When I departed for Ethiopia to pick up Tedi, I had no clue what lie ahead of me. Due to work obligations, my wife Natalie could not travel with me. I had been warned by our blog friend, Amy Post, to “be prepared for poverty on a scale you cannot imagine.” Well, Amy was 100% right. The things I saw while in Addis Ababa would fill your heart with despair and your eyes with tears.
Our second day in Ethiopia (a Monday) was the most exhilarating day of my life. It was the day when I met Tedi and got to wrap him in my arms. Besides all the emotion that accompanied that event, Monday left another, almost as inedible mark on my life.
After being at KVI Orphanage for a few hours, the nannies told us it was the kids’ nap time. Not wanting to mess with their routines, we agreed that the adults would leave and do some shopping while the little ones slept. When we arrived at the market, we were definitely on an emotional high. I needed to get some shopping done without the responsibility of watching a three year old, however, I was counting down the minutes until we could go back and get Tedi. We had waited so long to get him (8 months of the adoption process and 15 months of infertility before that).
Boy, was I wrong.
We ended up back at the same shops a few days later. As I was walking around, I heard a voice from the crowd that had gathered. “Friend. Friend. My friend!” I looked up and it was Selam (still wearing the WKU shirt) and his friends. I went out to where he was and brought Ayele, our driver, so he could interpret for us. As we were talking, I noticed that one of Selam’s friends had hit what must have been the jackpot for these poor children. He had stumbled upon some half eaten food that had been thrown in the trash at a restaurant. The sight of this broke my heart in two. To see the joy in this boy’s face at finding trash was indescribable. I took a quick inventory of my life and all the blessings I have been given and how I do not appreciate so many of them. As our time to depart was growing near, I told Selam we must be leaving. He told me, through Ayele that he had something he wanted to give me. He reached underneath his shirt and pulled the cross out and started to take it off his neck. I stopped him. I politely told Ayele to convey to him there was no way I was taking that cross with me. He told Ayele that we were friends and this is what friends do. He told me to keep it as a memento from Ethiopia.
In the car on the way back to the orphanage, I was an emotional wreck. What was God trying to tell me? At the time, I questioned why God had put so much emotional baggage on my plate at one time.
After some separation, I now know what God was telling me when He introduced Selam and I. He was telling me not to forget what I had seen. Orphan care is not only about the children like Tedi who are fortunate enough to be adopted. Orphan care does not end when we step off the plane in the US with our children. Orphan care DOES NOT END. Orphan care is about kids like Selam. Kids who have not been shown the earthly love they deserve. Thankfully, Selam has been redeemed by his Heavenly Father. I cannot forget Selam. I must not forget Selam. We must not forget Selam. We must never forget all of them.
amazing books, inspiring blogs, having meaningful conversations…immersing myself in the topic of social justice–a topic that was close to God’s heart. How do you know that, you may ask? Well, God mentions it over 2,100 in His Main Book, for one. For another, even when it’s not mentioned specifically, His character REEKS of it. So, I can say with confidence that God cares about justice. And compassion. And generosity. And so this is where I stayed for a long time. In some ways, I would say far too long. But I trust God. I trust that he knew me. He knew that I still needed to be broken a lot more in order to better understand broken people. I needed to understand desperation and not making it on my own. I needed to understand the hope and love that comes from the Body of Christ stepping in and providing for my family’s needs when we couldn’t. So even though I feel a little sad and ashamed about time lost, I know that this is better. His plan is always better.
abroad. Stateside, we desire to help ease the transition for families (or individuals) coming over from various African nations by plugging them in to services available, driving them around, helping kids enroll in school, connecting them to other Africans in the area, and offering friendship and love by welcoming them into our families. Abroad, we are exploring possibilities with existing NGOs and churches as well as thinking through “adopting a village” by providing various kinds of support to Africans in need. Second, we desire to help educate and provide experiences (see above) to wake up the church to God’s heart towards the “orphan, widow, and foreigner.” Realizing that we have been blessed to bless, we want to encourage Christ followers to stop learning and start doing. Stop hoarding and start giving. For it is when we refresh others that we will be truly refreshed. And more than that–LIVES ARE AT STAKE!!!
I have now been to Jelgava, Latvija twice (July 2009, June 2010) and I will be leaving for my third trip on December 25th. This trip will focus on connecting with kids at five more orphanages in different areas, as well as talking with the directors or caregivers. It is also a chance for me to see more of the country, as well as experience their winter to give me an idea of what living there will be like in winter time!
Samantha Davidson and her blogger mom made these stunning headbands for the girls. 
While at the Guest Home, we met Sammy, who works with the Guest Home. Sammy spent the majority of his childhood struggling to get the food he and his family needed from the garbage dump in Korah. When he was 12 years old, he and some of his friends decided to go and join the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea – simply because the army provided meals. They were sick and tired of always fighting for the leftovers that could sometimes be found in the garbage dump. On the way to register for the army, they crossed the compound where Young Life started the ministry. They saw a lot of the U.S. Young Life Leaders hanging out with the kids from the Korah community. He ended up joining them and decided not to join the army.
