I really had wondered what today would be like as I have only been sponsoring Ashenari for a couple of months and we have not had time to get acquainted by letter. I had only his photograph, in which he appeared very serious, and so I anticipated meeting with a rather timid little boy. Nothing could have been further from the truth! Once the initial shyness was overcome, it soon became evident that Ashenari really was up for anything!
He had left his home, 300 kms away, at 4.00 am the previous day and travelled by bus with the social worker from his Project, then stayed overnight in Addis Ababa, before arriving this morning. Dressed in denim, Ashenari is quite a cool dude! He also has the energy of Tigger! Today I have played frisbee, soccer (a lot), and parachute games, as well as face painting, balloon blowing, colouring and taking Ashenarif in the pool! Ashenarif is football crazy and as well as the small balls I had brought him, he went home with a carrier bag containing 3 footballs as well as all his other gifts. He was fascinated by photos of my family and they have gone home with him too.
My time with Ashenari meant so much more now that I understand the depths of poverty in which he and other children like him live. By the end of today he was expressing his thanks with great hugs and it was great to be able to pray for him and his family. It is an unusual privelege to be able to meet a child so early in the sponsorship programme and now I will be able to write and pray so much more effectively for him and also for my other sponsored child in Columbia.
Thanks to the Compassion team for doing such a wonderful job organising a brilliant day for these children and their sponsors.
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