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
