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!

Ethiopia: Thursday February 2, 5:30 AM Texas: Wednesday February 8:30 PM

While reading the Psalms this morning, the Holy Spirit led me Paul’s charge to Timothy in his second book. I thought I was led there for the perfect scripture to read to the men and women at the closing of our last training session. But as I read further I discovered a verse that each of us on the trip can relate to.

“I have been poured out like a drink offering and it is time for my departure.” II Timothy 4:6

 I do not want to be melodramatic because I am not announcing our imminent deaths as was Paul.  But I and the entire team have poured out all that we have at this location. Each of us has had an out of body experience where it seemed that God was speaking through us at will. Last night we all testified that the trainings were going better than we hoped or imagined and that God was touching and transforming lives, but every one of us were drained, wiped out.  It was like we were depleted and full at the same time.

 I wish and pray for each of you such an experience.  That the Holy Spirit move through you to use you on some occasion to the extent that you are both empty and full, exhausted and energized.

The work you are doing here is mighty and important. The Muslim movement is becoming more aggressive and abusive. We have heard stories of verbal threats, actual stoning and the taking over of people’s property because they have spoken outwardly about their faith in Jesus. Land bought and designated for churches have been marked by Muslims with a star and a crescent moon serving as a threat to Christians to not gather or build on that sight.   While the Evangelical Church was sound asleep, aggressive Muslims moved in paying the poor to attend church, infiltrating the  government in justice positions and gaining enormous influence in what used to be known as a Christian Nation. Ethiopia is surrounded my Muslim Nations, and this last Christian Strong hold for African nations is under siege.

The work in Gunchri, ministering to all citizens, even the Muslims has given us entry into a battle zone that is critical for the cause of Christ. I praise God for your generosity and commitment to this cause. It is important, necessary and impacting. 

So though we have been poured out like a drink offering and it is time for our departure, it is not for the purpose of fear or death that we move on, but to be poured out again to another group of pastors and wives that they also may continue the good fight on the front lines for Christ.

Today we wrap up our time in Wolisso and prepare for the next leg of our journey. We are praying for you and I trust you are praying for us.

Ethiopia: Wednesday February 1 4:55 AM Texas: Tuesday January 31 7:55PM

I have been praying through the Psalms this trip, this morning chapters 113-118, lingering this morning in that will known verse from the last chapter. “This is the day that the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice in it.”  118:24

The sun has not yet crept over the horizon and the night sounds of Africa linger in the air….hundreds of monkeys scampering through the trees with nimble quickness……over 1,000 different species of birds preparing to greet the first rays of daylight with chirping songs of praise….in the distance jackals howl in celebration after capturing breakfast…. A hyena walking up the steps of my hut nudges the door of my cabin with  its nose hoping to find an open door quickly darts back in the forest when hearing the footsteps of an security guard making his final rounds of the night……Soon the imam will climb the tower of the mosque chanting through a microphone that sends his beckoning call over the countryside for Muslims to wake up and pray to Allah. ……A single mosquito buzzing in my hut, herself seeking substance.

The night sounds of Africa are much like the sounds of our own lives as we awaken each morning. Both our souls and bodies yearn for food to fill the emptiness in our rested bodies. We crave substance. We hunger and we thirst for more than what we experienced the day before and the day before. We long for the first rays of daylight to burst through the darkness of our souls, giving hope to a grief stricken heart.  And when we do discover the food we so desperately need and the first rays of hope do penetrate our dark night of the soul, we want to sing, we want to celebrate…”This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Though we are 8400 miles apart I am find myself praying for you with even more intensity.  Perhaps it is the distance that fuels that desire, but I have noticed that as I age I realize that prayer is the greatest work.  As your pastor and friend, more than preaching, teaching or counseling, God has called me to pray for the body. So as you wind down your Tuesday and prepare for a good night’s sleep, now that the God of Africa, Texas and the entire Cosmos is aware of every yearning hunger in your body, mind and soul and when morning comes, he will surely satisfy. Be ready to awake tomorrow and every day this song on your lips….”This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

So today, God use our team to feed the pastors and their wives who come hungry to learn how to help you build your church.  Today will be day two of the first of two Training sessions. 

Ethiopia: Tuesday January 31, 5:15 AM Texas: Monday January 30, 8:15 AM

We are in Woliso, a small rural community in the Guragy Zone, like a county, in the western region of Ethiopia. There is no wi-fi  and cell phone service is extremely sporadic. The electrical voltage fluctuates from zero to great surges that creating havoc and great risk for any sensitive technological equipment. Lisa plugged in a surge protector and it was instantly fried.  There are limited television stations, including the familiar CNN, but their broadcast has a much different slant, focusing on Europe, China, the Middle East and Africa.

It is strange not being able to turn on my computer and instantly connect with the world. I tried sending Dallas a text but it would not go through.  My I powerful I phone has  been  reduced most of the time to a watch.

Being unplugged has its virtues. I laid in bed reading the Word and listening for God’s voice for over an hour. I received confirmation from the Holy Spirit while reading Psalm 111 that I was exactly where I needed to be at this point in time and so was the entire St. Mathew team. It is hard being away from the family and church body that you love so much and I greatly miss being connected to you, but I remain steadfast in my conviction that God has sent us to this land for a purpose. I do not have a clear vision of the Big Picture, but I trust the One who does and just want us to be obedient to him today.

Today, we will begin training 50 rural pastors and their wives in the concept of being a Missional Church.  Claudia, Leigh Ann and Melissa will teach the women,  I will share with the men, Lisa Latham will record the sessions and interview various participants so we can share what God is doing through your Birthday Gift to Jesus.

One story.  We visited the training sites yesterday afternoon and was a little taken back. Last years training was in a hotel, not what you and I are used to, but there were bathrooms with running water and class room facilities with power to support computer power point presentations. That is not the case at this site.  All of our planed teaching aids were quickly deemed useless. We were not discouraged, but each scrambling to discern how we were going to communicate the lessons God had laid upon our hearts. About that time a sea of children engulfed us. They spoke no English. We spoke no Amharic.  But in less than a minute we bonded. They played with us, laughed with us, took our hands and walked with us. We bonded. We communicated. Each of us walked away knowing that power point or no power point, God would provide the Holy Spirit and everyone would understand. Not what we wanted to say, but what God wanted them to hear.

We have an amazing God.