ABOUT THE TRIP
In 2005, in a rural village situated in the heart of Ethiopia, a man named Israel Dejene brought home a gift that he had received while studying abroad in Sweden. This gift was a skateboard.
Episode 13 documents the story of Israel, AKA "Megabi", the struggles of poverty, a story of redemption, and ultimately how one simple skateboard sparked life into a local village while indirectly inspiring a global movement.
This episode is truly a story of hope through skateboarding.
God has given each of us something. Moses had just a stick, yet God used it to part the Red Sea. Israel had just a single skateboard, yet God knew it was enough. The question is, what has God given you and what will you do with it?
To learn more about the work Israel is leading in Ethiopia through Megabi Skate and/or to support his efforts visit: www.megabi.org.
We are so stoked and honored to share with you episode 13 of this series.
EPISODE LOCATION: Addis Adaba, Ethiopia
PRAYER REQUESTS
& LONGTERM VISION
The Megabi house, an extension of the Dejene family home, is where many children come daily to take part in programs that focus on leadership, artistic expression, empowerment for young women, and of course, skating. Now more than ever, many children rely on this safe space as a refuge amidst the debilitating impacts of the current political unrest taking place in the country.
On May 7th at 5:00 AM, a fire broke out at the compound leaving the majority of their living quarters destroyed. The kids and locals were jolted from their sleep to join forces in putting the fire out themselves. No one was harmed, but it left Megabi Skate with half as much space to operate as a community center and safe refuge.
This phase of fundraising is to restore the building and repair any damage caused by the fire so that Megabi Skate can operate at full capacity again and expand its offerings to the young people it serves each day. The same way the community put the fires out hand in hand, so too they will rebuild as one. The house is a home for children and youth who literally have no place to sleep. In our community there are many street kids who have no home or family to go home to at the end of the day. With one of the pillars of Megabi being the goal of providing a safe environment and space for underprivileged kids, through the Megabi house, we are working to provide temporary housing for numerous youth while we work to help transition them into permanent homes. To support this work and vision visit: megabi.org.
God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.
1 Peter 4:10
CREDIT/THANKS
PRODUCED BY:
The Ride Nature Organization
DIRECTED BY:
Mark Koch
FILMED BY:
David Newton and Matt Bachelor
EDITED BY:
Chris Smith
WE WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND A HUGE THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO INVESTED RESOURCES TO MAKE THIS EPISODE HAPPEN. THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN ONE IN THE WORKS FOR LONGER THAN WE’D LIKE TO ADMIT. THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN THE WORK WE ARE LEADING AND EXTENDING GRACE BEYOND GRACE UNTIL THIS POINT OF COMPLETION. WITH EDITING EFFORTS FROM MULTIPLE INDIVIDUALS, REPEATED TRIPS TO ETHIOPIA TO FILM, AND ULTIMATELY THIS PROJECT JUST GETTING PUT ON THE BACK BURNER FOR SO LONG, WE ARE BEYOND STOKED TO RELEASE IT TO THE WORLD AND FINALLY SHARE ISRAEL’S STORY!
TO THE ENDS