Ethan Williams was a beloved member of our Imana Kids community. Ethan’s parents, Jason and Susan, have sponsored a student since our very beginnings in 2013. Over the years, Ethan built a strong connection with his sponsor sister, Angel, as well as several other kids in our Imana Kids program.
On October 24, 2020, Ethan went to heaven. He leaves behind his mom and dad, his little brother, Aidan, and sister, Annelle, sponsor sister Angel, and countless friends scattered all over the world.
During the summer of 2018, Ethan was a member of a summer team that worked with our students in Rwanda. He also participated in dedicating the land of our future Hope Village. After returning to Indiana, he continued to build relationships with our students, and was even studying kinyarwanda so that he could further understand our Rwandan community. One of our Imana Kids said that Ethan was “passionate about making this place a better one by advocating for the marginalized, fighting for human rights and fighting against violence. He also made everyone around him feel included and heard.”
Ethan was always genuinely enthused to learn and know people’s stories. He dreamed of one day making a documentary about our Imana Kids; learning each of their own journeys and giving them a platform for change. Ethan understood that all people have a story to tell; that hearing their experiences would lead to connection and understanding and bridge building. Ethan was also a Jesus kind of Christian; he genuinely had an interest in all people from all walks of life and he was drawn to those who needed the most love. He did this because he believed everyone is made in God’s image. We’ll never be able to count the kids and youth who know about Jesus because of Ethan’s actions in loving them just how they were.
As a lover of words and stories, Ethan was an avid reader. Many of the books that line the bookshelves at the Sparrow’s Nest are there because Ethan had left them or gifted them to one of the kids in our program. For this reason, we have decided that a meaningful way to honor Ethan’s life and the things that mattered to Ethan is to build a library for him in our Hope Village. Our goal is to have a room lined with books in Kinyarwanda, English and French so that there will be an option for everyone in our Imana Kids community to read and learn and grow. Watch for links on our website to learn more.