Tuesday’s Happenings
Today was another awesome day in Ethiopia!! It was the first day without any rain. It was incredibly comfortable weather with a nice breeze. It made for a beautiful day where we could spend the whole day outside with the kids.
It was our first day at our new location, so we weren’t 100% sure what to expect. But everything went so well! In the morning we had 4 stations with 4 groups of kids rotating through them: crafts, games, singing/Bible lesson, and face painting. The kids loved it! We learned today that while the care point center we are visiting has had a handful of groups visit them in the past, this is the very first time that they have had a group come to run vacation Bible school activities. So needless to say, the kids (and our team!) definitely enjoyed it. In the afternoon, we played soccer games, sang silly songs, and spent time loving on all the children. At the end of the day, the kids gave us a ton of hugs and kisses when we told them we would see them tomorrow. We can’t wait to go back!
Two key moments stood out to me personally today that I wanted to take the time to share with you. After we arrived back at the care point center from lunch, I walked through the gate of the facility to an unexpected surprise. All the kids were there, clapping their hands, beaming with smiles, as they were so excited for us to be back to spend more time with them. They came around to give us all hugs to welcome us back. It was such a sweet moment to be able to see how much they appreciated the time that we were spending with them.
But even more than they appreciate us, I appreciate the chance to spend time with them. I was reminded that this team is getting an amazing opportunity to live out exactly what the Lord called us to do: love the orphans. God has a huge heart for this special population of people and has called us to love them and care for them. And I felt so overjoyed to be called to and have the chance to minister to them and love them. I think I can speak for all the team when I say that it is an absolute privilege to be with these kids that God is so passionate about.
Another moment that I hope I never ever forget happened when we were saying goodbye to the kids for the day. They always swarm our team, coming around to each of us to give us a hug and kiss. I had tears swelling up in my eyes during this time, as I kissed the kids on the check, squeezed them tightly, and twirled some of them around. I thought about how I will hopefully get to see so many of these kids again in Heaven. I thought about how it will be such a joyful reunion when we are all together again after Jesus returns. It encouraged me to know that when we leave Ethiopia in a few days, it won’t be goodbye forever. I was able to see a little glimpse of what Heaven will be like with all the Lord’s people gathered together: different skin tones, different languages, different cultures, all coming together in one glorious reunion in the Kingdom to come. While not all the kids are Christians, I am encouraged to be able to see God at work in such a mighty way in this beautiful country. The leaders at these care point centers are passionate about the Lord and are definitely teaching the Gospel to the kids here day in, day out. It is awesome and so humbling to see.
Thank you so much for all your continued prayers. We are excited to be able to share more about our time here and about those special moments that have impacted our individual hearts when we return.
~Justine Davis
