In the age of sound bites, quips and memes, we've all become more prone to exaggeration. However, when we say we received a "ton" of books during our recent book drive for Ethiopia, we're not exaggerating at all! We didn't just receive a lot of books, we easily have more than a ton of books, by weight, that will be shipped to our schools in Hosanna and Ottoro for their libraries and to support their English Literacy initiatives. 

 

No, we didn't expect such an overwhelming response. Yes, they were very heavy! But it was all worthwhile in knowing what tremendous impact these books will have upon our students. The wealth of knowledge, ideas and inspiration contained in these bulging wooden crates will develop and enrich generations of learners who previously had only poverty and ignorance to look forward to. And that's very exciting!

 

Some might call it a "silver lining" on a dark cloud. Others might call it God's redemption of difficult circumstances. But the tentacles of COVID kept book buyers from traveling and retrieving large quantities of local public school curriculum for resale. So that which was bound for the dumpster was instead redirected to a half-empty shipping container already on it's way to the "poorest of the poor" in rural Ethiopia with clothing, computers and other learning materials for the schools. How amazing is that?

 

For everyone that took the time to donate from their personal home libraries . . . thank you. For everyone that went out and purchased new books for children who have no concept of "new" . . . thank you. For everyone who helped us navigate the communications channels to our local school administrators in charge of curriculum . . . thank you. And for everyone that helped us move, organize and crate literally thousands of pounds of books in the July heat . . . we say an extra special "THANK YOU". 

 

The hands that direct our circumstances from somewhere beyond our understanding have once again made provision for the precious lives entrusted to us in southern Ethiopia during a time of unprecedented crisis. How truly humbling it is to be part of this miraculous, ever-evolving plan.