I Find Rest in Him!

The most common piece of advice usually given after a mission trip is “GET SOME REST!” But how do you find the rest that your soul requires after a visit to the center of God’s will and call upon your life? How do you process and categorize your experience with the Savior when you struggle to find words that seem adequate enough to explain, quantify and justify what proves to be pivotal in your walk with Jesus.

Psalm 62:5 (Amplified Bible) My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him.

No two mission trips are ever the same and at the end of each, you return home from the journey “well spent” by Christ. The journey to Chencha, Ethiopia was not the first, technically, but for each person involved in the project it was a once in a lifetime experience. We are different in our perspectives on what took place and renewed and reformed in our understanding of waiting upon the LORD…SILENTLY…and in TOTAL SUBMISSION!

We touched the lives of more than 700 patients, 30 combined team members and staff. We lived in unusual circumstances, without hot water and on some days without any water and no electricity for at least a part of our days. We ate food that was new and different and found new loves like Gorman (Ethiopian greens) and mango juice. For some, it was a pleasant surprise to be able to cope so well in an environment for which we could not really prepare. For others, the feeling of “returning home” proved to be a challenge all by itself because the thought was, “we are here from our home!” But to be in the center of the divine will of Christ should certainly feel like home and by His grace that was what it felt like most days.

We are physically back to our own beds, showers, bath tubs, cats, families and friends, but our hearts will be divided between our love for our American lives and our new family members in Ethiopia. Please continue to pray for 8 year old Dubalech (DOOba – Lech) as she travels to Addis Ababa on Tuesday, March 1 to meet with a Norwegian orthopedic doctor in regards to her left leg. The road ahead for her will be a tremendous challenge as it is inevitable – to save her life she must lose at least her left leg. Pray for the ministry we have had the blessing of working with, Win Souls for God. What vision and passion they have…God’s agenda is their only desire. They face new challenges as they try to raise funds to staff the clinic in Chencha and continue the projects in Addis Ababa. Please also life up the people of Chencha – the prayer room housed members of several churches. They gathered for the first time ever from different church communities and discovered that since they serve the same one and only Christ Jesus, the buildings that housed their communities were simple physical structures and could not contain their unbridled love for the Savior.

Please continue to check our blog for our stories…and pictures.

Final Day In Addis

Good Morning,

We are up and ready to go to the boys and girls' homes before lunch and shopping. We are tracking the medical report of 8 year old Dubalech. We are a little concerned that the doctors at the hospital think she just needs medications and won't lose her leg(s)/ so please pray for wisdom and special attention to her by the medical staff.

The weather is gorgeous but the smog in Addis is awful. I know I'll be sick by the time we land tomorrow in Atlanta. Salem went home last night and in meeting her sister here, her sister met a friend from elementary school who works with the ministry. Lots of hugs and screaming.

This was such a GREAT trip. Just so amazing to see the progress since last year and the organization at the clinic in Chencha is the one thing that we all agree made the most difference. Of course the question now is when do we comeback.

Take care and please, please, please pray us home safely! We leave tonight, 3:35 pm Atlanta time, and arrive back at ATL Sunday at 4:10 pm. After getting through customs and finding our bags, we hope to be back at the church around 6 pm.

Love and hugs to all,

Ingrid for the team

Back in Addis

We arrived at the guest house shortly after 5 pm our time. We left Chencha after 7 this morning. The delay was God's appointment. As Chika was saying goodbye to "Mama" they had opportunity to once again share the Gospel and Mama accepted the Lord. What an amazing conclusion to our time there.

Now we are relaxing, eating and sleeping. Tomorrow will be last busy day here.

Don't forget that our report meeting will be March 13th after the second service in Room 1370. We look forward to sharing pictures and testimonies. We have much to tell.

The Ethiopian Team

Finishing in Chencha

We are finished with the work in the clinic. We packed up the clinic and are heading back to the guest house. Efrim saw 66 and Chika 56 patients today. Leeshu and Karen saw 95 patients for glasses. “It’s a record!” exclaimed Karen. From the prayer room Patience reports that today 104 people heard the gospel and 7 accepted Jesus as Savior. One was delivered from demonic spirits. Kayenda and Diane filled 250 prescriptions. Selam explained close to 200 prescriptions today. She sent them away with the blessing, “May God’s healing be upon you and your family!” They left grateful and happy. We are in awe of the hand of God.

Friday we leave at 6 a.m. (10 pm Thursday Atlanta time) to drive back to Addis. The flight we had planned to take was canceled because of too few people on the flight. That means a ten hour drive rather than a short flight. But we will visit a boys home along the way, and Saturday we will see two others and the site for a new elementary school for 700 kids.

Ingrid

Special Prayer Need

Urgent prayer needed – we are sending an 8 year old girl, named Dubalech, to the hospital in Arbaminch because she has a bone infection called Osteomyelitist. Dr. Efrim Moore said she will lose her left leg and possibly the right. Pray ferociously please. She will live, but will need a lot of help adjusting to life. The team is giving $400 to help with her care.

Yesterday Efrim saw 64 patients and Chika saw almost 50. Selam is in the pharmacy all day explaining to patients how to take medicines. Kayenda and Diane cannot stop singing her praises. Karen is fascinated with everything and is a hit with the kids. We are all GREAT!

Ingrid for the team

More on Day Three

I wanted to add some stats to today's report. Leeshu and Karen saw 78 patients for glasses today. We saw cancers and tumors today that left us heartbroken. The Pharmacy crew hit 200 prescriptions today.
Ingrid

Day Three

We are all well. We are working late tonight because we did roadside shopping and a picnic lunch. The patients have presented more distressing illnesses and more challenging cases. We will run out of medicines for goiter soon. We are now starting to run out of drugs for reflux and eye ointment. Chika just left Efrim after one of many consultations and said “today is a challenging day!” Patience has visited the prayer room daily and the reports of people choosing Jesus as Savior has kept us going. We have been blessed and excited that we were chosen to be here. Efrim did devotions for both teams today. Awesome!

Ingrid for the team

Day Two

We have finished our second day and it was a great day. Efrim and Chika saw 123 patients. Diane, Kayenda and Patience filled 160 prescriptions. Leeshu and Karen saw about 45 people for glasses. The local media conducted interviews with team leaders to highlight the project.

We are well. We are now sitting by a fire eating sugar cane and praising God for His work through us today. He has indeed done great things for us – Psalm 126:3 “The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”

Ingrid and the team

Some Further Thoughts About Today

A comforting thought is that Almaz would have died alone as she lived alone. Instead she died in the prayer room in the arms of her neighbor and as her name was being lifted to God.

The testimonies from the prayer room have been unbelievable. They feel like God has not forgotten Chencha because He sent us. A pastor’s wife received from another pastor the word that a blessing was coming to Chencha by way of visitors. And now she knows it’s this team.

God bless you for sending us and for praying for us.

Ingrid

A Challenging Beginning

It was such a different morning. I insisted that leaders in every room say prayers in the room before work began. I prayed with Chika, Efrim and the Ethiopian staff in our rooms. I thanked God for ordering our lives here and for calling us to lay down our lives for friends. Little did I know what challenge was about to come.

Of course, we saw the worst cases first. The first was a 22 year old female who came extremely septic. Dr. Moore (Efrim) though she might have a week to live. But she died right then. It was devastating. Her name is Almaz Getanun. She died at approximately 10:05 a.m. No one wanted to touch the body due to cultural norms. By custom the body had to be washed by an elderly woman in the family, but she had none. An elderly lady did it. Patience and Chika were incredible with the cultural difficulties. They bound the body so she could fit in a plain box.

This is an extension ministry of Win Souls for God and Hope for Children in Ethiopia Ministries. When we were here last year the building was in construction. We worked in unfinished rooms. Since then the building has been completed. The clinic is spectacular, complete with café, library and furnished treatment rooms and glass walls. Diane and Kayenda are running a major pharmacy and staff. Selam is priceless (FBA member originally from Ethiopia.) Karen and Leeshu are both seeing patients simultaneously for glasses. Efrim and Chika have seen 100 or more combined.

The New Testament is being played in Amharic as patients are waiting. These were provided to us by the “Faith Comes By Hearing” ministry. These radio-like units are solar powered and play a reading of the New Testament in the language the people can understand.

We need your prayers. You are partners with us in reaching souls in Chencha, Ethiopia. Thank you for sending us and for standing with us.

Ingrid

Safely in Ethiopia

After uneventful flights with a layover in Frankfurt, the Customs process was the opposite. After three hours trying to convince the agents that all the medical supplies had been properly approved, the team was through with all bags. A long day had been even longer. Finally by 2:30 a.m. they arrived at their lodging for the night. On Sunday they will worship together with the Ethiopian missionaries and then catch a flight to Chencha. Keep the team in your prayers. Thank you so much.

We are on the way!!

The team flies out of Hartsfield-Jackson this evening at 6:10. After a 3 hour layover in Frankfurt they will arrive in Addis Ababa at 9:15 p.m. Saturday. The clock to the right gives you local time. Please pray for a week of ministry that will bring people the love of Christ.

Meet the 2011 Team!

Once again First Baptist Church of Atlanta has partnered with the Win Souls for God and Hope for Children in Ethiopia Ministries to minister and provide medical care for the poorest of the poor in Chencha, Ethiopia.  Many of the same team members will return to Ethiopia, but we do have a couple of new faces.

 

The Itinerary

Friday and Saturday, February 18 and 19;Travel to Addis Ababa via Frankfort-

Pray for traveling mercies, secure transfer of all bags and clearance of all medical supplies through customs without fees. Psalm 32-8


Sunday, February 20; Worship and Fly to Chencha-
Today we celebrate Resurrection Sunday. We pray for a safe flight to Chencha and endurance to set up the clinic Sunday evening. Jeremiah 29:11


Monday, February 21; Opening of the Chencha Children and Youth Clinic-
We for physical endurance, team unity and excellence as we care for patients. The FBA medical team will be the first to work in this clinic. Luke 10:9


Tuesday, February 22; Patient care at the Chencha Children and Youth Clinic-
We will also participate in evening worship with the people of Chencha after the team debriefing. Pray that we will rest easily and adjust to our new home for the week quickly. 2Cor. 12:15


Wednesday, February 23; Patient care at the Chencha Children and Youth Clinic-
We pray for each person we treat or encounter and for opportunities to communicate the Gospel. Pray again for team unity and the sweet sense of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Col. 3:16


Thursday, February 24: Patient care at the Chencha Children and Youth Clinic-
This is our last day with patients in Chencha. We fly back to Addis Ababa after debriefing with the team. Luke 4:18


Friday, February 25; Fly back to Addis Ababa Patient care in Addis Ababa-
Pray for traveling mercies and physical endurance to serve patients in Addis. Pray for opportunities to share our testimonies with the children in the schools we will serve for a few hours. Eph. 3:20-21


Saturday, February 26; Debriefing with Ethiopian team, shopping and prepare to leave-
Pray for our relationship there in Ethiopia, and that we further the Gospel of Christ through opportunities He provides. 2Tim 4:5


Saturday and Sunday, February 27; Leave Addis Ababa for Atlanta via Frankfort
Pray for emotional strength and the Spirit's blessing Luke 1:45; "Blessed is he who has believed that what the Lord has said to him will be accomplished." And, 1John 5:14-15




"And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases Him. And since we know He hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for."