JUST A DREAM

Asfye Desta and Yeshalem Awoke both were born and grew up in Ethiopia. Asfye came to the United States of America in September 2006 due to the diversity visa lottery. As soon as he arrived in Dallas, he enrolled in North Texas Job Corps to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and obtain a driver’s license. After getting his certificate, he started working at a nursing home full time and attending Collin County Community College full time to become a Registered Nurse. He did not yet have his driver’s license, so he traveled to work and school by bicycle while teaching himself to drive at night.

In 2012 Asfye returned to Ethiopia to marry Yeshalem. They were married in September 2012. Asfye returned to the United States while Yeshalem remained in Ethiopia. He started the long and challenging filing process to bring his wife to the U.S. while she finished her three years studying Mathematics at University. Three years after graduation, Yeshalem joined Asfye in Dallas in May 2018.

They moved from Dallas to McKinney in September 2019. Their first child, daughter Mastewal, was born just two weeks later, on September 13, 2019. Their second baby, son Teodros, was born on February 20, 2021. Asfye is employed at Remington Transitional Care of Richardson by Regency Integrated Health Services.

Their long-time ambition of being homeowners was always challenging because of their low income.

However, thanks to God and Habitat for Humanity of Collin County in McKinney, they applied for and were approved to start the process of becoming homeowners. After Asfye left his home country of Ethiopia in 2006, the thought of owning a home where his wife and family could grow up and thrive was just a dream. Now, 15 years later, Asfye and Yeshalem are proud to be new parents to two healthy children, excited to be new homeowners, and feel honored to be able to call McKinney their hometown.