Travel day #6 July 4, 2013
Kore is not far from the Life Center, about 10 minutes or so. It is the
trash dump community. As in where all the trash in the city goes, and people
live there, digging through the trash, living in mud huts or six to a 6x6
space.
We first went to the church where the Pastor Tesfaye preaches. The church
building was one room, made of metal sheets and tarp. Just proof that the
building does not have cost millions of dollars with all the bells and whistles
to serve and worship. Tesfaye grew up in Kore, digging through the dump to
survive. By the time he was 21 both of his parents died and he needed the dump
to make it. He was hit in the face with a garbage truck door and injured badly
on his face. The wound got infected and the infection created a bad odor and
started to spread throughout his body. One day he was digging through the trash
and a 17 year old boy from America found him and wanted to help. He shared
Tesfaye’s story with his friends and family, when a neighbor decided to pay for
his medical treatment. Tesfaye would not have lived if it would not have been
for this kind stranger. The neighbor also sponsored Tesfaye to go to college
and he went and got degrees in engineering and physics. Now, he runs the church
in Kore and saves people’s lives by introducing them to Jesus Christ.
We were split into to group and were to go on house visits to get
families sponsored. We had to take turns going in the houses because they were
so small. They were all one room with one bed that the family would share, or
the rest would sleep on the dirt floor. In the first house we went into the one
daughter actually slept sitting up in a chair. They said it cost 300 burr to
live there. I was shocked and amazed that people actually have to pay to live
in these houses. 300 burr is like $12, so it’s not a lot by our standards, but
these people do not have money for food, clothes, or anything else so $12 is a
lot. The people we visited were thrilled just to have us there and have us
praying for them. One old woman said, “No one ever comes and no one ever helps,
you were truly sent by God.” These families can be sponsored for $50 a month,
that’s it. Mind-blowing.
As we walked from house to house little kids with hold your hands and
then would not let you go. They were very protective if anyone else wanted to
hold your hand too. They need sponsors and that hope if they hold your hand, if
you see their heart, you will sponsor them. My one little buddy kept telling me
he was hungry. It broke my heart. I had snacks in my bag, but I couldn’t give
them to him, because I would have literally been mobbed by kids. Not the fun kind
of mobbing, but the scary desperate kind. We were instructed to not give
anything to the kids. The kids that need it the most are the hardest to give it
to. That weighs so heavy on my heart. You can’t just shake an experience like
that. The little boys loved watching videos of Holden on my phone. He’s so
silly and they laughed and laughed at him. I felt guilty even showing them.
Holden, sweeter than pie, in his clean bedroom with his clean bed, in his clean
clothes, all his own, playing with toys…not a care in the world. These kids
probably cannot even wrap their brain around any of that.
My two little friends that would not let go of my hands
They act like 10 year old bad boys...but they are sweethearts!
Street in Kore
Kore House
These families though, they trust God with their whole hearts, they love
him completely, they rely on him fully. It’s such a lesson in faith, I can’t
even put it into words.
We left Kore and went to Metro Pizza for lunch. This felt wrong after
what we had just seen. We ate pizza and had good reflection over what we had
seen and how we felt. It’s just so emotionally heavy to see these things and
process them on an American background, which is impossible, but that’s all we
know.
Next we went to Kore Beth Coffee. Kore Beth Coffee is in Kore and was
created in memory of Beth Venable who passed away last August. Beth had a heart
for orphans, so some of the money that was raised on her behalf went to start a
coffee business. Kore Beth Coffee brings mothers that have to provide for their
families out of Kore and gives them sustainable living. We were given the
opportunity to buy coffee (which I did).
We left Kore Beth and went to the market to buy Ethiopian souvenirs. It
was fun going from shop to shop to haggle and buy from shop owners.
We went back to the Life Center and just relaxed before dinner. After
dinner we were visiting with each other and Deborah told us she needed our
attention. Michael (Lacey’s boyfriend since 4th grade), was going to
propose to Lacey tonight. Lacey had gone with Kelly to the airport to pick up
lost bags and it was up to us to plan something really fun and romantic in the
next 30 minutes. As it turned out, Lacey returned from the airport to a
completely dark house. There was a trail of rose petals, lined with candles
down the stairs and out to the back patio, where 4 guys were lined up with
sparklers, leading the way to Michael who was standing in a heart of rose
petals with candles all around. We were all huddled around the upstairs windows
and when she said yes we lit roman candles out of the windows. It was so fun
and exciting!!
After the engagement we celebrated with a dance party in the lobby of the
life center. There were lots of laughs and dancing. This is such a great team,
and I am so thankful God has brought these people into my life!
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