Today was a day of joy filled with the hearts of children and families we met at the Hope Enterprises feeding shelter. Hope Enterprises feeds more than 600 orphaned and destitute children and adults everyday (except Sunday). You may recall from an earlier journal entry that we have visited this organization before.

The first time we visited we met many orphaned children, including a child-heading household and it was a very moving experience for me. There was one child in particular who caught my eye and my heart, her name is Eyores. If you turn to the pictures page her picture is still on there from August, because I cannot bring myself to take it off. She was the child out of the more than 200 children in the room that I bonded with. The first Ethiopian child I ever bonded with and therefore she hold a special place in my heart.

Today, as I mentioned, we visited Hope again, however, this time it was for the lunch feeding, meaning that both adults and children were able to receive a free lunch (breakfast is just for the children). I did not know what to except, but to my surprise there were a lot of children there and immediately I began searching for Eyores. Most of the children were unaccompanied and were there alone or with their siblings as many just dropped in to pick up enough food for their family and then haul the heavy load home. I was disappointed that I couldn't find Eyores soon after my arrival and my heart sank and my mind began to wander, where is she? Is she okay? Is she alive? The chances of her dying are quite high, is there a way that I could find out from someone if she was alive?

As my mind continued to question her well-being, I, almost instinctively turned to the entrance, and there she was. She was walking in, the precious 4 year old girl that I had met just months earlier. However, she wasn't alone. She walked in holding the hand of her grandpa (I can only assume) and I was completely mesmorized by her and the fact that she had someone to take care of her. The sight was the most enduring site I have ever seen and tears began to form. A little girl, still with snot running down her beautiful face, wearing the same blue sweater she was wearing in August, holding the hand of her ever-so-proud grandpa. It was the most beautiful site and relief took over me- she had someone who loves her and takes care of her.

I must have been staring at Eyores because her grandpa sent me a friendly wave and continued on his wave to receive their lunch. Soon, they were seated, but I had lost track of where they ended up because there were children vying for my attention. However, when given the opportunity, I started to search for them. I was in complete wonderment, as the sight of any male figure taking care of children in Ethiopia is endearing because so many lack the love of their fathers due to the high mortality rate. Within a minute or so, I found them. And Eyores looked at me and she didn't let her gaze wander. However, she was completely content sitting on her grandpa's lap eating her injera and wat. As I continued to stare at the couple her grandpa soon waved me over to talk with them, but I felt out of place and was still in shock that she had someone who so deeply cared for her well-being and I declined the invitiation both times.

As soon as I had the clarity to think clearly, I realized that through her grandpa I could help Eyores and her family have a better life and this is the first assignment I have given myself-to make sure that she is able to attend school, receive medical care, have food on the table, and that her grandpa remains healthy for as long as possible so she doesn't become one of the 200,000 on the streets of Addis Ababa with no one to turn to but themselves.