I talked a little bit about Mango in the blog about HopEthiopia, but this man is a legend, so I decided to dedicate a whole blog to him.
Every week we get the privilege to go soft drinking with Mango. This consists of a group of us walking with Mango into the village, past the market, and to the coffee shop. We always get coffee and we get soda too! Malta is a classic drink here in Ethiopia, it’s a non-alcoholic Guinness brand barley drink. I am personally not a fan, so I get sprite or orange soda. The soda here is different and it’s SO good. We make a joke that in order to be initiated into the soft drinking group, you have to try at least a sip of Malta.
One instance of when I went soft drinking, I asked Mango to share more of his testimony so I could write this and share his story with my family and friends. He said “Oh of course, my sister!”
Here’s a little bit of my brother’s testimony:
Mango grew up with an older brother and lived with his mom. He lived in a village not to far from HopEthiopia and grew up in a classic Ethiopian mud hut. His dad had gone off to war because Ethiopia and Eritrea were fighting at the time. When it was time for Mango to go to school, his dad wanted him to stay home and earn money for the family. Mango’s dad was suffering from PTSD and was very stubborn. But Mango kept pleading to go to school. Mango prayed and prayed for years to go to school, and finally, his dad agreed to let him go for one year.
After one year, he expected Mango to go back to work in the countryside. Since Mango was behind on school, he went in not knowing how to read yet. He had his classmates teach him and he quickly caught up with the other students. At the end of the year, he was the third best in his class. At this point he asked his dad if he can stay in school, and he said yes. With one condition: he had to pay for everything AND somehow provide for the family.
Mango understood the importance of education and felt as if God was calling him to stay in school, so he counted the cost. Another difficulty was that Mango had to walk TWO HOURS to and from school each day! He told me the only thing that got him through it was the Lord and prayer. That is so amazing to me because God is so kind to care about our everyday hardships and He wants us to depend on Him in every moment. Mango had a moment while walking where he heard the Lord tell him to start selling honey and eggs. The next week, there was a bee hive and chickens in his home! Then soon after, Mango obeyed the Lord and sold eggs and honey so he could go to school and provide for his mother. The Lord totally made a way for Mango. It amazes me how Mango chose to see and hear the Lord during the hard times, when he could have easily rejected God.
After a few more years in school, Mango was the top student in his class. Then at one point, a group of ferengee (white in oromifaa) men from Canada came to his school asking for the top students to show them around the area and teach them about the language and culture. Mango was in this chosen group! These men from Canada were Ralph and his people working to start HopEthiopia. Crazy right?
Ralph then recruited Mango to come work for their new organization. They sponsored Mango’s college education which allowed him to get his social work degree while working with Hope. Now Mango serves with his whole heart and pours out into all the children and all the world race squads that come here. He is an amazing example of the love and character of Jesus to everyone he meets. He is an amazing friend to everyone and I admire him for that.
He always tells us to come back and stay with him in his new house and tells us we will all be soft drinking together in eternity.
He is a sweet friend and brother and I am just so honored to know him. It’s gonna be another hard goodbye, but it’s so worth it because God gave me three months in Ethiopia and a life long brother!
Peace and blessings,
Hannah Keller
