My team went to a skate park yesterday. Well, more of a “round about” that cars don’t use very often. The area was filled with young people, mostly street kids. In no time, a crowd formed. Kids started participating, while others sat on the curb and just watched the show. Even the kids selling gum and snacks put work aside to watch the chaos unfold. I met a girl there, named, Etsdbnktsfy “Ets-uu-dink.” She is a beautiful 9-year-old girl, in a bright yellow dress, with a huge smile that lit up her face. She was the only girl in the crowd that would fight for a chance to ride one of the skateboards. She’s a natural skater. Etsdbnktsfy, would bomb down the hill with no ounce of fear. When she finished her turn, she would come back to her spot on the curb next to me. I would then proceed to put my arm around her and she would rest her hand on my knee. I would say, “of my friend” and she would giggle, smile and reply, “yes my friend” back to me. We would sit in a comfortable silence with no need to talk. When the silence did break she would whisper, “I love you.” I would respond with a loud confidence, “I love you too” and would then kiss her cheek.
Etsdbnktsfy asked me if we were coming back tomorrow. I wanted so badly to say yes. I heard myself say, “I’m not sure, maybe?” But I knew that was a lie, I was only saying the words to make myself feel better. I then told her the truth and I felt both of our hearts break. When it was time for my team to go, I scrambled to take off one of my bracelets I’d been collecting on the race, to give to my new friend. I put it on her wrist and we hugged each other for as long as we could then kissed each other’s cheeks and said our final goodbyes.The truth is, I probably won’t see Etsdbnktsfy again. But, I know I will never forget her. Not because of the goofy pictures we took together but because of what meeting her stirred in my heart.
Sitting on that curb, I felt torn. Conflicting thoughts filled my mind. What we were doing with these kids was so much fun. But what about after we leave? As I looked around the scene, joy and excitement filled the air, yet at the same time an indescribable feeling of sadness quickly followed. The kids were all running around, looking just like any other kid with no cares in the world, looking a bit closer, you would see, that their clothes were torn and dirt covered their beautiful faces. I started to wonder what their lives looked like away from this happy meeting place. When did they eat last? Where do they lay their heads at night? It gets cold here at night in Ethiopia, with rain always filling the sky. Do they have a jacket or a blanket to keep them warm?
In Addis Ababa, there are kids living on the streets everywhere you turn. Kids always asking you for money, or food, or trying to sell you Kleenex and gum. Anything they can get their hands on, they will try to sell you. I found myself avoiding sitting next to windows in the car, I did not want to be repeatedly confronted by those beautiful faces asking for money. The feeling of being useless made me feel horrible every time I watched them walk away empty handed. Now I sit here, on the curb, not knowing what I can do for them other then pray for them. Even prayer, feels pointless. It is not me physically bringing something for them to eat that day, so really, how am I helping them. What God told me was, that He just wanted me to be present. It is okay to simply hug a small girl that’s covered head to toe in dirt, look into her eyes, and show her that I see her and that she is loved. Love is the thing that can get her through a cold night. That’s what God wants from me, no matter how small it may seem, love can be the thing that sustains that person.
my teammate and an epic fail…
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