The Birthday Gift

    Today I had the best day with boys. We went to a place called Entoto. It’s a church on top of a hill and you can see the whole city of Addis. It is so beautiful up there! The boys and I went into the town and played soccer. It was great!! We couldn’t find a taxi back down the mountain so we had to walk. Everyone including me was exhausted. When got back to the post office the kids where telling me how hungry they were and was telling me that all they had was only bread in the last two days. So, Itook them to eat. Wow, is all can say about the experience of feeding hungry children. They were eating as if they weren’t going to get another meal. It truly breaks my heart. These children don’t know when they will eat again. The best part is seeing their smiling faces and laughter again after eating. It gives me great joy to feed them.

So this brings me to my next story…

That evening I found out that it was Chekol (we call him chocolate) birthday. What can I say about this kid? He is very smart, super sweet and kind of quiet, but he defiantly can hold his own in a fight. I ask him how old he was today and he said 15. I asked him what he wants for his birthday. He didn’t understand what I was saying, so one of the kids was telling him what I was saying. He looked at me like what? I said anything you want! Then he said it… A bible! I couldn’t believe it! He wanted a bible. So I called one of the girls I know at the center I work at and told her the story. I said I want to take him to go get a piece of cake for birthday and she said she would get a bible and come along. I took Birhane, Habtamu and Chekol and said we are going somewhere special. .We met Leti on the way. We went to the International Café and we sat down I told Chekol that he could get whatever he wanted. He didn’t want to order anything. I told him to go pick out a piece of cake. He couldn’t believe it. He picks out one of the most beautiful piece of cake. He orders a Fanta as well. He loved it. He was sharing with all of us. After I told him that I had something special for him. I asked him first “Chekol, Have you ever had birthday gift?” He said “No.” I began to cry. Here is today his 15 birthday and he is getting his first gift. It was wrapped in beautiful colors and with a card. Today I gave a boy a bible and his first gift. After he open, I found out that he wants to be a pastor. God has a plan for everything. God sent me all to Ethiopia to give this child a gift of his words. Chekol is a very special boy! What you don’t know about him is that his mother beats him every day if he doesn’t come home with 5 birr. He tells me that his mother is not right in the head. I haveseen his home and it’s very small. There really no space to walk around and his mother, sister and him all sleep in the same bed. There are holes in the ceiling and rats eat everything. I ask that you pray for Chekol. Pray that God bring him a sponsor to pay for school and for his needs that will help him to become a pastor one day.

I cant believe that God has place me here. Every day I get to be his hands and feet!!