Life in Africa sometimes can go fast or very slow (depending on the day), but for us it seems that 2011 just started. This past year was a year of many lessons learned. Our family continues to be grateful for the experiences that God brought us through here in Ethiopia, many of which could only happen in Ethiopia!
Craig, Amanda & Jackson Dyson
“My faith is like shifting sand, changed by every wave. My faith is like shifting sand, so I stand on grace.” These words are from a favorite song of ours and I have thought about them so many times since we have moved to Ethiopia. Often times, through our failures, fears and selfishness we find our faith changed literally every day. Some days everything seems good then something happens and we forget that God’s grace has always been there. I was thinking a lot about that the other night as Jackson woke up in the middle of the night. Sleepily he stood by our bed and woke us up to look at his “boo boos” (aka mosquito bites). As I sat there putting boo boo cream on his bites I was reminded how weak we are. In a moment’s time life could change, for the good or the bad. It made me think about the question: If our faith is dependent on something that will crumble under pressure, then is it truly faith? God has taught us so much since we have been here, and He continually provides even when we find ourselves doubting. He is faithful even when often times we lack faith, something we are so grateful for and daily humbled by.
As we have mentioned in previous updates, Amanda and I have been working on obtaining our work permit and residency in order to stay long term in the country. I am very happy to announce that as of two weeks ago, we have been able to obtain both our work permits and residencies! We’re praising God!
Things here are going very well with the church plant as God continues to build His church. This is really one of the busiest times of the year and we are in full-swing mode. The last Friday of September we had our first ever “Friday Family Fun Night”, which was a wonderful success as many came to enjoy some time together. We have been blessed to see our neighbor Hanna saved recently, and we are excited about her desire to grow. This coming month we will be hosting The Shepherds Conference, which will be a time of training for national pastors. Also in October we will be starting a ladies’ Bible Study. Amanda Dyson and Amanda Shadle will be leading the study and are enthusiastic as many ladies are planning on being a part of it. We are excited about the future and are eager to see stateside churches send teams over to take part in the excitement.
Since our last update we have been able to launch our updated blog, which you can now follow. Each week we post new updates on the ministry here as well as pictures and videos. Sign up on the blog and receive updates through your email. Visit www.beyondthefruitstands.blogspot.com to stay connected!
“…I’ve made it a commitment to consistently put myself in situations that scare me and require God to come through. When I survey my life, I realize that those times have been the most meaningful and satisfying of my life. They were the times when I truly experienced life and God.” – Francis Chan
With this in mind, Amanda and I have made the prayerful decision to step into the world of international adoption. We have started the process here in Ethiopia and are anxiously waiting to see what God will do. To put it bluntly, God will have to come through, but we are confident that he has prepared a child for our family and he will provide the needed finances for this to become a reality. Please pray for our family as we start this new adventure. Check out our blog for updates and ways you can become involved with this exciting opportunity!
This is Eric, myself and our friend Mewaei after church last week. Mewaei just finished nursing school and defended his thesis which Eric and I had the opportunity to be there for. Mewaei has been very faithful at church and has really been a big blessing to us. We are very excited for his graduation and what the Lord has in store.
After so many years of planning and preparation to become missionaries, we were thrilled on May 29th to be a part of the first service at Bethel Baptist Church here in Ayat. Our first service went extremely well as we had many visitors and had the opportunity to share our vision for the church and for the community. Eric and I spoke on the church’s purpose statement: “Loving God…Loving People” and afterwards we celebrated the day with a meal for those who attended. It is exciting to see God open doors here as we seek to glorify Him through this opportunity. It was also wonderful to see so many children attend the service as well. Because of so many gracious people who have given to this church plant, we are able to have both a room designated for a children’s class as well as a room for a nursery. Most churches here in Ethiopia don’t have this, so we are very excited that we can offer it.
As we have mentioned in previous updates, Amanda and I are working on obtaining our work permit and residency in order to stay long term in the country. Our paper work is here and is in the hands of the government right now. Please pray for this crucial step and that it will be completed soon. During the last week of May missionary Richard Konnerup and his daughter Jacque Burkholder were able to visit the country. Bro. Konnerup was a missionary here for many years until the government, at the time, forced him and his family to leave. It was a delight to visit with them and see the country through their eyes, especially since Jacque has not been back since she was in high school. Even now, the impact of the Konnerup’s ministry is still evident here in Ethiopia and we are grateful for the opportunity to be able to glean from their knowledge of the country and the people. Toward the end of June, Kevin and Alicia May, dear friends from North Carolina, were able to visit. We had a wonderful time showing them the area as well as celebrating Jackson’s second birthday with them. We were also able to go with them to visit two children they sponsor through Compassion International, which was an amazing opportunity to see the Gospel in action!
So many of you faithfully give to our ministry financially and we are so humbled by that. We know that we could not be here if it was not for God working through you. Some churches in the last several months have had to cut back because of financial strains and we have appreciated you being honest with us about that and still supporting us when you are able. We know that finances are tight for many churches now and many people have felt the strains of recent economic problems. We as well have felt that here in Ethiopia. In the last few months we have seen a few churches have to drop us because of finances and in the meantime prices here have dramatically went up. Just over the last six months, the price of groceries has increased 40% and gas is hovering around $5 a gallon. Our support has taken a serious hit and we would ask that you would pray for us and for wisdom and confidence that God will continue to provide. Thank you again for allowing us the opportunity to be here through your giving and your prayers. It is something we do not take for granted.
Next month we will mark one year since we have arrived. God has taught us so much more than we could ever have dreamed of. We are grateful for each day He gives us to glorify Him here in Ethiopia. Thank you for your continued prayers. God is doing so many wonderful things around the world and we are excited we can experience it firsthand.
On May 29th, Bethel Baptist Church of Ayat will be having her first service and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Of course, this is happening because by God’s grace many of you have prayed and given toward this church plant, specifically by helping raise the rent on a small villa here in our area. Thankfully we have been able to pay two years up front for the house and were able to purchase some chairs, nursery and children’s items and also some Amharic Bibles. There is still a long list of things to do and more expenses that need to be taken care of, so we would appreciate your prayers regarding this. It can be a daunting task with any church plant, but even more so here in Ethiopia. Thank you so much for your willingness to help out and be a part of this! We can’t even begin to show our appreciation for your generosity and support of our ministry here. And for those who are considering helping us financially, we very much appreciate your willingness and consideration. We simply couldn’t be here without the support of so many churches and individuals who God has used.
In regards to long-term plans, in order for Amanda and me to stay in Ethiopia we ultimately must get a work permit and residency. This can be a time consuming experience that is filled with specific details and endless paper work. Amanda and I have sent off for the official documents needed in the United States and are praying that we can receive a work permit in the near future. Please join us in prayer for this situation, as it is the only way we can stay long term in Ethiopia.
It is hard to believe, but the tentative date of our first furlough will be in the Spring-Summer of 2012. Our desire is to visit and share our vision with churches that are supporting our ministry here as well as join with new churches that seek to see the gospel brought to Ethiopia. If you would like us to be with you during this time, please email me and we will work out a date!
As mentioned earlier, May 29th at 10 a.m. (3 a.m. E.S.T) we will be having our first service at Bethel Baptist Church of Ayat. It will be a time of celebration as well as an opportunity to present the gospel and the desire that Team Ethiopia has for this church plant in Ayat. Please pray for those we have invited and for the Shadles and ourselves to live out the grace and love of Jesus Christ. We are very excited for what God is doing, and for what He is going to do in the future!
J. Hudson Taylor once said: “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supplies.” This thought is something that continues to be in our minds as we look toward the future here in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. From the first day we arrived in Ethiopia, we, along with Eric & Amanda Shadle, have desired to establish a church in the area we live in, called Ayat. Although Ayat is a growing community just east of the heart of Addis Ababa, little work is being done here to reach people with the gospel.
Ayat I would say is a melting pot of sorts. It is made up of families with various religious, social and personal backgrounds. These families are hardworking, educated, and are proud of what they have accomplished. From various different places, people from France to Canada, America to Ethiopia call Ayat home. Giving the potential and growth here, it is a great location to establish a Gospel-focused church.
For the last few months our team has been meeting together for Bible Study and to strategize the best way to accomplish this church plant. After much prayer, God has presented an opportunity to do just that by renting a small house in our area. After meeting with the homeowner, seeking council and spending time in prayer, we collectively feel that this is an opportunity that the Lord had given us.
Our next plan of action is to raise the money needed for a two-year rental contract, which is required to be paid in full upfront. Originally the rental was a little over $600 per month, but the homeowner was willing to go down to around $480 per month.
The total amount of rent for two years that needs to be raised is roughly $11,500. When you break it down to a per monthly basis, that is $480. Our prayer is that various families, individuals or churches will have a desire to help us toward this goal by supporting a month or more of rent. As of the date of this letter, nine months has been promised, which is a constant reminder of God’s provision through the faithfulness of His people. We are so grateful for those who have given and those who are considering investing in this wonderful opportunity.
Our dreams and visions are big as we look to the future here in Ayat, and we appreciate your support of our ministry through financial giving and most importantly through your prayers. We are confident that God will show His power and grace, despite our limits and liabilities. It is our prayer that God does something amazing here in this community, for many years to come, even long after we are gone. Whatever happens here will have everything to do with God and by His grace nothing to do with us. After all, would we want it any other way?
