Bound for Ethiopia - Home Visits in Korah, Meeting Temeche and Hope for the Hopeless

We had some time to sleep late this morning while waiting for the seven who were delayed a day.  Our drivers went to the airport to pick them up.  Once they arrived at the guest house and got settled, we headed out for the day.

 

Our first stop was in Korah to see the ministry of Pastor Tesfaye.  He and his staff oversee sponsorships of many children and families. 

 

Korah began about 80 years ago as a leper colony.  There are over 100,000 people living there now but less than 5,000 are lepers.  These are the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the original settlers.  Instead of leprosy, HIV and alcoholism are the major issues.  Many children living there are orphans.  The trash dump of Addis Ababa is near Korah.  Many of the residents go to the dump each day to find things to sell on the street and food to eat.  Many residents of Korah never go outside their community.

 

Tesfaye grew up in Korah.  When he was young, his lip got cut with a piece of metal.  For seven years it was infected but his family did not have money to take him to a doctor.  When a Young Life group was in Korah, a 17-year old noticed Tesfaye's lip.  The young man contacted his neighbor in America and asked him to sponsor Tesfaye.  The neighbor said "yes" so Tesfaye finally received medical attention and his lip healed over a long period of time.  Tesfaye also heard the Gospel and after some time, committed his life to the Lord.  Because of the investment in his life by his sponsor and the young man with Young Life, his life was forever changed.

 

 Sponsorships for those in Korah help make sure that the rent, food and medical needs are taken care of through a family sponsorship. Tesfaye's goal is to work with the family and have them self-sustained with a new business or trade within five years of their sponsorship. 

Two years ago Tesfaye was able to travel to America to meet his sponsor in person for the first time...over ten years after they first "met" via sponsorship.

 

Once we heard his testimony, we went out on some home visits.

 

 

This mother's foot was burned in a fire when she was young.  She is unable to work and has a young daughter.  We visited her home to meet her and help her find a sponsor.

 

 

Beza went to work finding clothes in our backpacks that would fit the young girl. She changed the little girl's clothes and washed her feet before putting socks and shoes on her.

 

Pastor Tesfaye prayed for the mother before we left.  The little girl was very proud of her new clothes.

 

This mother has three children.  We only met the younger two because her 13 year old son had left her home to live in the city dump.  He did not want to be a burden to her anymore.  If her family has a sponsor, he could return home and go to school.

This is the inside of their home.  It is one room with two beds.  It is no bigger than how it looks in the photo.

We prayed for this mother and her children.  She was very appreciative to us for visiting her home and giving her children new clothes.

 

If you feel led to sponsor one of these families or another family in similar circumstances, visit Ordinary Hero's website to find out more information about Korah sponsorships.  $50 USD a month can change the life of one family.

Our family has sponsored a student for the past two years.  We have prayed for him.  We have written him letters.  We have prayed for him.  We have sent him packages.  We have prayed for him some more.  As we were leaving Korah after home visits, we went to the shelter where he lives during the summer.  To my surprise he was able to join us for the rest of that day and every other day while we were there.  Needless to say, the highlight of the trip was serving alongside Temeche.
 

 

  Kelly took this photo just after Temeche got in the van.



 



 

We visited an orphanage for street children after lunch.  It was drizzling rain but that didn't stop some of our team from kicking a soccer ball with the kids while the rest of us received a tour of their facilities.  Hope for the Hopeless (H4H) has three locations.  This one is for the "newest" children who have been there for less than a year.  A few of them shared their testimonies about how they came to be alone on the streets of Addis.  They have experienced more in 8-12 short years than most of us have experienced in a lifetime.  H4H invests in these children through God's Word and counseling as well as meeting their physical needs.

(Hope for the Hopeless  is a child development program begun by Pastor Surafel Gebretsadik in 1993 to support the growth and development of street children and orphans in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The program has grown into a non-profit organization managed both in the United States and by local staff in Ethiopia.)

If you would like information on supporting H4H, contact Ordinary Hero for more information.

 

Our day ended with time together as a team at the Life Center.  It was a long but exciting day!