“How deep the Father’s love for us, how vast beyond all measure, that He would give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure.” This song played over and over in my head as I walked through my home for month five. The organization is called Hope Ethiopia and is filled with around 30 beautiful children who are coming from vulnerable situations. The children live in homes with a stable caretaker and are provided with education, food, shelter, love, truth, and hope. To be completely honest I came into the month with a hardened heart. I selfishly didn’t want to get attached to the sweet children and I didn’t want them to get attached to me, since I would be leaving them in one month. Also, thoughts of “What if I get a cold, lice, or some other sickness.” crossed my mind. I’m not proud of these thoughts, but I want to be real. I talked to one of my squad mates about my feelings of not wanting to get attached or wanting them to get attached to me. She reminded me that even though we may not see the children again, we get to show them the love of the Father this month. She reminded me that there have been people in our own lives who were only temporary, but made a huge impact and showed us the love of the Father. I’m thankful for community that points me to Him and challenges me. So, with the help of the Father I tried to let go of all of those fears and share His love.
One Sunday we went to church and during worship I was holding one of the sweet children named, Fedessa. Goodness, this child enjoys life! He loves people, he is funny, and he gives awesome hugs. I see Jesus in Him. As the music played, he bounced up and down in my arms and held his arms out to the sides. He had a huge smile stretched across his face and we occasionally locked eyes. In this moment I was just overcome with so much love for this child. I was so grateful the Father let me be apart of this moment and hold His child. God loves these children and all of the people of this community so deeply. There were multiple times that He gave me an overwhelming love for these children. It was like He was giving me a little glimpse of His love for them. Through that I also got a glimpse of how He loves everyone. It doesn’t quite make sense, but this awesome, holy, perfect, God loves us and gives His love so freely. We can’t earn His love. He welcomes us in our mess and brokenness. Jesus made the way for us. He welcomes us and all we have to give is ourselves. We get to sit in His embrace and worship Him with our lives. He also helped me with fears that I had of getting sick. I was reminded that Jesus touched people who had sicknesses. He met people where they were and He did not allow earthly worries to keep Him from loving people.
During my time in Ethiopia, I got the privilege to know and hold Fedessa, Riberro, Lule, Dereje, and other amazing children. They impacted my life in mighty ways through their smiles, their laughter, their perseverance, their kindness, their joy, the ways they love one another, and the ways they showed us love! They are His wonderful creation and oh how He loves them so much! I’m thankful He gave me the opportunity to learn from these sweet children and know them. I’m thankful for how He showed me His love through them. I’m thankful for His abounding grace in my life. I pray as these children continue to grow that they know how wide, deep, long, and high the love of the Father is. I pray the village around Hope Ethiopia would know His love. I pray you would know His love also. His love changes things. I pray that as we receive His love we’d share it so freely!
*14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. -Ephesians 3:14-21
If you would like to learn more about Hope Ethiopia you can click this link: https://www.hopethiopia.com
