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: Plot Twist

By Taylor Johnson:

You know when you are expecting something to happen, and then when it happens, it doesn’t happen the way you were expecting it to?

It’s like when you’re watching a movie, and you’re expecting a happy ending… and the hero dies in the end.

They call those “plot twists.”

Well, that’s been this trip for me… and we haven’t even left yet.

Let me tell you why.

Over the past two months (and probably more for our more-prepared members), our September 2016 team has been preparing for our trip to Ethiopia on Wednesday (September 28).

Our team leaders have been booking flights and hotels and preparing the itinerary for when we show up.

Others in the team have been getting their appropriate vaccinations, starting and finishing their packing lists and fundraising for the funds to go on the trip.

Together as a team, we have been learning the country we are entering. Practicing the language, memorizing different ways to tell others about sex trafficking and Jesus (two topics you’d never put next to each other), and how to not embarrass ourselves in a different country.

As a team, we’ve been well prepped for our trip.

Or so you would think.

Currently in Ethiopia there is political unrest, which has resulted in shootings and many deaths right in the area that we were planning, and prepared, to go to.

It is obviously not safe for a group of 15 Americans to visit there.

PLOT TWIST.

Instead of going to the region of Northern Amahara, in the north of Ethiopia, we are flying south to the city of Arba Minch to visit the Gamo people.

And now, many of the things we have prepared for our trip are probably not very likely to happen… seeing that we were planning to visit the families in Northern Amhara that received the chickens that many of our friends and families fundraised for.

And this is the time when I, who have experienced many plot twists, go into “okay I can do this, everything will be okay” mode. Because it’s in the plot twists, when God shows me how great He is… and how He has the plot twists under His control.

It’s in the plot twists, when all I can do is rely on Jesus and have Him guide me through the next steps.

I’m so much reminded of Matthew 10, when Jesus sends out his 12 disciples in pairs of 2, giving them the authority to heal the sick and drive out demons.

He then says this to them, “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.” (Matthew 10:9-13)

Jesus basically sends out 12 dudes and says – go as you are. NOW. Don’t bring money, no extra clothing. Don’t be prepared, but rather, watch and see what I can do. Have faith in what I’ve called you to do.

Can you imagine it? Peter is probably stoked because he’s got the authority to drive out demons and then Jesus says to go do good work and heal people but don’t pack anything and don’t bring any money. Good luck.

Plot Twist.

It’s Jesus saying, I’ve equipped you to do great things, but you still need ME. Watch what I can do to bless you and those I love.

There have been so many different situations when I’ve been in a plot twist, and I’ve gone from prepared to extremely unprepared and not confident in my own strength.

But during those moments, Jesus uses me, exactly as I am, and shows me what HE can do and how great HIS strength is.

It’s such a relief to know, that no matter how much or little prepared I feel in a situation, He still takes the reigns and makes magic happen.

I’m so much more excited for this trip, because I have no idea what will happen when we enter Arba Minch and there’s no way to know. None of us have done this before. No one is more prepared than the other.

We’re being lead by an all-knowing God who knows what’s to come. A God who has given us the greatest gift in Jesus and His heart to love on others.

Who does not call us to be prepared in every circumstance. But calls us to come as we are, and says, “watch what I can do.”

We are being lead by the  God who sent his son to be THE ultimate plot twist. And there’s no other God I’d rather follow.

 

To receive text updates while we’re gone – text “LBC” to 313-131. Thanks for following along!

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April 2016: Post from Taliah: Third Day

God is truly amazing and has been doing some great and mighty things in the villages of Ethiopia! In one of the homes we were in the middle of sharing the Evangecube when a man walked in and sat down and was intently listening to us as we finished sharing the gospel. When it came time to choose if they wanted Jesus Christ to be Lord of their lives, this man did not accept, but many others in the home did. After we had prayed the prayer of Salvation and given them some tools they could use to continue their walk with the Lord, we said our goodbyes and left the home.

Marela had asked if we could stop for a lunch break and our guide and translator picked out a spot that was in the center of a field that was surrounded by tall grass. The man who had walked in at the end of the Evangecube, along with a couple other people had followed us from the home, and into the field. The group was a few feet away from us and they were having what looked like a very intense conversation. Marela and I decided that it was not a good time for us to eat lunch and instead decided to go over and join them. As we joined them, the conversation continued in their native language of Aromo. We just smiled at them as they continued talking, but then I saw that in the tall grass surrounding the field there were people standing there looking at us from a distance.
Eventually, a few people at a time got the courage to come to where we were sitting in the middle of the field and a crowd formed. The man from the previous house was the main one speaking and occasionally other people would call out and our translator would respond. Our translator then turned to us and said, “They have some questions for you. They want to know, what happens to a baby when he/she dies. Do they go to heaven or are they sent to the fire? And when Adam took a bite of the forbidden apple, did that put a generational curse on man?” Marela and I looked at each other for a moment, these were two important and heavy questions. I began to answer the questions and looked to Marela to ask her if she agreed with the answers and she proceeded to add her thoughts as well. I then looked at the translator and said, “that is our answer.” He then turned to the crowd and translated what we had said, and a few minutes later he turned to us and said, “I will now pray for them!”
Those who had been sitting, stood to their feet joining those who had already been standing. They all held their hands in front of them facing upwards with heads bent and eyes closed, saying the occasional “Amen” as our translator prayed for them. Although I could not understand what our translator was praying, it was the most powerful prayer I had ever heard! After the prayer was finished, we moved on to the next home and some of the crowd from the field followed us. Including the man from the first home, who had asked the two questions.
When we got to the next home we started our Priceless cube and continued on to the Evangecube and this man was intently listening to every word. When it came time to make a decision to follow Christ, he was the first to say, “YES, I choose Jesus Christ, I choose eternal life!” It was the most amazing thing to see! If Marela had not asked for a lunch break at the time she did, his questions would not have been heard or answered. He would not have continued to follow us nor would he have been able to make that decision to follow Christ!
God was so apparent in that whole situation, He had gone before us and perfectly orchestrated every single detail! We serve a mighty mighty God, who is constantly at work in the lives of each and every one of His children at all times! I am so grateful and honored that I was able to be a small part in His bigger plan!

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April 2016: Post from Allison: First Day

I knew God was going to do amazing things on this trip, but what I didn’t know was how enormous of a blessing it would be to get to be used by Him.  I have an overload of emotions from our first day on the field, and I don’t even know what to share first.

One of my biggest take aways from today is how powerful the Holy Spirit is.  We visited five homes today, and at least a few of the people accepted the Lord in the first four.  As we approached our fifth home I unintentionally judged the couple who met us in the yard.  They seemed stand offish at first which I mistook for disinterest.  In reality, they were a much younger couple than any of the others we had visited, and their quietness was most likely a result of age and inexperience. 

I was quickly convicted of my snap judgement of them as we walked into the hut, and I immediately began praying.  I shared the Priceless Cube, and they listened intently.  Next Jax shared the gospel with them, and I prayed for the Holy Spirit to move in their hearts the entire time he spoke.  When Habtamu, our translator, asked if they would like to accept Christ as their Savior, the husband’s hand shot up into the air rapidly with confidence.  His wife raised her hand as well, and they prayed and asked the Lord to forgive their sins and to come into their lives.

We celebrated together after the prayer, and the joy and transformation on their faces was evident.  I was wrong to think I knew what was going on inside their hearts, and even if they weren’t interested at first, God can change a disinterested heart.  He can change a hardened heart.  Them coming to a life changing belief of Him and His Word had nothing to do with me or my thoughts.  It has everything to do with how powerful His message is.  What a blessing to be able to share the Truth and watch God at work.

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April 2016: Post from Laurie: First Day

Who does not want to see the glory of God?  Cathy and I prayed that our translator  would be a believer and love the LORD.  Yesterday we met Milkeso, went over the Priceless and Evangecube as well as all the other necessary procedures we would use on the field.  We had time to spare so I asked him what he would say if he were sharing the gospel with people.  I wanted to get a feel for how he expressed his faith.  It was so wonderful when he shared the words and verses that he uses because I knew we were on the same page.  It was fabulous when he said we would go into the huts/homes with power!  Confirmation that he is led by the Holy Spirit meant EVERYTHING to us.

     Today, our first day going to the villages, after lots of prayer, the three of us and our disciple maker entered our first home.  There were 18 people, one third adults and two thirds children with most of them being teenagers.  All 18 stood to receive Jesus as their Savior.  We think a few of them were already believers but they were great examples to the rest.  Cathy asked them all if they wanted to hear a Bible story.  They said a resounding, “YES”.  So she told the story of Zaccheus.   It was delightful to watch Cathy sharing this story with great animation.  Milkeso, actively got into it so well that Cathy said it was like he was on Broadway!  What a joy.

      The next house belonged to a couple 70 years old who had been married 50 years.  When we shared the information about Human Trafficking that the government had asked us to, the old man turned to the 9 young ladies there and said, “This is for you.”  With a tender voice he spoke to them encouraging them to be aware of what can happen.  It was a beautiful thing to see.  We showed and gave him pictures of our families and he went to the cupboard and gave us EACH very small 1×1 inch photo of him.  HOW PRECIOUS IS THAT?????

      At the house of a mother and 20 year old daughter we were blessed to watch that young woman soak up the information on human trafficking and thank us for it.  After that we shared the Evangecube.  When we asked them if they wanted to make a decision for Christ they both very kindly said no.  You should have seen and heard Milkeso.  He took over and very passionately told the woman what a negative decision would mean for them eternally and what a yes decision would mean for them eternally.  It took a few minutes of questions and answers and then he turned to me and said, “They are ready now”.  What a blessing it was to be used of God to lead them to Himself.  We also could not help praising the LORD for Milkeso’s passion and persistence.  When the women received Christ as their Savior they were so happy and completely knew what they had done.  When I told them they were my new sisters and part of the family of God they understood and were as happy as we were. The older woman hugged us so tight and did not want to let go.   When it was time to leave the village I saw the young lady.  I asked Milkeso how to say “sister” in their language and he said, “Obelito.”  I went to  her and said, “Nagahti, Obelito.”  That means goodbye sister.  She LOVED it and her smile was a big as mine.

      What great joy we had today as the Holy Spirit moved the hearts of the village people…and ours as well.  It is a privilege to work with people whose passion for Christ matches my own.  It’s a gift from God to be invited by Him to share His Gospel with people clear across the world from me…and see them come to Christ.  Our team shared stories today and everyone of them were a demonstration of the majesty of God.  Yes, God answered each of our prayers today.  Thanks to each of you that have been praying.  God’s answers are spectacular.  Please keep praying those effective prayers.  We depend on them.  You are part of our team. To Him be all glory and honor and praise.      

     

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April 2016: Post from Rachel

Today, one of us almost got pick pocketed: my dad, David. We visited a local market in Fiche,and we were advised to keep an eye on our bags. Nothing got stolen, but on our way back to the bus, Kelly noticed a small Ethiopian woman poking around my dad’s pack. I think he watched his bag a little more closely afterwards. We also got to try riding on Bajas. Bajas are the common way to travel in Ethiopia. They’re basically three-wheeled dirty cabs, and they’re super bumpy, but they’re pretty fun.

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{my fajah in the baja}

The best part of today, however, was what Marela and I got to do before dinner. I went out to this playground that’s on the hotel. Marela and Jax had headed there earlier. I saw Marela talking to a local boy. We both tried to talk to him, but we didn’t have a translator, so we only got so far. We did find out his name (It was really long) and that he was 10 yrs. old and a student. We fist-bumped and high-fived and thumb warred each other. I found he knew Ahiya (guessed spelling-means donkey) and we brayed for a bit. We couldn’t communicate much, but it was still a lot of fun.

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April 2016: Pre-Excitement Fatigue Syndrome

From Dave:

Less than 7 days before our flight leaves – CAN…YOU…BELIEVE…IT?!?!

Yes, it’s official!  I’m suffering from PEFS – Pre-Excitement Fatigue Syndrome (not a real thing, so far as I know).  If you’ve not heard of it before, PEFS is condition where you’ve been excited for so long waiting for something to occur, that you get worn out just from the wait.

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I have been waiting, as have we all, for what seems like ages.  And now we are less than one week away from leaving for Ethiopia!!

The first time I left for Ethiopia, I had no expectations.  I was afraid to.  God was so amazing, that on the next trip I dared to believe God would do something – He showed Himself even more incredible.  For that reason, I am so excited to go this time to see and be a part of what God will do.

When people ask me why I return to Ethiopia, the answer is simple.  That’s because God keeps calling me.  I wish it were more courageous, such as when God asked Isaiah who would go and Isaiah said, “Here am I, send me.”  But alas, my calling was much more like Moses – God nearly had to light a bush on fire before I would go.

As others have said and continue to say, we greatly appreciate your prayers and encouragement as we prepare and as we are in-country.  We know God will do more than we can even ask or imagine, and we look forward to sharing with you what is happening via the blog.  Then, we hope to share with you in person afterward, rejoicing in what God did, and rejoicing with the angels in heaven for all the new believers in the kingdom.

 

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April 2016: No Loopholes

From Allison:

Hi my name is Allison, and my eight year old son Jax and I are thrilled to be a part of the team headed to Amhara, Ethiopia next month.

When God placed this trip on my heart, raising funds to go was never a concern for me.  I had no doubt that He would provide.  He called Jax and me, and I knew He would pave the way.  What I wasn’t prepared for was how He provided.

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Jax and I sent out letters to our friends and family, and I posted a video of Jax describing our trip on Facebook.  The funds slowly poured in, and it was exciting to watch the number increase each week.  Our family prayed faithfully for the support, and each time we prayed I heard God telling me that it would all be raised in time.

A few weeks ago I received a phone call from my mom (who is also going!) asking how much money Jax and I still needed for the trip.  I looked up the number and saw that our balance was about $2700.  She told me that a friend of ours felt God telling her to pay off not only Jax and my balance but my mom’s as well.  Like I said, I was confident that God would provide, but He blew me away with how He provided.  That’s how He works. 

God provides in ways we don’t expect.  We don’t need to try to figure it out or make it happen by our own means.  He’s got it covered.  He provided safety for Noah and his family in the form of an ark.  He provided enough food to feed the large crowd by multiplying some fish and a few loaves of bread.  He provided deliverance for the Jews through a simple woman named Esther who found favor with the king.  He provided food for His people in the dessert by making manna rain from the sky.  He provided safety and hiding for the spies Joshua sent into Jericho with help from the last person you would expect, a prostitute. 

Those are just a few examples from the Bible of God’s provision.

He has promised to provide in abundance everything we need to do His work, and we know that we can trust His promises.  2 Corinthians 9:8 says, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;”

As my pastor said this weekend, “God’s sovereignty has no loopholes.”

Do you believe that?  I sure do.

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