Amazed and Encouraged

  
I want to give a quick update on my recent trip back to Ethiopia and my visit to Kebron.  With this being my second trip to Kebron, it already felt comfortable and familiar.  I loved being met at the gate by sweet little faces that I already knew!  Giving hugs and kisses to children who looked bigger to me, older and more grown up, was wonderful. 


I was so fortunate to be able to coordinate my visit with Yewbi's annual spring trip to Kebron.  We both got to meet the new children for the first time.  In addition to the 35 new kids we added last fall, there were 3 additional children at Kebron.  This puts us at 50 children right now that we are providing services for!  We just have a handful left who need sponsors.  Once these last few children have sponsors, we are planning to bring in another 20 children.  Wow! Hard to believe we will be caring for 70 children from just the 11 we started with a year and a half ago!  If you are interested in sponsoring one of these children or know someone who may be interested, please let me know.

Our kids at Kebron

Kebron is definitely growing!  The kids are doing so well.  They are all in school, except the youngest ones, going to discipleship training once a week and are receiving healthy meals.  


One of my favorite things to do when I visit is to be able to hand deliver the care packages that were so lovingly packed by the sponsor families.  We were able to deliver each child's package to them individually so that they had time to explore everything.  Of course they linger over the photos of their sponsor families. These are precious keepsakes for them. On a funny note, one of the boys received a whoopie cushion in his care package.  The children, and the adults, had never seen one before.  It was hilarious to see how they laughed at this toy!!  It was quite the hit!










That smile tells it all!  Photos of their sponsor family is the best gift of all!








The very popular whoopie cushion!

Through donation money, we were able to buy three sheep to prepare a feast for the children at Kebron and the surrounding community.  In all, we fed well over 100 people and there was enough food left over to provide a meal the next day too!  While I didn't enjoy the slaughtering of the sheep, to see the kids gobble up the hearty and nutritious stew was well worth it.  Meat is very expensive there and the kids don't often get to have it.

Preparing the sheep.

Some of the kids enjoying the feast.

Through a generous donation from the Thomas family, we were able to provide a bible to every child and even a few from the community. The kids were so proud of their new bibles!

 

The kids showing off their new bibles.

         Also had someone donate 50 pair of glasses for all the kids.  




I have such a hard time telling the kids goodbye.  Our time just seems to go so fast while we are there.  It does make it a little easier to tell them I'll see them next summer!

We had such fun just hanging with the kids......










Dalton playing a game with the kids.

Hanging out in the boys' room.  They loved listening to Dalton's IPod.

I had to bring some UK blue with me to Ethiopia!








After we return home, I enjoy sharing with others about our experiences and about Kebron.  I'm kind of like one of those teachers that you knew you could get talking about something if you just asked the right question....I get so excited sharing about all that is going on at Kebron and in the community of Modjo!!  (I'll have more to share on that soon.) 


I often am asked if it is hard to visit there.  I have to answer a resounding NO!  I am completely amazed and encouraged with what I see.  If I visited and felt like it didn't make any difference and nothing was changing, it would be devastatingly hard.  But I see changes happening; kids growing physically and spiritually, developments in the property.  I see hope!  I can't wait to come back and share with others and brag about what God is doing.  Things are changing! I see God providing a hope and a future for the children right before my eyes.  Amazing......