Difficult Drives
This week I started my language lessons again. The drive is not far, but it is emotional heavy as the Lord works in my heart. There is a traffic light where I make a U-turn in order to enter the neighborhood. The traffic light is one that is extra long, and I usually have to wait at least 2 lights before I get to go. Typically here in Addis at the stoplights, people will approach your car for you to buy things like masks, small toys, and other trinkets. Sadly most of the time it is children, particularly boys who are selling things. I keep a sack of cookies in my car to give to them so that they can eat something instead of giving money since the money would most likely go to whoever is over him.
Recently, as I approached an intersection, I rolled my window down just enough to pass a small pack of cookies to a boy who had come to my car. When I handed him the cookies he smiled the kind of smile that I could see his teeth. He looked about 10 years old, and I tried to ask him his name in Amharic. And I apparently need to practice my Amharic more because he didn’t understand me when I asked him his name. Or maybe people don’t usually ask his name; he didn’t know how to respond. He smiled and walked away. I noticed all of the sudden there was a crowd of boys who came out of nowhere all around him. He takes the pack of cookies and starts to share. He then points to my car, and here they all come. About 5 or 6 boys. I did not have enough cookies for them all. Oh, it was awful telling them I didn’t have any more cookies. As my car moves forward, tears come to my eyes, as I see these boys which are the ages of all of my boys. One is holding my window. I envision my boys - Samuel, Noah, Benjamin, and even Daniel. When was the last time they hugged their moms? Where are their moms? Their dads? My boys had lunches packed with a note inside and were at school. These boys were working on the street at a busy intersection walking between cars and selling things. My boys rarely even cross the streets here much less walk up and down them selling things.
The next day I was praying as I drove to the stoplight. I did not have any more cookies. And sometimes it makes it worse if I only have enough cookies for one boy, but not for all since I have seen them fight over things. Typically when I am at a stoplight, I am an easy target being a “forenge” (that’s what foreigners are called) and a woman. The boys come and say, “momma” and want me to buy their things. I rolled down my window to talk to them and I was clear that I would not buy anything. It is actually illegal to buy items from the car on the street. This time, I asked again their names and asked how they were doing. I attracted a crowd. As I made the U-turn and waved goodbye to the boys, I was overwhelmed with emotion as I prayed for them and began to sob cry. The kind of cry that makes it hard to catch your breath. Jesus’ words to take care of the least of these come to my mind. “Truly I say to you whatever you have done for the least of these you have done unto me” (Matthew 24:40,45). He tells the disciples to let the little children come to Him. Then as I turned to go into the street where my language class is, a couple of the boys had followed my car and were waving.
As I began to feel helpless and frustrated and wondered how I can help, how am I serving the least of these? I think of the amazing saints working at Make Your Mark which was started by friends of ours Trent and Carmen who take in these boys from the streets, give them a chance to return to their homes, or provide a safe place for them to live off the streets. Our friends Joe and Karyn who moved to Ethiopia to work with these boys and have been the hands and feet of Jesus to so many. Our friend Lea who serves with orphans and so many more at IEC who work with kids in need.
Jesus calls us to follow Him. Jesus loved others and had compassion for the sick and the poor. As we live here in Addis, with the estimates of 60,000-100,000 children that live and work on the streets, please join me to pray for and support my brothers and sisters who love the least of these with the love of Jesus.
Check a few of the ministries we know and love that serve helping children in Addis Ababa: