Ethiopia Day Five: YM Feeding Program (Part 1)

Today was a day that I will never forget. All week we had been hearing about Birtukan's feeding program. On Saturday mornings Birtukan's ministry feeds hundreds of orphan children. We were soooo looking forward to witnessing this in person. I mentioned in a previous post that we decided to sponsor a child. Well, Birtukan had the child and her mother brought in from her village to meet us! After breakfast we went to the YM offices and met Birtukan's husband as well as Joseph, one of her social workers. We listened to a short presentation about the program and how it is so much more than a weekly feeding program. They help educate the children, provide for their medical care, teach their care givers a trade, provide meals throughout the week, etc. They teach them a weekly Bible lesson before their meal and then play. Outside after our meeting was this beautiful girl and her mother! Etsub. She was very shy and tentative, but happy. She didn't know what to think and I didn't know what to say to make her more comfortable. But she told me that she likes to jump rope (so guess what I am taking with me when I go back!!! I am also loading up a backpack for her with lots of goodies.). She touched my heart in a way I can't describe. She had a sore on her lip that I noticed and I prayed in my heart that the Lord would heal her.

Soon after our meeting, we all loaded up in the bus (including Etsub) and we drove to the feeding program. The road we went down was not fit to walk on let alone drive a bus. But that didn't stop our driver... down we went! The gate was opened and the kids were soooo excited to see us. They all ran up to us and would say... Hello, my name is _________. They were so proud of the english they knew. Everyone soon got in line for their meals, the youngest first. They loaded their plates with injera. Some of us helped with the water for the kids. They wanted their water filled to the TOP. It made me laugh because we are so careful here at home with how full we put our cups, but they wanted them FULL. I loved looking around and watching the kids interact. There were several adults there (many of them parents of the children). Andy spent a lot of time with one elderly grandpa. He was so grateful to meet us that he said we were God. Andy said, "No, I am your friend." He fuddled the translation and meant, "We are LIKE God" meaning God sent us and they were so grateful. What a special man. I played with several children and one girl in particular. She thought I was her sponsor. She just captured my heart. Her mother was so beautiful and kind. THey loved seeing their picture after it was taken and the video too. It was soon time to leave and Etsub had to go early. I felt so bad that I didn't have anything to give her but I had put several pieces of gum in my pocket. I tried to give them to her, but she was shy. She finally took one. A little girl with nothing only took one tiny piece of gum. I grabbed her hand and put all of the pieces in her hand. She smiled!!! I cried when she left because they few pieces of gum were like gold to her. Things that we take for granted and our children in the states think is minimal. They just don't get it. I saw so much this day that is etched in my mind forever. A little boy about 4 was funneling water from a pipe into a jug to carry to his family. He was only wearning some underwear. Women who watched their children eat while they went hungry. Boys who were soooo excited because they got a granola bar. A crippled man crawling on his arms with his legs strapped to his back. Donkeys walking down the street with no one watching them. So many life changing images I will never forget. Lord, help me not forget what I have seen and help me to make a difference.