A few days into our journey we had the blessing of spending a day doing a shoe distribution. When we arrived in the community, the leaders were hesitant of who we were and quickly the communities leaders gathered to discuss us - would we be able to continue? Apparently, 30 white people showing up in a rural community to deliver bright yellow shoes doesn't happen everyday.
While they discussed, we hung out with the kids which quickly became a game of giggles and discovery. There were a group of girls who were simply tickled by us. As we worked to use our best "Aromo" - the language of this region, we realized that our words were not needed because we were quite amusing. These girls were simply tickled by our presence ... a group of white people who were trying to communicate with their "words" ... and TRY I emphasize. While they giggled and appeared to be happy with the strangers who had appeared on their school grounds, they also were not quite sure yet if they could trust us. If we got too close or tried to touch them, most would quickly duck away and then just, well, GIGGLE. I can't even put the exchange into a word picture, however, it was the most precious sound.
Not long after meetings transpired we got the official word that we could proceed with the distribution.
This lasted ALL day. One by one, from the littlest foot to the biggest foot, we fitted a school full of children and some members of the community with shoes. Over 1,000 feet came through the doors of a small school house. Over a 1,000 faces left with the new hope of a brand new pair of shoes. Some of our team were honored to walk a blind man into the room and fit him with shoes. Some met mother's with crying babies at the door who didn't understand who we were and screamed in fear. Some sat on the floor and sized each foot. Some ran and ran getting shoes while the "sizer" played the estimation game. Some escorted the newest shoe owners to "register" their new shoes and some just simply were the smile at the door to welcome them in. Team work! It took every one of us!
But it wasn't just about shoes ...
At one point, as I stood outside a very elderly man began to pass by me. As I extended my hand to help him get through the crowd, I looked down and noticed his bright yellow feet. It wasn't the shoes though that tipped me off that he was the benefactor of a new blessing but the look in his eyes as he approached. Placing his hands on my face we looked into each others eyes but spoke no words. ... a tear ran down his cheeks and I embraced his neck. I don't know that I have ever felt such gracious humility and appreciation. No words and yet the Thank you was deafening.
Each of us on the team shared in different roles throughout the day. At the days end I found myself being the one who would write a number on the newly "Registered" shoe and through hand gestures try to help them understand that in the coming summer their would be a second opportunity for shoes so they would need to return. As each precious face came by we began to write a heart in a permanent market on their hand, kiss them on their hand or cheek and tell them they were "conjo" ... beautiful! It wasn't something we were "told" to do but something that we just did when we noticed that little gesture would brighten their eyes and make them full of smiles.
On a few occasions my "line" would get backed up. A person might get by me without that special heart, BUT ... it wouldn't be long and they would be back. After surveying the scene, they would soon notice they were missing something. The mark of a "stolen heart".
I was so taken back by the joy that those few gestures brought. I'm not talking about in just the little kids ... I'm talking about in people young and old ... teenage boys, and grandma's . Young men and teenage boys would wait patiently for their "love" mark. As I wrote the heart on their hand they would grin and then as I kissed their hand, caressed their face and smiled in their eyes something would happen. Without any "aromo" words exchanged, they'd know they were precious and adored ... and something would change in their spirit. A light would seem to go off in the room. Indeed, the light of their smiles.
Ethiopia taught me many things and their were so many things I enjoyed but I think one of the most incredible and unforgettable ones was how the simplest gesture meant the world to someone and how often, that exchange came without a single word.
I may have been marking their hands with a heart and telling them how much they were adored, however, little did they know that they too were leaving a print on me ... their fingerprints on my heart!
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