Update #8 - January 8

11 am here in Kenya on Thursday morning. Yesterday was Amanda's first full day out of the hospital. We were able to get out and get some lunch and walk around a little bit, but it did wear her out. That was actually the first day in over a week she had walked around much. We are planning on flying back to Addis tomorrow evening around 5:30 and will arrive at 7:30. We were going to try to go today, but feel another day of rest would do well for Amanda. She feels much better and continues to gain strength each day. Please continue to pray for her in the days ahead. Everyone has been such a blessing to us!

This is a picture of Amanda with Renee Konnerup and Sybil Eberhard, fellow missionaries here in Kenya. Renee and Sybil along with their husbands have really helped us out during these last few days and we could never thank them enough. If anyone ever needs to be air evaced to Ethiopia we would do the same, but I doubt anyone will ever need to be evaced to Addis :)

As they say in Swahili "Asante Kwa" (thank you)

Will try to updated again soon.

God is good.

Update #7 - January 6

10:36 here in Kenya and we are sitting in the house of missionaries Jim and Sybil Eberhard. Amanda was released from the hospital around 7 pm this evening. All praise to Jesus for this! She is now asleep and I am on my way to bed as well. I have piles of insurance stuff to go through, tickets to purchase to get back to Addis, but tonight I am just too tired. Amanda is still pretty wiped out, but she is continuing to improve daily. She is supposed to have a follow up appointment in a month here in Kenya, so we will see what we will do. I am planning on sending her paperwork back to her doctor in Raleigh to see what he thinks.

We are excited that Amanda is out of the hospital, but at the same time it is just very overwhelming. It just seems like the last few years have just been hard, and while there have been amazing moments, it just often seems to be one challenge after another. Sometimes you get tired of fighting, sometimes you just want to throw in the towel.

Please pray for Amanda's continued recovery and also for her spirit as well. It has been discouraging for her, but I know that God has a great purpose through this. I have seen Amanda's faith grow so much in the last few years, more than she can realize.

I will try to update again tomorrow. If you are reading our updates for the first time and haven't signed up to receive our updates, just go over to the right and type in your email. You will get a verification email sent to you and from there every time we post something you will automatically receive an email.

I just try to be honest and give some insight on life here in Africa. Thanking the Lord tonight for his protection.

God is good.

Amanda Update #6 - January 6

9:51 on a Monday evening here in Kenya. I have been meaning to write an update today but this is the first time I have been able to do it. Amanda is doing much better today, in fact today is the really the first day we have seen a great deal of progress. Tonight she had an IV hooked up to her to try to get her iron levels up. Her sugar levels have been good today as well as her blood pressure. We know that she had some kind of infection in her chest but really don't know much more than that. Being a diabetic she will have issue with her kidneys as well being anemic and therefore she is more susceptible to have situations like this. We are grateful that God has protected her and we will continue to trust that God will watch over her.

"Feelings don't dictate truth" is something I have thought about often. Sometimes, even as I sit here and try not to be overwhelmed, the truths of God's word don't always make me "feel" better. Praise the Lord though that my feelings don't determine what is correct and I am thankful that God has showed grace in my life. So many times we determine the actions we take by how we feel at the moment but that thinking puts you on such shaky ground. Feelings change but God does not. Even when I don't "feel" the truths of God's word, the Holy Spirit gives me the confidence to move forward knowing that I am always in the safe arms of my Father.

God is good.

Amanda Update #5 - January 4

11:18 here in Kenya, as Sunday winds down.  Amanda continues to progress and they moved her into a private room tonight. The room is much better than where she was, there is a couch and I will be sleeping on it. The section of the hospital we are in is called the Princess Zahra Pavilion, and while it is better than HDU it is not necessarily a magic kingdom. Amanda's blood count is still low so they are try to give her boosters to increase it. She is doing better, but just still very weak.

Special thanks goes out to the two families that have been a big help to us while here. Ole and Renee Konnerup have served here in Kenya for over 35 years. If the name sounds familiar, it should. Ole grew up in Ethiopia as his family served there as missionaries in the early days. His dad still holds a special place among the Ethiopian pastors. Ole is also the brother of Jon Konnerup, who is the missions director of the BBFI. Ole and Renee have done a great job here in Kenya, they have faithfully stayed the course for so many years.

Jim and Sybil Eberhard have lived here for over 5 years and have also been a big help to us. Jim and Sybil crossed paths with us back in College, and they have been in ministry for over 30 years. They work extremely hard here pouring their lives into the people here.

It is really exciting and humbling when you are able to see the body of Christ in action. So many people  around the world praying and sending amazing emails and comments to us. Those in Ethiopia who put aside their own plans to work around the clock to help us, and those here in Kenya who have sat with us, allowed me to stay with them, washed our clothes and helped feed us. Pretty amazing stuff how the Bible comes to action through His people.

Almost midnight here, will update again tomorrow. Amanda is asleep right now, pray for rest and continued strength.

God is good.

Amanda Update #4 - January 4

11:15 here in the morning. Sitting in the hospital with Amanda waiting to be transferred to a private room. Everything is going well, just slow. Waiting to talk with the doctor this morning. Her sugar levels have been good and her blood pressure is doing good as well. Not sure what the process will be today, hopefully we will know more soon. Once we talk with the kidney doctor we should know more. Amanda is slowly feeling better, which is a big praise.

Under better circumstances I am going to bring the family back to Kenya. The weather is beautiful and they have several things we don't have in Ethiopia. They have a few American restaurants, better internet, etc. The missionaries we know here have told us we need to travel here to the Indian Ocean. They said it is beautiful.

Will update soon, hope everyone has a blessed day at church. Our church in Ethiopia prayed for us this morning, they are precious people we love dearly.

God is good.

Craig

Amanda Update 3 - January 3

It is 10:35 here in Kenya, I just left Amanda for the evening. That has been incredibly hard leaving her, but they won't let me stay. She is resting well, continuing to slowly recover. They are trying to get her creatinine levels down to where they need to be, but at this time they don't think she will need kidney dialysis. 

Amanda just wants to go home and it is incredibly hard being in a country you don't know. The missionaries here have been a big help, but it is just hard. She doesn't remember much of the last few days and just wants to go home. I will be going to the hospital in the morning, hopefully she will be able to get transferred to her own room tomorrow. 

Life is hard and this is hard. It is incredibly discouraging watching Amanda have to do this. I have said to myself that "God is good" but it can be hard sometimes to live out. One of my wonderful professors in grad school, Dr Stephen Schrader once said “It is not knowing the truth that is difficult, it is applying the truth to the situation”. That is such a true statement that I have had to remember so many times. It can be easy in our own weakness to not apply the truth, but that does not change the truth. As the Christian artist Mercyme says in one of their songs Bring the Rain: 

"I can count a million times
People asking me how I 
Can praise You with all that I've gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You. 

The Bible is chalked full of situation where we see God there in the bleakest of situations. The same God of the Bible is still the same God today. I am grateful for God's grace, grateful for all the encouraging words and prayers that have been said to us and on behalf of us. Grateful that God is good. 

Always. 

Amanda Update 2 - January 3

Med Vac did a really good job getting us to Kenya. I took this pic in Addis as I was waiting for Amanda to arrive via Ambulance. There were two pilots and two medical attendants. We arrived in Kenya on Friday afternoon and an Ambulance was there waiting for us. I had to fill out paperwork, and purchase visas to stay in Kenya. I also had to have my temperature taken because of Ebola. We arrived at the local hospital that afternoon, two missionary families were there waiting for us as well. Amanda was taken in and I filled out proper paper work for admission and insurance. For the majority of Friday evening she was in the ER. I was not happy with the care in the ER, they didn't seem to have much personal touch with the patients, it was hot and just didn't seem very good.  However, that evening they moved her to HDU which is similar to ICU. She is in a large room with several other people as well although each bed has a privacy curtain. The girl across from her is 17 and she is dealing with kidney issues. Her name is Michelle and her dad's name is Jackson. I was able to share with him the gospel as we waiting, praying for him and his family.

The care in HDU has been better, her nurses have done a good job keeping her comfortable. I was unable to stay the night so I stayed with our friends. Amanda does not remember anything happening from Wednesday evening on. She is still a bit fuzzy but slowly talking more. Last night and this morning (Saturday) they have done a great deal of tests. Right now they seem this started with in infection in her chest (possibly pneumonia) which caused her to have issues from her diabetes and in turn effecting her kidneys and a variety of other things. The kidney doctor was in earlier and is looking at some results, although at this time he does not think she will need dialysis.

Praise God that she is continuing to improve slowly. The situation was very serious and we are thankful God provide a way for us to get to Kenya. Regardless though, God is good. His plan is perfect.

The hospitals in Addis and in Kenya are doing a good job, grateful for those who are willing to work in the medical field.

Not sure how long we will be here, Amanda just wants to go home, so pray for continued recovery and understand.

Amanda Update #1 - January 1

Many of you know that Amanda is in the hospital, wanted to give you more details as well. This is an email I sent out. 
For the last week or so Amanda has been dealing with a cold/sinus infection which has been going around. She has slowly been getting better, tired though but started to feel better. On New Years Eve we were planning on going to Dwayne and Tammy's to celebrate for lunch (Wednesday afternoon here, 8 hours ahead of EST). That morning she decided to stay home just to rest, although she was feeling a bit better. I took the boys down and Amanda stayed home. I called her at 12:45 pm and she was feeling fine, in fact she told me not to keep worrying about her. When we arrived home later that afternoon, she was just tired since she just woke up. She seemed ok but a bit more weaker than before. She went to bed though and her sugar was high, so we gave her some insulin to bring it down. She went to sleep for a while but woke up throwing up, and then went back to sleep. As the night progressed, she woke up more and was sick to her stomach although she had not been eating much. She had been drinking plenty of fluids, pedialyte, etc to keep hydrated. We though maybe that helped cause her sugar to go up. Around 4 am when she woke up sick I decided we needed to go to the hospital, although she didn't want to go. At this point she just seemed to be out of it a bit, so I called Eric and Amanda and they came over to help get her to the hospital. She really didn't know what was going on, so she was very much opposed to going and tried to not leave. We were able to get her her on a stretcher because she refused to walk downstairs with us to the car (Again, she didn't know what was going on). We arrived at the hospital (Korean Hospital) and they started her on an IV. Her sugar was high still and because she is a diabetic she was having issues as a result.

We were able to admit her yesterday afternoon to ICU and they have been monitoring her. Her sugar started to go down, last night it was around 140 and today it was a bit over 200 (because some of the other medication they have been given her caused it to go up). She did have a temperature but it has went back down. One thing that is different here is the fact that if the doctor needs a certain medication and the hospital does not have it, then we have to run to the pharmacy to get it. Thankfully several people have been able to make runs to local pharmacies to get the medicine or to replace the medicine the Doctors used. 

The hospital here has down a good job with the care for here, and she had a good night sleeping. She is more responsive (Friday morning) and is doing better. Because of the lack of proper medical equipment, we have felt it best to head to Kenya to a better hospital there. Right now test results show that she has some form of pneumonia which has been causing issues for her kidneys and has also caused her to be confused as well. Her Keytone levels were really good this morning which is a huge praise. We are in the process of waiting for confirmation of when we will be leaving for Kenya, I will be going with Amanda and the boys will be staying with Dwayne and Tammy and Eric & Amanda as well as Mark & Katie will be helping with the boys. We when arrive at Kenya that will be doing some more tests and also most likely a kidney dialysis. The hospital in Kenya will be a better place to help Amanda and we have two missionary families in Kenya that Eric and Dwayne have been in contact with that will be helping us with the process. 

Amanda is showing improvements which is a big praise. It will help with the flight to Kenya, which will only be a couple of hours. 

Words cannot begin to express my gratitude to everyone who has helped throughout this. The BBFI missions office has been a huge help in preparation for the med vac, they have been in constant communication with myself and Eric and Dwayne. One of the associate mission directors, Tim Long has been helping us out greatly getting everything set up. So very grateful for all  help of the missions office, it has been a huge encouragement and we are incredible blessed to have them on our side. 

Also, so many people here have been a huge blessing to us. Dawit and Wudeya has helped a great deal in working on this end with the med vac and getting all the red tape taken care of. They have made countless phone calls to help get everything organized. Because of Dawit work in the medical field he and Wudeya have been able to explain everything to us in great deal as well.  Eric & Amanda has been a big help with phone calls and medicine, Amanda and Wudeya stayed at the hospital last night as well. Dwayne and Tammy have also been a big help with medicine and contacting a variety of people in the States and in Kenya, and for helping out with the boys last night.  It is very humbling for these families to be willing to help us in our time of need. They have went above and beyond to make this as easy of a transition as possible. They have been with us at the hospital throughout this difficult time and have really been a big blessing to me personally. 

There have also been many people who have stopped by the hospital to check on her and pray with her. Ray Hoover, who has been here for several years stopped by yesterday and spent a great deal of time sitting with us and sitting with Amanda. Many people from our church have come to sat with us, many friends outside of our church stopped by as well.  Hennock, who is one of our church members helped get the ambulance set up at 4 am and has made several trips for us to and from the hospital. 

I will never be able to thank them enough. 

Please continue to pray for Amanda, I know there are so many people around the world who have been lifting her up in prayer. The events that caused us to take her to the hospital came on very quickly, but we are grateful for God's guidance and strength. 

I will do my best to continue to update you. Once we arrive in Kenya I will do my best to get internet and update everyone. 

So very grateful for all of you, thank you for your support, encouragement and prayers. This is not how we wanted to start 2015, but we are praying God gives us the continued grace and trust moving forward. 

Love each one of you greatly, thankful for the family of God. 

God is good. 

Craig

Remembering 2014...

Looking back on 2014, what word would you use to describe it? Exciting? Disappointing? Think about it for a second and come up with an answer. A one word answer to describe how you would view 2014. I know for me there has been a moment at the end of a year where I look back and feel that I really blew it. Perhaps I wasn't spiritual growing where I wanted to be, perhaps it was an especially difficult year.

How would you view 2014? For me I suppose I know what word I would use:

Challenging.

2014 for our family was a more challenging year than most. While we anticipated visiting America and spending time with family and friends, we found it to be harder than we expected. For us, medical issues were a focus for us while in the States and we we arrived back to Ethiopia in September, we arrived completely worn out. We now will finish 2014 battling colds and serious water issues that has seen us have about 6 days of water in the last 2 months.

Challenging.

Exodus 14:13-14 says this: "And Moses said to the people, 'Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again, The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent" 

Amazing words that I am holding on tightly to as we head in 2015. No matter what challenges you are facing,  no matter how bad 2014 was for you and no matter how nervous you are heading into a new year, GOD WILL FIGHT FOR YOU. He is fighting our battles, we just need to stay silent. As you head into a new year with new goals and new challenges, I pray that the words of these verses will be planted in your heart. I am grateful that in 2014 God fought for me. He gave strength when I had none, He gave guidance when I needed it most. I look forward to 2015 knowing that I serve a God who fights my battles for me, because in my own strength I am just not up to the challenge.

Merry Christmas 2014!

June/July Update...

Here is our latest update. I really thought we would have had more time to post while in the States but it has been a busy and jammed pack furlough. Thankful for God's faithfulness!

April Update

Here is our latest update.  We are so thankful for your prayers and faithful support!

Project #4...Sponsor a trunk...

Our "Sponsor a trunk" project is back after a success last furlough! Because items are so expensive in Ethiopia, such as clothing, household items and books, we take several trunks with us when we go back. This usually runs between 15-20 trunks, which after allotted airline baggage, cost $200 a bag. Will you help adopt a bag for $200? Help us get personal and ministry items back to Ethiopia! Right now we have 1 1/2 trunks sponsored...

Project #3... Let's take a ride...

Vehicles are expensive here with a 200% tax. We desire to purchase a second vehicle, which will help with school as well as those children we pick up for church. Due to taxes we need to raise $40,000 to help with this purchase. Vehicles can be a big challenge and while we are grateful for the one we have, the busier we become the more vital having a second vehicle will be. 

Project #2... Learning your ABC's...

To send both Ermias and Jackson to a local international school, BinghamAcademy, the cost will be $10,000 per school year. We desire to give thema good education either through attending Bingham traditionally or through becoming part of Bingham’s homeschool program. We need to raise $10,000 to help with this expense...This next year we plan on sending Jackson to Bingham and Ermias will be home schooled. The following year, which will fall during our next furlough, we will probably homeschool both boys. Amanda has done a great job with Ermias and enjoys teaching him, even though it makes for a busy week.

Project #1...Home is where your heart is...

... House rent is paid two years in advance. We have set aside 95% of our current rent price to prepare for our next lease signing. However with current rising prices we still need to raise an additional $4,000 as our lease runs out October 1st. We have been blessed to live in this house for four years and we are praying we are able to resign again. Please pray and consider how you can be apart of this project. Pray that God would also allow us the opportunity to sign a new lease at a good price!

Tomorrow: Learning your ABC's...

Furlough...

Amanda and I have been busy as we arrived back in the States almost three weeks ago. We have visited four churches and are finishing up a missions conference in Ohio right now. We have been very busy buying a variety of things for our family and for ministry, from books to clothing to homeschool supplies. Tomorrow we will be heading back to Raleigh NC to spend the next couple of weeks. We will be busy visiting churches there as well catching up on medical appointments. Jackson is having  wonderful time and is enjoying Chick-fil-a very much :)

While in Ohio I had the opportunity to visit the Professional Football Hall of Fame with a wonderful friend of mine and fellow missionary, Tim Helton. In this picture we are standing next to the Lombardi trophy, which will be presented to the the upcoming Super Bowl Champion in February 2015. I am grateful I was able to visit a place I have always wanted to visit!

Starting tomorrow we will be sharing with you four projects that we are raising finances for and next week we will be sharing an exciting new opportunity that God has given us in Ethiopia. Pray about being involved in these opportunities.

I will aso give an update on the adoption as we continue to press on.

Trusting Jesus and confident He will always provide.

Craig

January•February 2014 Update

Almost Time...

We are just a little over two weeks away from heading back to the States for our second furlough. We look forward to having some rest as well as visiting family and friends. We are disapointed that Ermias will be unable to join us but we are grateful for friends here who will keep an eye on him. The adoption process continues to chug along, albeit at a slow pace at times. New regualtions that will take place in July will make it impossible to do a private adoption here. We have started the process last year and are praying that everything will be ok with our case. Idealy we would love to finalize everything once we get back in August and in October take the family to America so Ermias can meet everyone. That would be a huge blessing, one we will continue to pray about. Next week our January/February update will be posted with pictures from our recent baptisms.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support!

One month in...

It has been a few weeks since we updated everyone, but things have been very busy! It is hard to believe that February is now here and next month we will be heading to the States for our second furlough. The adoption process is going slow but steady. New regulations that have been put in place within the last six months have caused more paperwork on our end. Because of this Ermias will have to stay here with friends while we are in America. We are disappointed he cannot go with us now, but are blessed to have wonderful friends who will be watching him and caring for him. We hope that the adoption will be finished in the fall and Ermias and I will go back to the States to finalize. Because of traveling expenses and added expenses for the new paper work, we will need to raise a total of $12,000 instead of the initial $8,000. God has been good and we continue to trust as we move ahead. Our "dream" prayer would be that all four of us could go back in the fall and finalize Ermias adoption. We then would spend a week in Illinois during the harvest with my parents, a week in Florida with Amanda's family and a week in North Carolina with our home church. Something to pray for!

Just in Time for Christmas...

Adoption Fubndraiser

Suggested Donation, $20 for each beautiful necklace

Operation: Christmas Boxes 2013

It's that wonderful, amazing and gift-giving time of year again!  Bethel Baptist Church of Ethiopia is gearing up for our 3rd annual Operation Christmas Boxes.  This is a wonderful opportunity for you, your family, your Sunday school class or life group to represent Christ here in Ethiopia.  

Due to the extremely high costs of shipping, we are encouraging those would like to be participate to make a financial donation to this year's OCB project here at Bethel.  For a small, flat rate USPS box, the cost is now at $60 to have some under 20lbs shipped to Ethiopia!  We want your investment to go into touching lives and hearts, not shipping costs.

Financial Donations can be made through:

Craig Dyson

PO Box 191

Springfield, MO  65801

In the memo, be sure to include "Dyson: OCB Christmas 2013"

Donations can also be made online at:

http://bbfimissions.com/

Simply: 

•click on the "Give" button in the right hand corner of this page

•click on "Give Now" in the Give to Individual Missionaries box

•Find "Craig Dyson" in the drop down menu

•You will see a page load with our family picture.  In the top left corner of that screen will be a "donate" button.  If you have never donated online through the missions office before, this will prompt you to set up an account.  Don't worry, your information will not be sold to any third parties :)  This allows the BBFI missions office to keep an accurate record and mail out any forms you may need for tax purposes for your donation.

Operation Christmas Boxes can still be mailed to us here in Ethiopia at:

Craig Dyson

PO Box 30194

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

We pray that the Lord will use this ministry to help further His abounding grace and mercy to the people that we have been called to minister to.

School Praise!

Here is Jackson being silly with his class. He loves school very much and tells us all about his friends when he gets home. And in case you were wondering about the colored shirts, when you start at Bingham Academy you are assigned to a team for the remainder of your time there. In January they have Field Days, basically the Olympics for Bingham, and you will represent your team. All three are named after missionaries: Peter Cameron Scott, William Carey and Hudson Taylor....Go Team Scott!

We are also excited to let you know that all of Jackson's school tuition has been raised! That is a huge praise and we want to specifically thank the following:

Gilead Baptist Church of Allen Park, MI

Grace Baptist Church of St. Charles, MO

Mid-Way Baptist Church of Raleigh, NC
Noble Hill Baptist Church of Willard, MO
Seminole Baptist Temple of Springfield, MO
Nathan and Liz Boon
Don and Joyce Dyson
Patricia Jackson
Ron and Anita Linton
David and Sheri Rhodes

These are the churches and individuals that we specifically know gave towards Jackson's tuition and we thank you so much for your help! Our next big prayer request will focus on schooling next year. It's our desire for Ermias to attend Bingham Academy next year and with his tuition added we will need to raise $10,000. We are praying that we can add some new supporting church next year on furlough, however the cost will still be very high. One of the options is for Amanda to teach at Bingham which would help lower the cost, but would also be very time consuming. Please pray for wisdom as we look toward next year!

Thank you again! Jackson and Ermias are both doing great is school and both love it!

July•August 2013 Update

We are so thankful for all the faithful prayers and support that allow us to serve in Ethiopia.

Our family is incredibly humbled to be used in HIS amazing plan!

First Day of School...

JZ started KG 1 on Tuesday. He was very excited but has been crying when we drop him off :( The way he is when we drop him off with his friends, that was the last thing we expected him to do when going to school. He loves it though and is very excited to tell us all about it when we pick him up. The drive each morning is about 45 minutes and we have to get ahead of the traffic early so we leave around 6:45. That means 5:30 wake up and early to bed for the whole family. The adjustment has went well however.

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