This past week I was assigned to walk some of the younger kids here to school. Let’s just say I was less than thrilled when I heard this. I was super frustrated because I wanted to be doing something that I could see the physical benefits from. I wanted to be helping in a visible way and making an impact. Little did I know the impact that I would have on these kids.
The first day myself, Caroline and Paige walked down to their houses to pick them up and walk them 45 min to their school and they all came out and stared at us with their backpacks on and lunch boxes in hand. We then started our journey to school through the village and they all held our hands as they kicked the goats that we passed by and talked to each other. They would stop and pick up random things, sneeze on us, walk slowly, and fight over who got to hold our hands. During one of our walks, I took my frustrations to the Lord and He told me that I should be Jesus to them. This was something that I didn’t want to hear but that I needed to hear. After that first day, the smiles on their faces in the mornings made my days and it was such a joy to lead them and show them the love that they have been missing out on. By the end of the week, we were joking around, laughing, jumping through the dirt roads and talking about all kinds of things.
While they were frustrating at times, they have taught me so much and I will never forget their faces, jokes, and laughs.
Ermias, Tariku, Keeso, Tirune, Senna, Zitu, You’ve all changed my heart towards kindergarteners.
The Lord has been so faithful these past few weeks here in Ethiopia. One thing that I’ve been learning to do is to take my frustrations to Him and let Him speak into them. It has been so cool to experience and I’ve found myself getting less and less annoyed at things/people as I begin to change my perspective.
Also, I’ve been reading 1 Corinthians 13 where it talks about love and what it means to love.
I’ve begun to realize that If I don’t do things out of love and only out of obligation, I might as well not do them at all. Great faith, acts of service, and sacrifice produce very little without love. Love is the greatest of all qualities and is an attribute of the Lord. I’ve realized that I sometimes love others for what they can do for me or for what they give me, however, love involves unselfish service to others. Faith is the foundation, hope is that attitude, but love is the action. Our faith should fully express itself when we love others.
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have faith that can move mountains, but do not have love I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-3
