Alaba, Ethiopia: ETA 1 Month
It’s hard to believe, but after almost a year of praying, and planning, and preparing, my friend Danny and I will be in Alaba, Ethiopia in about 1 month.
We will meet Dave and BeckyLynn Black there. They will already be in Ethiopia, after taking another larger group to the southern part of the country. If you would like to read more about the Black’s work in Ethiopia, check out the “Ethiopia Files” on Dave Black’s site.
Soon, I’ll post a link to a prayer itinerary for our trip. I’m not going to ask people to promise to pray for us. But, we would certainly appreciate the prayer!
I’m excited about this trip. I’m hoping that God will be able to use Danny and me to strengthen the churches in the region of Alaba. I’m also expecting that God will teach both us much more than we will ever be able to teach the Ethiopians. Then, we plan to bring that back to our friends here in North Carolina (and soon Virginia for Danny).
Not Talking… Listening
As you can imagine, I’ve been pretty busy lately.
So, for a change, I’m not saying anything in this post. That’s my prerogative because this is my blog. (I may post something later in the day.)
Instead, I’d like to listen. What do you want to talk about?
Margaret is home from the hospital
We just brought Margaret home from the hospital after her surgery. Everything went well. She’s a little loopy from the anesthesia and some pain meds, but otherwise she’s doing great. Thank you for your prayers!
Margaret’s Surgery is Today at 9:30
Margaret is having surgery today at 9:30 a.m. (Eastern time) to remove an ovarian cyst. The doctors do not think that the cyst is cancerous, and they hope to remove it laparoscopally. The surgery should only last 1 – 1 1/2 hours, then she should be in recovery for 1 – 1 1/2 hours. After that, we can take her home.
Of course, all of this assumes that everything goes well. We are trusting God to take care of Margaret. We would appreciate your prayers.
Sometimes I think I’m going crazy
Sometimes I think I’m going crazy. Especially lately. This is a really crazy time in our lives, and, for now, it seems that things just keep getting worse.
So, what am I doing?
I’m cautiously taking the only path that I see open to me. And I’m carefully listening to any correction from God.
What’s going to happen? I don’t know, but I am trying to trust God in spite of everything that’s going on.
Preparing for Ethiopia Trip
Yesterday, my family attended the last training class with Dave and BeckyLynn Black in order to prepare for a trip to Ethiopia in July. I will be traveling to the Alaba region of Ethiopia with my good friend Danny. While there, I will be teaching a group of 85 elders, while Danny will be teaching in a prison and in some surrounding villages.
One of the highlights of this class was eating Ethiopian food. We had injera (a form of flat bread) and doro what (chicken stew) and several other dishes. Ethiopians use the injera to pick up and eat the food. I thought the food was delicious, and I think we’ll eat very well while we’re there.
Under Construction
Over the next few days… a week… two weeks… however long it takes… I’m going to be making changes to this site. Most of the changes will be cosmetic. However, some of the items in the sidebars may disappear.
Feel free to comment, criticize, suggest, laugh, or whatever you want to do.
Margaret is scheduled for surgery in one week
A couple of weeks ago, Margaret (my wife) was diagnosed with an ovarian cyst. The doctors do not think that it’s malignant. However, because of the size (10 cm) they want to remove it.
So, she is scheduled for surgery next Tuesday, June 8. The doctors believe that they can remove it laparoscopically as out-patient surgery, which will result in a much speedier recovery.
She is doing well so far. She has some back pain, and she doesn’t have much energy. Otherwise, though, this isn’t affecting her much right now.
We would appreciate your prayers for this. Thank you.
Thinking about discipleship again
Yesterday, Thursday, I completed a time of formal discipleship with a seminary student. He was required to find a “mentor” for a class called Supervised Field Ministry for the Spring semester so that he could graduate this month. He sent out a few emails, I responded, and we began to meet together several times per week for the last three months.
I don’t think I was exactly what he was expecting. And, this type of formal discipleship is not exactly what I prefer.
The two of us were quite the pair. I’m from the deep south, and he’s from the north. I’ve been a believer for more than 30 years, and he’s been a believer for less than 10 years. He’s single, and I’m married with two children. He’s passionate about evangelism, and I’m just as passionate about relational discipleship. He wants to be a vocational pastor, and I do not want to get paid to pastor.
So, how did two such different people do together? Fine. Very well, actually. No, we don’t see eye to eye on everything, but that’s not what discipleship, love, or unity are about. Instead, we both sought the best for each other. We wanted to help one another grow in maturity in Christ. We found our unity in Christ, not in shared circumstances, situations, or doctrines.
What will happen now? Hopefully, our relationship with continue. I’ve left that ball in his court. I think I have more to learn from him, so I hope we’re able to spend more time together.
How is God working in your life?
According to Scripture, God continually works in the lives of his children. So, a valid question to consider at all times is this: How is God working in your life?
To be honest, I don’t want to answer that question… which a good reason to ask it of myself.
You see, I’ve been very frustrated and discouraged about several things that are going on in my life. In other words, I have not been content with God through the circumstances and situations of my life recently. While it is always difficult to know exactly what God is doing in the midst of the situation, it seems that God is, at least, leading me more toward finding contentment in him.
I thank God that my wife and several friends are willing to talk with me and walk with me through this time.
But, what about you? How is God working in your life?