All of us on the Ethiopia team, thank you very much for praying for us the past couple of weeks. We have seen God at work in many ways on this trip. We were able to be instrutment for God by leading people to accept Jesus as their personal saviour (see amazing story below), building and restoring relationships, able to reunite families together, assisted in health care, able to help with construction, visitations, and much much more.
Richard, Jenn and I came home safety on Monday, and Cheryl, Alvin and Linda, will arrive home to Alaska on Friday. Continue to pray for Curtis as he is in Ethiopia for the next two months.
We look forward to sharing more with you about the trip. May God richly bless you.
Steve for the Team
Alvin here: “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” was the theme song today.
Not my choice, but then I was the one with the bright red nose. I
refused to admit that I had a sunburn until I saw myself in the
mirror, at which point there wasn’t any use denying the obvious… the
evidence was right in front of my face.
Not my choice, but then I was the one with the bright red nose. I
refused to admit that I had a sunburn until I saw myself in the
mirror, at which point there wasn’t any use denying the obvious… the
evidence was right in front of my face.
The team is dwindling and by the time you read this Linda should be on
a plane headed back. We sent Curtis with Kim and Dan Sheel to visit
Langano on Monday. We heard that he made the trip and was there, but
the internet was down and we might not hear from him again for a
while. Things are coming together for the remainder of his time in
Ethiopia, it’s exciting to see God work out schedules and timing (this
seems to have a lot to do with who we can reach via phone or email).
Cheryl: Just some highlights to share so you don’t lose heart and quit
praying. I will have to back up a bit to catch you up first. Sunday
morning we arrived at the church to find very few had arrived yet so
we decided to take a little stroll around the block (of sorts). As we
turned the corner to head up another street a young man 23-25ish
called out after us. When he reached us he said “I have no peace, can
you help me find it?” When asked where peace comes from he believed it
could be found in the church. He was then far from the Lord but had
known him in the past and knew peace at that time. He has been
involved in drugs and many bad things, (his words). He came to church
with us and afterwards we talked quite a while. I told him we would
pray for him so please add Bisrat Teshume to your prayer list.
praying. I will have to back up a bit to catch you up first. Sunday
morning we arrived at the church to find very few had arrived yet so
we decided to take a little stroll around the block (of sorts). As we
turned the corner to head up another street a young man 23-25ish
called out after us. When he reached us he said “I have no peace, can
you help me find it?” When asked where peace comes from he believed it
could be found in the church. He was then far from the Lord but had
known him in the past and knew peace at that time. He has been
involved in drugs and many bad things, (his words). He came to church
with us and afterwards we talked quite a while. I told him we would
pray for him so please add Bisrat Teshume to your prayer list.
Monday we visited the Korean hospital so that Linda and Curtis could
see some of the medical happenings here in the country. We then
shopped and dropped Curtis off at SIM HQ to head down country to
Langano clinic with the Sheels, missionaries working the health
outreach post down south. Curtis will pitch in there trying to see
what he can of the medical clinics, using his business degree to help
train one of the staff, helping with some computer problems etc. He
will be there about ten days before joining Jewish Voice for six days
in a medical outreach here in Addis. Please pray for safety as he
travels about alone and for good opportunity to see and determine if
the Lord might be calling him back to school for medical. He still
doesn’t have all of his time here lined out but there are several
possibilities please pray the Lord would open the right doors.
see some of the medical happenings here in the country. We then
shopped and dropped Curtis off at SIM HQ to head down country to
Langano clinic with the Sheels, missionaries working the health
outreach post down south. Curtis will pitch in there trying to see
what he can of the medical clinics, using his business degree to help
train one of the staff, helping with some computer problems etc. He
will be there about ten days before joining Jewish Voice for six days
in a medical outreach here in Addis. Please pray for safety as he
travels about alone and for good opportunity to see and determine if
the Lord might be calling him back to school for medical. He still
doesn’t have all of his time here lined out but there are several
possibilities please pray the Lord would open the right doors.
Ok, on with Monday. After dropping Curtis off we went to the fistula hospital
here in Addis and lined up a time to visit on Tuesday. Having
accomplished all these things we headed back to the guest house.
here in Addis and lined up a time to visit on Tuesday. Having
accomplished all these things we headed back to the guest house.
Alvin again: The visit to the Fistula Hospital was scheduled for 2:00
pm on Tuesday, but the morning was free. We decided to do a few more
home visits with the workers in the Good Samaritan program… I’m glad
we did. The Good Samaritan is a program for people living with AIDS
and many of them are women with small children. The first house we
visited was a woman with a 6 month old child. We were able to tell her
that the program has a provision for milk for nursing children. There
is a much higher potential to transmit the virus to a child through
breast milk after the child is 6 months old, but most of the women
can’t afford any other food for their child. It becomes a choice
between risking their health in the future or watching them starve
now. Buying milk isn’t something they can even hope for. We asked a
few questions about her health and how she was doing, then we asked if
she would be interested in hearing the Gospel story. We shared the
wordless book with her and she accepted Christ as her Savior. It was
amazing to see her face as the thought of hope took hold.
pm on Tuesday, but the morning was free. We decided to do a few more
home visits with the workers in the Good Samaritan program… I’m glad
we did. The Good Samaritan is a program for people living with AIDS
and many of them are women with small children. The first house we
visited was a woman with a 6 month old child. We were able to tell her
that the program has a provision for milk for nursing children. There
is a much higher potential to transmit the virus to a child through
breast milk after the child is 6 months old, but most of the women
can’t afford any other food for their child. It becomes a choice
between risking their health in the future or watching them starve
now. Buying milk isn’t something they can even hope for. We asked a
few questions about her health and how she was doing, then we asked if
she would be interested in hearing the Gospel story. We shared the
wordless book with her and she accepted Christ as her Savior. It was
amazing to see her face as the thought of hope took hold.
I should take a minute to explain about the Orthodox church here in
Ethiopia. The religion is very ancient and has many strong traditions
and influences that date back thousands of years. Cheryl took us to a
church and we were able to see how things work. There is a door for
the men, and one for the women. It seemed like most of the people
never went in though, only going close enough to kiss the outer wall
of the building (there was a dark swath at head height making a ring
around the building from people touching and kissing it over the
years). Many of them were kissing the steps that lead up to the
building too. But the tragedy of the religion was to see how many
people never even approached the building. As we walked out of the
compound we could see people sitting at various distances from the
church. Some never even entered the gate. These people were positioned
according to their understanding of how righteous they were. There are
some people that never feel they are righteous enough to even enter
the gate of the property, let alone come before God. They understand
that God is righteous and holy; they understand that they are not.
When these people hear that God is also loving, that He wants to know
them, that He cares about them – the power of that message is
overwhelming.
Ethiopia. The religion is very ancient and has many strong traditions
and influences that date back thousands of years. Cheryl took us to a
church and we were able to see how things work. There is a door for
the men, and one for the women. It seemed like most of the people
never went in though, only going close enough to kiss the outer wall
of the building (there was a dark swath at head height making a ring
around the building from people touching and kissing it over the
years). Many of them were kissing the steps that lead up to the
building too. But the tragedy of the religion was to see how many
people never even approached the building. As we walked out of the
compound we could see people sitting at various distances from the
church. Some never even entered the gate. These people were positioned
according to their understanding of how righteous they were. There are
some people that never feel they are righteous enough to even enter
the gate of the property, let alone come before God. They understand
that God is righteous and holy; they understand that they are not.
When these people hear that God is also loving, that He wants to know
them, that He cares about them – the power of that message is
overwhelming.
Back to the home visits. We shared the Gospel at the second and third
homes, and these two women also accepted Christ. The third woman had a
10 year old son that had recently left her to go live with his father.
The son recognized that his mother didn’t have enough food for both of
them and sacrificed himself to lessen her burden. Living with his
father also meant living with his step-mother or bread mother, and
step-relationships are almost never good here. We gave her some money
for food and were on our way out of the compound when Cheryl felt the
Spirit moving her to share with others. We asked if they would like to
hear about the Gospel and they said yes. Six more people accepted
Christ, all of them members of the same family. What a way to end our
trip!
homes, and these two women also accepted Christ. The third woman had a
10 year old son that had recently left her to go live with his father.
The son recognized that his mother didn’t have enough food for both of
them and sacrificed himself to lessen her burden. Living with his
father also meant living with his step-mother or bread mother, and
step-relationships are almost never good here. We gave her some money
for food and were on our way out of the compound when Cheryl felt the
Spirit moving her to share with others. We asked if they would like to
hear about the Gospel and they said yes. Six more people accepted
Christ, all of them members of the same family. What a way to end our
trip!
We visited the Fistula Hospital in the afternoon and took a tour of
the facilities. It was amazing to hear all the work they are doing to
restore women’s lives – up to 4,000 women each year. The hospital has
a midwifery school and five remote locations to provide better access
for patients.
the facilities. It was amazing to hear all the work they are doing to
restore women’s lives – up to 4,000 women each year. The hospital has
a midwifery school and five remote locations to provide better access
for patients.
Cheryl: So what does today hold? We don’t know and yet we enter it
anxious to do the Lords work and to see with His eyes the needs around
us. We encourage you to do the same. So many both here and in the U.S.
need this hope for eternity. We will leave here tomorrow night to make
our way back to the states. We appreciate your continued prayer as we
wrap things up here.
anxious to do the Lords work and to see with His eyes the needs around
us. We encourage you to do the same. So many both here and in the U.S.
need this hope for eternity. We will leave here tomorrow night to make
our way back to the states. We appreciate your continued prayer as we
wrap things up here.
Thank you for partnering with us in this amazing
ministry to the poor. We look forward to sharing more when we return.
Perhaps over coffee?
Cheryl for the team
ministry to the poor. We look forward to sharing more when we return.
Perhaps over coffee?
Cheryl for the team
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