The date was August 29th. We had just arrived a day earlier at our home in Addis Ababa, a small pink house with a ping pong table on the porch. The net on the table is kept vertical by a fork on each side, stuck in the openings on either side. The gate is protected by a small, matted, unstable street dog-turned-guard dog called Lucky.
(We get to call this endearing place home for one more short week before flying to Rwanda.)
We were spending the day resting and meeting some of the teens who would be in our world daily. See, our temporary home’s main purpose is to serve as a safe place (via Youth Impact) for about 30 neighborhood kids, many of whom are orphaned and live in difficult conditions.
A group of lanky boys had just arrived, faces beaming, eyes wide with expectancy at what the upcoming month would be like, having 7 strangers who were soon to be housemates.
I walked up to them, hand outstretched for an upcoming handshake and cheerfully said, “Hi! I am Erika,” to which one boy jokingly replied, “Hi! I Ethiopia.” His friends died laughing. It took me a few seconds to realize that my introduction sounded exactly like, “Hi! I America.”
It was in this moment I knew it was going to be a great month.
To this day, the boys still call me, “America” from time to time, and every time, we all get a good laugh.
We’ve spent the majority of our time building relationships with the teens who come to the house daily, talking with them, playing ping pong with them, visiting their homes, listening to their stories, and showing them the love of Jesus. It’s been an incredible gift getting to know them and our ministry hosts, Ephrem and Mazre, who exemplify Jesus more than most humans I’ve encountered.
It saddens me to no end that we have just a week left with these beautiful people.
I realize I never actually blogged toward the end of our time in Greece or during our month in Romania, so I’ll just say this for now…I’ve never wanted to quit the Race more than I did while we were in Greece. I wanted to stay. I prayed for the permission from the Lord to stay. He told me to keep going, so here I am in Africa, and I know it was the right call. That said, friends, the refugee crisis is real and devastating. The people displaced by ISIL are, by and large, just like you and me, and given different circumstances, could be us. They are women and children in desperate situations. That photo of the Syrian child that went viral is but a tiny glimpse into a horrific situation. And as the body of Jesus Christ, we are called to take hope and light into the darkness – in word and in deed. Please pray about how you might help. I am still taking donations for a family I met while I was in the camps at https://www.youcaring.com/noor-her-family-599820. God has already provided in incredible ways for them, but they are still in need of basic things, such as diapers, food, and other living costs. If you have any questions about their status or need additional information, please email me at [email protected].
As for Romania, we served as a full squad in a small town called Draganesti-Olt, where we worked with Hope Church to minister to the Romani (or Gypsy) people in and around the town. Teams put on kids camps, took food to widows, and led church services. Our team worked in the church office for most of the month, helping the pastor (and a true pioneer of the faith in Romania), Raul, work with more efficiency and put his many ideas into action. It was inspiring to see the massive impact this tiny church in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere is having…not only on Romania, but on the world. Our God thrives in places of humility.
One word to describe our month in Greece? Desperation.
One word to describe our month in Romania? Underestimated.
And one word to describe our month here in Ethiopia? Joy.
It’s hard to believe we are nearly heading into Month 10. Thank you for your prayers, for your financial support, and for your love. I miss you all dearly. Grace and peace to you!
With love and joy,
Erika
PS For more detail about our month here in Ethiopia, please read my friend Jess’s blog. She covers far more about our life here than I did in this post! http://jessicadoffing.theworldrace.org/post/youth-impact-in-ethiopia
