I pray this message finds you well as we live through these peculiar times. The entire world is impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Church of Christ has an extraordinary and urgent opportunity to minister hope and share “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding.”
Jesus predicted it 2000 years ago, and he’s doing it. In our generation and in many parts of the world, the Church of Christ is growing at unprecedented rates. And at BrookLink we get to be part of that story. What a privilege! Next month Jan Ryder and Leslie Osborne will be training 40+ children’s workers for the Kale Heywet Church in Ethiopia. We are currently halfway through a three-year commitment to equip leaders in the Ethiopian church.
"...for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." Revelation 5:9
In June, BrookLink was invited to return again to Ethiopia to minister in the Kale Heywet churches. Pastor Timothy Ryder of Waukesha, Wisconsin and Pastor Ian Lawson of Alberta, Canada traveled to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to lead church leaders through three days of training.
As my wife, Terry, got off the plane from West Africa in Detroit, Michigan, I was boarding a plane for East Africa in Chicago, Illinois. We spent Thanksgiving Day apart this year. But don’t feel too sorry for us. We were on Kingdom business and following His lead. Last month we talked about why we do what we do at BrookLink. Strengthening the church is WHAT BrookLink is all about. We were invited and available, so off we went.
It’s a beautiful morning in Addis Ababa. Tomorrow begins a week of training in a foreign land. Covet your prayers!
My father taught all of us three basic principles of sailing. The first was: sailing is all about dependency. All the training, effort and experience will do little good if there is no wind. Likewise, spiritual growth is not guaranteed through following techniques or gimmicks, but through daily and conscious reliance and dependence upon the ‘wind’ of God’s Spirit.
Everyone has a story. When meeting people for the first time I am eager to learn their story. Good stories grab our imagination, invite us in and broaden our understanding!
There are so many enriching benefits of a short-term mission experience! It is not just about the work you do or the shared experience itself; mostly it is about the relationships you develop.
I arrived in Awash Afar, Ethiopia Friday night. Earlier that same day Kibru Tadesse met me at the Addis Ababa airport. Kibru is the National Director of Great Commission Ministries (GCM) in Ethiopia, the ministry we are partnering with the whole week. GCM is better known in the US as Cru.