The Shoes

I found the shoes pictured above laying on the ground. By the looks of them I suspected that the owner had outgrown them and had toes hanging out. I was right...

My favorite t-shirt is grey and in blue lettering it says,

ETHIOPIA CHANGED MY LIFE

The truth is my life changed because of pain, not my pain but the pain of others.  In particular, an 11 year old boy named Israel who had outgrown his shoes.

In January 2011, I visited a small village in southern Ethiopia.  We spent our time at a Christian school that Israel was privileged to attend.  The school focused on reaching orphans and vulnerable children (many of whom lived with their widowed mothers).  Without help, these children would not attend school. With dozens of village children on a waiting list, Israel was lucky.

After finding the shoes, I took them to a staff member who directed me to Israel.  His dirty bare feet, a size larger than the shoes, looked familiar.  I saw 1,000's of barefoot children while traveling through Ethiopia.

I took Israel aside and began to dig through our donations.  I found a used pair of ladies tennis shoes.  They were the perfect size.  I found a new pair of socks, washed his feet and watched him, with a full grin, put on the socks and shoes.  I tied them, checked the toes and sent a grinning boy back to join the others.

A few minutes later I went over to the children to take some more candid shots. I noticed Israel standing in the background crying.  My immediate thought was that he didn't like the shoes or that another child had been mean to him because he got shoes and they didn't. A staff member translated for Israel. He was happy and those were tears of joy!

It was a moment that changed my perspective and life.  I cried so hard as I held that little boy.  My life changed because of his pain and his deep emotion as his pain was eased. I plan to return to Ethiopia next spring.  I fully intend to bring along a new pair of shoes for that special boy.


 "...if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame."  Isaiah 58:10-11a

About the Author: Ingrid

Ingrid lives in Minneapolis with her husband, Dan, and their three silly boys. She blogs at reachingHISkids and has a passion for sharing Jesus and fighting poverty.  After earning a degree in cross cultural and urban ministry from Moody Bible Institute, God led Ingrid to the inner-city.  For 15 years, she has been intentionally reaching her neighbors for Jesus.  In 2010, the story of an Ethiopian widow, inspired her to travel to Ethiopia.  She is working with Children’s Hope Chest as a sponsorship coordinator and has the privilege of serving and helping 200 orphaned and vulnerable children.  However, she believes the bottom line of fighting poverty is about changing her own heart.  James 1:27, “…keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”  You can follow Ingrid on Facebook and Twitter.


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