The Kisanet Public Library is complete! After months of hard work and fundraising the doors are on, the windows installed and the final coat of paint is dry. It’s hard to believe the Bookin It To Ethiopia team is already returned back to the US. We had such a full time together with lots of memories and relationships built in just a few short days. Being a part of the Kisanet Library project really is beyond words. Seeing the physical construction and completion of the library by the team was incredible, but beyond that, it was the lives touched so deeply by the children and people in Mekele that truly astounded me.
On Sunday we had the great honor of the community coming out to commemorate the completion of the library. We were greeted by the construction workers, family members, school officials and of course lots of children that day, all coming together to mark this important addition to the school and community. We danced, ate traditional bread, had coffee ceremony and were graced by some of the top officials in the region who oversee the education system in the zone. For me though, the most impactful thing was seeing the emotion and heart that Tiffany and Kelsi shared with the community as they spoke in front of the crowd that morning. Through their tears they shared the impact this project has had on their own lives. What a powerful thing to witness! This work is so much more than can be expressed in one project….it is this intangible hope and change we see, it is the children who we meet and it is watching an entire community be transformed by the action of one small group of people who felt God’s call to mobilize.
Throughout the team’s visit in Mekele we took time each morning to be in the Word and to seek God’s blessing in our service each day. Ultimately, it’s His strength, compassion and heart for the people and children of Ethiopia that compelled this team to act.
So blessed to have served with the Bookin It Team and can’t wait to see how God continues to use this group as they advocate for the least of these.
Kiersten
