Tesfaye's Story - the next chapter begins

(Note: "Double Clicking" on any picture in this blog will allow you to view a larger version of it)


How life is going for Tesfaye back in Ethiopia and related thoughts:
Over the last few weeks since Tesfaye's return to Ethiopia, while Nanci and I were in Israel and since returning to Vancouver, we have had a few short emails from Tesfaye telling us that:

• he arrived safely and not to worry, he is doing well;
• everyone back home thought he looked unbelievable;
• he does not have internet access at Dr. Rick's house, so goes to an internet cafe from time to time to email us;
• he has spoken to his mother and brother on the phone and they are all fine;
• he is eating well, injerra meals and sometimes macaroni;
• Azmera loves her new eyeglasses;
• he gave some of the clothes he brought back to others in the house;
• as we discussed before he went back, he has found a new and better quality school to attend (his last one had limited English instruction and he found the students very disruptive), and I understand that he has recently started his studies there; and
• he misses us!

And we miss him terribly --  we miss his constant smile, his signature finger pose in pictures, his great sense of humour, his positive outlook, his instant connection and wonderful relationship with our dog Ziggy and cockatoo Mango, his natural curiousity, his desire to learn, and his ability to appreciate life and never abandon hope no matter what curves it may throw at him.  The amazing thing is that Tesfaye possessed all of theses qualities before the corrective spine surgery, in spite of the extremely difficult and painful life he led over the last 12 years, in spite of the debilitating and disfiguring back he had to live with until now (read or re-read his life history reproduced down the right hand column of this blog).

As I have said before in this blog and in other venues, Tesfaye is a very special young man with a positive outlook on life that can overcome most any adversity; we can all learn something from him. Now that as a result of his successful spine surgery he has gained a remarkable new and upright physical outlook on life to go along with his already great mental outlook, I know that he has a far brighter future ahead of him, and believe that he will make something of himself and go on to have a positive impact on other people's lives, as he in fact already has.  I feel so fortunate to have crossed paths with him and to have become part of his "Journey of Hope"; but whatever my family and I have been able to give Tesfaye, we have gained so much more from him in return. Although we miss each other, I hope to return to Ethiopia in the next few months, as he would like me to travel with him to his village in Gojjam for his first reunion with his family  in over two years and, of course, since the surgery. I really hope that I can arrange to do that, as I am sure that will be an unforgettable experience.

In the meantime, I will continue to post updates on how Tesfaye's life is going back in Ethiopia as I receive them.