Goodbyes and Final Pics

 This is actually a road, not a river.  Saw this as we headed back into Bantu on our way from Addis. 

 Would not be a typical week without this...

 ...Or this!

 Katama, Taro, and Waarkinesh making whips for the boys from the fibers of a plant, and below are happy boys with the finished products.

 Berhanu and his little helper translating the Evangelism course.

 Lunch at Negash Lodge in Waliso.

 Helpers and Friends...Taro, Waarkinesh, Katama.

Hosting friends in our home.  From left to right, back to front: Berhanu, Tesfaye, Abebayoo, Bachaa, Abushee, Morka, Woineshet, Shewa and baby Yacob, Negase, and Kenanisa.

Goodbyes and Our Final 10 Days

Ten weeks is kind of an in-between time…not long enough to really move past temporary, but long enough for routine and familiarity to take hold.  Short enough to keep a few things in suitcases, but long enough for a place to start to be a home.  So, these past eleven days have been filled with things we didn’t feel were quite finished and saying goodbye to what has become everyday life for us. 

We spent a lot of time this week working on making scripture more easily accessible to the people in this area.  Berhanu and I finished translating the evangelism course.  All I did was type the translation and help with a little vocabulary; Berhanu did all the hard work.  We were able to meet with all the servers of the church (elders, deacons, pastors, choir members, greeters, etc…) on Saturday night and help with the first lesson.  Larry spent a lot of time working on the audio Oromo Bible, and we are so excited about the outcome.  As it turns out, about 2/3 of the church members in this area cannot read.  We were able to download the Oromo New Testament while we were still in Addis, and this week Larry copied it onto both c.d.s and memory cards for mobile phones.  Berhanu has several of each, and he will be able to lend them out like a library.  People can take a c.d. and listen to it, or they can borrow a memory card and copy the Bible onto their phones.  He also has a way to connect to the church speaker and play the audio to a large group.  He’s going to begin a listening program where people can come several times a week to hear the Bible read. 

We spent most of the day on Wednesday in the car.  Bantu is in a region of the country where many areas are unreached with the Gospel.  Wednesday we explored some of the other towns in this region that could be strategic future areas for ministry work.  We drove out to the main road and then headed farther southwest to the town of Tulu Bolo.  Tulu Bolo has a lot of promise; it is strategically located to reach out to many surrounding counties.  From there we drove north 9 km to the town of Busa.  Busa is the county seat of Aanaa Dawoo, which has a population of about 102,000.  In this entire county of over 100,000 people, there are only 820 believers.  Talk about an opportunity.  We also drove another 30 minutes down to the town of Waliso. It’s one of the larger towns in this area with a small university and a hospital.  Waliso is much more lush than Bantu, and the jungles are beautiful.  We discovered an awesome lodge and restaurant where we ate lunch and watched monkeys. 

Friday we traveled by gaarii to a small cabale outside Bantu called Koccee.  There is a small group of believers there and we met with them and distributed baby gifts compliments of Theresa Chauvins and The Woodlands FBC team.  After leaving one hut where only the mother and father are believers, we met some neighbors who are Calluu believers.  Calluu is the ancient belief of the Oromo people and involves communing with spirits through a Callicha or Callitti (man or woman Calluu priest).  It is most plainly described as devil worship as people seek to appease these evil spirits through worship and acts.  We shared the story of Jesus healing the demon possessed man and spoke about the Gospel and eternal life with Christ to these neighbors.  We pray that these planted seeds will take root as God works in their lives.  We had a really difficult time getting out to the cabale and ended up walking most of the way, but we felt like we were exactly where we were supposed to be that day.

Our car official breathed its last for us this week.  The problem (we think) all along has been a wiring connection and a starter issue, and the starter finally gave out Monday evening when I needed to head to the ladies’ program.  We rented a car for the trip on Wednesday but were otherwise without transportation until it was time to leave on Sunday.  Car rentals are pricey here, and we just couldn’t see paying to have one for a whole week.  Ten weeks ago, not having a vehicle for emergency purposes would have been a huge issue for me…God has helped me relax quite a bit since being out here!  Plans for the day do tend to change though, when everything you need to take with you has to be carried in your arms or on your back!

We will miss the people the most when we leave…Nebiyou, Berhanu, Waarkinesh, Taro, Katama, Negase, Morka, Woineshet, Tesfaye.  We’ve shared many times what a blessing our helpers are to us here, and many others have also made us feel so welcome.  Nebiyou and Berhanu coordinate everything for us.  From translating, to scheduling, to arranging our routine water delivery, to being our liaisons in the city and village, we could not have survived here without them.  There are many who have been wonderful and gracious friends to us.  We barely speak the language and are a spectacle wherever we go, so we have been very grateful for those who have been true friends.

Friday evening we made a special meal for Taro, Katama, and Waarkinesh.  It meant a lot to us to have the chance to serve them instead of the other way around.  Saturday for lunch, Waarkinesh helped me make a traditional Ethiopian meal for the pastors and some close friends in the church.  By “helped me,” I mean that Waarkinesh had me peel onions and roll injera while she did everything else.  It was a wonderful meal, and I hope it showed our friends how much they mean to us and how appreciative we are of them.

I will miss the view from our house…this is one of the most beautiful places.  Bantu is in a valley and surrounded by mountains.  Crops are beginning to grow and everything is turning green now.  Several times a day I stop and look out at the hamlets dotting the hillsides and the possibilities for ministry in each.  I am constantly reminded of Isaiah 52:7,

“How beautiful on the mountains

are the feet of those who bring good news,

who proclaim peace,

who bring good tidings,

who proclaim salvation…”

We pray that the church here will be the beautiful feet that bring the Gospel to people in the surrounding mountains. 

This is our last post in Ethiopia, but we’ll have some follow up after we’re home.  It has been a beautiful time.  Ten weeks is long, but it is not long enough.  How we hope and pray that God has been glorified this summer and will be with what comes next. 

And in the quiet, I hear Your voice

This has been a good week; it’s been quieter but productive in different ways.  We needed some down time this week to recuperate.  The boys are doing great, but Larry and I have both been fighting a cold.  I lost and developed a sinus infection.  Thankfully, we headed back into Addis today, and I was able to pick up a Z-pack at the pharmacy.  No prescription needed, and it only cost $4.15.  I’ve needed the medicine for about 3 days, but it wasn’t available in Bantu.  We got a tiny taste of what it must be like for so many here with no access to common medicines.  However, we knew when we could get the medication I needed and that we could afford it.  So many here do not have that luxury.

One of the best parts about this quieter week has been the chance to stay home more and spend time with our helpers.  We are blessed with such wonderful people who share our lives with us every day.  Waarkinesh, Katama, and Taro have been true gifts to us this summer.  These past few days gave us valuable time to get to know them better and talk about what they plan to do once we leave.  Taro is very gifted in languages and knows Oromiffa, Amharic, and very good English.  He feels that God may be calling him to teach and pastor.  Katama desires to be an evangelist, but he needs training in order to do that.  Some of the best tools for evangelism are training in biblical storytelling and memorizing Bible stories.  This week we put together a 14 story evangelism tract and the lesson each story teaches about the Gospel.  With Taro’s help in translating, Larry has been teaching them a story each day and demonstrating how to retell it.  It’s so great to see them in the guard house practicing telling the stories to each other. 

We’re excited about the possibility of continuing this training at the churches in this region.  Perhaps this could be a way to equip these congregations for evangelism in their villages and the surrounding communities.  Berhanu spent several afternoons this week working with me to translate the lessons for each story into Oromiffa.  Storytelling is valuable in this area where many people do not have access to a Bible or are unable to read.  We are working on downloading an MP3 version of the oral Oromiffa New Testament that could be uploaded onto the church computer and hopefully mobile devices.  If this works out, those who cannot read would still be able to hear and memorize Bible stories.  We would appreciate prayer as we work to get this done before we leave next week. 

Sunday we drove out to the little community of Jijigaa for a Bible conference (revival).  Many of the other congregations came for the conference, and Larry preached about how Jesus opens our eyes to the truth.  The conference lasted 3 hours and was a challenge for the boys, but they did really well.  We were thankful to have been a part of such an important day in the life of the Jijigaa church. 

Monday evening I was able to meet with the women’s program again as we worked on learning more of the five stories in the Jesus Is Lord series.  So far we’ve covered ones that teach ‘God loves us just as we are,’ ‘We are all sinners,’ ‘Jesus forgives sins,’ and ‘Jesus is Lord.’  We finish next week with ‘I must make a decision to follow Christ.’  I hope and pray that these stories will be fruitful, and that the women will be able to and desire to share them with friends and neighbors. 

Last night we showed the “Jesus Film” in Oromiffa at the Bantu church.  What a captive audience!  It was awesome to see their reactions to the story on the screen and in their own language.  We are scheduled to show it this next week in Jijigaa also.  We would love to be able to take it to some of our other missionary church communities, but we won’t be able to during the rainy season.  While some of the areas are passable by horse cart during the day, it’s just not a trip that possible after dark. 

Lastly, the boys had a great time playing an impromptu game of soccer one day this week with Waarkinesh’s son and Pastor Tesfaye’s son.  They were playing in the field near our house, and Larry took the boys over to join them.  We have a hard time not getting mobbed when we go into town, but Dawit and Mosisa are familiar to us and very sweet with the boys.  We followed the soccer game with some rocket balloons (thank you Debbie Leatherwood!), and it was just such a fun and normal time for the boys. 

This is our last trip into Addis before we return in 11 days and head to the airport to come home.  Would you please keep us in your prayers during these final days in Ethiopia and as we travel home?  We are so thankful for all of your encouragement and support!

We didn't take a lot of pics this week since we worked at home so much on the evangelism course and translation, but here are a couple to share.

 The boys and their friends, Dawit and Mosisa.

 The Jijigaa Bible Conference...I know this is a dark picture, but that's a praise. It's dark because so many people are crowded into a small room and many more are filling the doorway, blocking the light!

 This is the view over the valley as you stand on top of the hill behind our house.  Isn't this a beautiful country?

One of the mountain tops on the way up to Bottonee.  We have loved living out in the country these past nine weeks.

Rainy Week Pics

 Handing out Meals 4 Multitudes in Abebee...even the littlest missionaries can help give meals!

 The trusses are all up on the Bantu church building!

 Meals 4 Multitudes in Bottonee.

 Children listening to the message through the door of the Abebee church on Sunday.

 Hiking in Ethiopia with Mimi.

 One of 10 river crossings we made this past Sunday.

 Sharing meals and sharing Jesus.

 Looking out at the possibilities.

Isn't this the way everyone goes to church on Sunday mornings?

Did We Mention This is the Rainy Season?!

Don’t let the title mislead you…this has been a wonderful week, but it sure has been a wet one!  We’ve never been to Ethiopia this late into the rainy season, and we had no idea how much rain they truly get.  We get heavy rain every day  and have had four hail storms in the past few weeks.  The ground can’t dry out with this much rain, and the mud stays pretty constant in most areas.  It has made for some interesting adventures this week.

First, we were so thankful to have Larry’s mom, Linda, here with us for the past nine days.  It was such a wonderful encouragement for us and the boys, and we loved getting to share our time here with her.  She was able to meet all the friends we’ve talked about over the past four years, and we were so excited to introduce her to everyone.  With Mimi here, Larry and I were able to do a little bit of ministry together on our own while the boys were home in good hands.  We love learning how to be a family on the mission field, but we were also so thankful for some time to work together just as a couple.

Sunday we worshiped with the Bantu church, and Larry shared a message about God’s power as we step out in faith to begin a task He has called us to.  It was a wonderful message that included brief summaries of the Israelites at the Red Sea, Jesus healing the 10 lepers, and Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane.  The congregation seemed so encouraged by it, and worship that morning was really powerful.

Monday morning we headed out to Abebee to distribute 1000 Meals 4 Multitudes to the children in the Abebee school.  We made it about halfway and had to stop because of the mud.  The road to Abebee is poor…you have to cross two rivers, but the main problem is a large gully that has become a complete mud pit about two feet deep.   From there, we took a gaarii (horse cart) the rest of the way to the school.  We had an incredible morning packing and distributing the meals to school children.  It was a great ministry for us as a family because even Matthew could help fill bags.  We pray that the meals will be a blessing to these families as they wait for the next harvest, but mostly we pray that this ministry will open doors for the Abebee church in the community.  I’ll post pics if the Internet will hold out.

Linda and I got to meet with the Bantu women’s program again Monday evening for worship and biblical storytelling.  Linda was able to share her faith story using a Bible story, and it was just such a great example as to why it’s so important to share these stories in the community.  When an unbeliever hears a Bible story and then hears how that story is mirrored in the believer’s life, they have the opportunity to see how the Gospel redeems each of us.  Our hope is that if they see how Christ has redeemed others, they will begin to believe that He can redeem them as well.  This Monday we worked on learning the story of the Samaritan woman at the well.

Tuesday was a Sabbath day for us while Larry did some work at the Bantu church construction site.  The majority of Wednesday was spent purchasing new materials for the construction, and we spent most of Thursday getting a flat tire fixed.  When you live 2 hours from the nearest tire shop and are constantly driving on rocky roads, a good spare is a necessity and getting it repaired takes all day.  We have learned to accept that some days will be like this.  We are currently at a total of 6 flat tires and 8 times the car wouldn’t start.  But it has always worked out.  God is good and my husband is pretty awesome.

Friday the final trusses were raised on the Bantu church.  The workers are finishing the end walls and the support poles and tin roof will go on this next week!  Everyone is so excited to get the roof on and to start laying the rock for the floor. 

Yesterday we went out to Abebee for Sunday morning worship.  We have made a couple of adventurous treks to Abebee, but this one definitely topped the list.  Because of the rain, we went the entire way by gaarii.  There was just no way the car could make it, and there were several places we had to walk as the horse crossed a bad part on its own.  By the time we made it back to Bantu, we counted 22 times we either got into or out of the horse cart.  It was a 3 hour round trip and a muddy mess, but it was so good to be able to worship with our sister church in Abebee. 

After the Abebee trip, we ate a quick lunch and headed up into the mountains to one of the most beautiful places on earth.  Our destination was a village called Bottonee, where we shared about 700 Meals 4 Multitudes.  Bottonee is one of the hardest hit villages while people wait for this next harvest to come in.  After Bottonee, we had the privilege of visiting Berhanu and Shewa in their home for a traditional Ethiopian meal and coffee ceremony.  They were such gracious hosts, and we loved spending time with them.  Sunday was a wonderful day, but also very exhausting.  By the end of the day, we’d crossed 10 rivers.  We were so physically tired that both Matthew and Josh fell asleep during dinner.  Though we were tired, we are very thankful for the opportunity to make the most of the time we have left here.

Thank you so much for keeping us in your prayers.  We have only three weeks left, and we are praying that God uses us in every way He has planned before we return home.