Once we dropped her off I went to see a woman I met last time around and we caught up on each others lives before I headed off to search for the girls. I was praying along the way and felt the prayers of each and every person who lifted this trip up, I was excited to be looking for them and prayed I would find them. For you see since I left about a year and half ago I have had several people looking for them so I could continue to give them money in my absence, no one was ever able to find them. There had been a huge "clean up" of the city where street children were being taken off the streets and put into care homes. My plan was to search care homes in the area but I wanted to give it a try by searching where I always saw them before. My driver took a street that was headed to the church they begged in front of, I decided to take a photo of one of the houses and as I was snapping the photo out of the corner of my eye I saw three little girls. I shouted Mulu and she looked over and began running to the car, I told Tarekegun (the driver) to pull over (I should say I shouted for him to pull over because there they were, my girls!!!!) They approached the car and Mulu had the biggest smile on her face. We had to drive over the road before we could attempt to pull over and I directed them to cross over, which they did. In the meantime I had pulled out the photos I printed of them with me so in case they did not remember me I had proof of who I was. When they saw these photos their eyes become saucers. They got so excited and began to call me friend in Amharic. I took them to the local pizza place along with their friend. Interesting note because they were about ten paces ahead of me and when they began to cross the threshold of the pizza place a worker there began to shoo them out, I walked between them, took them by the hand and told her the were with me. Suddenly everyone become very interested in what was going on, why was this woman taking these children out to eat and holding a conversation with them? I found a man who spoke both English and Amharic and hired him to interpret for us. Their friend goes to school and does not beg on the streets but both Mulu and Ademech still beg on the streets every day. They each earn 10 birr a day which is about 58 cents. They are out from early morning until about ten or eleven at night, neither of them have shoes. They are happy girls in spite of this life. The amazing news is they are not without a family!!! They not only have parents but also three siblings!!! An older sister and two younger brothers. Once our pizza was finished it was onto the ice cream shop. I told the girls after ice cream I would take them to buy shoes and then I wanted to meet their family. I watched the three girls sitting on the swing and I tried to digest what was happening. I prayed for wisdom and guidance because what I thought to be true was not. They were not homeless and sleeping on the streets but I was not 100% prepared for what lay ahead either. They were so excited to get shoes you would have thought I gave each of them their very own i pad. We then headed off to meet the family. Tarekegan advised me to stay in the car as it was dark and this area is full of thieves. I listened and the interpreter got out and stood next to my door while we waited to meet the family. A huge crowd gathered around and from the back came a very small man but Mulu was his mirror image, there was no doubt this was her father but I wanted to make sure. I had asked the girls his name earlier and so then asked him and he gave the same name. He pulled out his id card to prove it to me. The mom, sister and brothers were off at the market so I was not going to meet them this night. So through a serious of conversations we agreed to meet at a certain place the next day and I wanted to meet the whole family. I inquired of his wife's health as the girls said she was sick. He told me she has bad lungs. I then told him, as I wept, how very much his daughters have remained in my heart and that I was here for a brief time and it was to find and help them. Since there were so many people gathered around I folded some birr in my hand and when we shook hands good bye it disappeared into his hand. He kissed my hands in thanks. As we drove off I prayed this man would show up the next day.

There were several things on my list for Saturday but I was feeling so energized with all that had transpired on that first day, God truly orchestrated our reunion so surely the rest was going to be orchestrated by Him as well. On Saturday I got up with such an excitement. I still had not really digested all that had happened but we were about to meet once again. My original goal was to get them off the streets and into school but that was when there were two children with no family. I found an amazing man to be the interpreter this day, well truly God found him as that is the only way Eyob entered this picture. They arrived as we had arranged, the whole family plus another gentleman who turned out to be the dad's brother. We went to the pizza place for some injera and I asked first to know who this man was. I was told he was the brother, I asked why he was there, to listen I was told, I asked if he had a family to which he responded that he has three children. I then looked at Eyob and said I cannot save the world. He told this to them and for the remainder of the day when I was approached for money he would tell them "she cannot save the world" He truly enjoyed that phrase. The father, whose name is Dangew, handed me a piece of paper that told me they liked me and to please help them. I was touched that he went out of his way to produce this note and you will soon understand why paper, pen, even the writing of this note was a big deal. So began a few hours worth of conversation. I began with the mom, Genete. I wanted to know about her health. She is having lungs problems and has typhoid as well. She said the lung medication,which she finished a few days ago had helped a bit. Dangew produced her current medications and I wrote down the names so I can research what she is taking. I paused here as I wondered should we just get up and go to the hospital, is that what I am meant to do with this money? I felt led to carry on with them. I then turned to Dangew and inquired of his work. He is a day laborer and makes about 30 birr per day (1.73) and works a maximum of 20 days per month. A usual month is more like 10 - 15 hours. So best case scenario he is make under 35 dollars a month. That is for a family of 7!!!! Worst case scenario he is making just over 17 dollars per month. I asked what types of things he does as a day laborer and he replied that he mostly works with the roads. His hands showed he is a hard worker. I inquired as to why his daughters are out on the street, I tried to be cautious and not judgmental, I was truly interested in their story. He said they go out so they can have food. The rent for their house is half of his salary for a good month. During a month where he works only 10 days his entire salary goes for rent!!!! I asked how many rooms they had, one. I asked if they had beds, no. Do you have mattresses on the ground? No. Do you have electricity? No. Do you have running water? No. I asked how much each girl brings in and he gave the same amounts they had given to me the night before the only exception is Aleteseb (15 years) she makes 15 birr a day. That is just under a dollar. I asked if he ever went to school. No, he explained that they are from Gojam, which is in the countryside, there he was a farmer. I asked how long they had been in Addis, 6 years. Why did they come to Addis? To have a better life? Did they have a better life? No. Would he like to go back to Gojam? No, he wanted to keep working because as a farmer he made less. I asked if they were happy? Yes, they are a happy family. You could see how very much they loved each other. At one point the one year old, Anemut, bumped his head and Dangew was so tender with him. He cradled him in his arms, rubbed his head and kissed him several times. The baby calmed down quickly by the affections of his daddy. I then focused on the girls, beginning with Aleteseb, I asked if she was happy being on the streets? No. Would she like to go to school? YES!!! Would she study hard? YES !!! Was there love in her house? YES!!! I then moved onto the other two girls asking the same questions. I then explained that school would not be easy, that they would be in classrooms with much younger children as they are just beginning. I told them that they would now have rules to follow, have to sit still and do work. The running around in the streets would be for play not work but that during school hours they would be in school. I then looked at each one and asked one more time, do you want to go to school? They answered emphatically - YES!!! Then the three year old said "What about me? I want to go to school." I told him his time was coming. I then did some math and as I did I was praying and thinking of the best way to go about this. I asked Eyob about finding them a better home but with the schedule I had and the inability at this time to sustain this it was unfair to move them and make them move back. So I then looked Dangew straight in the eye and told him I am not a woman of great means but I have a big heart and many friends who support the visions I have in Ethiopia. I told him I work 24 hours 6 days a week to earn what I put into this so that if he decides to use the money in a way that is not what it is intended for I would put an end to this just as quickly as it is being offered to him. He has the opportunity right now to change the history of his family. He asked me to tell him how to use the money and he will do exactly what I tell him to do. We found out how much it costs for all three girls to go to school for one year including books and uniforms. We could not enroll them on a Saturday nor are we 100% sure they can join mid term so Eyob will be taking them to enroll tomorrow as well as get all the needed supplies. If for some reason they have to wait until next year the money will be added to the rest I was going to be offering him and used next year for the school year. He agreed. I then told him I was buying his daughters off of the street. I calculated what they make in a year and told him that was going into a joint bank account that both he and his wife were to be on so that neither can withdraw money without the other one knowing. I told him I would have internet access to this account to keep track of the goings on as well as be able to add money when the time came just in case I was not in Ethiopia before that time. I also told him I could shut it down as well if he was mismanaging this account. I told him the streets were not a safe place for little girls to spend so much time, they could get raped, stolen or killed. This money was for one years worth of food for his family. He understood and agreed. I then asked how many mattresses would fit in his home, he said two. I asked if they had any blankets and he said they had one old one. I asked if Aleteseb had shoes, she did not. So I said we did not need the children for a while, we were going to the bank to sort out the account, then to buy mattresses and shoes and socks for Aleteseb. I asked if when we returned with the mattresses could I come to their home, he said yes. So off we went, this meek man who I wish I knew what was running through his mind. Both Tarekegun and Eyob at different times would begin talking harshly to Dangew and I would ask what was being said and they were telling him that he better do what I am asking him to do, this is not something that happens every day nor will it happen again. Ejob told him he needed to stop having children as five was more then enough. Tarekegun at one point told him if he misused the money he would come beat him up. I sat next to Dangew in the car and wanted to be able to speak to him without an interpreter, just he and I but at this time that is not possible. After about an hour and a half Dangew and Genete had a bank account with money for food for a family of seven for one year. Aleteseb, Adenech and Mulugojamsehi were no longer street girls!!!!! When I handed the bank book to Dangew he kissed my hands and thanked me and prayed that God would bless me. I thanked him and told Him God does bless me just as He is right now but what is transpiring between us.