Her story starts far before I met her.
She was born in a poor rural area of Ethiopia with four other siblings.
She was born with several physical deficiencies including cataracts and a rare heart condition called Eisenmenger’s Syndrome, which lead to additional complications in her lungs.
She’s had surgery, in order to remove mature cataracts that left her nearly blind.
Her name is Lantu.
From the start Lantu was dealt an unfair hand. Her father made the decision to bring her to an orphanage called Ebenezer Grace Children’s Home, so that she could be better taken care of. She was actually the first child to be brought into EGCH, and it was through her that the ministry blossomed. By they time she made it to EGCH at 3 years old she was malnourished, didn’t talk much, unable to walk, and weighed only as much as a 9 month old baby should. And because of her condition she was told she was retarded and would thus not be accepted into any schools.
However, Lantu would overcome all of these expectations of her. After a couple of years she was quite healthy in spite of her conditions and acted like a normal child would. Not only that, but she proved to be quite the linguist. On top of her native language she picked up Amharic, English and French very quickly and picked up reading just as fast.
And here is where I got to meet Lantu and witness her beautiful linguistic abilities.
I briefly entered Lantu’s story in May of 2014. I absolutely loved the time I spent at EGCH and all the kids there, but Lantu stood out to me among the rest. I remember one afternoon in particular. After spending the afternoon getting mobbed by nearly a dozen kids who learned how ticklish I was (a secret I dread to reveal), I had the chance to spend time with just Lantu. We spent some time walking around and talking, and when it was her turn to ride the bike that was being ridden by all the children, I helped push her along. There wasn’t anything outwardly extraordinary about that afternoon. We didn’t have a life-changing discourse on theology or talk about the more intriguing questions of life. We simply spent life-giving time together and I watched her praise Jesus for it. She was so full of joy and love in a way that can’t really be described. I would call it supernatural. I was able to play with her, watch her sing, and see her interact with other children at the home. I was amazed to watch someone who had so very little be an incredible instrument of grace and joy to everyone around her. And I must say it was a true joy to watch her speak. She loved singing as well. Her favorite song to sing was “Open the Eyes of my Heart,” which is amazing to me given her conditions with both her eyes and heart.
(Lantu and her EGCH family)
If I could be a tenth of what she was, I know I can do wonderful things.
My time with Lantu came and went. I came back home to the states, but I still thought about this little girl that I met. I got updates on her whenever I could, hopeful that I would get another chance to meet her again. I learned that her health dwindled, and that doctors would not be able to operate on her heart. She weakened and weakened, but never stopped being a light. I prayed for her, and told others to do the same. She finally left to be with her Savior in October of 2014 a few short months after I met her. I mourned that such a beautiful person would be taken from this Earth so early. I wondered what wonders might have happened if she had been able to stay longer. But, I was so thankful for her. And I was humbled that I was given a window into her life.
Lantu has played a large role in my decision to be on the World Race. She continues to bless me with her legacy and I’m certain she has made tremendous ripples in eternity. I look forward to meeting her again.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” – 2 Corintinans 12:9
You can read more about Lantu and the amazing ministry that cared for her here:
http://ebenezergrace.org
