We've broken the Compact just a week into the new year, but for a great cause! Saturday was Gena, or the Ethiopian celebration of Christmas. One of the local Ethiopian churches threw a huge celebration for the adoptive families in the area. Upon announcing the party several weeks ago, Pastor Ermias imagined that maybe 20 people would show up. What he got was almost 300 parents and children!
The church members who helped with the party were incredibly gracious, feeding everyone, teaching the children traditional Ethiopian games, braiding hair, hosting a traditional coffee ceremony, singing songs, telling stories and giving a gift to each family in attendance.
The families had conspired in advance to make donations to help cover the cost of the party, however, we were told quite firmly that no donations would be accepted. We did learn that one of the books read that evening, Makeda, the Queen of Sheba, had been written by one of the church members in order to help Ethiopian-American children learn about their heritage. Knowing that the proceeds from the book benefit the church and the Ethiopian community, we purchased a copy without giving the Compact a thought.
This morning I had one of those slap-your-forehead moments: "D'oh! We bought something! How did we buy something without even realizing we were buying something?" But I can say with confidence that I don't feel the least bit bad about it. We bought something meaningful, that benefits someone local who is doing good things in the community. It was published and printed locally. What more can I ask for?
Books in stock. Free Shipping in USA, $3.97 Worldwide.
1 comments:
Definitely the kind of purchase that should be made.
I tried the compact last year (or was it the year before) for a few months and it definitely changed my buying habits over the long-term.
Post a Comment