Mission Trip to Addis Ababa (Part 2 of 5)

Read my story from the beginning – Part 1

The staff of the Hope Center is more impressive than you can imagine. They are the kind of people who make you think, “If I could just get them to the States, they would be incredibly successful”. But God’s providence has them in their home, not ours. Their deep love and commitment to these children is the first quality you notice. There is no doubt that these men and women have their own stories of suffering. I had the opportunity to speak to one young man who told me that his father was dead. He was visibly sorrowful when I was asking him about his family. I suspect the other staff members have stories of sorrow and loss as well. Since I was only there for a few days, I didn’t really have the time to get stories from the staff about themselves or get to know them very well. I have an inclination that each of them has deep wounds and that those wounds are what equips them to be so devoted to these children. Being with the children is wonderful because they are so happy and sweet. The children grab your heart immediately. But this staff grabbed my mind. They made me start thinking about fundraising and logistics. They made me want to put tools in their hands. Words fail me to describe how incredible they are.

Each night before I would try to go to sleep, I kept pondering the question, “How can I help them take care of these children?” Honestly, they don’t need my help. For example, I had the experience of feeding the children dinner, but it was obvious to me that it was for my benefit, not to actually help them. It was almost humorous as I tried to figure out how much food to give to which kids and how the staff had to hold my hand through the process. In my mind, the best thing I can do to help these children, is to give the staff the resources they need to do their job. They have the devotion to the children and the skills to serve them. This staff is perfectly capable of caring for these kids without me. What they need is a refrigerator, certain clothing items, school supplies, hygiene supplies, and especially food. If I can somehow get them those things, then I have been helpful to them in some small way.

Go to Part Three.