Not so different after all
So today was our first day spending time with the kids and staff at Bring Love In and I didn’t know what to expect. Some of my teammates are high school teachers, so of course they’re fantastic with the younger generation. Others have kids of their own. I’m not a parent… just an aunt to some amazing kids who live on the other side of the country that I don’t get to see nearly enough, and “mom” to two neurotic dogs.
I admit it, I was nervous about meeting the kids.
Would we be able to understand each other? Would I have anything in common with orphans in Ethiopia? And yes… I wondered would they even like me?
As we pulled up to the gates and I saw all the eager faces on the other side, I realized I had nothing to worry about. They greeted us with enormous smiles. Warm hugs. Hand shakes. Red roses. We were family… I just had to realize and embrace it.
I met so many wonderful girls, boys, young men and young ladies. Some were shy, others were eager to chat. Many laughed at me and I laughed right back. We found so many things to talk about despite our different languages and cultures.
One incredible young man I met is Akeleh. We bonded over the fact that we’re both studying to be chefs. He’s in Year 12, so he has to finish one more year of school, but then he wants to study the culinary arts. We talked about spices and ingredients and meals we love and places we want to visit to eat.
He laughed when I told him I’m too old to wander all over the world and cook, but I hope he gets the opportunity to do just that. To travel. Learn. Explore all around this big, beautiful world God created for us. And most importantly, share his love through the simple act of creating a delicious meal.
Tomorrow I’ll be leading a cooking class with Akeleh and the others, and I can’t wait to see the food we’ll make and the fun we’ll have.
Because now I know I’m not just going to see the kids, I’m going over to spend quality time with my new family.
– Allison