5 Senses of Ethiopia: Touch

There were many touches, and non- touches that I wanted to touch in Ethiopia. I wanted to touch more of the people and was frustrated because I couldn't because of lack of time and not having the ability to invest the effort. Here is one illustration of what I mean. We had the opportunity on our last day there to visit the children at the AHOPE orphanage. We had tried to go early, but it just didn't work out. I had Asher in the baby bjorn on my chest and it restricted me for the type of interaction I wanted with the kids. I was able to read a book to a little girl and hold the hands of a few children while we took our tour of the orphanage. The lack of touch with these children frustrated me, but also the limited touch that they were getting because they were not apart of a loving family was even harder for me to take. Don't get me wrong the care that they received there was great and the workers there loved the kids and cared so much about them. But God intended for us all to belong to a family and to HIS family and this was hard for me to hold onto. I lost my emotions some while I was there along with another mother that shares my heart for children. Our agency staff person had a hard time understanding why we were upset because these children were really doing well - well fed, great place to play and sleep, great medications for their HIV situation. But our hearts ached to see so many children without a mom and dad to hold them and care for them and share the love of God with them. It is the situation that these children are getting the necessities to live happy lives, but they also need parents to kiss their boo boos, read to them every night, rejoice in the victories and hold them when things get hard and teach them that God is there and loves them through it all. I think and pray for this children many nights. I realize that there are children like this through out the world and I've seen them in Russia and Mexico. I don't understand it all but I know that God loves and cares for these children and I'm praying about what else he would have me do for the orphans of this world. Without a doubt, I wish I would have taken more opportunities to touch the lives of the Ethiopians while I was there, but it is not too late for me to make an impact through sponsorship, prayer and hopefully in future, adoption. :)