THINGS I’M GONNA MISS MOST!
Ha, bare with me for this one. I think I could list just about every single thing I do here in this blog. However, there are certain day to day things I don’t think about that recently I have felt like I already miss and it’s not even over yet.
One thing that I really cherish is the relationships I have built in the community. Yes, I live at an orphanage and I am going to miss every ounce of every child here with all I have. But, going out into the village on random days has been so sweet. After about a month of living here, people started to recognize me when I’d go into town and it has been so fun to visit them and make sweet friendships! I’m going to miss going to my friend Teka’s shop. I’m going to miss walking up and hearing him greet me with “ARI! How are you today? Are you fine?” and catching up with him on life while getting a coke and some airtime. There’s a private clinic across his shop and he saw me coming out of it one day that I got really sick. He was so concerned and told me I needed to get better over and over. A couple days and a lot healthier later, I went to visit him. He got the happiest look on his face as I walked up and said “ARI, you have recovered! Amen!!” He thanked God for healing me and we praised! Another time, okay this is kind of a wild story but I promise it was all actually fine and not a big deal. Long story short, I just happened to be in town while there ended up being a protest through the village. Something about a government official and people wanting to protest about it by blocking off transportation all over the country. So I look up and see a huge bus full of people in it and on top of it. They start throwing things on the road to break it all apart and there is a huge crowd of people behind them doing the same thing. So I ran to Teka’s shop before the crowd got to my part of the street. I walk up and ask him what’s going on and he immediately asks me if I’m okay and then puts me in his shop and locks it up and guards it while all the people go by. After hiding out in his shop for awhile he opens it up and ensured me everything was okay and just kept comforting me. I look out and the whole village is a mess and the road is all tore up. After a few days everything was back to normal… typical life in Ethiopia. Point of the story is Teka protected me so genuinely and I’d honestly trust him with my whole life! We formed one of the most genuine friendships I’ve ever had and seeing his refreshing face a few days a week is something I’m going to miss a lot. I got to share so much about my life and hear so much about his. I’ve met his whole family and adore them so much. We’ve ate meals together while they’ve shown me such sweet hospitality. Some days I’ll just go sit in his shop and talk and talk over several cups of coffee his daughter makes. I’ll miss those days the most.
I often stop at a little coffee house in the village down the road from Teka’s shop. The sweet family who owns it has a little girl about 4 years old named Nani. Because I visited so often, Nani and I became the best of friends. She’d run up to me when I walked in and sit on my lap the whole time I was there. I normally bring her a snack and she’ll sit and eat it while I drink my coffee. I’d always tell her I wanted to bring her home with me and she’d always agree and then we laugh and I hug her tight. We’d blow kisses goodbye and I tell her I’ll be back to visit her again soon. I think the last time I leave that house knowing I won’t be back to see her will be one of the hardest goodbyes. I went on a few house visits and got attached to some other families that I wish I could visit forever. There’s a sweet family who just had twin babies. I walk into their home and hold the babies for hours while their mama makes me coffee and some roasted corn. She’d always ask if we had twins in my country where I’m from. I assured her that we did, but definitely not as beautiful as these ones. I wish so badly I could see these sweet beautiful babies grow up.
One day one of my favorite kitchen ladies came into my bed and woke me up, reached out her hand and said “come”. Without asking questions I got up and grabbed her hand and off we went into the village. After walking for awhile we walked into a house and were greeted by one of her friends named Messi. Messi is about 8 months pregnant and just the sweetest lady I have ever met. A few of us sat there and talked for hours that day. We snacked on some barley and drank several cups of coffee (as Ethiopians do) and just sat and had quality fellowship. We talked all things boys, babies, marriage, life. We laughed and we cried. They speak very little English and I speak basically none of their language but somehow we talked all day. It felt like I was sitting with all my best friends just hanging out. The sweetest little moments. I wish I could see Messi’s baby when it’s born. It’s going to be one of the most beautiful babes!
I’m going to miss walking past the children’s village and hearing the kids scream my name with such excitement. I think them yelling my name with smiles in their voices is my favorite sound in the world. I’m going to miss them running and jumping into my arms and not letting go. I love asking them about their futures and hearing what they want to be when they get older and reassuring them they are going to be the absolute best at that. I wish I could be apart of their futures so bad. The world changing these kids are going to do is about to be so big! I’m gonna miss them running up to me so proud of themselves in the mornings while telling me they got 10/10 on their english homework that we worked on together the day before. There’s a specific crew that I help with their homework everyday and then we hang out and play afterwards. It’s become apart of my daily routine that I didn’t realize how much I cherished. I’ve gotten so close to a few boys that are going to absolutely wreck my heart into pieces the day I have to leave this place. Recently, I’ve found they’ve got just as attached to me. The past couple weeks they’ve been asking me how many days I have left here. After we talk about me leaving we get sad together and then they make me promise that I’ll come back. Now their question is when I’m coming back and in how many days that will be. I don’t know when I’ll be back to this place but I know I’ll be counting down the days just as much as they are.
I’m going to miss waking up and going out to talk to the guards. I’m going to miss going out at night to give them leftover food and some hot coffee to keep warm. I swear they are the sweetest dang elderly men I know! They remind me so much of my grandpa. There’s one that I have specifically gotten so close to! Everyday I go see him and we talk back and forth in each others languages for awhile and then we laugh and I give him a big hug. For the longest time he couldn’t ever remember my name so one day he asked the kids my name and then went and got a pen and wrote it on his hand so he’d remember! so pure!! Now he calls me out by name and smiles so big. I just love him! I’m going to miss our daily hangs and hugs a lot.
Friday nights. I’m going to miss Friday nights more than I ever thought. Every Friday night at 7 we have a movie night with the kids. It’s something they look forward to and ask about all week. When Friday gets here they are pumped! They all come running in and find a spot on the couch. I walk over and whoever screams my name first is who I go sit by and cuddle up with. Then more normally crowd around me and it’s a big snuggle fest the whole movie. The way to my whole heart. After the movie I run over to the front door and wish each and every one off to bed. One by one I give them a hug and a kiss as they walk out the door and say “goodnight, I love you!”. I didn’t realize how much I was going to miss this till a couple weeks ago. We watched a christmas movie and they laughed and smiled through the whole thing. My heart was so full. Halfway through the movie one of my girls looked at me and said “You still have 2 months here right?” With a BROKEN heart I told her I only had 3 weeks left. But it didn’t hit me I only had 3 more movie nights with them. I literally cried on the spot as I held a few kids so tight and thought about having to leave them soon. I cherish that quality time with them so much and not having them in my arms is going to wreck me over and over.
House moms ministry!! I’m going to miss house mom ministry so much. This has honestly been my saving grace the past couple weeks. I’ve learned a lot more from these sweet moms than I could ever teach them. Every afternoon me and Em go into one of the houses and teach the house moms English. But it’s a lot more than just teaching them English. It’s a space for them to be vulnerable. It’s a space where we can encourage them and they can encourage each other. It’s a space where we share bible verses with them and pray for them. These are some of the strongest ladies I know. They each head up one of the houses in the children’s village and have around 6-8 kids to take care of. They don’t get any days off. They don’t get much help other than the teams that come and look after the kids and help with chores. They’re brave. They’re sacrificial. They’re bold. They’re wise. They’re beautiful. They’re the Proverbs 31 women I strive to be. That time spent with them has turned into such a sweet and special time. Sometimes we sit and drink coffee and eat bread while we teach a lesson. But we always end with bible verses and prayer. It’s been so sweet to get to know them and have the honor of encouraging them. This place just wouldn’t be possible without them. Encouraging and empowering them has made my passion for women’s ministry grow so much. I just want every woman to know the undeniable worth they have that no one can take away from them. These women have so much worth!
I’m going to miss the days I spent all day in the kitchen with my other best ladies! I’m even going to miss them shoving food down my throat that I didn’t want. A few days into being here one of the kitchen ladies, Zenit, came up to me and asked how many sisters I had. I told her I didn’t have any sisters, just two brothers. She looked at me and said “you now 1 sister”, and pointed to herself. I don’t think she even knew my name for the first few weeks because she just called me “sister” from then on out. I’m going to miss waking up and heading straight to the kitchen to hear “sister, good morning. you eat now. You good sleep today?” I’ve never known what it’s like to have a sister until life here. There’s a girl in the village who is 18 and we have formed such a close relationship. She’s so gentle and sweet and gives the best hugs! I’ve gotten so close with a few of the older girls in the village that I call my sisters as well as the nurse on staff here. We talk all things boys and life as sisters would do and then we worship together as we scream Jesus songs throughout the kitchen. We sit and eat french fries and laugh at each other. I’m just going to miss doing life with these girls. I’ve never experienced living so closely with girls that I can do anything and talk about anything with. They all call me their sister and it’s such a beautiful sound I never knew I was missing out on. I’m going to miss them all so so much. Next, I’m going to miss my temporary mom, Buze! She’s one of the kitchen ladies that has such a big spot in my heart! She’s a lot scarier than my mom at home, but she’s the best at heart. I’m going to miss her chasing me out of the kitchen with a knife for messing around too much or slamming the microwave door too loud on accident. She has such a hard, motherly love that is so deep at the heart! After (jokingly) yelling at me the other day I told her I was leaving in a couple weeks and asked her if she was going to miss me. She started to cry and said I wasn’t allowed to leave. That’s when I knew her love was so genuine. I’m going to miss their pure love more than anything. I have been so blessed to be cared for by them so well the past few months.
I’m going to miss the stillness of life here in Ethiopia. The simplicity of never knowing what day it is or what time it is. The slowness of things never having to be on time. The sweet peaceful breeze that goes through the tall grass and wildflowers. I’m going to miss the sound and sight of the evening sunsets in the background while I watch the kids play soccer all night long. Waking up with mountains and fields as far as I can see into the background. Time went way too fast but at the same time it felt like it froze and I got to just stand still for awhile. It was refreshing and altogether beautiful. I’ll remember these last 3 months for the rest of my life. The sweetest, most refreshing, challenging yet best 3 months of my life.
Believe it or not, this was just a summary of my life the past three months and the things I love here!! It’s not “life in Ethiopia”, it’s just simply my life. And it’s the best life there is! Ethiopia has been my favorite place I’ve ever had the pleasure of calling home and I’m going to miss it more than anything!
