Mekalete

A bright spot in my time here thus far has been one eight year-old girl named Mekalete.  The first 'chance' encounter that Matt, Ryan, Alex and I had with her was on a rainy day at the Mercato.  The Mercato is a local outdoor market, swimming with people and not often ventured into by foreigners like us.  Early on in our excursion, I noticed a girl in tattered clothes with a shaved head watching us intently... and she had one of the brightest smiles I've ever seen.  She followed us around all day, and unlike most children who beg us for money (whether it be out of necessity or sport) she tried to go unseen, never asking for a cent.  Upon finally meeting her we discovered that she is one of Addis Ababa's many orphans.  Each of these children possesses something so special within them; but Mekalete just had something about her that we needed to explore further. 

After gaining her trust we decided to take her to lunch.  Over tears (and through translation) she confided in us her story of losing both parents.  Her story brought tears to my eyes, and the knot in my stomach became larger as I considered that 6 million other children in this country have similar stories.

Before I knew it we began meeting Mekalete at Hope Enterprise (a local soup kitchen) and other places around town; taking her to meals, and learning about her life.  Thankfully she does have family friends who have taken her in, a home of three children (in a house that's smaller than any room I've ever resided in).  We've prayed about which physical needs we can help meet, and how to build a strong relationship that will show her Christ while not creating dependency on us.  We're also thankful that Mekalete is building a close relationship with Alex, a young Ethiopian who's on fire for mentoring street children.  I pray mostly for her to grasp onto God above all.  I would appreciate your joining me in praying for this special young lady, and the relationship we continue to build with her.  Thank you!!