Author: peterjang73

Day #12 & #13 & #14

So who ever said that travel is easy?
As we headed for the airport that Thursday night, Pastor Shawn realized that he had misplaced or lost his paper ticket. When we got to the airport, things were even worse. We had forgotten (OK, I had since I had flowin internationally before where it was required) that we had to confirm our flights a couple of days before the departure day. However, it shouldn’t have resulted in all of our names from being dropped from the list! So due to this confirmation thing, we ended up waiting 7 hours at the airport waiting away on Jade’s birthday.

To tell the Send team, Joanna and I purchased a calling card (25 birr = $3) and after 2 minutes, the call was over. At least we had told them that our flight was delayed. However, Joanna and Jade really stepped up to keep at asking here and there but Ethiopian Airline’s “Be back in 10 minutes” turned out to be an hour here and hour there. But thank God that they eventually got us a hotel to stay nearby! Much prop and love also go out to Rosa who went above and beyond for our sake to get the travel agent’s buttocks running! Since we didn’t have anything to eat since lunch (that’s 12 hours folks) along with signs of dehydration, we decided to eat “late” dinner at 2 am or so. And then we all passed out on our own beds.

When we had come to, we were somewhat being “promised” to be on the next flight out that Friday night. Since everyone was rather disillusioned at the gloomy situation, we decided to have a prayer meeting after breakfast to remind ourselves that this is still God’s mission trip, that nothing happens without reason and that despite the situations, we still need to remind ourselves of our brothers who are able to To take a break and to send an e-mail update, we decided to walk out to that area (only about 10 minute walk). However, the poorly English-speaking receptionist insisted on what sounded like a “free taxi” ride so all of us including Christine went. After much needed break at Kaldi’s cafe and sending e-mails out, we headed back only to find out that our “courteous” taxi driver wanted us to pay $35 for the freakin’ ride!! It was 5 minutes each way!! We were all so mad and our front gunner and “tank”, Jade began complaining and asking back and forth between the receptionist and the driver. We have our own theories but in the end, John just negotiated and paid him 50 birr ($5.50). Though that sounds cheap, the however-far-you-wannna-go taxi ride arrangements are 30 birr! So having been ripped off, times were tough for our team.

But God had pulled through for us and we were confirmed on the Friday’s flight. John and Jade headed out to pickup the paper tickets only to be told that there won’t any. But PS and Jade proceeded to the airport to get their paper work done. Mr. Teferi came to give us all the support he could (he had brought his brother-in-law who worked at the airline) and went with us to the airport. We were just so glad and thankful that we could make the flight! While waiting for the flight, we got a chance to see kids from Save the Children as they practiced their tour routines for all the waiting people. After the long flight, we were finally on Dulles Airport!! We arrived at 9:30 am EST but found out that there was almost an 8 hour layover!! We endured the waiting by eating some good ol’ burgers at “Five Guys” and playing games like Twenty Questions and such. We were all very exhausted by the time we landed in Houston… but very glad and thankful to be back!!

Please continue to pray for Christine’s health as her sight is not back yet and that she would be able to find better treatment as the current one seems rather ineffective. Also, pray for PS as he played tennis yesterday afternoon in the heat! Between that and his family being sick with fever, he got sick badly last night. Peter is still fighting 42 itches from the fleas. We all appreciate your prayerful support! Thank you!

Final update before we head back!

So today was the last full day we had here in Addis. After the last classes of teaching, and lunch, we gathered to leave for a service at Zion Pilgrims Association. It is the same group that also supports HIV-positive people in Jaja that I had mentioned previously. The people were just wonderful. You could definitely sense from Pastor Solomon who greeted us so warmly that though stricken with AIDS, they definitely wanted AND chose to live in “positive living”. It was hard to imagine that these people were stricken with the virus because there wasn’t a sense of defeat or sadness. In fact, there was a young man short but stout from Gambella who is a leader of such community out in that area, and he had such conviction of God and determination about him. His words of energy truly moved all of us. Pastor Shawn and brother Peter gave a message and short words of encouragement to the people. We were reminded again that there was joy in these people and such great sense of desperation of clinging to Christ.
After that, we had a brief stop/break at a coffee place called Kardi’s, a Starbucks imitation place. Though drinks and ice cream (yes, ice cream) were great, things were a bit… chaotic in terms of service. Oh well, c’est la vie.  Or as the locals say, TIA (This is Africa)!

Upon return, after dinner, we had a service with our great hostess sister, Dorothy. We had communion together and shared how we all have been touched and moved, as well as getting lots of insights into how God has awesomely been moving here in Ethiopia and beyond. Afterwards, we prayed for her as well as she leaves tonight back to the States to speak to several churches to spur others to see God’s work. Dorothy has been just simply been a godsend to us. She has introduced us to so many great people and to see her heart and dedication alone has been a tremendous source of encouragement. Many here refer to her as their “mother” in spiritual sense as well as having done so much for the people of Ethiopia on behalf of Christ.

After that, we had a time to talk and hear more of the young missionary couple, Mike and Janelle, to just get more personal inputs. Peter also got a chance to be helpful practically by helping them with some computer issues. As expected, they do need some special skills in Addis as well as in countryside, including computer skills to be taught as well as consulting and accounting. It also turns out that Mike’s family live our in League City area so that has brought some unexpected welcome to Peter.

In wrapping up our trip, God has shown us a tremendous amount and we pray that He will help us narrow down our priorities as well as sharing what we have seen to other churches and peple near and far to spur each other and to become a part in God’s great work.

After lunch, we had an appointment to go and see two of the future sites for Bethel Mekane Yesus School sites. First one was nearby the current location but right next to an upcoming major highway. I could just imagine all the noise that the students would have to endure as all the trucks and vehicles passed by. Then we headed towards second site that was in the south. Well, one thing that Ato (Mr.) Tefari, the principal, forgot to mention is that there is a LOT of construction going. Oh and he forgot to mention that the roads about mile out of the site is not developed. What did this mean? The poor 20-year-old Toyota minivan had to drive through the treacherous mud road! We got stuck once even on one of the turns! The local kids helped us get out eventually. We still had to park the van somewhere down the mountains and walk up the muddy roads. After some mud incidents, 5 of us (PS, Joy, Jade, John, and Peter) along with Dorothy and Ato Tefari made it to the future site. Though still undeveloped, the land was donated by the government but with all the development and staffing issues to be picked up by the school, it will be a daunting task. It was also a beautiful site to see all the countryside of Ethiopia. The whole thing reminded me of undeveloped Korea from the ’50s and ’60s time. We can only pray that the development will be beneficial to the entire country.

Once we came back and went out to dinner, we came back for a surprise b-day party for Jade along with the girls at the hostel. They had prepared a cake along with a cultural necklace as a gift. After that, they also gave each of us a gift of a shawl. After just simple time of hanging out together, we came back for prayer time.

Water and power go in and out very frequently. We haven’t had full running water for shower for several days now. Peter has 42 flea/bug bites on his legs and neck. EVERYONE is having gas issues. Many are having diarrhea as well. Christine just got off her steroids and is making her very agitated. So please pray for all of us

Monday came rather painfully as most of us were tired. After breakfast and service and teaching morning classes, we were visited by Teddy (short for Theodore) who used to work in Jinma. A young married man, Teddy used to work to make the progress of getting all the projects that we had mentioned previously work together. Well, more than a year ago, there had been lots of mishaps, mostly on the government side, that caused money to dissipate and force 3 of the local branches to close. So last year, he moved from Jinma to Addis Ababa to work on the administration side. A very smart man who has the suaveness enough to get the Jinma government to allow the locals to run the 2 mills that were just sitting around. He truly has the gift of communication and we pray that he will be able to get the needed things up and running again.

Afternoon time was filled with shopping. Our sister Meskerem was filling better and had stopped by to say hi to all of us one last time. She will be starting college in 3 weeks so she will be busy.

In the evening, we had the opportunity to setup individual accounts on the computer for the girls that are staying in the hostel. More than half of the nine girls did not know how to use the computer well. For three, it was their first time touching the computer. Peter had a bit of difficulty but we were able to get them started on the very basics of turning the computer on and loggin on, and then turning it off. We do take lots of things for granted. While Peter was teaching them on one-on-one basis, Joanna, John, and Pastor Shawn were playing all kinds of games to bring smiles to the sisters.

And just before dinner time, as PS prayed (on his own) for Christine to be able to get her bladder working again, she was able to go freely!! God is wonderful indeed!

For Sunday service, we went to IEC (International Evangelical Church), which is a church that Dorothy attends. English service was done by Pastor An from Korean congregation of the church since the English ministry pastor was in the States. After the service and lunch, Joy wanted to go shopping so we went on to the open market. After that, Janelle and Mike took us to the local mountain top.

The drive up the mountain was a beautiful one. There were lots of classic old Orthodox churches that we passed by. Once on the top, the view of the countryside from the top was astounding. However, kids were always around us asking for money and what not. Mike added that it was mainly due to our own fault, in that the tourists just gave away money feeling sorry for them, when doing so did absolutely nothing for them.

Upon return, we heard that our team from Jinma was returning tonight so the three of us waited for them to return. They arrived tired a little before 9 pm and had begun to tell us of the stories.

Since it was so late, Dorothy cooked for us a potato soup and cornbread. Some of the stories the Jinma team shared were like the following. Joanna shared how she met a guy who used to work with Compassion International for 9 years. That’s the same organization with which we have adopted few children to sponsor. However, he shared how he was disappointed with them after 9 years due to limiting how the money was to be spent. When Joanna asked PS if we should stop the sponsoring with Compassion International, his reply was no. Having understood both sides of the story, so long as the money wasn’t misused, we should continue supporting the children. The team had also many opportunities to see how the churches helped the orphans. This was mainly by giving them some money and encouraging them to invest it in a business they would like to start up. In many cases, such have seemed to work rather well. Another neat praise to hear that I forgot to mention yesterday from the talk with Dr. Weingartner was that Makane Yesus only comprised of approximately 5000 members in the ’50s. Now, they number over 5 million! The church here has been growing so much that they have a preaching point. When they plant churches here, they almost immediately start new churches elsewhere. These are called preaching points. One has to walk about an hour before you establish a preaching point. Such places can be anything even under a tree, but they go out that far to preach and share the Good News. Now that they are big enough, Makane Yesus (non-Orthodox Christians, mainly of Lutherans and Bethel Synods, have begun a mission organization that have started to reach out to Ethiopia’s neighboring countries. They use two non-religious models to reach out as all but Keyna are Muslim countries. Two models are literacy programs and health programs. The Ethiopians send out people to start teaching people how to read as well as providing clinics to help the sick. When the relationship is good, they ask the local government for permission to build a church. Government says ‘no’ but it’s the people that tell the government to let the Christians build the church since their own do not help them. It’s an amazing model that just amazed the people like me. Again, now Ethiopia is becoming like Korea where it sends out missionaries to its neighboring countries like Somalia, Djibouti, Sudan and Eritrea. God moves in mysterious and amazing ways.

After much sharing, the tired team re-gathered to pray and called it a night.

After breakfast, Joy and I, along with Tesfa, the Public Health Nurse, took us back to Haregewoin’s HIV-positive orphanage while Dorothy stayed with Christine to take care of her. This time, Joy was armed with stickers and I with Jolly Ranchers. The children were just that. Children. Playful. As we played outside, I gave out the candy to each child. After mine was done, I showed them the blue tongue and they began to show theirs. It was rather fun looking at them sticking their tongue out so strongly! Kids will indeed be kids. Then a lady came to sing praise songs with them and lead them in prayer. They even prayed for other sick kids. Then the kids started to play with my camera and all had a blast. We went without an agenda. We just wanted to bring joy to them, or as Dorothy put it, “just love them.”

For lunch, the younger missionary couple, Mike and his wife wanted to try Korean food! We definitely didn’t mind but we felt so spoiled! But since they don’t get to try different foods often and they were really wanting to try it out, we went to the Korean restaurant. The food was okay, but I was glad that Mike’s family and Dorothy enjoyed the food so much! On the way back, we picked up an Orthodox brother by the name of Samson.

After some rest, we had dinner with Rob and his wife from The Outreach Foundation. They had already been here for two weeks catching up on the status and updates. Rob’s organization supports the missionaries, planting and building churches, and equipping the leaders for the global church. This also meant that he was interested in our church, Pathways, as it’s related to church planting! They shared numerous stories like the one about walking for an hour through the mud to get to a church! Or how they started to give the local rural pastors money to invest in oxens to plow the field and generate more income so that they could be self-sustainable.  It also turned out that Dr. Weingartner would be in Houston in middle of August (8/16-18) and he really wanted to visit our church for worship. It is just amazing how God opens up doors of all kids all around us.

Now, I mentioned a man by the name of Samson who is just starting up a NGO that would help the poor elderly folks. He was rather a humble young man only a year older than I was who felt the calling to take care of the elderly who are alone, too poor to feed themselves, and need love.

Now, the day is nearly over and just continue to pray for Christine that Satan may not have a hold on her and that her physical health will catch up to her spiritual health. She was glad to come despite her condition because it also helped the local Ethiopians to open up their eyes to see that not all Americans are healthy and that she understands their pain and suffering because she does.