Ethiopia: 9:00 PM February 8, 2012 - Texas: 12 Noon February 8, 2012

Before a closing prayer, these were the last words spoken to us and to you as we left the sight of our final training and began the transition back to home.

“God is not unjust and will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”     Hebrews 6:10

As we made the long drive back to Addis my mind wandered as I viewed the beautiful African landscape and wildlife.  God gave me a dream where hundreds of our St. Matthew family was taking mission trips all over the world every year. I have a dream that every small group will engage in some type of local mission outreach. I have a dream that a group of men will join me on a mission trip to Hattie or a state side disaster site and get our hands dirty working side by side for the Lord. I have a dream that families will reserve vacation time to engage in some type of mission from Jerusalem to the Ends of the earth.

I have a dream that 25 years from now we will look back and see God’s finger and foot prints all over the world through the people called St. Matthew. I have a dream that one day Ethiopian leaders will send someone to our place of worship to tell you “Thank you for helping preserve our country as a Christian nation. Thank you for helping and inspiring our rural communities to create fresh water and an attainable educational path for all children. Thank you for showing us how to build missional churches and setting our women to free to win our county and surrounding countries for Jesus.”

Kilometer after kilometer we drove and I dreamed. While I was dreaming we literally saw thousands of donkeys and goats, hundreds of camels, who knows how many animal powered carts and their little three wheel blue taxis, scores of birds with six foot plus wing span and camels. There were mountains, valleys, lush forest, and desert plains with 12 foot cactus and 7 foot termite mounds. That’s right, you heard me and we have the pictures to prove it!   And right in the middle of the diverse county side were Mosques, more plentiful than a Baptist church in Burleson Texas. 

Most of all, we saw tens of thousands of people. They were everywhere!  Walking!  In the country, in the towns, in the desert, on the mountains, near the rivers, in the City, thousands and thousands of people.  As I dreamed I wondered, do they know Jesus? Do they know they are unconditionally loved by God? Do they know that God has a plan for their life? Do they know they are not limited by the country in which they  live or the family which they do not have?  Do they have a God dream that is bigger than anything they ever thought possible?

As we moved closer to Addis, traffic, human and auto, grew thicker than the smog that daily hangs over the city and again my thoughts drifted to you. I am proud to serve as one of your pastors. I am humbled to serve in the role as Senior Pastor. I am excited about the spiritual growth that is finally taking place in our midst. And I am more sold out than ever on our purpose statement.  Are you?

“We exist to glorify God by sharing the love and grace of Jesus Christ with as many people as we can.”  I don’t know how many “as many people as we can” is, but we are making progress and you are making it happen church. You are really making it happen!

We have many God stories to share and hundreds of pictures to show but for now know that you are making a difference. You are helping God change the world in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth one person at a time.

“God is not unjust and will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”     Hebrews 6:10

 We, Lisa, Claudia, Melissa and I will see you this weekend in worship. Until then……………….

Peace,

Rick

Ethiopia: 9:54 PM Tuesday February 7 Texas: 12:54 PM Tuesday February 7

Hello Church Family! We left our home base this morning at 7:40 AM and did not arrive back until 8:55 PM.  Needless to say we are very, very tired, but it is a good tired.  Many seeds have been sown on the soil God has provided and we trust some will fall on the Good Soil. And those that fall on the hard path or the rocky or thorny soil will one day bear fruit itself.

We have to get up every earlier tomorrow morning so I will be brief. I will compose my last blog tomorrow night, the evening before we depart.

Today we completed the second day of training in a city called Ugalan. It was once the capital of the southern region of Ethiopia.  Over the course of the year they receive more rain than most regions, so even though it is now summer  it is  green and lush compared to the other areas we have traveled. They have avocado trees as tall as one of our two story houses. Ferns grow to be five feet tall. Poinsettias are not plants, they are 10 to 12 foot trees and the cactus are  out of this world in shape and size.  Starbucks harvests much of their beans from this region. That says it all!

We had an evening meeting with ECF, the Ethiopian Evangelical Fellowship. They are doing a great work in the southern region and would very much like our partnership.  Their presentation was very impressive and could open some doors to broaden our influence. We left with more questions than answers but we did leave with the confirmation that we are in the right place in our “ends of the earth” mission. The Muslim movement is pumping millions of dollars into the country and is making a significant dent in this once dominant Christian nation. They are surrounded by predominant Muslim nations and they are acting as the funnel for Arabian and Middle Eastern influence into Ethiopia. 

We have much to pray about and consider as we seek God’s future direction for our presence here.

Thank you for all of the prayers, emails, and face book messages. They mean more than you know. We are counting the days until we are back home. It is time to make a move towards my room and finish packing. We have to load up and head out early so we can finish our training by 11 am. The drive back to Addis is over five hours and it is imperative we are off the road before dark. There are tons of animals loose on the road way so night time driving is extremely dangerous.  We will spend Wednesday night in Addis and then tie up some loose ends on Thursday before flying out at 7:30. Home Friday 9 ish PM.
Praise be to God!

Peace, Rick

Ethiopia: 8:17 PM Monday February 6 Texas: 11:17 AM Monday February 6

Thus far today has been the hardest day of all. Everyone is tired, even a little weary. No one is hurt, sick or totally worn out, but the toll of long, tedious days and short nights are beginning to show. We left our living quarters at 7:35 AM and did not arrive back until 7:50 PM.  Everyone has work to do for tomorrow and some of us have work to do for back home and then it is repeating the process tomorrow.

As well, the training today was more arduous than previous sessions. Translation from English into Amharic was more complicated than usual and I believe some of the material was over the educational level for a few pastors. On the other hand, several pastors spoke very good English and asked questions that called for a deeper answer than most of the pastors could comprehend. Add to the fact that our pre arranged translators never showed up and we had to quickly recruit and debrief. I think you get the drift of how the day has gone.

Claudia, Lisa and Melissa are doing a fabulous job.  Their witty teaching approach is fascinating to the more reserved women of Ethiopia.  Besides their excellent teaching, their very presence has empowered their female trainees.

Besides any hotel we have used before, the church at which our current trainings are taking place are by far the nicest. The church compound was constructed by Norwegians some 75 years ago as a mission outpost. Over time they handed it over to the local Lutheran church body.   The style of the structure can be found in many same aged churches in the Europe and the States.   The furnishings are typical of Ethiopian churches but it is very, very nice and it is obvious that they are proud of it. The Ethiopians are a very proud people and take great delight in telling us their history and displaying their unique and exquisite attributes.

I have much to do so will call it a night for this blog. We thank you very much for your prayers and  Facebook words of encouragement; we thank  God for the hope of being untied with our families in five days; and we thank God that we will be  with you in worship this weekend.

Lisa, Claudia, Melissa and Rick

Ethiopia: 5:39 AM Monday February 6 Texas: 8:39 PM Sunday February 5

Ethiopia is a third world country. That means the Super Bowl is being played as I write this and Ethiopians are oblivious.  They do not know that Josh Hamilton, the greatest baseball player on the face of the planet, crashed and burned again. I tried showing a few of them pictures on my I phone of the Rangers playing in the World Series and when the Super Bowl was played at Jerry World and they had no clue.  And perhaps that is one clue why they worship the way they do.

From my perspective their lives are not filled with worldly things because they are not accessible. Everybody does have a cell phone and they do know what face book and the internet is, but access is sporadic and compared to our broadband very, very slow.  Less than 1 % in the whole nation own a car. Most walk, some use a donkey, others use mass transit such as busses, vans and remember the little four wheel motor vehicles postal carriers used to drive? There are thousands of those blue things all over the country.

I was invited to preach in a local Hawassa church yesterday.  Over 1500 people crowded into a L shaped building located in the middle of densely populated residential area.  As the celebration began at 9:30 AM, I was ushered into a small side room to meet with the elders and local pastor. They greeted me and explained the worship order.   The elders have much input as to what takes place in worship.  They literally “run” the church.  The pastor told me I would start preaching at 10 and would have about 40 to 50 minutes and then the youth would present a 3 minute skit.

We ceremoniously walked into the worship space and the whole tenor of the congregation changed. They had already been singing and praying for 15 minutes but the intensity dramatically picked up with the pastor and elders entered the room. I had no clue what they were singing and yet I understand every word. It was deeply moving and in some ways indicting of we Christians in America.   Everyone sang. Everyone prayed. Everyone engaged in the praise of God, with body, mind and soul.

I started preaching at 10:20 AM and went till 11:10. I will never forget looking into their attentive, eager, encouraging faces. They were hungry for the Word. Most had a bible and the majority took notes even though there was no message outline and no PowerPoint. They were engaged. I could have preached longer and no one would have left.   Over 1500 people had been crammed into that little L shaped building for almost two hours and no one left for the door. The pastor stood up and prayed for another ten minutes and then they took up the offering using these long poles with a bag strapped to the end. Afterward the youth came in and did a drama. Their 3 minutes presentation lasted 15 minutes.  They had planned the drama earlier in the week but it mirrored the theme of the message preaches. Everyone was attentive, believing the Holy Spirit had planned and orchestrated the message and drama theme.

Children, youth and adults worshipped for over two hours and they could have stayed for more. I could have done the same. There was rush to beat the restaurant crowd. No rush to get to the Super bowl party. No rush to get to that video game. No teens complaining about worship lasting to long. Nothing was more important in those two hours plus than being together in the presence of God.

Think about it and while you are thinking, open your Bible and meditate on I Chronicles 17:7-36. That is where I started my morning, before writing this blog, and I could have stayed there all morning long.

And by the way, who won the Super Bowl? I haven’t heard a word about it. Hmmm…..

Ethiopia: 6:25 PM February 4 Texas: 9:25 AM Saturday February 4

The drive from Wolisso to Hawassa took 7 ½ hours.  We took one van for our luggage and six people so we are cramped as sardines in a can. Leigh Ann Roy did not make the journey to Hawassa with us as she will be heading back to USA on Sunday with Brendy Kirkland and her mom Diane. They have been Addis working the legal system for a hopeful adoption. Glad to report that they leave Addis optimistic about their  adoption being successful.

The team will be visiting and worshipping at one church while I am preaching at another. To that end I am blogging Saturday night because I have a lot of preparation to do that will spill over into early morning.  We will be praying for you as you gather for worship tonight and in the morning and we ask you do the same for us.

Though we are staying in a very nice hotel with all the amentias of home, I am still having trouble getting on line. I hope to have all of my  blog  writings posted by this evening,  Note to self and anyone else to whom it might concern, nothing goes exactly as expected or planned when embarked on international travel. J

Ethiopia: 5:45 AM Saturday February 4 Texas: 8:45 PM Friday February 3

Yesterday was a long full day. It began the way it ended with a two hour drive known to everyone  who has ever been to Guncheri  as “The Road of Hell.”  Without an all terrain vehicle, it is a bone rattling, brain shaking, teeth grinding, glut bruising ride. It is exhausting.  It is punishes the body, the mind and if the fruit of the visit to Guncheri  wasn’t so rewardingly sweet it would also punish the soul.

But Praise Be To God the visit to Guncheri was a God inspiring visit!  We participated in the dedication and ribbon cutting of the library which is now the most beautiful and functional building in the whole community.  We then had a meeting with community leaders about the plans for the girls Hostel and was hosted to a typical Ethiopian lunch.  After a time of feasting and fellowship, we walked the city with the community leaders and a caravan of local citizens visiting the well kept site of the Kindergarten you  built, the future site of the girls Hostel and considered the future need of another city water reservoir.

Our time in Guncheri began in with a town hall meeting in what looked like an old School auditorium. As soon as we emerged from the Van regrouping after two hours on “The Road of Hell” we were ushered into a room already full of local citizens and taken to the front row.  It didn’t take long to discern that the previous two hours might have been a piece of cake compared to what was potentially looming.

Many in the community have been celebrating all that St. Matthew has done in the past three years along with the Adera Foundation. The city has been revitalized, grown and the services have improved the quality of community life.  The rub was all of the good work has been by a church in the name of Jesus.  Some of the local Muslims had been stirring the pot using political persuasion and legal rhetoric to diminish the esteem we had gained among the community and her leaders and put an end to any future work.

They stood up in the town Hall meeting to express their views and the tension began to mount but they were efforts where quickly dashed by several local citizens and  community leaders including one prominent regional leader from the juraetta who also happened to be Muslim. The crowd cheered the rebuttals and quickly the mood shifted as the meeting transitioned to ceremonial recognition of the completion of the library and appreciation to St. Matthew. Melissa spoke on behalf of St. Matthew and did a masterful job of strengthening our bond with the community.

You are not only making a difference in an impoverished community, giving hope the least and the lost, you are strengthening the cause of Christ in a land where the Muslim movement is picking up steam. Besides the community redevelopment work in a dominantly Muslim community, the area Christian pastors attended the training session and are now more equipped to build misional churches in Guncheri. 

Who would have thought that a “little ol church” in Burleson Texas would make a dent in the cause to rid Ethiopia of Christianity? Again, Praise Be To God! I am so proud to be part of what you are doing in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the Ends of the Earth. You are making a difference. You are helping God change the World.

“He who receives you receives me. And he who received me, receives the one who sent me.” Matthew 10: 40.

We leave for Hawassa at 8:00m AM to prepare for our second round of training. It will be a five hour road but on a paved road. Hip, hip hooray!  I pray you experience the power of God as you assemble for worship this weekend. We will land at DFW next Friday on the 10^th and will be eager to see you as we gather again to worship our awesome God.

Ethiopia: Friday February 3 6:15 AM Texas: Thursday February 2 9:15 PM

We sat around the dinner table last night for over 2 hours telling stories, laughing, discussing politics, the tragedy of the human condition and the impact of the training upon the pastors and their wives. Much like a family who has been scurrying about taking care of business all week long and then when the stress of deadlines made is over,  connect at the table with a time of family sharing. The conversation was all over the place, no order, structure or plan but it was rich. We reconnected. We bonded.  We grew as people, friends and Jesus followers.

Again I was reminded of the importance of being in a small group and sharing life together. The Jesus transformation we experience in our lives will be limited if we resist serving on mission or in ministry with others with like faith. Likewise, unless we assemble in small groups from time to time for fellowship, prayer, life discussion and time in the word, our spiritual growth will be stunted.

In life we will have lessons but so many of us never learn them because we choose to live in isolation. Take the initiative. Take the risk. Join a small group. Join a serving team. Join an outreach group. Get involved, serve connect and grow in the Lord.  Besides drawing closer to God, being transformed in your faith, becoming a better person and making some dear friends, you will experience joy, peace and have lots of fun.

Too many Christians don’t know how to have fun.  I miss Dallas, my sons , my family and my church family very, very much, but I am having fun serving, growing, serving, working and sharing life with our mission team. God is good.

Today we travel to Guncheri, our community development project, to examine work done, to be done and have fellowship with the lost and found. Who knows, maybe the Holy Spirit will use this day to show a Muslim how much they are loved by Jesus.  That will be fun!