Saturday, May 22nd 11 pm. All I can say is Wow! What started out as a simple travel day turned into a bonding experience for the team that will forever be remembered.
We are now quartered about 1 ½ hours away our final mission sight, Gunchire. The fact that we are only 25 miles away will tell you the kinds of roads we will be driving on. Our accommodations are excellent, much better than we deserve but I think it will help everyone get rested at the end of each long day.
The God moment occurred on what was described as a simple hike to and around a crater lake. We had been told the scenery would be breath taking and it was. Words cannot explain what we witnessed. When we return pictures will be placed on the website and you will quickly see that we were walking where the hands of God did some of his most amazing work. Gorgeous mountains, waterfalls, green meadows, a crystal clear glassy lake, monkeys darting through gargantuan trees, hot springs pouring out of the side of the cliffs, fresh water springs bubbling up from the grounds and that barely touches the surface. The pictures burned in our minds will never match the hundreds of digital photos taken by all of the cameras but that was not the bonding experience.
The simple picturesque hike turned into a arduous journey. Besides being over 3 miles, felt like 10,, many of the paths were narrow, steep and downright dangerous. Sometimes we were walking through wet marsh land, other times down or up dusty, narrow rocky paths. Most of our group had never experienced such a taxing physical challenge. I suspect if they knew how hard and long the journey was going to take, several would have opted out. It was tough. It was equivalent to some Extreme Sports you see on television. There were horses to assist but even that proved sometimes to be more than a simple pony ride at the county fair.
Despite the fatigue, the minor wounds, winded lungs and wet noodle legs the group hung together and completed the journey side by side. It was the Body of Christ. It was Communitas. Every member of the group made a contribution to our successful journey. Every member of the group pushed themselves beyond their normal limits. Every member of the group was exhausted as we took our final steps. Every member of the group learned how to push through pain, fear and fatigue. Every member of the group won a personal victory.
But more importantly, every member of the group learned that together we can do more than we can on our own. Two are stronger than one. Three are stronger than two. Four are stronger…….
Look out Planet Earth. We have been through our Spiritual Boot camp and are now ready to change the world, one person at a time. People of St. Matthew, will you join us?
Sunday, May 23rd 8:30 P. M. Absolutely no internet service yesterday or today because of the national elections. We stayed sequestered in our compound at the request of both American and Ethiopian officials. Hopefully I can post my Saturday and Sunday blog entries early Monday morning.
Today turned out to be a rest day. Everyone did their own thing at their own pace except for morning worship and the evening meal. I made my way early this morning and found a secluded place on a gigantic patio made in the top of the trees. The view was breath taking. God and I were having a pretty good conversation when I found myself surrounded by a 6 monkeys. One by one they took turns climbing on to the extra chair to scan the table for my breakfast. The look on their faced reflected disappointment and disgust. Each one then inspected my backpack for any open zippers. One even made a feeble attempt to open a pocket but quickly turned away when I flinched.
Their intrusion was welcomed and even led me to the creation story in Genesis 1 and the declaration in Isaiah 55 where the mountains and hills burst into song while the trees of the field clap their hands. There high in the trees as the sun climbed into the sky I worshipped the Lord among the creatures of the forest and was taken to a place of wonder and praise. “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!”
The group assembled at 10:30 for corporate worship. There were no pews or cushy chairs. Stain glass was replaced by light reflecting off glistening foliage and there was no cross except for the one each worshipper carried in their heart. The sketchy worship order was hastily written on a piece of scratch paper. No organ, no band, only a computer with little volume to lead and carry the tune for a huge crowd of 13, the 8 of us and five more from Joe Robertson and the Adera Foundation. There was no clock or deadline. We met in an outdoor bar.
What began as a brief 30 minute small group worship experience turned into an hour and a half of praise, sharing and time in the Word. When the final Amen was said, no one moved or said a word. We just sat there in awe of what God had done and taught. The Saturday afternoon grueling hike around Lake Wenchie became a living parable that taught each of us something about ourselves and what it means to follow Jesus. The Communitas created on the mountain open the flood gates for a freedom to praise God and be transparent with one another. Once again, God took a simple little exercise and used it to bond us even tighter and teach us important life lessons.
As is most always the case when someone makes their self available to God, every person on this trip will come home a different person.
I spent most of the afternoon studying and writing for our summer sermon series, but I was distracted by this reoccurring thought. “Why can’t a group of 100, 200 or even a group of 500 plus come together and experience the same in weekend worship?” I wrestled and wrestled, trying to think of what we could do to help replicate what we experienced in that bar. God finally spoke loud and clear. “You can’t, only by my power and my spirit.”
So please join me in praying that God will take all of our worship services to a new level. Pray for the new contemporary service to be added before we even know the time it will convene. Pray that whether people sing out loud or stand in silence, kneel or raise their hands, read from the screen or a hymnbook, take notes or simply listen, that God will change lives and mobilize our church family to serve and be a witness of
God with reckless abandon. Pray that God that the Holy Spirit will pour down like rain and not cease until all who enter the St. Mathew doors are transformed into radical followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I missed being with you in worship this weekend but I know that Jeff did an excellent job. We prayed for the services last night and this morning trusting that though we are miles apart God is not hindered by distance or location. If you see Dallas or any of my sons, please give them a hug for me. Though I am exactly where God wants me to be, I miss them so.
Monday, May 24th 8:45 pm
Four years ago God planted in my heart a vision. The people called St. Matthew would plant a mission work in Africa. I didn’t know where or what, but the divine message was crystal clear. As we began to pray and seek the direction God would lead, Martha Owen introduced us to her son in law, Joe Robertson. At the same time we were seeking clarity on the African vision, God was rousting Joe from his pew saying “It is time for you to do something with your life beyond providing for your own family. Get up and serve me in Africa.”
A partnership was born and today I got to see first hand the fruit of your hard work and generosity. God has taken your birthday gift to Jesus and used it to transform a whole community. Guncherie is not the same place since St. Matthew arrived on the scene.
- Besides feeding over 100 orphans, the garden provides steady employment for area workers.
- The two cows and 64 chickens, housed in barns funded by you, provide breakfast 365 days a year at zero expense.
- Four water stations serve 1,000 families each every day, have reduced the longest walk for water to 1.5 miles, reduced disease from foul water and has spurned neighborhood construction. One water station has attracted the construction of over 100 new dwellings.
- The soccer field has been transformed from a hard dirt pavement to a lush grass playing surface. It is also protected by a beautiful fence, and serves as home to 38 teams, each clothed in uniforms with the St. Matthew name across the front.
- The junior high boys now have an 8 stall bathroom at their public school.
- The women’s ministry is educating women about their rights to take care of the bodies by not subjecting themselves to the ancient tribal custom of circumcision. They are also teaching them prenatal care, birth control options and that their children do not have to work the farm if they want to go to school. The city government is the enforcer, backing the women’s right to assert themselves to their husband.
- The Kindergartener’s now have two new class rooms, school supplies to last a year and a brand new 8 stall bathroom. The dedication of the kindergarten rooms brought out all of the city officials and the power brokers of their education system. I will post their remarks when I get a copy of their manuscripts. It is important to note that the two class rooms are identified with a plack identifying St. Matthew as the donor, dated May 2010. Those expressing their thanks to God and us for the donation were Muslim.
- We divided up our team and visited four different high school class rooms and helped them practice on their English. It was a stimulating exchange and we got to talk about our love for God and Jesus, including the meaning of Christmas and Easter.
To say I was overwhelmed would be an understatement. What we saw, touched and experienced today was a witness to the power of prayer, vision, sacrifice and faith. St. Matthew, you are making a difference. God is changing lives on the other side of the world through you. I am humbled, honored and extremely proud to serve as your pastor. And yes, the best is yet to come.
Tuesday May 25th, 9:30 P.M.
We split up into two groups today. One returned to Guncheri and spent the day with the Kindergarteners. Besides relating and playing with the children, they helped them set up their resource center and showed them how to use the provided supplies. The children loved the interaction with the loving Americans and the teachers were overwhelmed with the abundance of supplies. Because of the two new class rooms, they expect enrollment to increase from 30 to 100 in the upcoming school year. Praise be to God!
The second group joined Claudia and myself as we led two different groups of pastors through a training session on how to prepare and present a message. Most of the pastors have little or no education and receive no pay for serving as a local pastor. They have full time jobs during the day and stand up on Sunday morning, open the bible and let’er rip.
Claudia did an excellent job teaching them how to develop a message by staring with scripture and prayer. She took them through a step by step process and then gave them a sermon synopsis that I had prepared from one of our Live Life Strong messages. We are going to package every six weeks a one page synopsis of each message in a series and send them to LeT, an Ethiopian pastor’s training organization. They will disburse the package to the pastors and they will write their own message using our provided templates.
These pastors are hungry for training. They know little or nothing about leading a church, preaching the Word or reaching out into the community. The Muslims are rapidly taking over their communities and they are eager to take the news of the Gospel into the community and fight the good fight for the Gospel. LeT ministries is interested in St. Matthew assisting in the training and equipping of all the Ethiopian Protestant pastors.
Imagine the opportunity a little old church in Burleson Texas how has. We are being asked to help evangelize a whole nation for Jesus Christ by helping strengthen the local church. Ethiopia is strategically positioned in the middle of hostile Muslim nations. If the Ethiopian Christians lose any more ground, the entire Christian population is at risk and the government will take a hard swing towards a Muslim bent.
I am humbled that God is giving us this opportunity. Please join your mission team in praying for this unlimited opportunity. Most of all pray that God will give us wisdom to know how, when and where to respond to this opportunity. Also pray for LeT Ministries and the protestant pastors as they make a stand for Jesus on what is becoming a ferocious battle in a rapidly growing Muslim population.
I am proud to be associated with such a bold and courageous group of people. Thank you St. Matthew for living what you teach………The purpose of St. Matthew Cumberland Presbyterian Church is to share the love and grace of Jesus Christ with as many people as we can. You, we, are doing just that. Thanks be to God.
Good night. Having a great experience, but I am ready to get home.
Wednesday, May 26th 5:30 P.M.
Today was very satisfying. The work we are doing in the Gunchire community is making a huge impact. Everywhere I turned there was a child wearing a St. Matthew T shirt with pride. From the water stations, to the soccer field, to the schools, to the city government and to the churches the name “St. Matthew” opens doors and brings smiles to people’s faces. God is using you to improve the quality of life for a desperate people and giving them something for which the whole world craves, hope.
The most significant impact of our community improvements is the glory it brings to God and the credit it gives to Jesus Christ. Everyone in Gunchire Muslims included, know that every penny and minute invested by St. Matthew was because the love of Jesus compels us. Muslim, atheist and Christian alike have been loved, cared for and ministered to all the same.
If you ever get to make this trip, you will quickly find out what it means to be a rock star. The whole community knows when St. Matthew is coming to town and they eagerly look for our arrival. Once here, throngs of people, especially children, follow you all over town smiling, thankful, yearning for relationship. They might as well give you the key to the city because you own the town when you are here. Our name is plastered in so many places a visitor could easily be convinced that the name of the community is St. Matthew not Gunchire.
Again, the beauty of this scenario is that the local protestant churches are gaining respect and influence in the community. We have other community projects on tap, but I want to focus on strengthening the local church so they can be the hub around which everything revolves. The Muslim community is making their move into this community but the Church is ready to take a stand for Christ. The thousands of dollars you have invested into this tiny little town have better empowered the witness of the local church.
Traveling with this group of people has been a joy. Each member of the team has had a great attitude and a willing spirit. God called out and arranged the perfect group for this particular trip. Still, everyone is ready to go home, me included. I have fallen in love with the Ethiopian people but I bleed Texan and am eager to see my family and be rejoined with you in worship. Though I am miles away I pray for you every morning and trust you are doing the same for me. I am so proud to serve as one of your pastors.
Thursday, May 27th 8:30 P.M.
Today was a day of travel and shopping. We made the long drive from the jungle country side into the big city. The landscape of Africa is beautiful but the driving is very dangerous. Donkeys, goats, and humans have the right away on every road and highway. There are no traffic signs or signal lights. Traveling down an Ethiopian road is better than any roller coaster you have ever ridden. It is a thrill a second and only the most alert and seasoned driver dare take to the roads.
I have to give God a huge praise to wrap this up.
Thanks be to God for good friends and a loving family! Though I am thousands of miles away from home, I have received numerous texts and calls wishing me Happy Birthday. To top it all off, our Mission team surprised me with a big bowl of ice cream, a card and a keepsake gift from Ethiopia. The gift is an ancient prayer book written using Amharic letters but in the Gez language. Only an Orthodox priest can read or interpret the document. Lucky for me Melissa has a contact at an Ethiopian Orthodox church in Irving so I am in business.
I am overwhelmed with emotions. God has done an amazing work through our team. I have seen baby Christians grow before my very eyes. I have witnessed miracle after miracle and firmly believe that God has great plans for us for many years in this wonderful country. Most of all, I have experienced Communitas in the most powerful way. I pray each of you experience the opportunity to be joined with a group of people in this deepest level of community.
We head home tomorrow night and look forward to sharing all that God had done through us, in us, and among us. Thank you for your prayers. Can't wait to be with you in worship.
Egzavier yemsegene!
(May God bless you!)
Rick
