a home visit

Home visits. There is nothing quite like them.

Sometimes there is so much joy when the family of the sponsored child meets the sponsor. As a westerner with so much materially, we walk into the - often times - one room homes with dirt floors and no furniture and wonder how anyone could live in these conditions and be happy. They can barely feed their children. Sometimes... they can't. And yet they are so lit up, appreciative, and hospitable.

But sometimes, there is an overwhelming sadness that just hangs in the house – a hopelessness.

Last year we experienced that with one of the children our daughter, Grace, chose to sponsor. The mom has three sons and her mother to support. We learned on that trip that two of the boys are twins and both attend Ekklesia. There are no adult males and the mom works as a daily laborer doing various jobs. And sometimes there are no jobs – with five mouths to feed. It was a very difficult home visit – there was so much hopelessness. No smiling… just an overwhelming sadness.

When we returned home from that trip, Hannah sponsored the twin which allowed us to return this year for a second visit.

What a change! We were welcomed in and offered coffee, which is a great honor in Ethiopia. The mother seemed more hopeful, filled with more joy, and a whole lot of smiles. She thanked us for sponsoring her boys which allows them the luxury of going to school and eating a meal. But what touched me more than anything, she let us know she has the picture our family sent in one of the boys’ letters.

I am convinced these relationships matter. 

I am not sure this woman is a believer. But in just in a little under a year, things have changed. God is doing work in Sendafa, Ethiopia through Sister Almaz and all her amazing staff. 

And we are so blessed to be along for the ride.