After a long awaited adoption we traveled to Ethiopia in Sept , 2008 to pick up our 4 year old son.  While there, besides being totally blessed by our new son, our eyes were opened beyond words.  Ethiopia alone has 4 million orphans in their country.  Our first sights were of street children roaming by themselves.  Your heart aches to do something to help these poor children but you are left feeling helpless to do anything as you watch them go about their life on the streets, begging for food, which is completely normal to them.

While on our trip we visited our son’s orphanage.  We thank those of you who sent donations of shoes, which is what they said they needed most. We also took gifts for the children.  Their little eyes just lit up when we started passing out the gifts.  Our son, who had only been with us for 2 days had a backpack full of toys that we had given him.  This backpack was his prized possession.  It never left his sight.  He just loved all of his toys and always made sure they were safely put away when he finished playing with them.  

While visiting the orphanage, our new little son walked in with a new sense of pride while holding his prized backpack.  All his friends came running, calling his name, gathering around him.  They were very happy to see him as he had been moved from the orphanage and staying in the care center for the past 3 months.  He set his backpack down and started pulling out every one of his toys that we had given him.  He passed them out to everyone until there was nothing left in his backpack.  All of the children ran around playing with their toy that our son had given him.  I thought how sweet it was that he was letting them play with his toys for a while.  Knowing how much he loved the toys, I worried about how we would get them all gathered back.  When it was time to leave I had someone speak to him in Amharic and tell him it was time to gather his toys and I saw him shake his head and say something.  The translator came over and told us that he did not want his toys back.  He wanted all of his friends to have them.  Our son then walked over and grabbed our hand and led us to the door as the children waved goodbye to him.  He knew that the only thing he ever wanted in the whole world was a Mom and a Dad and he had been granted that dream.  He also knew that his friends were still waiting for that dream and that it had not come true for them.   This little 4 year old had compassion beyond his years.  He gave them every possession he had and left with his prized possession....his new family.  

 

As much poverty that surrounds Ethiopia, the people have that much love as well.  The people are beautiful inside and out.  They appreciate the smallest things that we, as Americans, would not think twice about.  

 

While walking down the road I started giving the begging children packs of peanut butter crackers instead of money.  You would have thought they won the lottery.  I don’t know how long it had been since they last ate a meal.  But, for that moment, I crossed their path and was able to provide for their need.  As simple it was to hand them a pack of crackers...it meant the world to them.  Just maybe their prayer was answered in that moment.

 

I saw my son get approached by a street child who’s toes were busted through the tops of his shoes.  They were down to mere torn soles.  We gave the child some crackers....but when the child walked away I noticed he was wearing my son’s shoes with a great big smile on his face.  When I asked my son about it he said, “I have more back at the hotel.”

 I can’t tell you how my heart was singing.  Why is it that we have to get surrounded by the worst circumstances to discover what is really important in life?

 

As much as we tried to help the children.....they helped us in so many more ways.  Thank God, our eyes were opened.