Ethiopia Mission Update #1

Akkam jirta! Greetings from Ethiopia! We hope you are all doing well. It’s been an eventful week for our mission team. After arriving we’ve spent time getting acclimated to our new environment, meeting the folks we’ll be working with, and getting down to some of the nitty gritty work.

We landed in Ethiopia at about 11:50am last Monday after flying for 19 hours and stopping for a bit in Istanbul. Despite the surprisingly delicious airplane food, we were very ready to have our feet on solid ground. We were met with nothing but friendly faces. Travis, our contact in Ethiopia, and his brother met us at the airport and drove us to the Christian Mission Fellowship (CMF) guesthouse in Burayu where we stayed that night and the next. Upon waking in the morning, we were greeted by the Giles family, most notably their 8 year old daughter Adeline who insisted upon having each of our names written down so she would not forget. The Giles work closely with the CMF – Adam as an engineer and Allison as an ESL teacher. Their three children were delighted to show us around the compound and introduce us to the various animals that live there. This tour was cut short when it came time to meet our translators for the month, Lalisa and Esey, and learn some of the Oromo language and cultural dos and don’ts. Wednesday morning we traveled to the Ministry Training Center where we began various beautification projects to help make the environment more peaceful and inviting to pastors-in-training. Since arriving we have been working on painting a mural and laying outdoor tiles in the future coffee hour area, rewiring some of the compound's electrical network, and laying the foundation for a water tower.

Despite the challenges involved in the work and adjusting to a radically different environment, our team has been working diligently and joyfully. It has been such a blessing to meet Travis, Esey, Lalisa and others, our brothers and sisters we’ve been in prayer for for months. While we’ve been in Ethiopia for 4 days, it’s felt much longer. Each day has been full to brim, both from work and delightful conversations and experiences. We’ve already learned so much and shared a lot of laughs. Currently, along with the beautification projects, we’re also preparing for sports and VBS programs for local children. Seeing the progress we make during our work is so encouraging, but even more so is the beauty and grace God has bestowed upon this place and its people.

Ethiopia is such a beautiful country, rich in history, culture, and the Holy Spirit. One thing that immediately jumps out is how thoroughly language about God is woven into daily life here, right down to the daily greeting. An appropriate response to someone saying “good morning” in Oromo is “praise be to God.” Almost everyone here confesses one faith or another, but a particular challenge the Christian church is facing is how to get their youth more involved. That is the focus of one aspect of the work we will be doing. One of the ministers has asked us to participate in their sports outreach program that is meant to bring the church to the youth, meeting them where they are and showing them that being a Christian isn’t all seriousness but a lot of fun as well. It has been so encouraging to see God moving in the lives of people like Esey, whose life is a miracle in itself. He miraculously survived brain cancer at a young age and has since dedicated his life to God through ministry and the pursuit of higher education. Esey is currently pursuing an MA in Project Planning and Management while also working full time at the CMF to support his wife and three children. Having the opportunity to meet with more and more people here, hearing their stories, and living life with them is such an incredible blessing, and we’re only one week in! We can’t wait to see what else God has to show us here, and to tell you about it, too. Until next time! Galata Waqaayo! (Praise be to God!)