Three Years...

It is hard to believe but tomorrow will be three year since we first arrived in Ethiopia. A lot of laughter and a lot of tears mixed in with frustration and joy. Some setbacks and a whole lot of growth has taken place and through this whole roller coaster journey God has been faithful. Today I want to share with you what I wrote in my journal on August 14, 2010. Thank you for all your support, God is doing great things and we are just along for the ride. I couldn't have done any of this without my precious Amanda and are soon to be kindergardener Jackson! :)

Nearly two weeks has past since I last spent time writing. I suppose this would be the time to write since we have been busy preparing for our big move to Addis Ababa Ethiopia. I often want to take time to write but our long list of things to do stood in the way. As we speak we are on a plane from Raleigh to Washington DC. It is 5:42 pm and Jackson is asleep in the seat next to his wonderful mommy. Amanda and I are tired but overall we really did not feel overly stressed. We paced ourselves well and worked hard. Today was a day of bittersweet goodbyes  with family and friends. Last night we said goodbye to Amanda’s mom and David and today my parents, sister, Staubs family and May family all went to the airport to see us off. It was hard saying goodbye but we are excited about what is in store before us. I remember many times writing about being unsure what God was doing. Today as we sit here on this plane I am confident that this is what He wants for us right now. I don’t know what lies ahead, I don’t know how the finances will come but I do know that we will and must trust God. As one of the Psalms says: “Some trust in chariots…some trust in horses…but we will trust in the Lord our God” Well….here we go, crazy as it may seem. There is a big world out there and we are about to see some of it. Praying for grace and strength and hoping and trusting that God will take care of us. Hoping that years later as Jackson reads this he looks at his time in Ethiopia with joy. We pray everyday that he will love Jesus…we pray everyday that we can be the example to show him that. 

August 14, 2010

Jackson's School Update...

Rainy season typically is a slower time here, but this rainy season has been anything but that. Bethel just finished her first VBS and it went fantastic! We have been very busy with the medical trip and VBS plus a slower internet brings challenges in keeping everyone updated. :)

We wanted to let you that we are over half way to Jackson's school tuition! As of today you have helped us collect $4,221 dollars out of the $6,915 needed! Praise the Lord! Also, $3,000 of that is a one time fee so next year we will not have to pay that. We are praying that during next years furlough we can visit and add at least five new churches to help with the rising cost here as well as the school bill.

We are also grateful that our home church, Mid-Way Baptist Church in Raleigh NC raise $921 for JZ's school during their recent VBS. So grateful for all of those children that gave!

Continue to pray for the work here, Eric and Amanda will also be arriving back in a little over two weeks and in about six weeks the rainy season will be finished! No more mud! :)

Thank you for all the prayers and support! God is good!

May•June 2013 Update Letter

Medical Team...

Here is the medical team with the staff from Wudassie Diagnostic Center. Maybe next time you can be in the picture :)

With Jesus!!!

It is with great sadness as we let you know that Hanna passed away Friday morning, June 21. We rejoice that Hanna is healed and in the presence of God Almighty. Please pray for her husband Boo  and two small children, Desta (4) and Teddy (2) in the days and weeks to come. We are so thankful for God's ultimate healing of Hanna! We rejoice that just two years ago Hanna was gloriously saved and on January 1, 2012 she was the first person every baptized at Bethel. Below is the picture of her baptism day along with Seble who both had went through our membership class and became the first members of Bethel. Hanna is no longer in pain and we can't even begin to imagine how joyous it must be for her now. As much as we will miss our precious sister in Christ we are thankful that she is with Jesus!

Quick Update...

The medical trip is finished and it was bittersweet seeing it come to an end. Overall it was a fantastic trip and an even better team to work with. Our upcoming newsletter will give a little more detail of the trip...

Our VBS trip is coming soon with a college student coming June 30th and a group from Antioch Bible Baptist Church near Kansas City coming July 3rd. The VBS week will be July 8-12th...

We now have almost half of Jackson's tuition raised! Thank you for giving and please pray that we can raise the remainder of it soon. As we are also preparing for our next furlough next Spring, we are praying to raise additional support that will help with this new expense....

While on the back burner, we are raising money for a second vehicle. We are looking to raise anywhere from $30,000-40,000 which is a good amount for a reasonable and reliable vehicle here. With the amount of work continuing to increase and Jackson's school starting we are praying that God will provide...

Thank you for you support and prayers!

Medical Team...

Here is the medical team before church on Sunday plus a few kids from the church :) Today they will be going to Korah, which is one the of the worst areas of the city. Please continue to pray for the team!

School Days...

Melkam Fasika!

Melkam Fasika everyone! Tomorrow is Easter here in Ethiopia so the country is digging in for a big celebration...

Continue to pray for Hanna, she continues to fight and we are trusting God with the results...

Eric, Amanda and the kids left for furlough on Wednesday. Please pray for them as they visit family and share with churches all the work God is doing here. We are grateful to be working with Eric and Amanda. We are strong supporters of team missions and are blessed to be apart of it...

In less then a month we will be hosting our first ever medical missions trip. Please be praying for this exciting opportunity...

Below is a picture at a kindergarden we visited this last week in the town of Fitche. During recess this little boy fell asleep in his class room :) 

Here in the next week or so we will be sending out a special prayer letter to update you on Jackson's school tuition. Have a great weekend! 

Throw Back Thursday...

In 2008 Eric, myself and Dwayne took our second trip to Ethiopia. A year later Eric and his family moved here, us in 2010 and Dwayne and his family this past January. Hard to believe this picture was five years ago....

Five Men...

" And people who do not know the Lord ask why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. They forget that they too are expending their lives... and when the bubble has burst they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they have wasted." - Nate Saint 

Every time I read or watch something about Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming and Roger Youderian, I get tears in my eyes. To listen to people such as missionary Frank Drown breakdown in tears 50+ years later retelling the story of leading the search party to find the missing men is heartbreaking. All five of these men were young, married and many with small children. Would they say today that it was worth it? 

You bet. 

Living for everything this world has to offer? 

What a waste.

 57 years latter, they still are impacting the world for the cause of Christ...

Prayer...

This is an update from Hanna's sister we received on Facebook.

"Hello everyone, I hope all is well. My sister Hanna is still in the hospital fighting for her life. The doctors have said that there isn't anything they can do for her other than keeping her pain under control through pain killers. So with that said, Hanna needs all your prayers right now more than ever. So please please keep her in your prayers and ask the Lord to heal her. Send her your love. Thank you all for your prayers :)"

Please be in prayer for Hanna...

Update on Hanna...

Many of you know that Hanna has been dealing with some health issues. About 2 1/2 weeks ago we found out that Hanna is battling stomach cancer. Right now Hanna is in Canada seeking treatment and she has just started Chemotherapy. Please keep Hanna in your prayers that God would give her strength and peace through this battle. Hanna is a precious and wonderful friend of not just ours, but anyone who knows her. She is a huge blessing to Bethel and is cherished and loved by everyone. This picture was taken just several months ago after we all took the kids to the park for the day :)

 We are praying for a miracle, but most importantly we are praying that God would be glorified through this. He has a purpose and we are praying that Hanna will continue to trust Him completely. Thank you for praying on behalf on Hanna, I know it means a lot to her.

Throw Back Thursday...

One of the first pictures taken after we arrived in Ethiopia in August of 2010. It is crazy to think that this is pretty much all Jackson knows. I hope and pray that he will grow up with a grateful heart for being able to experience this... We are very busy working on the new church building as painting needs to be done, work needs to be finished, and a variety of workers need to be found. We don't know many of the workers names so Eric and I call them the plumbing guy, counter top guy, hat guy, tile guy, guy who does nothing and wants to get paid guy.

Enjoy Throw Back Thursday! It is 12:30 a.m. and bedtime calls! Although if I was in the States right now I would go get a shake from Steak-n-Shake. Wow, that sounds really good right now. You would be amazed at how often we all sit around and talk about what restaurants we would be eating at if we were in America :)

March & April Update

Prayer...

Hanna, our neighbor and close friend (seen here after her baptism) has been having some health issues the last several month. Last Saturday she flew back to Canada with her children to find a solution to her health issues. Please pray for Hanna as God continues to work in her life and that His perfect plan will be done. We love Hanna and her family very much and are so grateful they are in our lives! The picture below is one of my favorites: Jackson with Hanna's children and two of his best buddies,  Desta and Teddy.

We have been very busy the last two weeks as we are frantically trying to finish everything in the new building for our first service this Sunday. Also, Mary Herman who is a missionary teacher has been here teaching a course on Methods of Bible Teaching. The class continues this week and has been very well received.

We are still needing some to help with Jackson's tuition. If that is something you can help with we would really appreciate it! Jackson can't wait for the first day of school!

Have a great week!

The Next Step...

It is 10:41 p.m. here in Addis and we are exhausted. Even the dogs are tired and they really didn't do anything today. Last week the lease ran out on our current building and today was our final service. This afternoon we all worked hard to load everything up and take it to our house and Eric & Amanda's house. This afternoon we found out that a location we have been looking at for the church was finalized so we now have somewhere to go. We are excited but tired! Please pray for us in the next several days as we move into a new (and bigger) building and set up. Exciting days ahead for Bethel!

thankful.

We have been thinking lately how thankful we are for the friends the Lord has blessed us with and blessed Jackson with.  thankful.

                                                          Kiiya, Sifaana, Jackson & Anna

The Important (And not so important) thoughts from the week...

The last few weeks have been very busy here. Here's a quick version....

...Last Saturday we had our first marriage conference at Bethel. We had twenty-six in attendance which was fantastic. The material we used was call What Did You Expect? by Paul Tripp. We are very familiar with Tripp and would recommend this study to anyone...

I turned 35 last Saturday. I guess that is all I really can say about that. Can't believe it, creeping closer to  40 :) Michael Jordan turned 50 on Sunday. Not that we celebrate our birthdays together or anything, but it was worth mentioning. I just realized that until my dad's birthday in June, he is 70 and I am 35. With the large amount of wisdom my dad has, I hope I can learn even a portion of what he has in his 70 years...

Many of you are dealing with winter storms. Now, I will tell you that I do miss the winter and the cold weather, so I am not trying to mock you. But...the weather here is about as beautiful as it can get temps in the mid to upper 70's and at night down in the mid 50's. The Sun is intense because of our close location to the equator, so it feels hotter and you can burn easy, but it still feels great. Three months out of the year we do deal with a large amount of rain which causes everything to be a big giant muddy mess, so it all balances out...

Friday night we had our Friday Family Fun Night at Bethel. We watched The Lorax and everyone brought snacks. It was a nice time to get together as a church family...

We are still trying to figure out what to do about a church building. The building we have been looking at is nice but we are hesitant because of the owner. The price has changed a couple of times and we just don't feel completely comfortable with him. Please pray! Three weeks ago we had sixteen children (9-12 years old) and one teacher in a room that was about 8x8. Standing room only and I mean that literally :)

Lastly, we are still trying to raise the needed funds for Jackson's school. Can you help with this? The amount we are trying to raise is $6,915 with $3,000 of that being a one time new student fee. Jackson is so very excited about going to school, which is bitter sweet for us. On Tuesday March 5th we have an appointment at the school so they can visit with Jackson. If you can help us raise this needed amount we would be so grateful!

Enjoy your weekend. Enjoy the snow. Throw a snow ball for us :)

January Update...

Here is our latest update. Thank you for you prayers and encouragement as we remember Ava. God has placed so may people in our lives that have impacted us in so many ways...Sunday was Bethel's first communion service and it went really well, there was a real strong unity...Pray as we are looking for a possible bigger building to meet at. We met someone today about a perfect location but the price is a bit higher then we feel the church should take on. Please pray for wisdom as we continue to look. That's it...have a great day! Enjoy the weather you are having wherever you are. It is sunny and around 80 here but I sure miss the cold! 

Five Years Later...

On A Saturday night in September 2007, Amanda and I became emerged into one of  the happiest moments of our lives. We were having a baby. I remember it like it was yesterday and we sat in our hotel room in St Louis, there because of a missions conference. I still remember us sitting there with tears running down our faces... A few short months later our lives would be forever changed, as we faced the saddest moment of our lives. It is hard to believe that it has been five years on Friday since our beloved Ava came into this world only to leave for a greater place. Five years which at times has felt like yesterday and other times it has felt like an eternity ago. During the early weeks of losing Ava, there were moments that we didn't feel we would make it through another week let alone five years. Yet, God has show His grace to us and through the valleys and the hilltops He has been there. He has taught us a great deal the last five years, and has brought a great deal of growth into our lives. As much as I miss our sweet Ava I would not change anything, because of our precious Jackson being brought into our family through Ava's death. Every time I look into his sparkling blue eyes I am reminded of his big sister who God used to allow him to be our son. God's plans are indeed a mystery at times, but His ways are truly best. It is not always easy in the here and now, but it is best.

As we celebrate Ava's 5th birthday I am grateful for a God who has shown his faithfulness to us even when we lacked faith. I am grateful for a precious 3 1/2 year old who I believe God is going to use greater than we can ever dream of. And I am grateful to share my life with a wife who God has grown so much in the last five years. Very few women have faced the heartache of loosing a child and the emotional journey of going through an adoption, and she has done so with grace. I am very proud of her.

As we think of Ava, I leave with a letter that I wrote to her on her 1st birthday. Each year in my journal I write a letter to her and while I am fully aware that there is very little Biblical foundation for this, I still write it just for my own personal joy. I look back on each letter and see and remember everything about Ava and everything God has done to bring us to where we are now.

January 25, 2009

Dearest Ava,

Today is your first birthday and your mom and I miss you very much. I know that you do not want us to be sad but it is really hard with you not here. How was your birthday in Heaven? I am sure that is was very special and could not even be described. We are doing well I suppose. Some days are harder than others but the Lord’s grace gets us through. I really don’t know what happens up in Heaven yet  I am so excited for you to tell me. Have you got to see your great grandparents yet? I sure hope so. Your grandma says that she hopes your great grandma Norfleet is taking care of you. I hope so to because she is a special lady. Your great Uncle Dale just went to be with you last week, and I hope you have had the chance to meet him, because he is a wonderful man. Anyway, I don’t want to ramble on and on but there is so much to tell you. I know that you would not want to leave but we miss you so much here on earth. But I am glad you don’t have to worry about this old place. Heaven is so much sweeter! When your mom and I cry it is because we miss you, not because of anything you did. We love you so much and am so proud of you! You’re the best daughter a dad could ask for. Well, that is it for now I suppose. We love you very much and look forward to seeing you real soon. Please give your great grandma a kiss for me.

Love always,

Your daddy 

Time for some "new" springs...

There it is. "The Spring of death" as I call it. Ok, maybe not that drastic but you get the point. Today when getting a tire fixed (a frequent problem) I saw the spring had broke. So, here we go looking again for some springs. The last two times we have had to replace them we were forced to get used ones because there were no new ones in country. Obviously these used springs are used for a reason so thus we are about to replace our third set. Will you please pray that we could find some new ones available which will hopefully last us a lot longer?

Happy Sunday...

We are seven hours ahead of those on  EST so as many of you are either sound asleep or getting ready for bed, we are starting our day. Tomorrow Eric will be speaking on part two of a short series on The Lord's Supper and next week we will be having our first communion. We hope that you have a fantastic Sunday as many of you prepare to head to church. If you don't go, then here is my question: why? Don't use the excuse that churches are full of hypocrites, because I can assure you that they are. No church is perfect, no person is perfect. If you are searching for answers in your life, I can promise you that Jesus does have the answers. I can also promise you that there is a church out there with a bunch of other imperfect people trying to find what true joy is all about. So...if you don't have a church home, I would encourage you to get up, get the family ready and find one! It will change your life!

Every year I set goals for my life for the new year and this year one of the more simple goals (along with growing a mullet) is to blog at least once a week. I am working toward that, and will try to blog not only about work here but also maybe about stuff that has nothing to do with work: Life. Family. How great the 80's were. You get the picture.

Praying for each one of you right now and praying that God would teach all of us through HIS sufficient Word, what we need to learn!

Very Special Christmas...

This year our church spent Christmas gathering up gifts for a local orphanage. To celebrate the Ethiopian Christmas (January 7th) we went to the orphanage the day before and handed out the gifts. Each child received a new pillow with pillow case, a blanket, a bag full of goodies, and each one of our church families "adopted" a child to buy gifts specifically for. Many of our people said it was one of the greatest Christmas' they have every had. Thanks so much for those of you who gave financially or sent a box of supplies. Several made the bags and pillow cases as well. The picture above is our church family with all of the children at the orphanage. Its moments like this that makes living in Ethiopia so special.

Christmas Update 2012

An Update...(Quickly)

It has been a while since we have last posted as the last two months have been a blur. We have been busy with Pastor's Training, family visiting, Bethel's family festival and getting ready for the Christmas season just to name a few. Amanda's mom came to visit for Thanksgiving which as been a special treat and at Christmas my parents will be coming over to visit. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at the Shadle's house. Joining us for Thanksgiving were Amanda's mom and Jeremy and Karissa Lynn. Jeremy and Karissa are from the Shadle's home church and are praying about moving here as missionaries in the next few years. The Lynn's and Amanda's mom brought a bunch of food from the States (including ham!) so we were so blessed to have friends and family but also great food!

Things are very busy right now as the Christmas season is in full swing. We have had several boxes arrive for Operation Christmas Boxes which is so exciting! We hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are already singing those Christmas tunes. Later this week our annual Christmas letter will be out so stay tuned....

September 2012 Update

Audacious Faith...

I thought this was a great quote from a great book...

Operation Christmas Boxes

Our team is almost assembled for an amazing trip next May as we partner with Wudassie Diagnostic Center to provide medical care and training here in Ethiopia. We have around six nurses who are apart of the team and right now one doctor. We are praying for one or two more doctors so if you are a physician then please consider this wonderful life-changing opportunity! If you know someone who is a physician and has a heart for medical missions than pass this along to them. Please be in prayer for the team, we are very excited about this opportunity!

Water Works...Part 3

The above picture probably needs no explanation. The frame was built, the tank put up and eventually as water filled the top tank is seemed everything was going to work. Then...crash! About 8 pm on Tuesday night we heard an extremely loud sound and Belet was screaming. The top tank, probably about 3000 pounds of water had came crashing down onto the bottom tank as the frame could not hold the weight. First and foremost, no was was near by and everyone was safe. If by chance someone would have been underneath checking the bottom tank, then it would have been deadly. Eric and our neighbor helped me get the tank off and then rip the tangled mess of metal frame away. The bottom tank was fine, but the top tank had a hole in it and the frame was ruined. It seems the heavy duty metal that we paid for is not what we received. Unlike back home, here we will not get any refund or replacement parts so about $300 of parts and labor for the frame went away like a puff of smoke. Disappointed it didn't work, but most importantly grateful everyone was ok. We are back to the drawing board and someone is supposed to come fix the hole in the new tank. Thankfully the water has been on the last few days which makes us very happy. Praise the Lord for that and hopefully for it staying on for good! :)

Water Works, Part 2

So, let me try to explain how our water works... In the top left you see where it all begins. Near our gate is the faucet which is strictly "street" water. When water comes out, the street water is on and when there is nothing coming out than we have NO  street water .By the way, the faucet is ON in the picture but the street water was off hence, there is no water pouring out...and so our need for an extra tank. This doesn't mean that the house and the compound are out of water, but it does mean that if we don't preserve the water, than we will be completely out UNTIL the street water is turned on again. The picture of the tank is one that sits behind our house and is filled by the street water via the piping that runs underground. Usually when the street water is turned on you will start to hear this tank fill up after several minutes. The street water goes into the tank, then the small blue pump helps push the water up to the top of the house where there is another tank on top. This tank you see is 1500 liters while the one on top is 2000 liters. The tank on top is what is used in the house, and when it is empty a sensor inside will tell the tank on the ground to send up water. Our plan is to use the new water tank on top of the existing ground water tank (sort of like a bunk bed), therefore adding 1500 liters. The picture on the bottom is of me, Tafare (pronounced Tafara) on the left, and his brother Amare (Amara) on the right. Both of these men have done a great deal of work for us and several other friends as well. They are good, hardworking and honest people who can pretty much do anything you need them to do. They are awesome painter, builders, and all around handymen!  Both are very strict Orthodox, so both desperately need Jesus in their lives. Stay tuned for more exciting pictures of water works!

Water Works, Part 1

As mentioned before, the water supply in Addis is a delicate issue.  Simply put, either we have an abundance or we don't have any at all. That is why there is a giant water tank on the top of our vehicle. We bought this tank to have an extra reserve of water, and if you are interested, we will be posting some picture of how exactly the water system works in our compound. You probably don't see this kind of load on the top of other vehicles much, do you? :)

Home Sweet Home...for 2 more years at least...

Thank you for all that have been praying for our housing situation.  We were able to extend our rent by 2 more years...praise God!  We are thankful for the home the Lord has given us and are excited to be able to stay in the same house for 2 more years.  This was one of the most difficult decisions we have had to make since we have been here. Our water has been a huge issue, but moving is no guarantee that things will be better somewhere else. Much like automobiles here, houses can be a very frustrating thing to deal with and is pretty much a "roll of the dice" when moving into one. Due to a variety of items such as poor material and lack of building experience, everyone will experience frustrations and problems with their house. Also, as with almost every other thing in Ethiopia, our rent is being raised.  This was difficult to deal with but somewhat expected. Housing costs here have increased dramatically and while we have diligently set aside money for our upcoming rent we will unfortunately be short. We will have to take out a loan to help pay for this, so if you or your church would able to help with this expense we would be unbelievably grateful.

 Even with the issues we have had and are facing, we are very grateful that God has provided for us.  Because of us living here we have had the opportunity to open our home to several people that are here adopting as well as developing a friendship with our neighbor, Hanna, who ultimately accepted the Lord as her Savior. That alone has made it worth it! Thank you again for your prayers and any consideration in regards to a financial gift for our rent increase. If you are able to help out, please send any gift to the BBFI, PO Box 191 Springfield MO, 65801. Memo: Dysons Rent.

VBS Outreach 2013

Ethiopia, Two Years In...

Two years ago today we arrived in the country of Ethiopia. At times it has seems short, at other moments long. Frustrations have occurred while exuberant joy has taken place. Moments of questions, tears, laughter and exhaustion have been sprinkled in throughout the last twenty-four months with many more to go. We have learned a great deal these last two years and we still have a great more to learn. We've re-wired electrical issues and fixed leaks, stood in long lines, cooked meals from scratch, been stared at, faced water and power issues, broken down on the side of the road, learned to determine if the solution to a problem was a bigger issue than the initial problem, had our phones stolen, helped plant a church,  and have vomited more in the last two years than in the previous ten combined, among many many other things. We have no idea if this journey will last another five years or 50 with the possibility that in 48 years I will be sharing (on whatever social outlet is popular at that time) how excited we are to be celebrating our 50th year in Ethiopia. I simply do not know what tomorrow will bring. BUT, I do know this. Throughout the last two years (and many years before that) and until the day we are gone from this earth, God has always and will always provide and watch over us. Simply put: grace. Day after day God has always shown His love and mercy in our lives, something we are incredibly undeserving of. He has always provided and the lessons He has taught us the last two years are beyond comprehension. He has simply always been there.

As we look back on these two years, we are appreciative of all the prayers and support that each one of you have been to our lives and ministry. We miss our family and friends back home terribly at times, but your love has always been felt even here. As we reflect on two years, I want to leave you with a journal entry I wrote two years ago during our flight out of Raleigh. The verse shared still holds true today just as it was the day it was written so many years ago in David's time...

August 14, 2010
Nearly two weeks has past since I last spent time writing. I suppose this would be the time to write since we have been busy preparing for our big move to Addis Ababa Ethiopia. I often wanted to take time to write but our long list of things to do stood in the way. As we speak we are on a plane from Raleigh to Washington DC. It is 5:42 pm and Jackson is asleep in the seat next to his wonderful mommy. Amanda and I are tired but overall we really did not feel overly stressed. We paced ourselves well and worked hard. Today was a day of bittersweet goodbyes with family and friends. Last night we said goodbye to Amanda’s mom and David and today my parents, my sister Melissa, the Staubs and the May family all went to the airport to see us off. It was hard saying goodbye but we are excited about what is in store before us. I remember many times writing about being unsure what God was doing. Today as we sit here on this plane I am confident that this is what He wants for us right now. I don’t know what lies ahead, I don’t know how the financies will come but I do know that we will and must trust God. As one of the Psalms says: “Some trust in chariots…some trust in horses…but we will trust in the Lord our God” Well….here we go, crazy as it may seem. There is a big world out there and we are about to see some of it. Praying for grace and strength and hoping and trusting that God will take care of us. Hoping that years later as Jackson reads this he looks at his time in Ethiopia with joy. We pray everyday that he will love Jesus…we pray everyday that we can be the example to show him that... 

Medical Missions Trip 2013

July Update

Even during the rainy season there are a few moments to get outside. Jackson loves to blow bubbles especially with Belet!

No Greater Love...

If you need a great book to read this summer I would highly encourage you to pick up No Greater Love by author Levi Benkert and Candy Chand. Levi, his wife Jessie, and their four awesome kids work in Ethiopia and attend Bethel. We are very blessed to serve alongside so many wonderful families such as the Benkerts. This book is fantastically written and a very honest look at how God has worked in their family's life. Check it out at amazon.com or look at your local book store. 

Enjoying some of the new toys before church service last Sunday. Joining Jackson are Aaron, Abby and Favan.

Furlough is Finished!

It is hard to believe that our first furlough is now over! On Tuesday at 4:40 (EST) we will be leaving Chicago for the 16 hour flight to Addis Ababa where we will arrive on Wednesday night at 9 pm Ethiopia time (2 pm EST). So, let me give you a quick rundown of our furlugh adventures. And imagine with me that I am speaking as fast as the awesome guy that did the Micro Machine comercials back in the 80's. Our furlough went something like this...
We drove over 17000 miles, drove through 17 States, ate at Chick-fil-a 21 times and 21 times Jackson asked to play first and eat later. We visited 25 churches, several of which we visted for the very first time. We toured the River Walk in San Antonio, the Alamo (which was much smaller than I thought it would be), we went to Lego Land in Florida, the Creation Museum in Kentucky, a children's museum in Illinois, a petting zoo in Texas, saw the Oscar Meyer weinermobile in Illinois.  We spent countless precious hours with family and friends laughing and just enjoying the time we could be with them, and we shared what our God is doing in Ethiopia through buidling up His church and bringing glory to His name!
And now it is finshed and we are excited to get back to Ethiopia. As you can see with the picture above, we have quite a few totes to take back! In fact, we have 21 totes, 1 suitcase and 1 tent along with a car seat. Please pray everything (and everyone) gets there safe and sound!
We have 12 bags sponsored which means we are five short of our goal. If you would like to help sponsor a bag or help with the hundered of dollars spent on minsitry items, your consideration is greatly appreciated!
Thank you for your prayers on our behalf, we look forward to getting back and unpacking and seeing what is in store!

They have arrived!

Thank you so much for praying! ALL of our documents arrived today from Ethiopia and we have them in our hands!  We board the plane in 5 days for our return...let the countdown begin :)

Urgent Prayer Need

Amanda and I have a BIG prayer request that we would ask you to pray for...our work permit and residency cards (which allow us to stay in Ethiopia legally) are currently on their way via snail mail from Addis Ababa to the US.  We MUST have these work permits and residency cards in hand to be allowed to enter Ethiopia.  Our flight leaves next Tuesday, June 26, from Chicago and it is imperative that we have these cards in our possession before we board that plane.  Will you please join us in praying that these necessary documents will arrive quickly and securely? Otherwise, we cannot leave the US without them.  If for some reason, the documents do not arrive in this time frame, this will be very detrimental to the renewal of our work permit and residencies.  It's in situations like this that I am so thankful that we serve a God who is caught off guard by nothing! 

Simply trusting, my friends, simply trusting!

We will keep you posted...

Furlough Update

Two weeks from now, we will, hopefully, be sound asleep in Ethiopia :) We are now in Illinois with just under two weeks before we leave. We have two more churches this weekend to visit and then next week we will be focusing on packing up our suitcases It has been a great time, of which I will talk about a bit in our next post. We are pleased to say that we have had a few more bags sponsored for our return trip. Special thanks to Stonebridge Baptist Church in San Antonio, the Rackley family in Raleigh NC, two ladies at West Fayetteville Baptist Church in Fayetteville NC, the Laminack family in Fort Worth TX, the Estes family in Forth Worth TX and the Spivey family in Raleigh NC. We now have 9 1/2 bags paid for! We are not sure how many bags we will have, we already have 9 packed with several items to go. We are hoping anywhere between 16-20 bags. If you interested in sponsoring a suitcase, please feel free to email us for more information.

Furlough Update

One month from today we will be boarding a plane to head back to Ethiopia. Crazy to think that our furlough has come and is almost gone. Right now we are in San Antonio enjoying the city. But, man, it's hot here! We've had a blast going to the petting zoo, swimming, touring the River Walk and even a minor league baseball game. We have also enjoyed time with our friends Jason and Laura Smith who pastor Stone Bridge Baptist Church. Tomorrow afternoon we will begin the 23 hour drive back to Raleigh so please pray for our trip if you think about it. We will be in Raleigh for about nine days and then back to Illinois before returning to Ethiopia. BTW, this weekend is the one year birthday of Bethel Baptist Church, the church plant in Addis Ababa. It is crazy that it has been one year! We are grateful for the many lessons learned and for the opportunity to go through this experience with our teammates Eric and Amanda. We hope and pray you all have a wonderful Memorial Day enjoying time with family and reflecting on those who have given their lives so we can enjoy ours. 

*UPDATE on Luggage Sponsors:

To date we are excited to have 3 of our suitcases sponsored!  Thank you to the Hargraves family (Raleigh, NC), the Ward family (Springfield, MO) and the Rhodes family (Winter Haven, FL) for your sponsorship!  If you would like to sponsor a suitcase to help us get ministry supplies back to Ethiopia, click here for more information.

Packed & Almost Ready to Go...

Pretty cute, huh? Pretty soon Jackson and his suitcase will be packing up for our June 26th flight back to Ethiopia. Since we have started furlough we have been able to purchase a variety of materials for the ministry in Ethiopia. All kinds of items ranging from Bibles to craft supplies, church resources to a pop up tent that someone from our home church graciously purchased. Saying all this, we need help!

Let me explain it this way: Did you know that in 2009 airlines collected $13.5 billion in baggage fees?. That, my friends, is a whole lot of money, and on June 26th my family will be contributing a great deal to the total for 2012.  Basically we are going to be that family with 16 suitcases in the airport that everyone gets aggravated with when standing in line behind us.  Pretty exciting stuff, wouldn't you say?

Here is how it goes. For our three tickets we get six free bags (big smile) and after that it is $200 a bag (insert big frown here). So on June 26th, we will be collecting a whole lot of points on our American Express as we check our "excess" bags. Well, you may be asking, "what's your point, Craig?"


Well, here is what we are asking: We would ask that you would prayerfully consider as a individual or family or church to sponsor one of our bags to help us get everything over. By an individual, family or church making a one-time sponsorship of $200, an astronomical sum for us becomes a much more attainable goal. If you would like to donate you will find a link through PayPal at the end of this post. If you aren't able to contribute, no worries. Though, we'd ask that pray for us as we return...and for the guy behind us at the airport.

So, June 26th it is. And at the end of the year when Lufthansa looks at the graph for the year-in-review baggage revenue, they are going to see a little spike on June 26th. 

Yep, Lufthansa Airlines, you're welcome.

a trip that will change your life...

There is very little doubt when one walks down the street of Addis Ababa Ethiopia that the lack of healthcare can be overwhelming. Children everywhere who are facing a life of difficulty because they don't have the medical attention they need. It is tragic, one of the sad reminders of the sinful and fallen world we live in. For Team Ethiopia, God has given us the opportunity to make a difference. We live there, we get to see the people and what they face and we get to be apart of a local clinic that is making a difference in the peoples lives. We have watched what God can do through people who just want to help not only physically, but more importantly, spiritually. Now here comes the big part...We want you to experience it. Yes, that is correct, we are challenging you to step out of your comfort zone and come to Ethiopia in May 2013 for a trip that is going to change your life...for the good. Team Ethiopia is partnering with a local clinic to host a medical missions trip May 9-18, 2013,  and we want YOU to be involved. From medical clinics to teaching, from sight seeing to experiencing everything that makes Ethiopia unique, I can promise that you won't be disappointed. If you are in the medical field and want to make a difference please contact us immediately. Even if you are not in the medical field but feel that you can help please let us know. It is going to be an absolute life changing journey into the love of Christ and showing that love to the people of Ethiopia. I hope and pray you will take this opportunity. Come prepared...leave changed. 

Are you willing to change lives in Ethiopia?

Furlough Update...

It has been just over two months since we have been back in the Sates together as a family and is seems like so long ago. We are having a nice time in the States, staying very busy visiting several church and spending time with family and friends. We are now in Florida with Amanda's family to spend a few week together and to celebrate Easter. Next week we will head toward the Carolina's before going to Missouri for the beginning of May. While it has been nice not having to worry about such things as water and power issues, we do miss the people in Ethiopia very much. We miss our family at Bethel a great deal and look forward to seeing them in June...

Speaking of those in Ethiopia, if you have the time check out the website www.bringlove.in which is a ministry in Ethiopia of a Levi and Jessie Benkert, along with their 4 children. The Benkerts attend Bethel, and I think you will be really blessed by reading about their ministry here and how you can possible be involved...

The Week that Was...

Last weekend , March 11th, we had the opportunity to update the work in Ethiopia at Grace Baptist Church in St Charles MO. The trip was extra special because we were able to spend time with Phil and Jessica Coolbaugh who are on staff there at the church. We have known Phil and Jessica since our college days. We went to school together as well as church, and Phil and Jessica were our next door neighbors, and, more importantly, our "refridgerator friends" which simply means that we were close enough friends that they could walk in and take food out of our fridge. We had a wonderful time visiting with them and their four precious young children...

Last week we went with my parents as well as Eric's parents to the Creation Museum in Kentucky. If you have never been, you really need to go! It was a great experience and one we would highly recommend. It was also special to see my friend Jon Seest who works for the Creation Museum's parent company Answers in Genesis. I have known Jon since the 5th grade and he has alway been a great freind to me. It was great catching up with him and his wife Beth and meeting for the first time their beautiful 18 month old girl, Willow...

We are back in Illinois right now before heading to North Carolina next week and then to Florida. It has been great being here and getting the chance to spend some time working in the field with my dad and letting Jackson ride with Poppa on the tractor. He could spend all day out there if we let him!

We are gradually buying things to take back to Ethiopia, items for us personally as well as a great deal of things for the church. (crafts, Bible studys, office supplies, etc). After our free baggage each suitcase will be $200. If you want to help us out by sponsoring a suitcase, please let us know, it certainly would be a great help to us and a great help to our ministry there...

March Update

2012 started out on a historic note at Bethel, as we saw our first baptism take place as well as

welcoming our first formal members to the local church body. Hanna, who has been faithfully

attending since our first church service, was saved a few months ago and baptized on New

Year’s Day. It was so exciting and humbling to see such a special event take place to start

2012.

Our first furlough is officially underway and we have been very busy thus far. It has been great

sharing everything that God has been doing in Ethiopia, and letting the churches in America

catch a glimpse of life in Addis Ababa. So far we have visited churches in Illinois, Missouri, and

Texas and toward the end of March we will be heading to North Carolina and Florida. We will be

heading back to Ethiopia June 26th, so please pray for us as we stay very busy traveling the

roads.

We are really excited about some future opportunities that are starting to present themselves.

Last year our close friends Kevin and Alicia were able to visit us and with Alicia being a nurse,

we wanted to discuss the possibility of a medical mission trip. Right now Team Ethiopia is

organizing a medical mission trip for 2013. More details will be available in the coming months.

If you are interested, please contact us and we will keep you posted as the details arise.

In 2008 the Ava Memorial Fund was set up in memory of our precious daughter, Ava, with the

goal of helping missionaries who face the difficulty of losing a child. Because of your

faithfulness in giving, the fund was recently able to help fellow missionary Matt Cretzman whose

family had a tragic accident and saw their three-year-old daughter taken home to be with

Jesus. It is because of generous gifts that this memorial fund exists and it is our prayer that it

will continue for years to come.

Keep up to date on the work of Bethel Baptist Church in Ayat as well as our furlough

travels on our blog: www.beyondthefruitstands.blogspot.com. Sign up on the blog to

receive email updates automatically. Look for us also on facebook as “Bethel Bible

Baptist Church of Ayat”.

Furlough Update #1

We are sitting in a hotel in the Fort Worth area of Texas on this Saturday evening as we are participating in a missions conference at Hallmark Baptist Church. This has been our first trip to Hallmark and it has been a really great conference. It is such a joy to see Jackson overwhelmed and excited about all the new things he has been able to see since being back in the States. Each day, Jackson has been able to spend time with new friends at Hallmark's MOMs day out group and he has had a blast. The expression on his face has been priceless when he sees all the neat toys and the other kids he can play with. There are also a couple of little boys he has been watching quite a bit since we have been here. He like to watch them play and he affectionately calls them "the guys". Every day when we go Hallmark he asks us where the guys are. The picture above is from our recent stop in Springfield MO. We had the great opportunity to have lunch with two families we have known for many years. Here is a picture of Jackson with some of his new friends...notice the super hero theme. Monday we will be heading back toward Illinois for a couple of weeks. We have churches in MO and IL we will be visiting before heading toward our home church in North Carolina and on to Florida to visit Amanda's family.

The Red Viper...

This is our late 90's (not sure on the exact year), way over priced Suzuki Vitara. Isn't she a beauty? We call her the red viper, not because she in any way resembles a viper or acts like a viper, but because it just seems ironic. If you look closely at the left back side of the viper you will notice that she is a little lower to the ground then the other side. The reason this is the case, is because the springs need to be replaced and they have been replaced several times with other used springs. You might ask me why we don't just put new springs on. Well, the problem is there are no new ones in the country, believe me I have checked. In fact, when I went about four months ago they told me they would come in in about three months. I felt like Elaine from Seinfeld when she was dealing with the Soup Natzi, when he told her "come back one year!". So...untill new parts come in we are stuck replacing old parts with newer old parts...
So, what is the point of this frustrating story? Well here is the thing...the springs are used, and they are used for a reason. No one wants used springs, in fact the day I went to a llittle shop I saw used springs pilled ten feet high everywhere I look. I am replacing used parts with other used parts. It tends to be frustrating.
Here is the thing. Many times in our spiritual walk we tend to fill our lives up with a bunch of used springs. We tend to find happiness in anything other than Christ and we ultimately find out that the "parts" we use are just old and useless. Wether it is finding satisfaction in our job or money or even our family, we tend to feel that these things can bring us the joy and satisfaction that we need but in reality, Christ is the only one that can bring true joy into our lives. I know many times I fill my life with old parts that tend to break down and wear out. Colossians 3:2 says: "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." It's not that ones family or ones job is bad, but if I try to fill my life with joy from my family that can only be satisfied in Christ, than ultimately it will miss the mark. If my family trying to find happiness in me than I will ultimate fail them. Christ, on the other had will never fail, will never disapoint and will bring true joy into ones life. That's something a bunch of used springs can never do.

Lie to me?

I have to admit I really like the whole blogging world and I think it is going to stick around :) I read a few and what I have come to realize is that people love blogs that are authentic. People dig people who are honest and forthright. This caused me to ponder and ask the question. "When did it start being cool to actually be honest"? Is honesty such a lost art that it is now refreshing to be honest? I think the answers in regards to the blogging sensation has to do more with being honestly candid. Being willing to share how bad things are - at times when often times we tend to put a smile on our face - is just refreshing. It is real. It is honest. It is life.

So...that made me think of life in Africa and answering the one question everyone will ask when we see people in the States. "How is Africa"? Ok, here is my answer:

Life in Ethiopia can be frustrating at times. It drives me crazy when I drive and people run out in front of me and seem not to care that I almost took their life. It makes me batty when people yell "forenge" (foreigner), as though I had forgotten. I don't like the fact that the vehicle we bought here would have cost 1/4 of the price in the States. Nor do I like the fact that the vehicle tends to break down a lot and the parts are never guaranteed to be in stock. "Three months" they tell me, knowing full well they no one has any idea when the actual parts will arrive. I get aggravated when people ignore me in line at the grocery store and cut in front of me and I get livid at times when people drive down the wrong way on the road because they don't feel like taking the time to drive the actual route. I can't stand the smog nor do I understand how taxi's can drive with smoke pouring out of their tailpipe and no break lights, but if I turn my lights on at dusk everyone freaks out. These things drive me insane!!!

But...I would not trade it for anything. You see, all these things tend to happen the majority of the time but wrapped around these frustration are some wonderful events. I smile when I see Jackson playing with kids from different cultures knowing good and well that when Amanda and I were kids we would have never known anyone from Ethiopia. I take joy in driving into the city in the morning and seeing the sun peak over the mountains. I am thrilled to be apart of a church plant where people from a variety of cultures sit and share with each other knowing they have nothing else in common apart from Jesus Christ. I am humbled to see our neighbor Hanna baptized and watch in amazement as God just continues to grow a church full of people who just want to serve Him. I love learning about the culture over a good meal with our Ethiopian friends and I enjoy spending time with missionaries who experience the same "culture shock" that we have experienced. These things bring me great joy!

Here is the point. Life (anywhere) can have it ups and downs, good days and bad. The Christian life is that way often yet so many times we don't want to let anyone know that. We are happy to say that life in Africa is fantastic but we don't want to share our hesitation for coming when we have our head over a toilet after eating some bad food. "That is just a bit too honest", we tell ourselves. Well, I am thankful that we can be honest and share our struggles because that is really what being a Christian is about as Galatians 6 puts it. Sharing our burdens, lifting each other up. Being willing to sit with each other in the good and the bad. You see, life in Ethiopia can be fantastic at times and really stinky (literally) at other times. But through all the good and the bad I am extremely grateful that God has given us the opportunity to grow and experience life in Ethiopia. He has taught us many things since we have been here, but one of the biggest is this: Regardless of how good or bad our days are, He is always, always faithful. And for that lesson, my day just got a whole lot better.