My feet are calloused. They have a pretty solid Chaco tan. In the past 9 months, my feet have been covered with the soil of 4 different countries, on 3 different continents. They have stood under knee-deep, murky water in the streets of Cambodia during monsoon season. They have walked in potentially parasite-infested dirt up and down the mountains of Honduras. They have kicked soccer ball after soccer ball with teenagers at a school in Guatemala. They have been caked with the very mud that thousands of refugees constantly live in at a refugee camp in Ethiopia.
Currently, my feet run around (usually barefoot) at a Youth center for teenagers in Addis Ababa. My “ministry” is to build relationships with the teens. Most days it doesn’t feel like ministry. I am learning and growing just as much, if not MORE than they are from these friendships. They have become the people I do life with, some of my closest friends. When we first arrived at Youth Impact, they told us it was a family. Now, we are included in that family. They always always go above and beyond to make sure we are well cared for. Our brothers make sure to accompany us as bodyguards when we go to the store. Our sisters braid our hair and roast coffee with us. We have made it a nightly routine to grab the cushions and lay under the sky from the moment we spot one twinkling star until the entire sky is filled with a dazzling array.
They continually amaze me with their generosity, kindness, and humility. I am thankful for the opportunity to know them and learn from them. I have learned (yet will never fully master) the art of Ethiopian hospitality. I have learned how to eat injera properly and how to turn green coffee beans into liquid heaven. I have learned enough Amharic to be able to ask a little boy his name and age and to politely order potatoes at the market. But most importantly, I have learned and witnessed first hand what it would have been like to walk with Jesus on this earth. The way these teens think, act, and just ARE is a living, breathing representation of Jesus.
One Sunday morning, my brother, Biruk, came over with a basin and said “Kayli, can I wash your feet?” Taken by surprise, I responded, “If you would like to, but can I ask why?” He answered simply, “Because that’s what Jesus would do,” and knelt down. As he unstrapped the Chaco from my foot, I saw the words ‘John 13:14’ scribbled on his hand. Tears welled in my eyes as he took my calloused foot into his hand and began pouring water on it.
This kid who was crouched in front of me is one of the most joyful souls I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. His presence in a room is enough to make everyone smile. He has a toothy grin from ear to ear that is always plastered on his face, no matter what. He is one of the most intelligent 14 year olds I have ever met and has a witty response to everything. You would never tell from looking at him or even talking to him at a surface level conversation the struggles he has gone through and overcome. He is caring and thoughtful. He is hardworking and fun. And he radiates Jesus.
And Biruk isn’t the only one. I could tell you dozens of other stories about times I felt loved and seen by the Lord directly through these teens. I could brag about each one of their unique personalities and the strength they have and the hardships they have endured. How each of them radiate Jesus.
I am grateful beyond words for my family here at Youth Impact. I am humbled daily and constantly am growing as a result of my relationships with them. They will never fully know the impact they have had on me, but I know Jesus more deeply because of them.
John 13:14 – And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet
