Page 44 - Harnett Life Winter 2019

as Dylan did. Maybe someone his age comes to the
farm as a volunteer every couple of years. Some stay a
few weeks, some a few months, all providing whatever
expertise they have to push the mission forward.

Jonathan was grateful for the help and felt revitalized
by Dylan’s enthusiasm and willingness to do whatever
was needed. It had an impact.

“Dylan Smith is a wonderful young man and he self-sac-
rificially used the skills and talents that God has given
him to do good and bring light to a very dark place in
this world,” Jonathan said in an email exchange. “Him
coming here and utilizing his very practical skill set
did more good than preaching 100 sermons.”

Looking Back to Africa
Though it’s only been a few weeks since Dylan com-
pleted his 21-hour return flight from Addis Ababa to
Dublin to Washington to Raleigh, the experience has
already changed his perspective. He’s learned to pay
Dylan Smith (left) is pictured with Jonathan Bridges more attention to cultures around him, to sit back and
(right) during his summer visit to the Ethiopian highlands. watch what other people do and how they live.

sica cared for more than 44,000 apple trees. Highland He’s come to appreciate what he called the “accessi-
Harvesters, the name of their agribusiness, is part of bility” of so many things here, even essentials of life
the missionaries’ effort to feed the community, pro- many take for granted. People in Sanford don’t think
vide jobs and reduce poverty. Jonathan describes it twice about dropping by the grocery store on the way
this way: “The business is the mission and the mission home from work, but that’s not how people live back
is the business.” in Chencha, where villagers need to plan ahead and
travel long distances just to bring back enough food to
Dylan heard stories about life in Ethiopia from Jona- last an entire month.
than and Jessica during their visit to Sanford, but the
experience still caught him off guard. “When I got But that’s not what he will remember most — nor is the
into the village, it wasn’t anything I was used to,” he guerrilla welding or being bounced around on moun-
said, recalling that his first impression was bouncing tain roads. What has remained with Dylan more than
around on roads into Chencha. “It was another place. anything is standing near the apple farm on a cliff high
The thing that got me was that people just stared at above God’s Bridge and taking in one breathtaking
you. They stopped and looked at you, probably be- scene overlooking the Great Rift Valley. As Jonathan
cause you were a foreigner, someone different. describes it, at the base of the cliff is the village of Bele
and farther down, on the valley floor, are a city called

“Here in America, I blend into the crowd, but there Arba Minch and two large lakes separated by a natural
you stand out like a sore thumb.” bridge. God’s Bridge, because it was not made by man.

When he finally got to the Bridges’ house and began “I wanted to do some good before I got to college, but
to settle in, it started to feel like home. Good food. to be honest, I didn’t know what to expect,” Dylan says
Good people. And board games that reminded him of looking back. “I heard stories, but when I got there it
camping as a kid. was a whole other world. I had no idea what I was get-
ting into. I thought I’d help the best I can and now will
Jonathan says not too many young people offer help have that experience with me for the rest of my life.”