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| Yohannes having fun at Drop-In Center |
Just yesterday I heard shocking news – one of the boys living at CHE’s Halfway Home, Yohannes, revealed his true history. Previously Yohannes had told us that he had been abandoned in Addis Ababa by his father and had since been on the streets. The reality came out about one week ago when Yohannes told Nega, CHE Director, that his mother, father, and siblings all lived in the countryside. He had run away from home in search of a better life in Addis Ababa. Of course, this better life was not realized, but rather a meager existence on the streets became his life.
I am not so shocked by his true story, but rather I am shocked by how long it took him to trust the CHE staff with it. For close to a year they have been showering Yohannes with love, providing for his physical needs, and basically parenting him. What I understand now better than ever is that building trust takes time and trust produces honesty. For some reason Yohannes had not fully trusted the CHE staff with his true story until this past week. Maybe now the reasons behind his lack of trust will come to light and further healing will take place within him.
This experience is profound. What does it tell us? There is no such thing as a quick fix when working to restore a child’s life. There are so many elements involved and building trust is paramount. What will come from this for Yohannes? That answer is impossible to answer with certainty, but my hope for him and his future success has increased significantly.
Please pray for Yohannes and for Sodo, CHE team member, as they are currently traveling to meet with Yohannes’ family.