
Our trip to Ethiopia was amazing! I'll start by saying that God put this phrase on my heart before we left "Show me your Glory" and He did.
We were able to personally deliver shoes to the Kidane Mihret Orpahanage and spend a few hours loving on the kids there. What an amazing responsiblity those caregivers have, daily loving and caring for the hearts and bodies of so many children.
Then we traveled 6 hours south of Addis taking in every breathtaking mental photo that we could absorb. Along the way people looked at us curiously and waved 'hello' with sincere beaming smiles. Little boys ran along side the road with home made airplanes pretending to be pilots while women carried unimaginable loads of heavy firewood and young girls carried water jugs nearly the size of their bodies. Herds of cows zig-zaged the roads around is and donkeys carried so much hay that all that was left to see what their heads. Everyone works so hard there, it seemed the goats were the only ones left with an easy life... until dinner time.
We were able to spend 3 days at the village of Zeldema. Its a beautiful village of about 1100 people tucked into the side of a mountain. The people are amazing, filled with joy and contentment, surviving daily on only the land, hard work and prayers. We were overwhelmed with smiling faces and children running and walking along side us. We never had an empty hand as there was always a child eager to hold it. We were ushered into a round hut with banana leafed roof and walls of mud. It was surreal to think this was the very hut my son was born in 6 years ago. His birth mother told me that his name Zinabu means 'Rain' because she listened to the sounds of the rain while she labored him. Zinabu. Our hostess welcomed us with a fresh avocados, bananas and roasted barley. It was clear that it was a very special meal and the guest were the only ones invited to eat it. The village elders and church leaders enjoyed a cup of Buna (coffee) with us in the traditional Ethiopian welcome ceremony. We discussed why we came; explaining that we love them and that God loves them more. I've been praying for them for years and as a ministry TKS has been praying since we heard of their struggles with the drought.
Ethiopia has been experiencing the worst drought in 50 years and for a people that depend on the land for food, there is nothing more vital than rain; Zinabu. As we discussed the needs of the village and our desire to help they made it clear that what they need is rain. As a mom who has traveled across the world to help a village that blessed her with a son, this was deflating request. I can organize groups, I can fundraise, I can collect items but rain, I can't do. But we can pray.
That night our group of 4 gathered together to pray, acknowledging our heavenly father as the greatest lover of these people and able to do all things, we asked him to send rain to the village of Zeldema. At the end of the prayer, "Show me your Glory" came to my mind so we added a P.S. to the prayer; "God please show us your Glory and send the rain TONIGHT."
The next morning we were in awe as we drove a muddy, puddle filled red dirt road to the village. Our guide Sammy summed it up best, "Our God is so Good." We arrived to a crowd of people talking about their rainy night. When they gathered us again in their hut they sang us a song, "God will not leave us, He will not forsake us." It was indescribably touching to hear a celebration of God in their language filling that mud hut with admiration of a God who gave us small glimpse of His Glory. In that hut packed with my sons family, the village elders, 3 Americans, a cow in the corner and a chicken fighting me for roasted barely I felt God wrap his arms around me and remind me of his love for all people.
We were able to leave several water filters and audio Bibles in the Kembatissa language. We explained the usage of the water filters and importance of clean water and they agreed to share them as a community. They next day when we were returned we would so happy to hear the sounds of audio Bibles playing randomly through the crowd.
We were able to visit the clinic and inquire about their needs. Its operated by one nurse (baby packed on her back) who showed me their supply cabinet which consisted of 4 empty shelves with multiple antibiotic labels of what should be there. We did make a trip to the pharmacy 2 hours away and purchased the requested medications. The nearest hospital is 2 hours drive away and the method of travel for a sick person is to be hoisted into the air on a makeshift stretcher and carried by 4 people on foot. Needless to say, antibiotics are a necessity.
We then visited the primary school and high school, met with their principles and discussed their needs. Again we were directed to empty shelves with labels of what should be there: school books separated by subject. These amazing children walk miles without shoes on the side of a mountain to attend a school of mud walls with benches and need books. I will say that while we were there no one asked us for anything, none expressed needs other than what we asked them to tell us, except for one girl who repeatedly asked me for pen. "pen please" and she would pretend to write in the sky. So of course, we would like to supply the requested books and pens. The PE teacher was excited to practice his English on us and followed us around taking selfies with us in the background. We felt like we were the circus that had come to town but man, it was so fun! PE teacher said that the school could use some soccer balls and jerseys so that is another project I'm excited to work on. After all, we enroll our kids in team sports about every 6 weeks then never use the jersey again. Imagine the joy on the faces of a village to have their first ever set of matching jerseys!
If you're interested in helping to collect any of these items or contributing to the purchase of these items please let me know. Tax deductible of course.
