The Story Behind A Miracle: Ethiopian Angels A and B

I experienced a miracle last month. 



I’ve taken a while to share it because I’ve been sitting with it on my own. And it’s still brewing… But I know my journey is not mine to keep and we all need reminders along the way that our dreams are valid and can absolutely be supported.

We sat waiting for MONTHS on word of a student loan from Jamaica we applied for to cover my 4th year of tuition at Bastyr University. 3 days before the absolute deadline Bastyr gave me (they were incredibly patient btw), we realized there was a logistical step overlooked from day 1 and the loan could not be processed further. 

That night I sat on the couch staring at the wall - literally. I know - with such conviction - that I will graduate. Being a naturopathic doctor lives inside of me. As my friend Shevy reminded me (more about her later), I am already a doctor; I am simply collecting experiences and refining my skills. 

But the faith juice was drying up. HOW could I possibly get through this incredible road block? I needed to pay approximately 15K in 3 days (for the 2 quarters prior) and I had NO idea where it would come from. 

In that moment I remembered a sweet soul I encountered along my journey at Bastyr. Someone who was moved by my initial crowdfunding campaign and gave a significant donation in the past. Let's call this person Ethiopian Angel A. Just two days prior to my wall starring episode on the couch we went for a walk discussing future dreams of opening naturopathic clinics in resource-poor areas around the world that would also help train future docs to be competent in serving this population. Ethiopian Angel A mentioned in passing that they wanted to continue supporting my campaign and I gratefully and casually acknowledged their kindness in the same way I do with each donation and supportive word I receive. We agreed we would continue discussing our big dreams after finals and that was that. 

As I sat on the couch I thought to myself: if there is another human being who holds similar values as mine, has a desire to help and there is a significant need to fill, why not reach out asking for exactly what I need? In that moment it was very important for me to be crystal clear about my situation while also making zero assumptions about theirs. 

Last year at this exact time I found myself in a similar situation, where my only job was to ask, believe, hold my intention, and be open to receive. That is when my crowdfunding campaign was born. 

I wrote and deleted that email to Ethiopian Angel A over 5 times. I needed the email to be clear and to the point, yet gentle and free of any expectation. Finally, I felt ready to send. 

I kid you not - in the very moment I was going to send the email I heard “ping!” on my iphone. It’s close to midnight and it's a message from Ethiopian Angel B - someone who somehow heard the position I was in (I now know who that background angel is) and decided they were willing to help in a significant way at this time (a request that was denied one year prior, by the way) - Miracle shocker, tear bringer #1. 

My first thought: omg, omg, omg, thank you, thank you, thank you. My second thought: do I still send this email to Ethiopian Angel A? Without a doubt, the answer that came to me was “yes”. After all, I still had spring (this current) quarter to pay for. 

The next morning I woke up relieved I could walk into student accounts and pay at least half of my balance. I checked my email as my usual morning routine and saw a response from Ethiopian Angel A! When I sent the email the night prior I totally let go of the outcome and certainly didn't expect a response so soon. The response was a total and complete willingness to help me in exactly the way I requested, with no obligation but to help people who may not otherwise be able to afford Naturopathic Medicine in the future. Are you kidding me?! Miracle shocker, tear bringer #2. 

The very next day Ethiopian Angel B’s support showed up in my account. And Ethiopian Angel A went to the bank for her check, only to find out that there was fraud happening in the account. Had it not been for her getting the check for me she would never have noticed. Could I have been her Ethiopian Angel in that moment? I hoped so. 

Two main lessons so far (as I said, it’s still brewing)

1. Unwavering faith and patience - there really, really is an unlimited supply of abundance and opportunity in the world. The timing is never on your time and almost always takes longer than is comfortable, but if you stay committed to success and creative solutions there IS a way. 
2. Abundance and opportunity are only available to us if we have the eyes to see. There is so much that blocks our graceful flow through life, namely unconscious beliefs, habits and even unhealed emotions. On an unpaved path, success is really a healing journey. Ask yourself: "what do I need to expand, grow and heal in myself in order to improve the flow of _______ in my life?" Let me add here that seeking guidance from trusted confidants, therapists etc is extremely helpful as we often don’t know the ways we sabotage our own selves. 

Shevy Cardoza was my person and continues to guide me through this process. We went through my first yoga teacher training in Jamaica together and have been close friends ever since. Shevy is 0% bullshit, 100% love and comes with a breadth and depth of spiritual wisdom and insight and knowledge of psychology that many licensed psychotherapists lack. We all need someone to hold our hand along the way, especially when the way is particularly bumpy. 

My crowdfunding campaign last year was a tremendous success. I raised over $15,000 in 6 months. Your outpouring of love and support has brought me to my knees in tears of gratitude and surrender multiple times. But I feel it is time to also let go of that crutch in the name of faith. I will officially be deleting my tuition campaign from the crowdrise website on my birthday this month (April 27th - did I mention how excited I am to turn 30?!!) trusting that the way for me to pay my final year of tuition in full (FINAL YEAR! Woooohoooooo!!!!) - approximately 30K - will be revealed to me as long as I continue to do my part and hold the faith. I will be accepting donations up until that point. 

Thank you a million times over for being here with me! I sincerely hope my sharing can inspire you to keep on keeping on so that we can hold each others’ hands in the scariest moments.

As an FYI, my soft plans after graduation (you know, since my last year of tuition WILL get paid some way, somehow!) is to spend at least 2 years in a residency program to gain experience and confidence through mentorship from some amazing doctors before considering next steps. 

P.S I'm also watching the telemedicine docs closely so I can take serve GLOBALLY no matter where I am in the world. 

One love!

The journey continues...

Kimani