One Year Ago Today...
Exactly one year ago today, we met these boys for the very first time. We handed out shoes, shirts, and jackets, and I took their photos. None of them smiled. Their faces were heavy and sad. They didn't trust us. Some of them sold their shoes and jackets immediately for a little bit of money.
One year later, I can tell you that 14 children had the opportunity to go to school. Eight of them finished the year and will move on to the next grade. One of them has a new home for his family. They've all been prayed for. They've all heard about Jesus. They've all been cared for, loved, and checked up on. We've gotten a license from the government in Ethiopia, and we're working on a 501c3 status in the United States.
We are dreaming big—we want to send 40 children to school this year! We want to have a safe place for them to spend their days. We want to have a full-time social worker to mentor and guide them. We will make mistakes. We're learning as we go. We're pulling in educated, experienced people to help us along the way, and we're doing the very best we can.
We are looking for brave people who see what we see—children, on the street, without Jesus, without hope, without education, but full of potential. And although we may not get it right every single step of the way, we know they are worth the effort. We know they deserve a chance.
