Our time in Ethiopia is now over, and more than likely, this is the first you have seen of me in about a month or so. That is due to the fact that we were in the middle of NO WHERE. ALTHOUGH, this month was wonderful, and I want to tell you a little about it. I will start by explaining the ministry we did this month.
We stayed in a small village about 3 hours of Addis Ababa, which is the capital. We were with an organization called HOPEthiopia. The ministry was started by a dentist named Ralph, and his wife, a psychologist named Glenda from Calgary, Canada. Almost anything you can think of is done here in this village; whether that be an orphanage, reforestation, water supply, men’s ministry, women’s ministry, and so on. As far as the children’s village goes, there are 5 houses with orphans living in them. There is an average of about 5 children in each house and then a house mom is placed to care for the children. It was an all-squad month so everyone was in the same location. Each team was assigned a house of children to hang out with, teach, and just love tremendously.
Here are the amazing kids I was able to be with this month. From left to right there is Bikiltu, Sintayo, Batchu, Abiti, Seesay, and Samatcho. These amazing kids pretty much made my month beautiful. They love well and always bring a smile to your face. In light of the ministry, no, this is not an adoption agency. These kids are being trained and challenged to become leaders of Ethiopia. They are being educated well and trained in technology while also learning English. So in saying that, be praying for these amazing kids and their futures of being amazing leaders!
On top of the children’s village, many of my squad-mates were able to assist with construction. They made bricks to build a trade center to train people in the village with different tasks and skills. Many of us wrote our names and a scripture on the bricks so the place would be built on love and scripture. Other than construction, many of us sat in the fields with a sickle and cut the grass to make the land look nice, but boy was it a long process!
The month was amazing; we met many amazing people, cleaned the community, and left a lasting impression. Be praying for the beautiful people of Harbu Chulule, Ethiopia!
With Joy,
Preston
