September 2016: Field Day 4

By Dave Helfrick

Thursday

A time for mourning.

I’ve taken 4 trips to Ethiopia now. I would never say I’ve experienced it all, not even close. Today, though, I added a new experience I never expected to have, particularly in Ethiopia. I spoke at the funeral of an Ethiopian grandmother. I’ll call her Betty.

After breakfast this morning, Tom came to my room and said we had an opportunity to speak at a local funeral, and also to present the gospel. Betty died yesterday, and there was to be many, many people coming to the funeral. Betty was a believer, but many of those attending are not. Sharing the gospel here would be a chance to share with more folks than we have the entire week to date.

I wish I could tell you that my heart leapt at the thought, and that I said through Christ I can do all things. If only. I did say yes, however, and I did know that the Holy Spirit would guide me. In fact, after I had prepared on the way, during the service I began to become nervous, maybe even fearful, that I would mix up my notes, or forget them altogether.

And THEN IT HAPPENED. A Scripture came to mind, and I knew the Spirit had given it to me for this very time. Immediately after, I relaxed and knew that “God’s got this.” The Scripture was “when you stand before men, do not worry about what you will say or how to say it. You will be given what to say, and it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit speaking through you.”

While that verse is taken slightly out of context, nonetheless I knew that message was for me at that moment. From then on, I was confident knowing I had prepared as much as I could, and that the Spirit would lead me. During the time I spoke (through an interpreter of course), I forgot to say some things I had planned, and I said some things that I hadn’t even thought of till I began to speak. At the end of this, one man whom I will call Adam, professed his faith in Jesus. I will likely never see Adam again on a trip, but I will see him again one day. One glorious day.

-Dave

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September 2016: Field Day 3 (as well)

By Melissa Luque:

Each day in Ethiopia I am more blessed and my cup truly overflows. Yesterday as we descended down the mountain, I found myself praying for not only the Ethiopians but also for people everywhere. I am more keenly aware now of the enormous need to share the Gospel. I asked God for boldness in sharing the Good News and His answer was to go to Ethiopia with e3Partners. I thought I misunderstood and in fact, carried on several discussions with Him to really be sure. He was sure! Haha!
Being here in Ethiopia has increased my faith.

I have met some amazing people. We are invited in to homes with hospitality that I rarely see at home. What really blows me away is the worship here! I’ve witnessed and participated in worship like I’ve never witnessed before. If we would only worship like this in our churches and our homes.

This is one reason why we need God, for only He can give us a new heart, and replace our self-centeredness with His love. God’s promise is true: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone” (Ezekiel 36:26).

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September 2016: Field Day 3

By Rachel Helfrick

There’s something about the middle day of a field week. You feel very sluggish, and on the field you don’t seem to be doing the best you can do. The rest of the week? Fine. Total energy and love for the people, but Erin warned us the middle day would be the worst day.

So me of little faith going to the field with this mindset, I was feeling pretty down. It didn’t help that we haven’t had many people come to the Lord compared to last trips.

After a 40-minute walk of steep downhill, Allie, Jax and I arrived at our first house. When we had left, I left slightly encouraged. A man had been a Christian, but he had made bad choices and wanted our advice. We encouraged him and prayed for him, then left. At our next house, we didn’t do anything except pray for the house, because everyone was already Christian.

Our third house, we had a re-conversion (when someone was a Christian, turned away, then came back again). Her name is Mary. Now feeling energized (and foolish, because I hadn’t trusted the day to God), we climbed more steep hills to our fourth house. We had another re-conversion whose name is Martha. As soon as she came back to Jesus, she ripped her necklace off. The Ethiopian orthodox ‘Christians’ wear necklaces with crosses on them, symboling their orthodox religion. When Martha tore off her necklace, she was tearing away from the Orthodox Church. It was so moving. She didn’t care that she would now be persecuted, she just wanted Jesus again! This day definitely helped me realize that 1.,God knows what He’s doing, He’s got it,2.,if I’m feeling like the day won’t be that great, remember to pray!!! and 3., just because it’s the middle field day doesn’t mean it’s going to be a fruitless day!:)

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September 2016: Field Day 2 (as well)

By Abigail Shue

Today two of our disciple makers were arrested for a small offense that one of them had made.(maybe both, I didn’t get the details.) We had to wait until the discussion was done in order to make the trip to the houses that we were supposed to be at for the day. We started late and that threw the whole day off. We also ended late.

Our first house was the house of a Christian widow and her children and grandchildren. We encouraged her to keep going. In the second house there was also a family of Christians. It was the house of our disciple maker who brought his brother over. He accepted Christ. Our disciple maker had defeated its tried to share with him before but had failed. But when we came he listened and accepted.

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September 2016: Field Day 2

By Jax Sonnier

God has done great miracles. He has done many things on this trip. This morning people started fighting and said they didn’t want us to come into their village. We left. Two of our disciple makers were imprisoned and then released. Thank God!

It makes me feel sad that people were imprisoned, and we were not. They had to suffer through the consequences that we all should have suffered through altogether. We don’t get attacked for our faith, and it makes me sad watching it happen to our Ethiopian friends.

We returned to the village after things calmed down. In the first hut we visited, we led four people to Christ, but we must tell you that it is because of God not us. God loves us so much. All the things we got to do were amazing.

Even though the day started out rough, God made it better.

Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

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September 2016: Field Day 1 (as well)

By Jeremiah Shue:

Jesus told his followers to go out in twos and share about Jesus and perform miracles. Today we had a chance to exemplify that command. We went to the town of Dorze and shared the Evangecube and the PricelessCube with the people there. Today was a very exciting day, but also somewhat disappointing for those of us for which it is our first time to Ethiopia. For example, we drove to a church in Dorze excited and ready to share. I was with Dave Helfrick, our translator Wonbere, and our disciple maker Iraj, whose name I have most likely misspelled.

Anyway, it stated raining before we arrived, and by the time we left the church to head to the homes we were going to, the ground was nice and muddy, which did wonders on our shoes. Thankfully we had transport most of the time, but I still managed to get mud on my nose. 😯 Our first house was probably 8 feet square, but we still managed to share to about six people. As it turned out, four of them were already believers, one completely rejected our message, and one was an Ethiopian Orthodox believers who said essentially, “Your message is very good and necessary, but I do not believe.”

Oh well, we thought, maybe the other teams are doing better, and the next house will be more receptive. As it were, most of the other teams had about the same experience as we did. We learned this as they were passing by next to the church we had started at, which apparently was our next destination. We got there at about 1:30, but the people we were supposed to meet did not show up until about 4:00, right when we were leaving. In the meantime, we played with the children who kept showing up. Soon the other teams started to arrive and the kids swarmed Jax and his mom.

Although only one person came to Christ today, over 70 people heard the gospel, which is amazing. I would love to see what God does in the lives of these people. Please pray for the people we met today and those that are still waiting to hear this wonderful news.

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September 2016: Field Day 1

By Greg Shue:

So many thoughts, and in so many directions! Today my team only had the chance to present to four non-believers. One seemed to be looking for income as a tour guide, and he and his companion hurriedly and adamantly left as soon as we pulled out the Evangecube.

We then had a rich and open conversation with an Ethiopan Orthodox college student. He almost knew the whole gospel already, but didn’t have 100% confidence he would go to Heaven if he died today. Though he didn’t come to faith today, he did express a desire to study the Bible with the host family. (Ethiopian Orthodox laity are not allowed to own Bibles so this is a significant step and shows he must be a seeker.)

The last person we saw was an Ethiopian Orthodox woman who refused the gospel message, saying “What has been good enough for my first 35 years is good enough for the rest of my life.” Sad, but a mild reaction given what else we heard from the local believers.

I have heard about the persecuted Church a bit over the years but it was always “out there”. Today I was hearing the stories from the persecuted themselves. Stories of communal shunning, a mob trying to burn down a house and kill the believers (and God sending a vicious and feared neighborhood dog to drive the mob away), stoning and threats of dismemberment! What happened to tolerance? Oh yeah – it is getting redefined.

Now that I have connected with all of this, what am I supposed to do? What would you do?

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September 2016: The Great Commission

By Rebecca Shue:

When Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations,” he wasn’t speaking directly to Americans, but somehow, in America, we developed this idea that we are the primary missionaries who must go out and witness to the “poor backward” world. It would be hypocritical for me to say that we shouldn’t go but we are really only a link in the chain.

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Today we had an opportunity to worship with Ethiopian Christians. These churches are composed of people who learned about Christ through previous e3 trips. We drove only an hour from our hotel and the people were already speaking a different language. For us to speak to them required one translation into Amharic and another translation into their language, D’rusha. Twenty minutes further down the road, another portion of our group worshipped with people who spoke yet a different language. All this translating was fine for a special visit but not as a long term plan. But just imagine if each of the people in those churches learned the language of the people in the village next to them and shared the gospel themselves. That should be the true goal of American missions- churches that reproduce themselves.

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The Ethiopians have such enthusiasm and love for Christ that it truly transcends language barriers. As we start our village days tomorrow, I am happy to know that we are assisting Ethiopian Christians as they carry out the Great Commission.

 

** pictures to be uploaded when the Wifi is better!

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September 2016: Saturday at the Farmer’s Market

By Marcia McPhate:

Saturday, October 1st

This was the day The Lord made! We rejoiced and were glad!

We arrived in Arba Minch yesterday afternoon and checked into our hotel. There’s definitely a sense of long-held anticipation nearing it’s completion. We have joyfully greeted several of our Ethiopian brothers and sisters in Christ, and are anxious (Understatement!) to join them in encouraging the believers here and in being used by God to bring more into the Kingdom. (Pray!)

Today began with Rachel’s devotion on the topic of peace – peace that passes understanding in stressful times. Yes, some of us were a bit stressed – international travel, worrying over whether we are properly prepared for the important work God has for us, and fearing crocodiles and hippos, etc.

That’s right crocodiles and hippos. We rode in boats on Lake Chamo (2nd largest in Ethiopia!) to see crocodiles and hippos. The birds (white pelicans, Egyptian geese, Maribu storks, plover!) were a bonus. Allison J. says she saw 18 crocodiles. (Upclose, but not too unclose!) The beauty was mesmerizing. It was impossible not to marvel at the creation and even more, the Creator. “Can you draw out Leviathan with a hook or snare his tongue with a line which you lower?”

Later in the afternoon we went on a long but bumpy ride to the Highlands to see a typical Saturday “Farmer’s Market.” It would be impossible to paint this scene with words, I’ll attach a picture. The market was in a city called Chemcha and the people were of the Dorze tribe. They make the most colorful and beautiful scarves and hats, and their fences and dwellings have an artistry that is singularly impressive.

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We also witnessed upclose how very poor the people are. It’s hard to take in poverty like this. (Tears fell!) How wonderful it will be to return to the area next week to offer hope to a people who desperately need an eternal perspective.

The day concluded with Melissa’s devotion on overcoming fear through faith. It was a word that God gave her to share with the team. She had never before given a devotional talk, but was given confirmation that this was her moment and God’s message. (Cool!)

Tomorrow we will visit 3 churches that were planted after other E-3 teams shared the gospel here (Talk about cool!)

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September 2016: Get Out of the Boat

By Allison Sonnier:

This morning at our team meeting we discussed the story of Peter walking on water. I’ve read the story many times, but being here in Ethiopia, the story takes on new meaning. I know I am not here on my own strength or because of my own abilities. It is by Christ’s power alone.

Peter knew Jesus could give him the power to walk on water. His faith in our Lord allowed him to climb out of the boat and stand on water, water that was angry from the storm.

I’ve been on both a lake and in the ocean during a storm. It’s scary enough being inside the boat. I can’t imagine open water. That’s because I’m thinking of being out in the water alone. I don’t have to be in it alone. God has promised to never leave me nor forsake me. All I need is faith.

We know Peter took his eyes off Jesus and began to sink. It’s easy to wonder what he was thinking, right? Really, Peter, why would you look down? Why did you get scared? You were WALKING ON WATER! Jesus was RIGHT THERE! He had you.

Yet how many times do I look down? How many times do I take my eyes off Jesus and let my circumstances, fears, concerns, or insecurities threaten to sink me?

If I’m being honest with myself, would I have even stepped out of the boat in the first place?

I don’t know what God has planned for this trip to Arba Minch, but I’m ready. I’m ready to step out of the boat and keep my eyes on Christ. He’s got this.

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