This week, eight Wildcats are taking part in a service trip in Ethiopia. Throughout the week, the student-athletes will take turns describing their experience. Please note that these posts are the personal reactions of the student-athletes and the views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Kentucky and UK Athletics. For perspective on Thursday’s activities, we turn to Angelica Whaley and Brett Johnson.Angelica Whaley (track and field)

We began our second day here in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, bright and early at 8 a.m. local time with breakfast and then headed to a local community center. There, we met a case worker that is the head of a sponsorship program for impoverished families. We found that our main task for the day was to deliver mattresses to families that were in need – a task that seemed so simple to us but meant so much to people who piled leaves on the ground as a form of bare minimum cushion from the ground. The first woman to whom we delivered a mattress and frame to was a recently saved, HIV-positive mother of one young boy. The joy and appreciation in her face was like an unexpected gift to me; she was so gracious. Her son who was about 2 or 3 years old was literally a bundle of joy who smiled and pranced around everywhere. To have what we, as Americans, would call “nothing” and to live as if he had everything in the world in the way he laughed, smiled, giggled, and played was truly a blessing to see. We gave him a small toy, nothing extravagant, and the way his face lit up is something that I will never forget. The way all the children’s faces lit up even more when we gave them toys period was a sight to see; it was pure, unadulterated happiness.We traveled to a nearby city named Kai Afar to deliver another mattress to a local widow. The outside of her house was plastered with mud but had a definite structure to it unlike many of the “huts” and “shacks” that we’ve seen thus far; her neighborhood is considered to be a part of the more urban area. She was so warm and welcoming. Once we gave her the mattress, she insisted that we come in her home and have a seat. A few of us eagerly piled in as she rummaged about, rearranging the small amount of furniture that she had so that we all could fit. She was beyond gracious and didn’t know much English but one phrase that she was completely familiar with was “thank you.” She constantly said “I’m very, very thank you.” She prayed for us and told us that we were a blessing to her and that she loved us. She said it meant so much that we came such a long way to deliver her a mattress. She shared with us that she suffers from an internal disease that affects her nervous system, and it often times causes her to be sick. Also, she shared with us that she has three children, one of whom we met book-in-hand in her home. Three people were sleeping on the twin-sized makeshift bed she had when we got there, but tonight, she and her family will sleep more comfortably with an extra mattress on the ground. We offered to pray for her, and she agreed, but she asked that if we pray for her, pray for her extended family members as well.After our prayers, she thanked us again and again and began to cry. She revealed to us that at times, she felt as if God didn’t know her and that he forgot about her. She shared that all the times that she was sick, no one came to see her or help her with her family, but we came. She said that we were her treasure. What we did for her was greater than the mattress, and it was greater than the simple toy that we gave her neighbor. We became a tangible confirmation of her faith. She was at her breaking point with her situation, and God used us as a blessing for her life. The entire visit was emotionally heavy and left many of us in tears; it was incredible to feel God move in that way. Through everything, she has had steadfast faith, and through us, God was able to show her that He takes care of all of His people. It is important to know that here in Ethiopia, religion is everything, compared to America where religion is somewhat “lost.” Nothing but love was felt but little did she know she was truly as much of a blessing, if not more, to us as she said we were to her. She is a beautiful soul inside and out. Through it all, she continues to put others first. She is truly a woman of gold, and I will never forget those soft, endearing eyes. A mattress brought us together. It is the donation of a plain, old mattress that has deeply impacted my life. Even with all the miles apart, it is our love of Christ that will keep us together (as said by our new friend). And she is completely right.  We spent the rest of the day building relationships, giving small toys to children, and giving away coffee and sugar to many poor women at the community center. They tell us that it’s not how much we brought but that we came.  We came 9,000 miles to spend time with them, and they were so thankful. You often hear them say “ameseginalehu,” which means “thank you” in their Amharic language. The same young boy whose mother received a mattress, later greeted us with hugs, plants, and flowers – gifts that have proven to be the sweetest I have ever received and will cherish forever. Everyone constantly says, “God bless you,” and we said the same in return, but God is blessing us all along this journey. Lastly, we drove an older woman that has sickness in her legs that even makes walking to her home difficult.  She is on the waiting list for a sponsor who can change her life emotionally, spiritually, and economically. Sponsorship only costs $35 U.S. We prayed for her, and she was gracious like all the other women with whom we came in contact. As of now and as a group, we are waiting to see if it is acceptable for us to sponsor her.  Today was a day like no other day I will experience in my life.  We’ve asked ourselves questions like “How can they do this?” or “How can they live that way?” But, I’ve realized why would they question their lifestyles if they have never seen, heard or even thought differently? This world is all they know, and even still, they, as a people, are happier and more peaceful than any place in America.  They are patient and loving people who live in a place where men can walk hand in hand as a sign of love and respect for one another with no judgment. These people are too busy with survival to spend all of their days judging one another. I love this culture. I love these people. Compared to our country, they may be “poor” outwardly, but they are wealthy in their hearts and spirit.  Brett Johnson (men’s tennis)

“Selam” (Hello), “Ameseginalehu” (Thank you), “Simi man new?” (What’s your name?) and “Cint amete new?” (How old are you?), were just a few phrases that came in handy today. After some wonderful morning quiet time, outstanding breakfast and a quick run, we began our “never going to forget this day” journey.We started off the day a little differently than expected. We made our way over to the community center to soon realize the supplies for the day were not yet ready. Pastor Mark thought it would be a good idea to go on over to the bank to “quickly” convert our U.S dollars to Ethiopian birr. We had everyone put all their money in a bag, and Stephanie Fox was elected to be our money representative. So Pastor Mark, Stephanie and I make our way into the bank, expecting a five-minute exchange. Oh no! After 45 minutes Stephanie was still in the back “exchanging” money. Not what we were expecting, but everything ended turning out fine.  Upon receiving a phone call from the representative for the community center saying the supplies were ready, we headed back to the center. We loaded up several beds, several pillows and many sheets. We were ready to go serve. Our first stop was to a single mother, who was currently working a quick shop. We pulled up to her “shop” and I look over and I see a gleaming smile on this woman’s face. She hurried over to the van to meet us all. After several minutes of talking, eating her biscuits and prayer with her, we were off to a small town called Kai Afar not realizing what some of us considered “a day we will never forget.”Pulling into these tin-roofed, plastic-covered homes, we arrive in Kai Afar. Several of us get out to deliver the mattress, pillows and sheets. We duck our heads, and enter this mud-covered home and are ushered by this joy-filled widow to “sit down and get comfortable.” After small talk with this widow and her youngest daughter, our hearts begin to melt. We asked the lady if there was any prayers we could say for her and she proceeded to tell us about a dysfunction in her nervous system. She was in severe pain, but we would have NEVER guessed it! She seemed as if she had the whole world in her hands! The joy and positive attitude that this woman had and the faith she had that God would provide was astounding and it brought all of us to tears. When praying for her and praying for healing, we were all a wreck. After hugging and saying our good-byes, my eyes were opened to a reality. How much do I need to be thankful? This woman had NOTHING, yet seemed as if she had EVERYTHING. I was excited to see where God would put us next. It was around lunchtime and we all were ready to eat. We ate at a rodeo restaurant, where many of us had authentic food. With our bellies full, we were ready to keep serving. We made our way back over to the community center where we distributed sugar and coffee to the mothers. Again, they couldn’t stop thanking us and blessing us. Upon hearing stories from several of the women, a very special one stood up and shared her story. She was also a single mother, in need of money and a sponsor, because she is unable to work because of severe pains in both her legs and an HIV-positive diagnosis. Several of our hearts went out to her. Some of us drove her back to her home and were able to pray for healing and that an opportunity would open up for someone to sponsor her. Yet again, never would have guessed anything was wrong in her life because she was bubbly and always smiling and hugging. Again, how much do I need to be thankful? It was beginning to get late so we all decided to head back to the guest house, where some of us realized we still had a lot of energy. So we asked Rock Oliver to take us to the gym to get a late night workout in. To say the least, I’m going to be super-sore in the morning. This concluded our wonderful Thursday. We all want to say thank you for the prayers and thoughts, we are continually driven by the joy these people express. Our hearts are captivated by their sincerity and thankfulness. We are excited to see God at work the rest of the trip!