Dinner, new clothes, and a movie night.
Looking back on this night in Ethiopia, I am so thankful for the coordination, the willingness, and the generosity that spanned three countries and two continents to make this happen.
We entered the country with much more baggage than we left with. Caleigh and Chelsea had acquired more than four suitcases-worth of clothing and shoes to be gifted to the children, staff, and volunteers of HOPEthiopia.
In preparation for the children’s special event night, the girls and I spend nearly an entire day organizing the clothing donations. Working off of a printed list, we picked out and arranged the clothes so that they matched each child’s gender, clothing size, and shoe size. The little folded packs lined the walls as we continued to sort, fold, and organize. In addition to all that we had brought from our community in Michigan, Melaku had brought multiple bags worth from his home in Canada.
That afternoon we had the pleasure to be able to also bless the women of HOPEthiopia with new clothes. These women do so much behind the scenes to support not only the children, but the staff and the missions teams, like us, who spend time living at the compound. They cook, they clean, and they tend to our every need. In the next days we observed as many of the women proudly sported new sweaters, jackets, and more.
The clothes were not the only gifts that would be given that night. The community in Canada, where Melaku lives, generously donated money to purchase a special dinner for everyone at the compound. Fresh meat, potatoes, vegetables, and traditional bread covered over fifty plates, and every single child was able to have their own glass bottle of pop. Coca Cola, Sprite, Fanta, not only were there plenty, but there was variety enough for children to choose.
All the tables were combined into one long banquet table, and each child had their name on a hand written placeholder written by Caleigh and Chelsea earlier in the day. As the children were brought in, they filled the room, and sat at their places along the banquet table. Their eyes lit up as we began to distribute pop, and then dinner plates.
Even with all the tables combined, there wasn’t room enough for everyone, so the adults ate once the children had finished. Everyone from around the compound had been brought in for this event; cooks, cleaners, security, teachers, nurse, etc.
When the children had been dismissed from the dinner table, they immediately congregated in the living room section of the building; just adjacent to the end of the table. There they waited impatiently and excitedly as we began to distribute the clothing packs. It was Christmas in July as every boy, girl, baby, and teenager received new clothes. Their smiles were electric; not only as they received their own gifts, but what caught my eye was their happiness, as they saw their brothers and sisters receive gifts as well. There was a genuine joy in their smiles, not only for themselves, but for each other. No one was left empty handed; on the contrary, some of the clothing items were left over and placed into storage.
Well fed, and well clothed, the night didn’t stop there. The children piled onto the couches, and sat on the floor as we set up a laptop and projector to show a movie. “Eight Below” was the movie that was decided upon. Taking a step back, I wondered just how foreign the concept was; a movie about huskies in antarctica. Have any of these children ever even seen snow?
I’ve always been a fan of movies; especially movie nights with friends. This night was even more enchanting of an experience; the children’s eyes were so intrigued by the movie as they sat together and ate popcorn. The energy of the room had slowed, and the vibe of the night was now calm and peaceful. Off to the side, Melaku talked with the adults in their native tongue, and one of the toddlers faded in and out of his sleepy consciousness on Chelsea’s lap. It had been an eventful night, and a great success in blessing the children and staff of HOPEthiopia.
