When I was four years old, my mom took her first trip with the Adera Foundation to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I remember the day she took off, leaving me standing at the airport gate to wonder what could possibly be important enough that it could take her away from me. 

         My mother returned from this trip with newfound excitement and invigoration, but with some sadness as well. In her gaze was a quiet consideration, as if she saw everything through a new lens. As I sat in her lap, swiping through pictures of her smiling and embracing children, I felt a selfish sense of jealousy, knowing I had missed out on the most important experience in the life of my very favorite person in the world.

         There was one boy whose picture we always seemed to come back to. His name was Myet, and when my mom first met him, he was one year old. There was a never-ending flow of stories about this particular boy. My mom told me how he was so bright, noticing things the other children passed by, how he was so sweet, always smiling when she walked into a room, and how she wished I could meet him. A picture of Myet was stuck on our refrigerator, and I remember sitting on the cold kitchen tile, wondering about the child my mom loved so much.

         Eleven years later, my mother, sister, and I were blessed to be able to attend the Adera Foundation’s summer mission trip. Upon arrival, we were thrown into a torrent of new experiences and cultures. We saw things that brought smiles to our lips and things that brought tears to our eyes. Perhaps the hardest part of the trip was the feeling of helplessness. For every child we fed, there were hundreds who went hungry. I found it difficult not to wonder if we even made a difference.

On the second day of our trip, we were told that we would see Myet at Trinity, the school that children in the Adera program attended. On the van ride there, my mom squirmed in her seat. She wondered aloud if Myet would remember her. We assured her that he would, but she still seemed unsure. 

         We arrived at the school, and before it was time to go into the classrooms and read to the kids, my mom and I set out on a search for Myet. We walked into his classroom, and I recognized him in an instant from the pictures. My mom hovered in the doorway for a moment, unsure, but she lingered no longer when Myet’s face lit up at the sight of her. She gave him a tight hug. Although they were unable to speak to each other much beyond “Hello” and “How are you?” their communication was far deeper than mere words. After I witnessed this interaction between my mother and Myet, I never again doubted that the Adera Foundation makes a difference. –

– by Eliza Peacock, July 2022

“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” Luke 2:52

Please pray for Myet and his peers as they prepare for the coming academic year. They are currently in summer school trying to get caught up for all the loss during covid.

Please pray for their parents’ encouragement, many feel lost in how to help their children succeed because of their personal illiteracy. 

Pray for the Adera staff’s wisdom as they try to encourage the students and their parents.