I spent last night going through all the photos on Chad's phone. I attempted to send the photos of the kids whose sponsors we know to their sponsors. Today I "file" the photos of our kids here where I hide all my treasures.
This is my mom weighing Firku. It is his first year in the sponsorship program, so he had a full medical work-up. He is a very outgoing kiddo who took it all in stride.
I LOVE this series of photos of Ayelu because they show a bit of personality and spunk! He was very withdrawn (and most likely terrified the year I was there). Seeing him looking more like a goofy seven year old makes my heart happy.
According to our paperwork Ayelu is just a month older than Joshua Gubs, but he is much smaller. Joshua wishes they could play futbol together.
Dibora is also new to the program. She was not quite the class clown that one might call Fikru, but she did great in all the chaos of the week. It is easy for us to forget that these little ones have had almost no exposure to white skin. Dibora spent a long time one day sitting at Chad's feet and feeling his hairy legs. Ethiopian people have very little body hair, so she was fascinated. Veins and sunburns similarly fascinate these kidos.
Fikru and his momma, Martha
Fikru, his dad, Samuel, and Jamison
We are so thrilled to have connected with the family of Fikru. He is the only of the 6 kidos we sponsor whose families we have met. It is so special for us to have seen Fikru's home and personally connected with his mom and dad. It is incredibly encouraging to see how loved this nearly 6 year old is.
We are so thrilled to have connected with the family of Fikru. He is the only of the 6 kidos we sponsor whose families we have met. It is so special for us to have seen Fikru's home and personally connected with his mom and dad. It is incredibly encouraging to see how loved this nearly 6 year old is.
As you can see, all the kids loved this Bible lesson. After hearing the story of David and Goliath, they made these "slingshots" out of a cup and a balloon. Their "rocks" were mini marshmallows.
Like the photos of Ayelu, I adore these shots of Serawit. In them she looks joyful and uninhibited.
Serawit is 14. (I know. She looks 11. Kids stay young longer in ET. I envy that a bit.) Prior to sponsorship, she had not attended school regularly. She is only in grade 4 - but she IS in grade 4. Education is her best chance out of poverty. More importantly, education will keep her off the streets (many, many girls her age are forced into prostitution). Seeing her play and laugh makes my heart so very happy.
The children loved looking at the photos saved on cell phones. I have been thinking about that. You can learn a lot about someone based on the photos they have saved on their phones. I bet the kids at Jemo knew quite a lot about each traveler based on the photos they saw.
(In the picture above, I love that Jamison is showing off Mataya.)
I adore this photo of my tall son.
He says his favorite part of the trip was sitting on the ground surrounded by kids. Seeing the evidence makes my heart sing.
(You may notice that I have no photos of Yididiya. That poor peanut was terrified. She cried most of the week. She, at not quite 5, is the youngest of our sponsor kids. I can only imagine how frightening white people, weird words, and medical experiences were to her. Poor, poor baby girl.)
(You may notice that I have no photos of Yididiya. That poor peanut was terrified. She cried most of the week. She, at not quite 5, is the youngest of our sponsor kids. I can only imagine how frightening white people, weird words, and medical experiences were to her. Poor, poor baby girl.)
The guys had a 5ish hour lay-over in DC, so Lyle, Chad's dad, stopped by and took them out for breakfast. After surviving a 16 hour flight, fresh air and a familiar face along with American food was such a blessing.
And that is the end of the story . . . for now.
I am prayerfully planning a trip with Brenna and Sierra and my mom sometime next year. I have been prayerfully planning a trip back to Ethiopia since I landed in DC a little over 2 years ago. Sigh. While I hope and pray that 2016 is finally my year, I remember anew "Many are the plans of a man's heart BUT it is the LORD'S PURPOSE that will prevail." Proverbs 19:21.
