So, our third day in Ethiopia was Saturday, November 3. We awoke and had another delicious breakfast at Morning Coffee Guest House before heading to the main office of the Yezelalem Minch ministry. The story of Yezelalem Minch is quite inspiring. One of the founders, Birtukan, runs the Morning Coffee Guest House. When she was a child, she was sponsored by World Vision. When she grew up, she went to work for World Vision and would go about her usual life when she wasn't working. One day, she was reading a letter from a sponsor to a sponsored child. Birtukan had always figured that all sponsors were rich Americans or Europeans who had plenty of extra money to give toward sponsorship. This letter changed her point of view and the path of her life. This letter was from a disabled man on a fixed income who explained that he felt led to sponsor a child despite his limited resources. Birtukan was struck by this and thought (paraphrase by me), "This man is disabled and he is helping these children. Look at me, I am able-bodied. What I am doing?"
That letter spawned in Birtukan a strong desire to help orphans. What began with someone sponsoring a child through World Vision has led to that sponsored child taking some orphans into her home and then beginning a ministry that now reaches over 1200 needy orphans and widows. Among other types of ministry, YM has a feeding program that feeds hundreds of orphans and widows each Saturday. For many of these kids, this may be the most nutritious meal of the week. We were blessed to be able to participate in the feeding program on this particular Saturday (though I think we slowed the process down, the usual workers were very gracious to let us participate).
While we were there, Nesibu (Birtukan's husband) gave us a tour of the building where they have begun a pilot program offering a preschool for the children of single mothers. This free preschool feeds the children two meals a day and allows the mothers to work to support their kids. If you need a worthy place to give financial support, consider Yezelalem Minch. You can give to them through Bethany Christian Services or Helps International Ministries.
After the feeding program, we returned to the MCGH to have lunch, another delicious meal of tacos on homemade tortillas. In the afternoon, Birtukan had arranged for us to participate in a coffee ceremony with her and the other families staying at the guest house. If you love coffee, don't miss my next post.
That letter spawned in Birtukan a strong desire to help orphans. What began with someone sponsoring a child through World Vision has led to that sponsored child taking some orphans into her home and then beginning a ministry that now reaches over 1200 needy orphans and widows. Among other types of ministry, YM has a feeding program that feeds hundreds of orphans and widows each Saturday. For many of these kids, this may be the most nutritious meal of the week. We were blessed to be able to participate in the feeding program on this particular Saturday (though I think we slowed the process down, the usual workers were very gracious to let us participate).
While we were there, Nesibu (Birtukan's husband) gave us a tour of the building where they have begun a pilot program offering a preschool for the children of single mothers. This free preschool feeds the children two meals a day and allows the mothers to work to support their kids. If you need a worthy place to give financial support, consider Yezelalem Minch. You can give to them through Bethany Christian Services or Helps International Ministries.
After the feeding program, we returned to the MCGH to have lunch, another delicious meal of tacos on homemade tortillas. In the afternoon, Birtukan had arranged for us to participate in a coffee ceremony with her and the other families staying at the guest house. If you love coffee, don't miss my next post.
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