Hey guys! I wanted to share a little bit more about the ministry that we are working with here in Ethiopia and what these past two months have looked like! We are moving on to our last month here in Ethiopia and into month six of the Race which is honestly really hard for me to believe. It’s going by so so fast.
Harbu Chulule is a city of about 10,000 people. It’s pretty much in the middle of a bunch of plains. There’s a few small cities that surround it, but it’s definitely the place that is the most “in the middle of nowhere” for me. Villages nearby are made up of gardens, fields and mud huts. This is more of a city that has housing with materials other than just mud. It’s all very simple.
HOPEthiopia is an organization with a heart for women and children who come from extremely hard and heartbreaking situations. On the property we live on, there are 5 children’s homes. Each has a house mom in charge of the 4-7 kids living with them. Being a house mom is actually a paid position. These women are able to earn salaries to support themselves which is really incredible because they not only are able to earn a stable income, but are provided with a safe home and place where they can freely express their love for Jesus. The house moms do laundry (all by hand), cook, clean & take care of the kids. A few of them are the biological moms to these kids, but most of them are the adoptive moms.
There are five homes in the children’s village here. My team has actually been super blessed by being able to live in one of the empty houses in the children’s village with the guys team. It’s been a lot of fun to live in the village with them. This is a little bit about our neighbors; people we get to love on and be loved by!
House 1. Tirunesh is the house mom. She has five kids of her own that live with her. She is a Christian and her husband used to be as well. Her husband left her and their five kids to be married to another woman. In that time he became Muslim. She moved to Harbu Chulule with her five kids to try and find work and ended up doing manual labor at HOPEthiopia when it was first being built before she became a house mom. Three of her five kids are our age or a few years younger. We don’t see them that often since they have school but their names are Meskerem, Derege and Tashale. Sintu and Malesa are around more often and are both such sweet souls. Two other kids live in their house and their names are Gaze and Meluneh
House 2. House mom is Abaru. She lived in the next city over and was married when she was 16. She had two kids and then her husband died. She didn’t have a way to provide for herself and her kids so her family took over care of the kids and she moved to Harbu Chulule to find a job. She had two more kids. She ended up working at HOPE to help build it and ended up becoming a house mom. Her kids that live here are named Sintu and Abiti. They have lots and lots of energy and are sometimes kind of mischievous but are really amazing kids. Bikiltu is such a sweetheart and loves to braid your hair. Sometimes she has a wild side too. Simacho and Balcha are more quiet. Sisay loves to talk and can be really sassy but he is a really good translator. His older brother is Gaze who lives in house 1 and he has a younger sister named Jitu who lives in house 4. Their parents are separated but both live in Harbu Chulule. They have older siblings. Their mom is Christian but their dad is Muslim. I got to pray with him over his dad which was such a cool moment.
House 3. Messi is the house mom. She has 6 kids living with her that are all so smart. They’re names are Meskerem, Dawit, Burka, Abdi, Tariku and Ermias. I got to teach Ermias and Tariku and the city’s kindergarten for a few weeks with some of my teammates. It’s really amazing to see how much English they know. Knowing English here gives people such an advantage and it’s cool to be able to communicate so well with the HOPE kids, even the young ones.
House 4. House mom is Abaresh. She has five kids living with her. Their names are Zaritu, Jitu, Keeso, Senna and Tiruneh. Zaritu is in 1st grade and is super smart. She wants to be a doctor when she gets older. Jitu, Keeso, Senna and Tiruneh are all in kindergarten and have so much energy but are so fun to be around. Their favorite thing to do with us is color. They want to be doctors or teachers. Tiruneh also wants to be Jesus when he grows up. I wish all of you could know each of these kids and see their personalities.
House 5. Root is the house mom. She is only 20 years old and is from the next city over. Her dad was a pastor and passed away 7 years ago. She has helped her mom a lot in raising up her younger siblings. She is so mature and is just overflowing love. She lives right next door to us and we love to go and visit her. She loves making coffee for us and having coffee ceremonies and is incredible at braiding hair. She has four kids that live with her that are relatively new to HOPE. Meskerem helps root a lot. She can be crazy at times but had a big heart and loves hugs. Arasa is her brother and is one of the sweetest kids I’ve ever met. Badasa and Derege and brothers and are super sassy but in the best way. They know they’re cute and they try and use that to their advantage all the time, but they are so fun to be with.
I wish all of you could know each of these kids individually and see their personalities. They are all such beautiful, funny, smart, crazy children of God. They have come from some of the most broken places possible in the world and yet carry so much joy and love. They are such a good example of perseverance. They have big dreams for the future and I know the Lord has big plans for them too. I would love for any and all of you to be in prayer for these ones. It’s hard to accurately describe each and every one because they are all so special and different, but comment a name below that you will be in prayer for. Let’s cover these kids in prayers that they would always know the Lord and never stray from Him (especially since being or becoming Muslim is very common in this place) & that they would trust that He has big plans for them too.
I’ll try and post more about these kids later on (hopefully with photos!) when I get better wifi, but for now this is more about who we have been spending so much time with here. 🙂
-Elena
I am going to put Root on my heart. She needs guidance and she needs our Lord to wrap his arms around her because she is only 20! We just returned from teaching English in Thailand so we have quite a list to pray for so it is easy to add Root. Bless you Elena and just keep treasuring every moment. “you won’t pass this way again….”
Elena! So good to hear from you and see some new posts! Thank you for sharing more about your community. I would like to pray individually for Root and the children living with her. Of course I’ll keep all of you, all the children and house moms in my prayers. Much love for you, Mom
Hi Elena, it is wonderful to hear from you. We will be praying for Tirunesh and the children in her house; for peace surrounding her circumstances and that she and her children hold on tightly to the Lord. Thank you for all you are doing and for sharing these incredible stories. Much Love, the Siegerts
Hi Elena,
I read with great enthusiasm the things that you feel & experience.
I stop & wonder if It occurs to me. I wouldn’t want to miss the chance of that wonderful experience.
Thank you for sharing . I pray that you are well & the blessings that you
share with others.
I admire you,
Elena,
It’s so great to hear from you and about your journey. You have so many people here supporting you and cheering you on! Steve and I will add your village on to our daily prayers. What a great concept to have a “house mom” for orphan children to create a family atmosphere while these moms can earn a living. We cannot comprehend the pull from Christianity to Muslim. I pray for the dads to take their role seriously and be their children’s “first church” in the homes. We love you!
Elena,
Thank you for your blogs. So interesting. I’m going to pray for Messi and her houseful of children. Thanks for this opportunity.
Thank you for letting us know about (some of) the incredible ladies and kids you live with. It gives us a glimpse into your world and an amazing opportunity to pray, by name, for them. May the Father grow the seeds you are planting deep in their souls and hold them close to His heart as they grow surrounded by His people. It sounds like God is doing great things through HopEthiopia and I am excited to hear more as you, and your squad, walk out His love, His light, His hope, and His goodness before the beautiful people of Harbu Chulule. See you soon!
Hi Elena, Thank you for the updates and I have love hearing about all of your adventures and how you are learning and growing with the Lord. I will pray for Tirunesh and the kids that live with her. Praying for you as well!!