A prostitute who is HIV positive breastfeeds her baby diseased milk because she has nothing to give him because she lacks skills for normal work and feels she has no choice.
A man whose legs are missing scoots himself around on his bottom, his pants worn from sand and dust (we can imagine his skin is raw increasing chance for disease and infection), swinging himself on his arms to get around because there aren't many wheelchairs where he lives, and even if they were readily available and every road was paved, he couldn't afford to buy one.
Another man whose legs are deformed from disease (they appear to be broken it's so bad), and you wonder if this is a demon or not, is walking on black drums on his knees, legs mangled in the air, using his hands to crawl for travel near the market while you ride a bajaj. (Bajaj = cute little three wheel vehicle).
Goats heads fresh from slaughter align the sidewalk - a dog's delight - and dry bones from hyena, bull, and horse line the path where bare children's feet walk and play on a daily basis.
Children without fear or hesitation begging for love, attention, and a bite to eat, a toy or clothes will come up to you (thank God you are safe), and follow behind you saying "forenji, forenji, money, money, money" (forenji = foreigner but really translated means French) so much you have to chase them back saying "bacca" (bacca = enough).
Welcome to Africa.
This is Ethiopia.
The land of the orphan, some of the abused, and the forgotten.
And, I miss them.
I got the beautiful gift and privilege of traveling far from my native Kentucky home to show them God's love this American October 2013. (It is 2006 there). The virgin voyage to Ethiopia captured my heart in very little time and now my life trajectory is completely changing as Ethiopia, the Horn of Africa, is now my second home, and I'm going back (I already know it - I've told people I'm moving there lol) in His timing.
I can not live (and will not live) for my own needs here. That's the definition of selfishness and it's wrong. Jesus, give us a world vision and help us be fearless and reckless about it. Good grief.
For God's glory, I chose to humbly serve Him serving the least of these (Matthew 25).
I was told in order to truly change a nation, you have to live there for a while, and there is some truth to that but with this first month long trip, my eyes were fixed on spreading the undiluted Gospel to anyone who would receive Him (and if I let it happen I would have been scatterbrained in our ministry...which darkness do I apply your light to today, Jesus?): to every religious Orthodox believer in Mary, to every Muslim praying in the street, to the children in the classes I visited and/or helped teach, to the babies who gave me kisses and wanted me to scoop them up into my lap, to the shop keeper's daughter... My heart is His. There were days it absolutely broke for their brokenness and days when it swelled deep, long, and high busting at the seams.... I knew whatever the circumstance, whatever the situation even if it happened to be in what some feared could be threatening conditions these people needed Jesus. We all do. And they taught me things...still teach me things...
These people were a grateful people. They thanked God for provision of needs, whether it was vitamins to help boost immunity or a small toy for the kid who didn't have clothes much less toys, to food, to rent, to school books so they have a chance at education, to hearing Jesus came and died just for them...the greatest need. I said it there during devotions and I'll say it again because it is just true: The greatest poverty is living life without Jesus at the center of it.
Are we bankrupt?
I met so many families with so many needs and each home visit I went on was just one word: holy. And, even in times that seemed like such darkness, you could just see parts of the bible come alive in real life whether through someone riding a donkey, to seeing a woman at a well, or to crowds that just came to listen. Before I left every child at BCI Academy received the word "wanted" on a piece on paper, not wanted for corruption, but loved and wanted by Jesus, the One true God. Some of them ended in stares and others praised Him. I didn't ask for permission...I just did it.
I hope we are becoming "just do it" people. I know I want to be.
www.blessingthechildren.org
