One of the best things of the work I’ve done on the Bible
Training Center over the past 2 years is meeting other people that have
ministries and a love for the people of Ethiopia. When I began lining up a trip to visit the
school in Mekelle, I knew I had to stop for a couple of days and connect with
some of my new contacts in Addis.
Our first few days have been spent with Trent and Carmen
Post with their street children ministry in Addis. They are some of the most radical,
counter-cultural, Jesus loving people you’ll ever meet. They moved to Ethiopia full-time 4 years ago
after several mission trips beginning in 2006.
Trent and Carmen have an incredible family – if you count their
biological, adopted and other kids that they provide for - 11 children all them
“mom and dad.” They seem totally fine
with that.
I became acquainted with Trent and Carmen through Facebook
and began following their stories with amazement. I knew that the next time I visited Ethiopia
I had to meet them face to face and spend some time with them in their
ministry. It’s been an incredible
experience.
Their ministry is centered on three core principles – “love,
serve, build.” They also carry the motto
“I defend.” They defend the Gospel,
justice, poor and the orphans. They care
for those in the margins and show them the love of Jesus.
The program begins with them finding kids living on the
streets and forming relationships with them.
They build trust and eventually invite them to visit their day
program. At the center they don’t have
to worry about predators and survival – they can just be kids. They play checkers, soccer and do arts and
crafts. They eat good meals and learn
what it’s like to have someone care about them and love them. The children do this for 6 months. The goal at the end of the 6 months is to get
them back with their families. If that’s
not possible, they utilize a “PLF” (Placing Lonely in Families) home which is a
transitional home until they can be placed in a safe home.
In just a few days we’ve been able to see kids at various
stages in their program first hand and I’m in awe of what God is doing through
their work.
This morning we were on the streets of Addis in one of the
seedier parts of town long before the sun came up. The music from the clubs was thumping, prostitutes
were out in full force, and people lined the streets sleeping under anything
that would provide basic shelter. We
spoke with a young girl sleeping on a cardboard box with her 1 and 3 year old
on the corner of a busy intersection.
A group of boys between 9 and 15 were hanging out getting
high from huffing glue (the newest, cheapest drug in Addis). Carmen and two of her girls were out with us knew
the group well. They were kids that they
had tried to introduce to their program in the past but couldn’t stop getting
high. They told us this morning that
they were addicted. They walked around
dazed, ruining their young minds with every huff in an effort to escape their
reality. Carmen let them know that she
still cared for them, that she wanted to see them back at the day center, and
bought them breakfast.
We met another group of 8 young boys piled on top of one
another along with 3 dogs sleeping in a median on a very busy intersection with
cars and buses whipping by all night long.
It’s an image burned in my mind forever.
They were covered in dust in tattered clothing. They were gathered together for warmth. You couldn’t tell where one boy started and another
one stopped. Dogs were wedged in between
them. The dogs were part of the
group. They meant no harm to the
boys. They were as dependent on the boys
as the boys were to the dogs. They had a
lot in common. They are the downcast and
nuisances of society.
I wondered why they would pick such a busy place to sleep
but Carmen let me know that it was safer for the boys to be in a highly
visible, busy place to escape the predators that take advantage of these
vulnerable, desperate young boys.
We took them to a restaurant down the street and they each
made short work of a plate of tibs and injera.
They laughed and joked with one another while they coughed up all of the
dust they took in the night before. We
learned their stories. They were all
orphans or not wanted at home. They all
lack hope.
Last night the Posts took us to a transitional home for 4
boys that have graduated from the 6 month day program and are now living with a
house mother while Trent and Carmen work to reunite these kids with their
families.
We were honored to be a part of a surprise 14th
birthday party for one of the boys who was on the streets just one year
ago. The boy’s name was Asu and I
promise that this was the first time he had ever celebrated his birthday. As we sang “Happy Birthday” to him in English
and Amharic he stood in front of us with a smile beaming from one ear to
another. He wanted to speak to all of us
that were there for this occasion. He
told us that he was so happy to be a part of the Make Your Mark program and how
Jesus had transformed his life. He was
full of confidence and hope. He knows he
is loved by the Posts and all of the staff.
More importantly, he knows God loves him.
Trent, Carmen, all of their children and the staff of 14 at
Make Your Mark are doing incredible work.
They are working with the poorest of the poor, the most broken of the
broken and loving them right where they are.
Learn more about their ministry and how you can support them at www.mymministries.org.
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