days for girls training
What a day it was! It was met with all sorts of emotions.
Our team spent time with the fifth and sixth grade girls and it was simply amazing as Karen, one of our team members, taught the girls about puberty and their menstrual cycle. Karen has been through a Days for Girls training and has a team at her church that prepared over 100 kits for the girls and female staff members at Ekklesia.
Not knowing how the girls would respond (ie. giggles, embarrassment, shyness), we were surprised at how engaged they were as well as how intentional they were on listening to every single word Karen said. In many cultures, including Ethiopia, having your period can be shameful. Karen shared that everything happening in their bodies is normal and exactly how God created them.
We learned that many of the girls do not attend school when they have their period because they cannot afford to purchase supplies. I have read about this before but it becomes very real when you hear it and you know the people it is affecting. But the kits that Karen’s team provided give them the opportunity to attend school without interruption and participate in their normal daily activities. What a blessing and how excited they all were to receive these beautiful kits!
Brad and Luel, spent time with the fifth and sixth grade boys. Brad talked about the obedience of Daniel, and Luel talked about all things teenage boys. We also invited a man named Lami, a retired professional soccer player, to come in a share his testimony with the boys. When Lami was injured playing soccer, his faith grew and he shared with the boys how God got him through this difficult time.
We did have a very difficult home visit. We went to a home where the mom is working very hard to take care of her two boys – ages 4 and 7 months. Her husband ran away. As she spoke through her tears, we were overwhelmed with the challenges she has. And as we prayed, she continued to cry… but she also spoke with a heartfelt, genuine smile when she talked about how her son will not miss school. Although life is very difficult, you could see that this mama loves her boys and would do anything for them.
That evening, we were invited into a pastor’s home. WOW! I have really never experienced a culture quite like Ethiopia. The hospitality and love that is shared is unsurpassable. I have so much to learn from the people here in Ethiopia. And we spent time in prayer, in worship, and heard very moving message.
On the way to the guest house, we reflected on where we saw the goodness of God as we had on the previous nights. What a great exercise to do each day and one I believe the team will continue to do as they head back home!
How about you? Where have you seen the goodness of God today?