Ready to go?

Many have asked me over the past few days if I'm excited…my response has been mixed from "getting there" to "not yet".

 From March 10-28, Fanosie Legesse and I will be serving with Mennonite Church Canada Witness in Ethiopia. We'll begin in the city of Nazareth, leading a mission and church planting seminar with 50 Ethiopian missionaries and then teaching 150 of the church leaders from the missionaries' congregations in a church leadership workshop.  Nazareth is a significant location for the Mennonite Church in Ethiopia, as it is where the first Mennonite church was planted.  In our final week, Fanosie and I will also meet with leaders of the Meserete Kristos College, the Meserete Kristos Church and its head office in Addis Ababa, who are partners of Mennonite Church Canada.

It has been an interesting journey to this point. The journey has called on me to surrender repeatedly, to seek God's will, and to trust that God had a plan in mind for an assignment that I have been humbled to accept.

 Tomorrow we leave...the bags are packed...rides are in place to the airport...and my excitement level is growing. But am I ready to go?  

I am looking forward to seeing God at work in and through the church in Ethiopia. I am hopeful that I can play at least a small role in equipping and encouraging the church planters, missionaries, and pastors we will be spending time with in these weeks. The church in Ethiopia is experiencing incredible growth. Our role is to offer some resourcing and equipping in the ongoing task of developing leaders. The opportunity to engage in this type of teaching assignment is what excites me the most!

It's also what makes me most apprehensive. Self-esteem/self-worth has always been a struggle for me. Teaching opportunities like this one seem to heighten those feels of uncertainty within me. However, with a challenge comes an opportunity to find a way to overcome. 

I am confident that God has been at work to bring the details of this assignment into place. 

I have been humbled and blessed by the way our dear friends at Listowel Mennonite Church have shown their enthusiasm for this project through their generosity as well as many words of encouragement. I am further thankful that my parents have been able to travel to our home to spend these weeks with Rose and our boys - it does the heart good to know that things are covered at home!

God is good!

So...am I ready to go?

With God's help...yes!

If you have opportunity to pray over the next weeks here are a few items for which I would appreciate your prayers:

o    That the missionaries would receive new ideas, a new revelation from the Holy Spirit, and that they may feel refreshed and “fed” as they return back to their mission locations. 

o    That the church leaders will be confident, with new knowledge and resolve to support their missionaries in any way possible and a renewed passion for their joint ministry.

o    For an open and ready spirit to learn from our sisters and brothers in the global church as we grow leaders together in our Lord Jesus Christ.

o    For safe travels and health during intense teaching and meeting times

o    For Rose, Malachi, Jonah, Elijah, and Nehemiah who will remain in Canada during this assignment

If you would like the opportunity to partner with Fanosie and I - we are still in need of funds for pastor/student scholarships which make it possible for the church leaders to join us for these days of equipping - here is a link to our donation page. 

Thank you for your prayers!