The Village That Broke My Heart

This young girl was selling fruit in a basket. Kibrom and I bought some and then some boys came near so we bought them some as well...then more people came and we gave them some fruit as well. Before we knew it, we had what seemed like the whole town gathered together! The people were so curious about the white visitor as this is so far off the beaten path that foreigners are not a common sight here. The people seemed so much friendlier than the common person from a big city like Mekele or the capital of Addis Ababa. Not only were they willing, but they were oftentimes excited about getting their photo taken.

Many of the clothes that you see on the poorest people across Ethiopia have been donated by different Christian charities from around the world. It's amazing to see such an assortment of worn-out t-shirts with all kinds of languages: English, French, German, Italian... any language. You name it and it's probably on a t-shirt somewhere in Ethiopia!

The people in this town were so sweet that it really did break my heart. I really wish I could have done more for them. If it is God's will, I really hope to come back and do something here.

There is a real look of pride in this young man's eyes. I asked him to smile but he said, "No. You take picture." Gladly!

What a sweetie!

Another family which Fikere and his orphanage help out.

One of the workers from Brother Fikere's orphanage and a boy that they are financially supporting. With their help, he is now being educated rather than living on the street.

This was such a joyful woman. She was so grateful that we were giving out free food and kept smiling and smiling. There is something unusual about the poorest of the poor in Ethiopia. Why is it that some of the people with the least things on earth seem more content than those of us blessed with everything and more than the heart could ask for with our i-pods, tvs, playstations, CDs, DVDs, imported foods and such?! Why do many poor lost people seem to display more "fruits of the spirit" than the prosperous people in many pews across the world?

A smile to warm the coldest of hearts! There was something so captivating about this boy. I don't know if it was his cap because it has the Ethiopian colors on it, his cute smile or the fact that he looked like a little-old-man. Many of the kids in the village are under-nourished and seem much older than they are.

Brother Fikere's orphanage and youth center

This young man in the center was left alone when his parents died to AIDS but the lady on the left and her family act as his guardians through the financial support of Fikere's organization. It is reported that 17% of the population have AIDS but they believe that the number is much higher. Most HIV infected people do not report their condition because of the "stigma" of AIDS.

The girl on the left, Lemlem, is being supported by Fikere's charity and therefore she is able to go to school. She had dropped out of school and was working in a nearby brothel (because many truckers come through their village, prostitution is a lucrative business) to feed her family. Lemlem was only 13 when this picture was taken.


This girl was able to learn hairdressing skills and is now able to make her own money thanks to Fikere and company.

These kids, most being AIDS orphans, long to learn English and make something of their lives. The only problem is that resources are limited. Please pray that more people will come to their aid and possibly volunteer to help out here.


The dire conditions of many children in this village broke my heart. The region of this village, I was told, is the same region hit back in the 80s when the "We are the World" benefit tried to help out with the drought at that time. Little has changed.

An old friend of Gabe and Connie's who was visiting from N.Y.

I bumped into an old student from Axum while in Mekelle. The beautiful thing about going numerous times to a place on mission is meeting up with old friends and students from previous trips and being blessed a thousand times over!

Laura Lee's hair from the back. She had her hair done "Ethiopian style" just before a short trip back home. She was kind enough to drive us to a village a few of us were scheduled to visit in order to see the need there. It happened to be on her way to Addis Ababa!

Sister Worknesh!

Worknesh always insists on a visit to her home for lunch and coffee when I'm in Mekele. We first met years ago when she was also a volunteer worker at the Mekele Youth Center. She decided to join one of my classes to learn English and she has become a good friend over the years.


May the Lord continue to bless Worknesh and her son. I trust and pray that God will continue to provide for her every need; both physical and spiritual.

One of Worknesh's friendly neighbors who helped with the coffee making. Coffee making is an integral part of Ethiopian's culture and hospitality.