A few months ago, we had a friend visit the Compassion International Ethiopia offices. Since we sponsor a boy, Abdulkerim, in Ethiopia, we asked our friend to drop off a bag with some small gifts for him. The Compassion country staff would make sure our child got the items on their next visit out to his project.
Right before we moved to our new house, we got a new photo of Abdulkerim. He has grown so much in the three years we’ve sponsored him.
And Friday, we got another letter from him. But this one was a little different.
He wrote thanking us for the gifts – some toys, some utensils and fabric for his parents and some candy…oh, and a sock monkey. I used to sleep with one at my grandma’s house when we’d visit her, and while we were out shopping for him, we saw one. Every kid needs to experience a sock monkey.
So off the sock monkey went to Ethiopia.
We continued reading his letter…they were also able to buy some clothes, shoes, 30 kilos of wheat, soap, and educational materials with an extra financial donation we send for his birthday.
And then he said,
“As you can see in the picture, we live in a hut.”
Picture? What picture?
We flipped the letter over and stapled on the back was this.
Abdulkerim in front of his house holding the sock monkey.
The sock monkey who was purchased for a few bucks at a Target in Nashville and traveled 8000 miles to a little boy in Ethiopia.
Overwhelmed can hardly describe the emotion that washed over me. The little boy we shared letters with and even shared pictures with suddenly became even more real to me. This hut is where he sleeps. With his six family members.
Seven people sleep in his home.
And now if you count the sock monkey…eight.
It was hard to keep reading after seeing the photo, but there was more. He told us how he learned about Daniel and his three friends. Oh, and Elijah. And he told us how he celebrated Easter at church.
How can we pray for him? He asked us to pray that his family believes in Jesus. Which probably means that he already does. Which probably means he has found the hope and faith in which humanity searches and he knows how badly his family needs that same hope and faith.
Sometimes, we think we’re so “blessed” to be able to sponsor three kids and I think subconsciously believe what a difference we are making in their lives…which is very true to some extent. But I doubt that Abdulkerim has a clue just how much he has impacted Chris and me.
How when our faith is lacking or our pride is too big or we think our needs aren’t being met…all we have to do is think of this eight year old boy and how incredibly beautiful he is and it’s like Jesus himself reaches over the Atlantic ocean and saves us all over again.
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If you are interested in sponsoring a child, click here.
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Thanks for putting our “momentary trials” into a proper perspective.
Linda Stoll?s last blog post..A Very Sweet Deal
It rights your perspective doesn’t it? Sort of turns our everyday world upside down?! This reminds me somewhat of the homes we worked on in Guatemala – several generations, no beds, dirt floor, cornhusk walls……..
And in the midst of it all God shows up!
Jan Owen?s last blog post..You Leave Me Breathless
good stuff, Anne! first thing i read on-line this morning…
And now we can understand a little better all the times when Jesus said, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like…”. It absoultely boils down to perspective. Thanks for sharing a perfect kingdom perspective with us this morning!
Cindy?s last blog post..The Hole In Our Gospel, by Richard Stearns
I saw your post and I smiled! My wife and I are adopting a five year old girl from Ethiopia and hope to go very soon. Anyways – we sent her a sock monkey! We didn’t know if it would be scary or cuddly. :) We just received pictures of her in her orphanage with a very dirty and loved sock monkey. It is a revolution!
Thanks for sharing your story!
“…it?s like Jesus himself reaches over the Atlantic ocean and saves us all over again”
Thats how I feel.
Stephen Stonestreet?s last blog post..International Cry for the Child
lovely post.
thanks!
wow.
Amber@theRunaMuck?s last blog post..my Author, my Reader
Thanks for sharing this with us. Abdulkerim has now blessed not only you and Chris, but so many more of us as well. The body of Christ is so cool like that.
Sock monkeys for Jesus!
Michael Raburn?s last blog post..Prayer: For Ordering A Life Wisely
Totally know what you mean. We have a seven year-old in India who always asks us to pray for his parents. They’re amazing and a blessing like I never would have imagined!
Lex?s last blog post..Holy Spirit Revolution
I love being your friend. I love it, love it. LOVE IT!!! Thank you!
kristiapplesauce?s last blog post..26 days
We often explore the desert backcountry around here. A couple years ago, close to 100 miles out from town, my youngest daughter “led” us to a spot that moved her spirit so strongly that we gave it our own name: “Tears of Joy.” I think Friday was your “Tears of Joy” day.
YES! YES! YES!
This is why we need Africa, we need the people God has entrusted us with to give to.
Amen & Amen!
What a tremendous blessing!
patriciazell?s last blog post..Creation Rocked!
OMG!! I love this!! Ethiopia kills me, I love it and it breaks my heart all at once. I have it in my home now and forever since we adopted Abel so it’s a huge part of our families life. So SO So glad you sponsor there!!
Carole Turner?s last blog post..That Funk Cloud
Oh, my heart! He is so sweet. I just said a prayer for him.
Mommy Cracked?s last blog post..Enfantvision
Wow, this just blessed my socks off! Incredible! We just got back from our whole family serving for three weeks in Swaziland (southern tip of Africa) with a medical mission to orphans, widows, etc. We have been blogging – Ingram5pluslucky.blogspot.com about how God blessed us over and over through the Swazi people. Many there live lives of simplicity, but in many ways are better for it, because they don’t have all the “American stuff” weighing them down. Many of them waited for hours and hours for bibles, medical care, clothing, eyeglasses, Operation Children boxxes, etc. and they had such hearts of gratitude for what God gave them. We ablsolutely fell in love with so many orphans and like Abdulkerin (sp?) from Ethiopia they blessed us more than we blessed them by far. We got to meet one of our sponsor children and all I could think when my son hung out and talked with him, was that I could see Jesus in Lwazi’s (our sponsor child) face and smile. Jesus certainly lives in the least of these and he wants to bless us, if we just get our eyes off of ourselves, ministries, and what we think we have to offer. BLessings and prayers tonight sent to Adbulkerin!!!
Wendy Ingram?s last blog post..The Last Two Clinics
That put tears in my eyes. How moving. God bless you.
Michelle?s last blog post..Introducing our Compassion Sponsor Child
That is seriously awesome. We can see pictures of these situations but it’s not until there is a connection (sock monkey) that it becomes personal. Touching… ;)
Graham?s last blog post..Focus