In addition to the very emotional visit we had with Desaleng and his mother on Tuesday, we also had some fun, laughter filled moments.
We had lunch each day on this patio in front of the pastor's home.
The guest house packed us lunch. The first two days we had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The next couple of days we had cold pasta. We were thankful for the break and the food.
However, the best past of lunch came after the food from the guest house was packed away. Each day as we finished our lunch, the ladies of Jemo served us coffee and popcorn. There is nothing like Ethipian coffee. It is hand-roasted just before it is served. It is ground by hand. It is carefully measured and prepared, and finally served with love and pride. The finished product is fresh, hot, strong, and thick. It is completely, totally delicious - even non-coffee lovers like it. Try as we may at home, we just can not replicate this amazing Ethiopian treat.
One of the funniest moments of the trip came after lunch on Tuesday.
Colin had come to Jemo the day before in a sleeveless shirt, hoping to get a tan. Well, the sun proved a bit stronger than he had expected, causing him to turn bright red rather than golden brown. The children were already enamored with "Tall Boy" as they called 6'5" (?) Colin - but his cherry colored arms were one of the most amazing things they had ever encountered! They kept pushing on his sunburn, exclaiming with glee when the red skin turned white and then back to red again.
It really was hysterical!
The party ended when Mike told the kids to try slapping the burn! (OK, so this makes me giggle still!) Colin, Mike, and Chad were always up to tricks. They made me laugh until I cried.
Once the kids started slapping Tall Boy, he gave a quick "I, I" (no, no in Amharic) and ran for cover!
Another fun memory I have from the day was playing Frisbee with various groups of girls.
I used the game as a way to remember names. I would call their name when it was their turn to catch the Frisbee. They would giggle at my pronunciation, correct me, and then throw the Frisbee back. It was just a very sweet time.
One of the things I loved about Jemo is that it was truly a community center. The gate was always open. People passed through freely. They stopped to chat or play. Everyone was welcome. We played with hundreds of children, not just the 150 that are a part of our sponsorship program. However, I knew the time was coming that the "sponsored" would be separated from the "unsponsored" and my stomach hurt thinking about it.
You see while our sponsorship program is currently fully funded (meaning every child on the list has a sponsor) that does not fully cover the need in the community. The current rule is that every family can only have one child in the program. That means that while 4 siblings were at Jemo playing all week, when we did activities, like snacks and gifts, with our sponsored kids - the others would be sent away.
For now, the one child per family rule is good. Food is sent home each month with the family. So the entire family receives some benefit from the sponsorship program. I really like this feature of Jemo. I feel that it empowers parents to care for all their children better. It may be argued that the individual child would receive more food if they were served at Jemo, but the rest of the family would suffer more. And how would that one well fed child feel going home and looking at his hungry siblings? By choosing one child from each family to be in the program, more families are helped. That is good. However, I will not allude you, though the families we serve are more hopeful because of this program - their struggles are far from over. There is much work ahead, for all involved.
That became clear on Tuesday when we served snacks to our sponsored children for the first time.
On the snack menu Tuesday was peanut butter buns, bananas, and soda.
I had really wanted to add protein to snacks because Joshua had so needed protein when he first came into our family. (Thanks Lynne for helping me research the safety of this idea! I was worried about peanut allergies. Thanks Mary for purchasing the peanut butter!) So my mom, Sierra, Chad, and I frantically prepared 160 buns with peanut butter in the tiny office at Jemo right before they were to be served. We had to work quickly, but it was fun to be there together. At one point Helina walked in and commented, "You are a nice family. It is good to work together. You are lucky."
We certainly are. Her wise words, and that simple moment are something I will hide away from this trip.
As we worked on the buns, my anxiety was rising. I was looking out the window, knowing we did not have nearly enough food for all the people who had gathered in the compound. I knew that the sponsored would have to be separated from the unsponsored, and my heart broke. I did not want to witness that. I wanted to go to the van and hide.
As the buns were made, they needed to be carried into the church which was just a few steps away. Inside the church the sponsored kids were waiting for their treat. But outside, were the unsponsored who would have loved to be a part of the snack time. They knew me by then. I had played with them. I had hugged them. We had become friends.
And yet I was not providing for them now. They reached out their hand for a bun, and I shrugged my shoulders, wishing I had the words to explain.
It was among the worst moments of my life.
I felt so caught in the middle.
If I kept my eyes carefully ahead of me, all I could see were the children we were able to feed. They were so happy with their bun, banana, and soda. They sang songs and chanted "Amestagnalo" (Thank you!). It was lovely.
But that was not the whole picture.
When I was brave enough to look out the door, I saw the rest of the story.
I saw the rest of my friends, who had suddenly been deemed outsiders, standing outside the church, wishing to eat. It was ugly. It was sad. I would like to forget it. I would like to tell you only the success stories - but denying these friends again would be even more wrong.
I will tell you that not one crumb went to waste that day. Every leftover scrap was handed to someone. As many people as possible were fed. We did the best we could with what we had.
Helina knew it would get "messy." (her word)
She sent us to the van while the CHC staff handed out the leftovers.
It took them a long time to join us.
When they did Helina let out a long, sad sigh. I quietly asked, "It was ugly, huh?"
She replied, "Yes. Very messy."
I thanked her and told her I was sorry she had to deal with that.
Helina shook her head in her determined way, smiled at me, and reassured me that all was well. That is Ethiopian grit and hospitality at its finest. Helina is a class act. I am so thankful for her service, wisdom and mentorship.
(Helina and I at a happier moment.)
We headed back to the guest house after that. Supper followed, but our hearts were heavy. Sierra later confessed to sneaking up to her room to cry. One of her best Ethiopian buddies, Ashenafi, it turned out was NOT in our program. Watching him outside the church, begging her for a bun, broke her beautiful heart.
So the work continues, my friends. We are currently awaiting permission from the Ethiopian government to add 50 more children to our program. We are working on a road project that will help to stabilize the community. We are working, we are trying, we are forging ahead - because the need is great.
Please be praying about how you could further partner with us.
Our family in Jemo awaits our help.
