If you read my last article I was getting ready to go to Ethiopia with Brighton Their World, and now I am back. I was and I am still blown away by what God has done at Brighton Academy, the school Brighton Their World started in Addis Ababa Ethiopia.

On this trip, I was amazed by all the people that God has brought To Brighton Academy. First is our director, Nebiat. I have known Nebiat for years. He is like a younger brother to me. This guy is totally invested in the children at the school. He interacts with them daily and stays informed about what is going on in their lives, at school and home. It brings me great joy to see him give back to his community and country.

Then we have Solomon our principal. He has degrees in biology and education. He truly wants the best education for these children. He runs a tight ship. He has earned the respect of the parents and students. He wants nothing but the best for the students. He wants field trips and after school activities.

All of our teachers are amazing. They strive to do the best job they can. They capture the children’s attention during class time and have fun with them during recess. They are working constantly to improve the learning experience.
Last, and most certainly not least, we have our caregivers. These ladies do all the cooking and cleaning at the school — they also serve lunch and breakfast —hey help keep an eye on the children during recess and they help sick or injured children.

All of these people do their assigned duties and more, and they do it selflessly. They want nothing more than to improve the lives of the children they work with. When a child misses school two days in a row, someone goes to that child’s home and finds out the reason. They truly care about the children they work with.

Then we have our students. They are all known by name by each member of the staff. We have ones that struggle in some subjects. We know the ones that are mischievous. We know the ones that love recess the best. One thing they all have in common is that they are hungry for knowledge.

Ethiopians are a proud people and they should be. They should be proud of this generation that wants to change their country and the world. They should be proud of these children that want everyone to have equal rights, clean water, education, and happiness.

Why do I point all this out? Because it all started with one idea and grew into a school full of children eager to change things and make the world a better place. It just took a little to change a lot and I am extremely humbled to be a part of it. I don’t know what the future holds for Brighton Academy and its students. The one thing I do know is that I want to be obedient to God’s will.

Brighton Their World built a school out of obedience. If I tried to build a school in Ethiopia according to my will, it would probably fail miserably. God put all these people in all the right places. I was astonished by seeing what God had done at Brighton Academy.

I refer to these moments as “sucker punches from the Holy Spirit”. This was one sucker punch I definitely needed. We get so complacent with God’s handiwork we forget how amazing it is. Sometimes we miss out on these moments due to our lack of obedience. So from now on I will listen to George MacDonald, “Doing the will of God leaves me no time for disputing about His plans.”