Meeting our Compassion Child

When we were in Ethiopia picking up Ella, we had the awesome, once in a lifetime chance to meet our child that we sponsor through Compassion.  It was an amazing experience that I am so happy we pursued meeting her.  I know that she did not understand the amazing experience she was having but her father completely did.  The emotion showed in his face many times.

Dagmawit travelled from Durame, which is 7 hours south of Addis, on Wednesday so that we could meet her on Thursday morning.  A Compassion worker from Addis, the project director from her project, and her father came to our guest house on Thursday morning.  As they arrived at the guest house, she came up between the vans and gave Brent and I a big hug.  It was so sweet to know that she recognized us and was happy we were there.  We found out later that she had overheard the project director speaking with her parents about a possible visit with us and she asked repeatedly each day when we would be meeting her.  I thank God that all the details worked out so that we could meet our sweet girl.

We had brought a backpack filled with toys and books for her.  We gave them to her.  She loved playing with the bubbles and Play-Doh.  We took her a Princess Tiana Barbie along with clothes and she loved it.  We took her coloring books, crayons, and colored pencils.  A toothbrush and toothpaste, water bottle, and fingernail polish.  I will never forget painting her sweet fingernails pink!!!

She is such a free spirited, beautiful girl who wants to be a doctor when she grows up.  I pray that the Lord uses her in a mighty way to help the beautiful Ethiopian people.

We gave granola bars, soccer balls, candy, and Play Doh to the project director to use at the project.  They were so grateful.  We later found out that we were the first family to visit our sponsor child.  What an amazing blessing!  They had never seen Play Doh and didn't know what it was.  I quickly showed them how fun it was to play with and how good it was for the kids to use as a manipulative.  It was a hit!  Such simple things that we take for granted blessed these sweet people immensely.  Thank you God for using us!

I'll wrap this post up with some more pictures and a short video from our visit.  Thank you God for letting us sponsor this sweet child.  We pray that she will be used in a mighty way and that she comes to know you as her Savior.  We are so grateful that God worked out all the details so we could meet our child!