In this adoption we wanted not only to meet the birth country of our son but also to give back. On our trip we were able to partner with Project 61 who has several different programs for the 150,000 people that live in the slums of Addis Ababa.
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Lunch with Stacy and the boys
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Over 30 orphaned boys will sleep in this dorm
during the summer months they are away from school. |
We met Stacy, her intern and her daughter as well several of the sponsored boys for lunch. It was pure joy to eat a meal with these boys and hear their stories.
Each of these boys have gone through immeasurable hunger and desolation but yet have such a friendly disposition and high goals for themselves. They all just started their summer break from their sponsored boarding school which gives them an opportunity to attend school when they had none before.
Then into Korah...
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A street view in Korah
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That day I was able to assist in a medical home visit. This is something I have always felt led to do. I always say "when I grow up I want to become a nurse, move to Africa and do medical missions while providing counseling skills. " We took some much needed food to the elderly woman and bandaged her open wounds. (OK, so I held the flashlight and watched). It was an honor to be a part of this and to help this woman. I wish I could describe in words how this impacted me and reminded me what life is really about. The sweet nurse I worked with had been in ET for several summers and went to nursing school with the intent to return to ET specifically for medical mission work. Each day she visits various homes checking on people and providing wound care and malnutrition.
While I was inside Gene and K kept all the children entertained. Here are a few from his crowd that clung to him ...
We then drove my by the trash dump where many of the people of Korah did and still do use as their source of food and income. They government has tried to cover part of it over and restrict the use but people still flock there every day. Some of the boys that we met used this trash dump as their grocery store for years because they had no family and no other way to survive.
Poverty is real. Poverty is everywhere. It does not define our worth or who we are but it does define how we live. Yes we have families in her states that also go hungry day after day, I work with some of those kids. But here in America we have the resources and the government programs to help fill in the gap. Ethiopia is trying and is an amazing country with an full history and wonderful people, but there is still a huge gap of poverty. A place where people do not choose to be in poverty but are victims of lack of education or healthcare or housing. I hope reminds you that there is a world out there beyond our four walls. Weather overseas or abroad I hope you begin searching on how you can help.
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