MIRACLES HAPPEN.

After 10 years, at the request of our eldest son, Afira, we hired a private investigator to try to find a biological family member. The results were truly miraculous. Out of 130 million people, we found Afira’s birth mother and her entire family.

They had been praying and hoping for his return for more than 10 years. Meeting them was a sweet moment that continues for us, as we have chosen to partner with them and local leaders to serve their community.

Ethiopia FAQ

Why did you look for Afira’s family?

In early 2023, Afira asked if it would be possible to find someone from his family of origin. We honored his request and hired a private investigator. Within a matter of 3 months, we identified his birth mother and her entire family.

Did you find Tinsae’s family?

We tried, but were not able to find them, unfortunately. In case you’re wondering, Tinsae is doing fine.

How do you know for sure that it’s Afira’s family?

Besides the fact that they look just like him, we worked with a DNA lab in the U.S. to verify that his birth mom is a 99.999% match.

What was their response when they found out about you?

They had always hoped that Afira would find them once more. They were overjoyed and immediately asked if we could come visit them.

What was it like meeting them for the first time?

They are the picture of African hospitality. The whole village welcomed us, prayed for us, and enjoyed time getting to know our whole family. They welcomed Tinsae and Samara as family, as well.

How do you navigate communication?

We have a number of close friends now who live in the Sidama region. They help us with communication both from afar and when we are together.

What are their conditions like?

It’s hard to see family suffering. While the family is full of joy and love, most days they go hungry, most of them do not have access to clean water, they sleep on mud floors and lack economic opportunities to better their lives.

What has been your response to their suffering?

We cannot see their conditions and walk away. We have chosen to engage long-term.

What does it look like to ‘help without hurting?’

We focus on not giving hand-outs, but instead collaborating to better their lives through business development, education, and empowerment.

There have been some basic needs we’ve needed to step in to support like digging their first well, start-up capital for a sheep business we started together, and putting a roof and better walls onto Afira’s mother’s home.

How long do you expect to engage in Ethiopia?

We are considering our work there our ‘life’s work.’ We are not in a hurry, but instead, we have committed to working with the family and community itself to realize a day when they are flourishing.

What is your plan?

We will remain engaged in Ethiopia both relationally with the family and in community development, mostly through economic empowerment. Sign up to receive our weekly updates.

3 Ways to Get Involved