Day 10

We got the privilege of attending a church service at the school. It was a beautiful service. One of our team members spook and gave the message. The choir sung many songs of worship. The church was packed! At the end of the service, the children presented us with a gift of traditional clothing with the fabric specific to Hawassa. It was a huge honor and very unexpected.  After the service we went outside to dedicate the playground. I was thankful my little girl had found me and grabbed my hand.  They had everything decorated with the crafts we made through the week and some of the sports supplies we brought over. We prayed a blessing over the playground and one of the teachers set off our final firework. When this was finished one of the church leaders told us it was time to leave.  We tried to stay strong but as we climbed on the bus the kids began to cry. Again I am left speechless as we drove off with these precious children just crying and crying.  I continue to struggle to put this experience into words to accurately describe this trip. I am hopeful that once we return home, I can view the pictures and have more words. After our goodbyes we began our trip back to Addis. Is was a beautiful drive through the mountains and I was able to process the week we had been through. I was conflicted with the sadness of leaving Tizeta and the longing for home. The people here are amazing and so joyful. I will truly miss this feeling of constant acceptance and love from all the people here in Ethiopia!