Ethiopia, Day 5 – May 2012

It’s crazy that we are actually leaving. This week has flown by while at the same time it feels like we have had our new friends for months or even years. Our final day was definitely one to remember on many levels for our team.

This morning I got to preach at the church in Korah. This was about as incredible of a
privilege as I can imagine receiving and I really loved every minute of it. I’m sure it wasn’t as good of preaching as the church is used to but for me to get to preach the gospel at a church founded in poverty and persecution was such an amazing blessing. The worship service was beautiful, especially the time of prayer which was far more passionate than anything I’ve been around. I don’t speak the language at all but heard their word for thanks over and over again. It’s unreal being in the presence of people who, at least to our eyes, have so little and are thanking God so much. The music was also very wonderful. They sang with heart, many of the same lines over and over again. When I went up to preach my friend Engida translated for me which I really appreciated. I told our Ethiopian brothers and sisters that they will have the blessing of Engida making my words better for them while my American didn’t get that luxury. It was a real experience preaching to such an incredible audience.

I preached from Romans 6:20-23 and reinforced what was already evident in Korah, that in Christ we have greater riches than the earth could ever give us. I have to get the Student Section to get that engaged next time I teach in there. Stephen wrapped up with a benediction. He and Engida read Psalm 145 two verses at a time switching between English and Amharic. Hearing the different languages is really great. We had to leave Korah and say goodbye to the faithful elders and wonderful kids. This one girl named Edileweb was my favorite she was the sweetest girl maybe in this whole awesome country. She kept saying I was her friend. Another great kid was Ezekiel. He is Taye’s nephew and his mother led the prayer time that was so powerful.

When we got back from Korah we enjoyed a bountiful harvest of trail mix and clif bars for lunch. There were also a few Larabars consumed but to each their own. After lunch we went with our friends to the boys’ halfway home for our closing ceremony put on by Onesimus. There is no way I could adequately capture this ceremony in words but it was just the greatest fellowship you could imagine. Our hosts roasted coffee beans then crushed them and then made them into the best coffee ever. There were many hugs and songs celebrating God’s love. Our other American friends, John and Shad and their daughters were all honored and given gifts. We were really taken care of by their magnificent hospitality, as usual. These kids are just so amazing. I really encourage everyone reading our blogs that are the least bit interested to pray about visiting and seeing for yourself because it’s incredible. Desse, who has an incredible story, sang a song for us and just made all the more real and beautiful the mission of Onesimus taking neglected, seemingly useless street kids and prayerful encouraging them to be useful children of God. These kids were all so great and the staff that serves them and loves is full of the hugest hearts I’ve ever been around.

Maybe my favorite moment was saying goodbye to Fucado, one of the older boys. We hugged real tight and he told me he loved me and I told him that I loved him too and he just lit up. Fucado looked like a kid who might think he was too cool for the activities but he wasn’t that way at all he just really wanted to be loved and thanks to what God’s doing in Addis he is getting that love and is learning the love of Christ as well. Leaving the home was very hard but after a bunch of hugs we went back to the guest house.
We had chicken and rice for dinner with a meat sauce called zigawhat. It may have been the best meal Ababa made all week. After dinner we had a coffee ceremony on the third floor of the guest house and got to enjoy some great final fellowship with Nega, Taye, and Engida. After we prayed we got on the van to leave. God taught us so much this week. We’ll all be processing for quite awhile. I’m extremely thankful for all who supported me on this trip through pray and giving. I promise you were represented well and I can’t even begin to tell you how many prayers God answered this week. Our time was so sweet and while we learned a lot I think the greatest thing we learned was to never underestimate the gospel even in the lives of “worthless,” street kids! Zigawhat.

Written by Steve Kieklak

Ethiopia, Day 4 – May 2012

Every night we have been debriefing the day and sharing our personal testimonies with each other and praying over the person who has shared their testimony. This has been such an encouragement to our team and just as God seems to do, he is binding our hearts together as a team more and more, as the days continue. Last night we were up late visiting and sharing with one another the stories of God’s faithfulness from the day as well as preparing for another ministry day in Korah, the area of Addis Ababa known as “the dump” and very impoverished.

The team is beginning to struggle for adequate rest and this is wonderful place to be in some regards as we know as we continue to minister here in Ethiopia it will be the Spirit of the Living God giving us strength and energy to bring glory and honor to His name through our team. One of the other people staying in the guest house told us about a good bazaar held at the International Evangelical Church (IEC) in Addis Ababa where we could purchase local items where a portion of the money would be given to the church, the largest evangelical church in Ethiopia (over 5000 members). The market/bazaar was very nice, there was no haggling really, no pressure, and you felt great about spending money knowing many of the items purchased were funding additional ministry here in Addis Ababa.

In the afternoon we went to the church in Korah very near “the dump” where God has
been blessing the efforts of the church leaders and the pastor to bring the hope of the gospel of Jesus Christ into this very difficult part of Addis Ababa. The scope of our job today was simply to minister to the children of Korah so we did our best to put on a gospel driven program where we sang simple gospel songs, acted out a story from the Bible and explained it and gave a God, Man, Christ, Response interactive message. The time there was so sweet as most of the team were holding children, many without parents because of Aids or other illnesses, and all seemed like we again were reminded why we were there; to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

We left the church there in Korah and went over to the actual dump area. This was quite difficult and powerful and will be quite a challenge to explain in short explanation. Essentially the dump is like our landfills where all the trash and waste from Addis Ababa is brought to a huge location. Due to the poverty in Korah and the overwhelming population of Addis Ababa hundreds if not thousands of people rush to the dump every time they see a trash truck coming with a new load of the city’s waste. They want to be the first ones to look through trash to find food to provide for their families or something they can either use at their home or sell for a livelihood. We encountered a woman digging through the acres of trash to find nails that she could sell for money. The smells and sights of the dump were overwhelming. We gathered as a team and prayed for the people in Korah, and praying that God would bring about change for those in the dump.

There was a powerful moment as we were reminded that our very best in the eyes of God is as the acres of trash in the dump and yet we receive the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:16-21) in Christ Jesus for the glory of God Father. And at the same time we were overwhelmed at the reality that our brothers and sisters in Christ are living in such conditions, and these are just the ones who have the hope of the gospel in their lives, not to mention those who are without the hope of Christ. It was heartbreaking. We were not in the dump for more than 25 mins but it was long enough to burn into our memory for a long time if not forever. Pray for Korah!

Finally we ended out day at a traditional Ethiopian restaurant where the food is served family style and all eaten with your fingers (right hand only) in a culturally appropriate manner centered around relationships. There was cultural dancing, clapping, and singing. It was a wonderful experience and we are exhausted from the day. May God receive all glory and honor from this day for his glory forever!

Ambassadors for Christ - Ethiopia Team 2012

Written by Stephen Martin

Ethiopia, Day 3 – May 2012

We began today by going to Onesimus to pick up Tyae and we dropped off some supplies for the children to use for future activities.  We then went to Korah and met with their pastor and many other staff members of the church at Korah to pray and encourage them by way of the gospel.  In it’s beginning, Korah was a place where the people of Ethiopia would send the lepers and other unwanted people groups.  Now it is a community where poverty reigns.  There is no water in Korah and most of the people live and work in the dump.  Most people also go to the dump to search for food and things to sell.

The prayer coordinator explained to us that the church at Korah had started as a prayer group at a small house and were praying that God would expand their hopes that had been placed in their hearts to start an organization to help the children of Korah.  The church of Korah’s goal is to practice wholistic ministry with the people who come to the church.  The three main prayer requests the pastor and staff have are:

*Pray that the suffering and poverty would end in Korah and the community would change in its character to better glorify God.

*Pray that God would provide a way for the church of Korah to purchase their own land, because right now they are renting property and the land owner has raised their rent several times.

*Pray that local churches would partner with the church at Korah in order to support each other and provide wholistic ministry opportunities for the community.

At the end of our time together we prayed for their requests to be granted according to God’s will.  We were also encouraged by their hope and their perseverance even through persecution to serve the children at Korah.

After lunch we went to Mt. Entoto, the highest mountain in Addis.  The majesty of God’s
work was displayed again when we reached the top of the mountain and viewed all of Addis Ababa.  From there we went to the museum near the top of the mountain that contained the first church and palace of the first king of Ethiopia.  We wrapped up the evening by driving through downtown Addis where the mega market of Addis is located.  There were a lot of people and cars going every direction and we are very thankful for the driver that maneuvered us safely through the madness.

Some things we learned today are that street signs are merely suggestions. Spelling is up to interpretation and the best way to spend long car rides in Addis is by figuring out ways to incorporate Paul’s name into words (such as: eyepaul, apaulogize, pineapaul, paulitics, etc).

We continue to be in awe of how God is moving here in Addis and feel so blessed to be called to serve Him here with all of the people He has put in our lives to learn from and share the gospel with.

Written by Paul Ussery & Carley Tisdale

Ethiopia, Day 2 – May 2012

We had the opportunity today to go back to the Onesimus drop-in center where we were yesterday. When we arrived many of the same children we met yesterday were there, and we were able to pick up friendships where they left off. The morning was spent playing with children, talking with the staff members about their lives, hearing testimonies and helping serve the staff.

For lunch we got to experience our first taste of authentic Ethiopian cuisine. We enjoyed
injera, gomen, and siga wat with the staff. Injera is a type of flatbread that is kind of similar in texture to a crepe and is used to scoop up the other sauces; Gomen is a dish of collard greens; Siga wat is a red meat sauce. Afterwards, we put on a program for the children teaching them songs, which they were somewhat able to join us in. They were highly amused at our rendition of Father Abraham! Stephen was then able to share the gospel, which was translated by Tyae, one of the staff members.

Later in the afternoon, we all had the opportunity to sit down with the Onesimus’ staff members and take time to fellowship together and hear prayer requests from each individual and Onesimus as a whole.  We took turns singing praise songs in both Amharic and English. Hearing their beautiful voices and seeing their passion for Christ was breathtaking!

A few of the common prayer requests:

*Pray for effectiveness in ministry and seeing the glory of God in their work and in the lives of the street children they work with.

*Pray for family members many of which are lost, others are sick and others far away.

*Pray for spiritual and physical change for the children.

If you are interested in a more specific list feel free to contact us when we get home.

Some specific prayer requests:

*Pray for the Onesimus organization and for next steps in their vision and seeking God’s will for how to expand their ministry.

*Pray for financial and human resources are a priority. They are hoping to plant a church as well as open an orphanage in the future as God provides and leads. They are also seeking immediate provision for an office space and new home for the halfway house boys.

*Pray for staff members, that they would be fully committed and would have patience working with the children in what can sometimes be very difficult situations.

After spending some time in prayer, we had a little more time to spend with the staff and children before heading home for the night. It was a great day of serving!

Written by Lauren Maddox and Latricia Reichman

Ethiopia, Day 1 – May 2012

Onesimus. A name used in the Bible to describe a man that was once useless but was made useful through the work of God in his life (Philemon 11). In our first day here in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, our team of seven was blessed to hear Pastor Nega share the heart that God has given him in starting the Onesimus Children Development Association (OCDA) in Addis, a ministry which the Lord has led the James Initiative to partner with and support.Nega’s heart behind Onesimus is to work with street children with the goal of providing first and foremost for their spiritual need of having a relationship with Jesus Christ. The foundation technically works with children ages 5-16, but as Pastor Nega said, “spiritual ministry and evangelism are for all ages.” Children are living on the streets as a result of circumstances such as their families’ low income, the divorce of their parents, and/or the death of their parents, leaving them to seem very “useless” not only to their families but to the community. He told us that even local churches seem to look at them with disdain.Even within the thirty minute presentation that he gave us about Onesimus, it was obvious 
how broken his heart is for street children. The name Onesimus was aptly chosen by Pastor Nega because of the desire that God has given him to see children that are “useless” to the world around them, and teach them and their families that they are extremely “useful” – for the future of Ethiopia and to the Lord and Savior of the universe. OCDA is seeking after street children, with the compassion of a shepherd tending after its flock, and pouring the gospel over them. Within OCDA, the children are taught math, English, Amharic, and art. They also get to play games, learn proper sanitation like brushing their teeth, and receive overflowing love and counseling from the Onesimus staff. OCDA focuses not only on sharing the gospel with the children, but making sure that they are truly being discipled. It was amazing to hear the testimonies that Pastor Nega shared with us about the children that they never gave up on, even when they would come into the Onesimus program and return the streets over and over again.

I know that my explanation could never give this organization that God has planted in Ethiopia any justice whatsoever, but I wanted to give a glimpse of how the Lord is truly moving in Addis. During our team reflection and prayer time after dinner, the weightiness of the gospel implications of today were tangible. We are all like street children. We choose destruction and sin over a holy and perfect Savior. But God called us to Himself, waking us up from the dead, and pulling us out of the rotting pit of stuff that we were clinging to. He took us from being “useless”, and turned our hearts towards Him, leading us to repentance and trust in His saving power. He made us new creations and “useful” in His sight. How beautiful! The testimonies of the children that have gone through and are currently going through OCDA is a breathtaking testament to the fact that the gospel is the power of God to save every single person, regardless of their circumstances.

Please be praying that God would provide a new house for OCDA’s Halfway Home for Boys and Forsaken Children’s ministry office. They have been told by the renters of their current home, which holds about 11 boys, that they will need to move out almost immediately so it can be used for other purposes.

More information can be found at: www.facebook.com/OnesimusCDA which also has continuous updates as to what God is doing there.

Amaseganalow!!

Written by SD

Ethiopia – May 2012

Good afternoon! We have just finished our first full day in Adidis Ababa and have been with Nega and his staff most of the day at Onesimus. We went briefly out to the boys half way house (group home) for a look at what they do in partnership with the center.

Everyone seems to be doing well. We will eat dinner at 7pm here and then debrief from the day and plan for tomorrow.

Written by Stephen Martin

Ethiopia – May 2012

The Ethiopia Team arrived yesterday afternoon around 9p their time and 1p our time.  They are currently in their first day of ministry with Onesimus, a ministry to street kids through the capital of Addis Ababa.  Pray that God might use them powerfully this week to display the love of Christ to these children.  Pray that these kids might receive adoption as sons and daughters into Christian homes, but also as God’s children, through faith in Christ.

More info on Onesimus can be found HERE.  More info on The James Initiative (our main partner to Ethiopia) can be found HERE.

Written by Ryan Martin

Reach/Campus Work Day – May 2012

This was our Fifth Annual Reach Work Day.  We served five of our local ministries around town (Loving Choices, ISCA, BCM, Lightbearers and Second Mile Ministries), as well as helped spruce up the UBC campus with hands-on projects.  Here is a sampling of the work accomplished!

 

Night of Prayer – April 2012

Friday, April 27th, we hosted a Night of Prayer for all of our Direct Support Missionaries/Ministries to have the opportunity to present their ministries and for the Body to pray for them.  Here is just a snapshot of the evening!  Go HERE to read more about who they are and download the latest prayer/praise report from our partners.

Written by Ryan Martin

LifeGroup Outreach – April 2012

Our group was able to help out with a couple who has recently joined our LifeGroup.  They have just bought a ‘fixer up-er’ and are beginning with renovations to the interior of their home.  They have several outside projects that needed a helping hand, so our LifeGroup was able to chip in.  Rather than giving you all the details myself, check out their first-hand account of our time being the hands and feet of Christ.

http://www.simplehouseexpressions.com/2012/04/03/thankful-for-helping-hands/

Written by Ryan Martin, Andrew & Arielle Toburen