Today as I set out on a journey to continue to help my friend the direction I was headed in was once agin blocked but not stopped just redirecetd. This would make my fourth trip to try to get this paper that my friend in the states needs to help finalize her adoption process. Of course things never go as plan in the land of Ethiopia and you have to be willing to just laugh as you are turned away yet once again. This time because the lady that would be the one to help me left to go home since she got off at 4:00. BUT wait it was only 3:25 why had she left already HAHA!!!
Days can get exhausting when you fret around the city trying to accomplish just one small but lietrally life changing goal. About 3 weeks ago I began this journey. As I was about to turn up this street to reach my destination I heard a shout. It was my friend Natti. He is currently living on the streets. I was so excited to see him because i had not yet seen him since we came back from our visit in the states.
My friend was extremly filthy and had a stinch to him that when you are created to LOVE those on the streets you somehow enjoy the scent while others would be gagging while holding vomit in their mouths. His colar bone was pretreading and my heart sank for him. I had been praying for this kid for over about 9 months or so. I had met hin through a friend of mine that was trying to help him when they were living here. At that time he seemed just like any other street kid in Addis trying to get a free ride while continuing to live a destructive life.
This time when i saw him God had softened my heart and gave me specifice directions. I was thankful for this because I had been seeking wisdom in what HE would have me do. It was getting cold outside and Natti's stretched out shirt showed half of his arm and shoulder. "Go get the boy a jacket I heard" "Eshi" I replied. I went and bought him a jacket even though I knew my husbands respones would be "Carmen he is just going to sell it on the streets."
I talked with Natti and explained to him that there was something that kept bringing him back to the streets. He has had many many opportunitites to change but always ended back in the same place where he had always been. I continued to tell him that he could never bring about this life chnage that he wanted so badly for I too knew for I had only been there years ago. In a place so dark and so deep that you would scream to the top of your lungs and no one would hear you. Feeling alone you just knew you were forgotten. I asked my friend to pray and seek GOD's face. Obviously I could have grabbed this boy up and brought him off the streets that night yet that wouldn't do him any good nor was that the direction my father was leading me.
I continued to visit Natti over the next couple of weeks leading up to this very day. One of our partnered ministries had one of their son's run away Sunday after church. I had known this and been praying for him since the day before. When I found Natti he told me he had seen him. I immediately asked him to go
get him so we could take him home. After talking and speaking truth into his heart the boy agreed to allow us to take him back home where his family
welcomed him with open arms and grateful hearts that GOD had answered their prayers by bringing him back home safely.
As I spent time with my fried Natti today he was different something had changed in him. I saw in him myself a 16 year old girl who had made many bad choices and hurt so many people because of my choices. I heard those same words that I had remembered as a runaway on the streets myself. "because of what you have done so many times over and over agian it is hard to trust you and believe that you wnat to change."
We are now in the process of praying and asking GOD to radically change my friends heart so that he can let go of his life and allow THE ONE who created HIM begin to use him for greatness. I envisoioned my friend back on the streets one day being a light to those street boys and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. God says I know the plans I have for you and I believe this verse for my friend Natti.
I believe that one day he will be back on the streets loving and speaking truth to the very kid that I took the bottle of glue from (and this isn't no elmers glue we are talking about). The one who believes that he has to huff this in ordert to stay warm, the one that the belives that he has to huff this to not be hungry, the one who believes he has no purpose in this so called life.
This little boy that I took the glue from captured my heart. He has been on the streets for 6 years...yep since he was 7 years old. GOD I AM WILLING were my thoughts immedaitely. My husbands words this evening were "Carmen I can;t handle one more kid on this compound" I laughed and said no I mean we could legally adopt him he is only 13. As I sit patienlty awaiting my FATHERS plan I BELIEVE in all HE puts in front of me even if it is CRAZY and EXHAUSTING.
Please pray for my friend Natti over the next few days. We have asked him to put together a plan, a vision a purpose for his life as he is still on the streets at this very moment. Looking forwrad to what DADDY shows him and us through this process. Natti I believ in ALL that you can be with HIM!!
Also pray for a friend that we will help reunite with his family after he has been on the streets for 5 years. Pray that we are able to find them and that he will have no more dirty feet.
Last pray for my sweet friend who needs this one last document so that she can come and get her daughter and bring her home to be with her forever family. Tomorrow will be attempt 5 BUT..............GOD has done some pretty AMAZING things on each journey to attempt to get. Daddy is using Kalkidan already for greatness!!