Ethiopia

Ethiopia!!!
We are so thankful for our time spent with Testimony 2540, an incredible orphanage founded and run by our host, Gadisa Birhanu. While I’ll include a link to their website below, I’ll share a brief overview of Testimony and their mission.

Testimony | Testimony Kids Center

After spending several years doing social work with Hope Ethiopia—where our other team is currently serving—Gadisa felt called to start Testimony 2540. His passion for this work is deeply rooted in his own story, having grown up as a street child and orphan himself. Today, he runs an orphanage in Addis Ababa that provides shelter, education, healthcare, and support for children who have experienced life on the streets.

Gadisa sustains his work through six businesses which he operates as well as through partnerships and support he has accumulated abroad. His story is a powerful testimony of redemption, and the hope found in God. Gadisa was such an awesome host. He is a devoted leader, loving father, husband, and runs such an incredible ministry. We are beyond grateful to have gotten to learn from him and come alongside him in his ministry.

While we’ve spent most of our time at Testimony, Gadisa also made it possible for us to:

• Visit a refugee camp,
• Serve with two local churches, and
• Help out with a couple of maintenance projects.

Testimony 2540

Each morning, we spend time hanging out with the kids and leading teachings. These times have been incredibly special and have covered a range of topics including identity, the power of words, love, various Bible stories, and more.

One thing that has made these moments even more meaningful is that we’ve opened up the discussions so the kids can ask questions and share what they want to learn about. The way they responded to these teachings made it clear that they are hungry to learn and grow in their faith.

One morning, I had the opportunity to teach on the topic of identity. Amanda had originally prepared the message, but since she was too sick to come that day, I had the privilege of sharing it. Interestingly, the message tied in really well with something I had shared previously with women at the Hope House in the Philippines—centered around our God-given worth.

The focus of the teaching was that:
Our identity is not defined by our past, by what others say about us, or by our performance—whether in school, soccer, or anything else. Our true identity is found in who God says we are.

Some of the powerful verses Amanda included were:

• Matthew 5:13-14 – “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world.”
• John 1:12 – “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
• Romans 8:38-39 – “Nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
• 1 Peter 2:9 – “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession…”

After, the kids got to draw themselves with labels of their true identity and share. It was a heartfelt time and good reminder for all of us—that our identity is rooted not in the world’s view of us, but in the truth of God’s Word.

In the afternoons, we either go back to spend time with the kids, or they come over to our house to hang out—playing games, soccer, or watching movies together. This is some of my favorite time. I didn’t join soccer with the older kids, but one day I did join with the little ones, and it was so fun and cute. We also walk with the littles over to the nice center of our compound and we would play, tumble, and have little dance parties. 

We also spent a few days painting and gardening at the house we are staying at with some of the boys

Refugee camp

The people living in this refugee camp are Somali by ethnicity and predominantly Muslim. They come from the Somali region of Ethiopia, a territory that was once part of Somalia. This community has long been marginalized—displaced and rejected by both nations. Eventually, the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, allocated them land to settle. While they now have a place to live, opportunities remain scarce. Employment is difficult to secure due to their refugee status, and many resort to collecting plastic bottles to earn about $1 a day.

Some of the Testimony kids came from the refugee camp. One little lady in particular (in the cover photo) who came from the refugee camp has an amazing story. She is 8 years old and had a cleft foot. Gadisa managed to get the girl and her little brother the surgery they needed to fix their feet from an Italian doctor he knows. The little boy’s surgery was a lot easier because of his age; however, she needed to stay at Testimony to get physical therapy visits, and the necessary care needed. We got the privilege to be here when she started to walk! She was one of the quietest little girls around us at first, but she really came out of her shell. She loves to draw, sing, and dance in her chair, even during lessons, but it makes my heart so happy. She is very hopeful to soon attend school. She is my little buddy and lights up with her arms wide open and started saying, “Ava!!” when we get to Testimony. 

Gadisa is the only person who consistently brings visitors to the camp to check on families. During our first visits, we did house calls—some families warmly invited us into their homes. Their generosity and hospitality were very touching. They were simply happy to be seen, heard, and cared for.

The children are always thrilled when we visit. They love holding our hands and soaking up attention. Since they aren’t allowed to attend public school, we spent a few hours each morning for a week teaching them basic English. The first few days were chaotic—we approached it too much like an American classroom. We soon realized we needed to slow down, bring calm energy, and most importantly, offer love and presence. These kids don’t have the resources or time to learn quickly. What they needed most was connection.

Once we shifted our approach, things changed. Mandy read calming stories from her iPad, and I focused on teaching very simple greetings and polite phrases. I also introduced the golden rule: treat others the way you want to be treated. The children were incredibly sweet but often rambunctious and quick to hit each other—so we made space for both correction and compassion.

On our final visit last week, we were joined by Dutch and Italian groups who had been staying with us. The Dutch team raised around 1,000 Euros to distribute large food packs to over 20 families. We helped deliver a few and spent time speaking with the mothers—most of the fathers were either out working, absent, or caring for children elsewhere.

This visit highlighted a reality we’d only brushed on before, but many of the women marry and have children very young. We met a 19-year-old mother of three whose husband was no longer in the picture. Another woman, just 25 years old, had eight children. Her youngest was three years old but appeared no older than 18 months. The mother explained that doctors didn’t know what was wrong. She was soft-spoken and kind. Some of her older children stay home to look after her while she searches for work. Their stories are a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit—and the deep impact of simply showing up with love, empathy, and a willingness to listen.

Church and ministry

For two weeks out of our time, we had the opportunity to partner with two different local churches. During the first week, we partnered with a church just outside our home, spending half the day teaching about missions and evangelism. The time remaining of our days were spent at Testimony 2540.

This past week, we joined a different local church, once again helping to teach on missions and evangelism, as well as leading kids ministry there in the mornings. 

On Sundays, we usually attend a large international church that holds services in English but also got to attend both of the smaller church’s services as well. They were starkly different and fun to be able to experience both.

The children at both local churches were incredibly entertaining and curious about us. One young boy in particular had us cracking up—he kept taking pictures of us nonstop, striking the most serious and dramatic poses like an official photographer. A dedicated young man for sure.

Coffeee

I can’t reflect on our time here without mentioning the coffee!! Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, and it truly shows—not only in the flavor but in the ceremony that Ethiopia traditionally partakes in. The traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony is so awesome because it is not just about drinking coffee, it’s about community, conversation, and slowing down.

The ceremony is designed to engage all five senses. You touch and sort the raw beans, see them as they roast, hear them sizzle in the pan, smell their rich aroma after they are grinded, and finally taste the deep, strong coffee in the cutest little cups. 

We were incredibly lucky to take part in several ceremonies, hosted by Gadisa’s wife, our amazing house manager, our friend Lensa, and at local cafés too.