Tesfaye's story

His Story

Sidama, Soccer, and Chickens (watercolor crayon)

Over the Summer, Tesfaye has been sharing his story.
We've heard snippets since he's come home, but over the course of two months, we took the time to be intentional about officially documenting his memories.

Some memories have sadly already been forgotten.  It is important to preserve as much as we can about his early years and his first home.  A year ago, he would have remembered more, but he lacked the language to communicate and he wasn't emotionally ready to share.  He is sadly realizing he is starting to forget.  He is mature enough to recognize the importance of capturing his memories in a book.  He desperately wants to remember.

This Summer he has been pouring out his heart, and very proudly telling his tale.  His story is told in snippets, captured in his voice - a sweet broken English - him talking while I frantically type, wanting to capture each tale in his own voice.  The more he talked the more he remembered.

He has shared daily life, funny episodes, and painful heartbreaking memories.
I feel privileged to get this unique glimpse at the past life experiences of my son.
It's amazing what he has remembered - what he has lived - the knowledge he possesses.

One thing made very clear with his tales - he has always been loved.
I am thankful for the love our son has always known - what a beautiful gift.
These stories also bless us with a unique insight to our son. Tesfaye is AMAZING!
God has given him an incredibly generous heart and sensitive nature, an undeniable strength, a wonderful sense of humor, natural work ethic, and an unfathomable smarts.

I am so thankful to be able to document this part of my son's story.  This is only a part of his story.
I can't wait to see what God will do next in his life.

*We will be making a book out of his stories and artwork.  We have 50+ pages typed : )

Tales of riding horses, watching cows, climbing trees, gathering food, hunting deer, walking to church, cleaning clothes, making fires, fixing roofs, making toys, playing soccer . . .
He is so proud!

The Village (marker)

Snippets from Tesfaye's story, growing up in a rural village in Sidama, Ethiopia (birth - age 5):

we have like water there next door.  except it don't work.  it have dirty water. it have like hole and there's rope and you put you cup huge cut on there and you pull and you get water.  it kind of like rock and it was deep hole and people put that on rope and that goes under water and they pull that rope.  have to pull rope back up. it's for hair wash. it got old.  we don't use for drink it. used to be good and we don't have to go get water from other place.
usually when we get water. we get water that small river.  we get river.  put it in big pot.  we carry it our head sometime or it our shoulder.  you have to walk kind of a little bit highway those not called.  it wasn't like that highway we have.  it kind of look like street like our street.  it was dirt.  kind of road. and when you carry that water you have to go downhill and get that water.  then you have to go up hill.  it was hard to go uphill.  not every day go. sometime we save water. 
there was waterfall.  there was fresh water.  we fill up bin we bring it we have same kind of like milk jar it have top and it have handle and we walk. 
we walk most place there.

i just play. i didn't do job like everyday.  i do job when need help. i watch cow.  i help.

if it know how to talk sidama i can ask where it that baby my cow.  i hope he still alive.  i like him and i ask him if they name cow they can tell you. i forgot. 

i used to do in sidama in the road like walking road it be kind of slippery and i like ski on it.  and when it sunny we play like tag and we run around.  and we climb tree.  and we get like coffee  down and we get coffee from tree.  and sometime they like two wood attach and we kind of like spring on it.  swing not spring.  like swing it like rope and we like sit on it and it kind of move.  we swing.  one wood was ba-ttached together and it kind of like swing.  in the woods.

i thought at first i was only going to tell you one thing.  one thing and i remember more. 
we make book.  can we put picture on that book?  
and she (hiwot) can have my story too.  and my wife will read it.
i can have story and you can have my story too.  

Inside our Home (markers)
Source: someyoung.blogspot.com