Ethiopia: A Call To Action
“He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?” declares the Lord.” – Jeremiah 22:16
I’m a China momma. China is where it all started for me; it’s where God first allowed me to walk into an orphanage. It’s where God showed me once and for all that His heart is all about justice for the orphan. It’s where He turned my life upside down in so many good and hard ways.
So last year when God said clearly to me, ETHIOPIA, I said yes. But even as I prepared to go, my heart was still in China. I know some of you are with me, I know many of you China mommas out there are reading this and nodding in agreement. I may have even asked you to go to Ethiopia with me and you said to yourself, I just don’t know if I could love another country like China. I know. I said this too.
I don’t really know what I expected when I said yes. Definitely not to completely fall in love with Ethiopia. Definitely not to be SO drawn in that I HAVE TO return.
What is it about Ethiopia?
I’m asked this all the time. There are so many stories that God invited me into during my time there. The beautiful single mother who worked tirelessly to support her son with autism.
The overcrowded orphanage with four newborn babies in a crib.
The orphanage director, an unexpected new friend, who greeted me with kisses last week.
The paralyzed lady who invited us into her home and wept as we prayed over her and provided funds for food for her and her family for Easter.
The Muslim lady who, in tears, begged our team to find a home for her 10-year-old granddaughter who lives with her, because the grandmother is dying and her granddaughter will end up on the street because there is no one to take her.
The precious older Ethiopian man who told our five teens over and over again, thank you for coming to Ethiopia and serving here when you are young. He said he wished more people would come and care for others the way he saw these young people doing.
The teen girls we met, who ripped our hearts apart. As our bus pulled into the orphanage compound where they lived, they came out in droves to hold a hand, to receive any love that could be given, to proudly show us their meager accommodations. Their requests? Underwear, a toothbrush, soap. One teen girl begged one of our team members to please be her mom. When my team member said she couldn’t be her mom, this sweet girl asked if she could at least call my friend “Mother” while we were there. And she did.
The small orphanage of eleven where the children hadn’t had meat in over a year because the grocery budget was so limited, yet they treated us like royalty, having a coffee ceremony for us and serving us popcorn and snacks. They even served us the rare treat of cookies we had brought for them.
I think in the having of much, we, as Americans, have lost our way. The more we have, the more we desire. Yet across the world right now in Ethiopia, I know children who are hungry. I know families who are desperate to keep their children, yet they have no income. They have actually considered giving their children up because they can’t feed them. Yes. Read that again. Have you ever considered that your children might be better off in an orphanage than with you because they would be fed?If this is speaking to your heart, and I pray that it does, there ARE opportunities for you to step into the lives of the people of Ethiopia. If you would like to sponsor a spot in the Ethiopia City Kids program, YOU can help keep a family intact! For just $20/month you can provide basic necessities like food for a family. Please click here for details on how to do that.
I have met many of these families and they are precious people who are working hard to make it in a very difficult environment.
OR how about this?
COME WITH ME…to Ethiopia. You won’t regret it. I would feel very safe to say that if you GO, it will be a greater blessing to you than you could ever imagine. Throw away the excuses. We have one life to live; one life to obey God’s call to go, to care for orphans, to care for the poor and the downtrodden. What exactly are you waiting for?
Written by
Melinda Salle’
“It’s time to quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death.” – Mark Batterson
“What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.” – James 2:14-17
“If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” – 1 John 3:17-18