Finding My Way...: Visiting the boys' home... and a shopping spree!

So I mentioned a while ago that we had been able to connect with some boys that our friends Bekah and Arnie had met when they were here. We took the three younger boys for lunch and made plans to visit their home and spend the money that Bekah and Arnie had sent us to bless them with.

Monday morning, Markos picked us up bright and early at 8:30. It had to be early so that we could see the boys home and they would still have time to work that day. At least, that was the plan. I think in the end, the shopping took most of the day. But anyway...

We met the boys off the side of a busy highway, and had to cross over a pedestrian footbridge to get to the path to their village. The boys were very excited to see us and had dressed up in their nicest outfits. They were all so helpful with the kids on the walk down...

The four boys live in a tiny room about 8' x 12' big, if that. They all sleep together in a single cot, not even a cot really, as it was missing it's mattress. They have decorated the walls with posters and newpaper, and their belongings were mostly hung on the walls on nails.

This "fence" is right along the river path.

The door to their apartment

The apartment. There really isn't much more than you see here.

The driver, Markos, is so good with all the kids.

After a little visit at the boys' home, we began the walk back up the mountain. Of course it is harder work going up than down! And it was sunny and warm. The boys ended up carrying our backpack and at times, our children! up the hill. They walk this walk every day, rain or shine. It is about 20 minutes up the hill, and then about 40 minutes to the area where they work shining shoes.

Aren't these two just the cutest?! I think there was a little crush going on... ;)

When we got back to the car, we had a little discussion about what all the boys would buy when Markos took them shopping. We decided the priority was a bigger bed and blankets, school books, and some extra food since it was New Years that week. We don't all fit in Markos' car, so he drove us back to GT, and then went and met the boys again and took them shopping. After they had shopped for a while, he brought them and the stuff to GT so that they could show us what they bought. Both Markos and the boys wanted to be sure that Bekah and Arnie knew how they had spent the money.

Showing off their school books!

Pasta! We asked if there was any special food they wanted for New Years, and this was it! 27 lbs of pasta! haha. We also insisted they get some meat.

At the furniture store buying the bed.

When they came to show us their purchases.

Menisa with the mattress. Funny story below!

From left to right: Ashanuf (9), Aserat (10), Jacob (7), and Menisa (18)

Ok, funny story. Markos called to say he and the boys were outside GT, so Dave and I went down to see how they had fared. When we got out the gate, Markos and Menisa were talking excitedly, and then Menisa took off running down the alley. I asked what that was all about, and he said they had left the mattress tied to the top of the taxi that had delivered it!!! Menisa when running to try to catch the taxi and I'm assuming from the pictures Markos took that he did! I would have laughed so hard if they managed to end up with another bed without a mattress (and then bought them a replacement). ;) But, it all worked out in the end.

At this point, they had bought the bed, blankets, sheets, pillows, school books and pasta, and had about 2500 birr left to spend. Markos thought he could get them shoes for about 200 birr each, and then some other kitchen things and maybe a t-shirt each. So he took them out again for more shopping.

I think this was a hard day for Markos. At the shoe store, they wanted shoes that were 1000 birr per pair! So he had to be the "bad guy" and make them get the shoes they could afford. Then they bought cooking oil, berbere, cutlery, two pots, some plastic baskets, and a duffel bag to put it all in. As well as t-shirts for everyone. And of course it's not like going to Walmart and putting it all in a cart... They'd have gone from shop to shop and negotiated prices, etc. And when I was looking through the pictures today, I noticed a picture of the boys with a radio! I said to Dave, I don't think a radio was on the list Markos gave me, and he told me that he think Markos bought it for the boys out of his own money. What a gem!

After they finished the shopping, they went to Markos' house, where he used his tools to help them build the bed. Then he hired a friend with a van to drive it to their neighborhood, where the boys and their friends carried the bed down the hill to their home. What a day!