April 29, 2007
April 26, 2007
Ethiopia (4) - A Few Pictures
Hello one last time from Ethiopia. This morning I finished the last of the training sessions. The church-planter trainees got about 40 hours of Bible teaching...and the Bible School students got about 20 hours. I hope it was faithful teaching and that the Lord will bless our efforts. There will be seven more of these two-week sessions (covering different material) over the next 18 months. Pray that the men would continue to return for the training and that many Christ-centered churches would eventually be planted in the unreached regions of this vast country. Pray also for stamina for Anthony and Amber as they continue to organize, host, and support in many other ways.
Thank you for all of your prayers. Scott and I leave Friday at 3:30pm ET...and both arrive in our respective cities around 3:30pm ET Saturday. Please pray for safe and uneventful travels.
When I return to the world of high-speed internet (this post has been 90 minutes in the making!!), I may put up a few more pictures for your viewing...
Thank you for all of your prayers. Scott and I leave Friday at 3:30pm ET...and both arrive in our respective cities around 3:30pm ET Saturday. Please pray for safe and uneventful travels.
When I return to the world of high-speed internet (this post has been 90 minutes in the making!!), I may put up a few more pictures for your viewing...
Church Planting Trainees - the Last Day of Teaching
Tonight's Dinner
My Between Classes Pit-Stop - A Glass-Bottled Pepsi for $0.40April 22, 2007
Ethiopia (3)
Hello again from Addis Ababa! Today we have a much needed sabbath rest. This will be the only day off in an eleven day span...and the LORD has already made it extremely helpful. This morning we attended the International Evangelical Church here in Addis. There are roughly 40 nationalities represented in the congregation. The message this morning was from 1 John 1.5-2.2, and was preached by a young German man. It was EXCELLENT. Scott and I both said that we felt like the Lord spoke through him. I felt particularly helped as he spoke about walking in the light. He pointed out that confession brings a little shame and pain, but hiding sin eventually brings great shame and pain. Confession and walking in the light brings great freedom. This message alone has made this Lord's Day exceedingly worthwhile.
The teaching here continues to go well. The men are asking good questions...and we have been able to deal very quickly with the false dichotomy between Old and New Testaments that I mentioned in the previous post.
Two more items for prayer:
1. Some of the Christians here have an inaccurate (and detrimental) view of sin. Much personal sin is blamed on the devil because there is an insufficient understanding of the doctrine of the human sin nature. We have been able to combat this some already and probably will have more occasion to do so next week.
2. Many of the questions yesterday related to sexual ethics. Because of the pagan background that sill lingers here (especially out country), there are many problems with sexual ethics/divorce/polygamy in some of the churches and villages. pray that we will be faithful to explain the biblical teachings on these subjects...and point people to he Savior for adulterers (see John 8) through these difficulties.
The teaching here continues to go well. The men are asking good questions...and we have been able to deal very quickly with the false dichotomy between Old and New Testaments that I mentioned in the previous post.
Two more items for prayer:
1. Some of the Christians here have an inaccurate (and detrimental) view of sin. Much personal sin is blamed on the devil because there is an insufficient understanding of the doctrine of the human sin nature. We have been able to combat this some already and probably will have more occasion to do so next week.
2. Many of the questions yesterday related to sexual ethics. Because of the pagan background that sill lingers here (especially out country), there are many problems with sexual ethics/divorce/polygamy in some of the churches and villages. pray that we will be faithful to explain the biblical teachings on these subjects...and point people to he Savior for adulterers (see John 8) through these difficulties.
April 18, 2007
Ethiopia (2)
Hello again from Addis Ababa. Today we completed our 3rd day of teaching. In the mornings I am teaching 9 Bible college students...and the number of students who showed up for the church plater training (PTI) has been 83...even more than were expected! The men have been very hungry for God's word. The translation has been excellent. And we have been in no short supply of good food...including sweet tea and Mountain Dew!
The city of Addis Ababa is an amazing place! People, people everywhere. Most of them are quite poor. Very few speak English. And there are not many Christians. Even more exiting that we are getting to train around 90 men for the gospel ministry!
Let me tell you what God did yesterday. As I was opening my notes to teach, I realized that Tobey had stuffed a few pictures of the kids in my bag. So, finding the pictures just before class, I showed them to my students. It wasn't until I had begun the message that I realized I had included an illustraton in the message about how people love to show off pictures of their children! But it was one of the (many) illustrations I wasn't sure would have computed in Ethiopian culture. It probably would not have, but...since those pictures were in my bag, and I showed them off, they got it! I really sensed that God was behind the message!
A prayer item...
The men here (some of them) are confused about the nature of God. Some of them seem to think of the God of the Old Testament as a God of judgment, and the God of the New Testament as God of mercy...as thought there were two different Gods! Scott and I are having to really be dilligent, careful, biblical, and consistent in refuting this mistake. Pray that we would.
I'll try and update you again this weekend.
The city of Addis Ababa is an amazing place! People, people everywhere. Most of them are quite poor. Very few speak English. And there are not many Christians. Even more exiting that we are getting to train around 90 men for the gospel ministry!
Let me tell you what God did yesterday. As I was opening my notes to teach, I realized that Tobey had stuffed a few pictures of the kids in my bag. So, finding the pictures just before class, I showed them to my students. It wasn't until I had begun the message that I realized I had included an illustraton in the message about how people love to show off pictures of their children! But it was one of the (many) illustrations I wasn't sure would have computed in Ethiopian culture. It probably would not have, but...since those pictures were in my bag, and I showed them off, they got it! I really sensed that God was behind the message!
A prayer item...
The men here (some of them) are confused about the nature of God. Some of them seem to think of the God of the Old Testament as a God of judgment, and the God of the New Testament as God of mercy...as thought there were two different Gods! Scott and I are having to really be dilligent, careful, biblical, and consistent in refuting this mistake. Pray that we would.
I'll try and update you again this weekend.
April 15, 2007
Ethiopia (1)
Hello all. Scott and I arrived safely last night. The flights went amazingly well, and we had some good time to rest and talk on the plane. Scott was able to sit next to and encourage a new believer from Indiana.
Today we attended the English-speaking international church here in Addis Ababa. ost of the members are international diplomats (I've been told Addis has more embassies than any city in the eastern hemisphere), a few Ethiopians, and some missionary families. The rest of the day we've have had good time to rest, catch up with the Mathenias, and dream about the future of their work in Ethiopia.
Please continue to pray for us. I begin our teaching sessions tomorrow at 1:30am ET. Each week day for the next two weeks will consist of me teahing the Sermon on the Mount at 1:30am ET and again at 7am ET. Scott will be teaching the Doctrine of God each day at 2:30AMET. So, for a few of you night owls, or West Coast dwellers...pray for us during those times. And the rest of you...pray whenever you get a hankering!
Blessings.
Today we attended the English-speaking international church here in Addis Ababa. ost of the members are international diplomats (I've been told Addis has more embassies than any city in the eastern hemisphere), a few Ethiopians, and some missionary families. The rest of the day we've have had good time to rest, catch up with the Mathenias, and dream about the future of their work in Ethiopia.
Please continue to pray for us. I begin our teaching sessions tomorrow at 1:30am ET. Each week day for the next two weeks will consist of me teahing the Sermon on the Mount at 1:30am ET and again at 7am ET. Scott will be teaching the Doctrine of God each day at 2:30AMET. So, for a few of you night owls, or West Coast dwellers...pray for us during those times. And the rest of you...pray whenever you get a hankering!
Blessings.
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