Food for the Masses

Today, as all days, has been a busy one. We got up early, meeting for breakfast at 7, and were at Warancha by 8:30 ready to go. The children were already outside waiting for us. We started the day again with songs and then went into Bible stories with skits. We are all getting quite good at acting (we'll give any Hollywood star a run for their money)! We told the story of Jesus teaching the disciples that they would be giving up fishing for fish and begin fishing for men. We then brought some of the children up to act it out and they were really good at this. What I have found is that the teachers continually pick the same children again and again. We are advised against selecting the kids to perform  either in skits or games and yet are left feeling saddened that a very few are chosen again and again. We have mentioned this to our guide Alex, and are told that these are the kids whose communication skills are the best but still it is hard to see. All the kids (as is natural anywhere) want a chance to participate. We also taught the kids the Shema today. What a sweet moment that was as the little ones tried their hardest to get that little finger raised in honor of God's power and strength!

We did the cookie game today and I have to say the girls are really good. They had those cookies off their foreheads and into their mouths in no time at all. I was amazed. We also did a lifesaver game where the lifesaver was attached to a piece of nylon thread. They had to put the end of the thread in their mouth and try to pull the sting upwards until the lifesaver was in their mouth. I was selected as one of the demonstrators of this game and I can tell you "I ain't got no skills". I was almost there when the whole thing fell onto the ground. But I was not to be discouraged. I just picked it right up (I figure the five second rule applies anywhere and kept on trying. Finally with Helena's help (she put a stick under the lifesaver and lifted it into my mouth) I finally finished the task. I was laughing so hard (as was everyone else) that I never would have done it without her help. I wonder how many germs I picked up in that game, but at least I persevered!!! Nobody is going to call me a quitter!!! So then we brought the kids up and of course they had no problem with the game. Ok, maybe a little trouble but the results were well worth the effort. Who doesn't love the taste of a lifesaver!!!

We then sang more songs and told another Bible story which again the kids acted out. They, too, are becoming quite adept at this. We then moved all the kids to the shade. Now this sounds like an easy proposition but it really is quite complex. The kids are all sent back to their classrooms and then one by one sent to the new location. Once everyone was settled (the youngest kids were not included in this portion) new games began. We did a spoon race with eggs. I think this was the highlight of the day. It was the first time I saw the kids actively support one another with such a high level of enthusiasm. Of course, it was boys against girls and at the end of the day the score was tied 3-3. The children were jumping up and down and chanting, screaming for their respective teams. The final team was us (girls against guys) and I'm not gonna lie - their is a little competitiveness on this team! Jaimie started out hip checking Doug! But he managed to maintain his balance and NOT drop his egg! It was a moment of glory for them both!!! I'm not going to tell you which side won, because it really depends on who you ask!!! We then did sack races and the kids loved this as well. When we finished up the boys went out to play soccer and the girls went into the classrooms. The second and third graders got their nails painted and the first graders made bracelets. My class which had Helena in it did really well. The girls patiently waited to have their nails painted and there were no issues at all. Marie, on the other hand, had no help from her teacher, and the kids were not so patient. We've all decided that projects such as this where there are "things" involved do not work well with this group. The kids, having so little, are really "me" oriented and with one Frije and 40-60 kids the odds are not in our favor. 

Afterwards we served the kids lunch. This was part of our plan. We purchased food and drink for all the kids and then had the chance to serve it to them. For many, I am sure this was the best meal they had eaten in a long time. It really makes you realize how much we take for granted and how lucky we all are. We are blessed in ways we can't even begin to imagine. Unfortunately, unless you have been here and seen what they walk through, it is really hard to explain. It is really hard to comprehend even when you see it because it is SO different from anything we experience. The poverty, the survival mechanics, is so beyond our realm of reality it is hard to digest - even when you see it right before your eyes. The school has so many needs I could fill a notebook and not make a dent. They have no clean water for starters. This in itself leads to so many other problems. 

After our lunch, we went back to the Pastor's house (which is in the same neighborhood) and met with the gentlemen on the board for Warancha. They shared with us their needs and we were able to ask the questions we had. It was a really good meeting and they are a really good group of caring men. At the end they gave each of us a gift (most unexpected) - a hat and scarf typical of Ethiopia. They were beautiful and we were all greatly humbled.

Tomorrow will be our last day here and we have another busy morning planned. The time in Ethiopia has gone by very quickly but I think we have accomplished what we set out to do. We have bonded incredibly well as a team, and seen a lot of different opportunities while here. We have tried things that have not worked and revamped them to where they have worked very well. We have worked together to ensure that we give all we have to the kids and have each found our niche. Coming back we would do some things differently but that is what we set out to discover. What we would not do differently was love on the kids or the adults we have come in contact with. Nor would we stop calling Doug, Dougie!!!

I love you all and appreciate your prayers. They have worked wonders for us all.