Day 4 Mission accomplished!

By the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, the Oral Bible will be completed tomorrow morning. 1 more story will be recorded tomorrow morning and then they are finished. Amazing! We truly saw God's hand during this week. All the storytellers were able to come everyday and faithfully worked on their stories. Another woman (Yasheko) came today because she wanted to try telling 2 stories and she did it. 

Late afternoon, a large herd of cows made its way across our yard and they were bellowing. Our oldest children ran outside in the absence of the Gumuz herder, and tried steering them away from the house where the recording was taking place. Well amazingly as the cows walked past the house they were completely silent. A small thing maybe but so remarkable that those recording noticed that the silence held throughout the recording of the story they were doing! Small things, big things, God things. We praise Him. 

This evening, we were able to host the team for supper and the kids presented a Christmas presentation which they did so well and then we served Christmas baking. I really feel it is Christmas when it involves hosting, programs and food so this was special. Kalia as an angel and Sonia ran in to join her at one point, Joel and Ariana were shepherds and Nadia was a very cute 3 year old Mary. The four songs we memorized and practiced were performed with great enthusiasm despite Ariana and Sonia being feverish. 

Tomorrow, the team leader will hold a storying workshop for about 3 hours and that will wrap up the Gesses aspect of the Oral Bible recording. It has been a joy to be part of this team effort and we thank you for your part in praying for this project. We look forward to seeing how this Oral Bible will bring fruit in the lives of those who listen to God's word.

Oral Bible day 3: Persevering through the details

Today was another full day and the 7 storytellers worked with Rolf, John, Askale and Demalash until 2pm. They recorded 2-3 stories each today. Those that shone last week while we practiced the stories are shining this week. Interestingly one of the best storytellers is the woman who is non-literate but then her gift in retelling stories is why we chose her.  

This is an important week because not only are the Gumuz having the opportunity to learn the important skill of telling God's word accurately but also relying on the Holy Spirit to help them in their weakness. Pray that they will not be discouraged or overcome by the details.

Today we are praying for our guard's 2 year old son who has a swollen neck and can hardly breathe, eat or drink. I was hoping it might just be mumps but am worried it is actually diphtheria. They got medicine of some sort in town but it hasn't had any affect. There are reasons our children are vaccinated and so many of the diseases we see here could be avoided. Praying that the Lord brings healing and gives us wisdom in how to help.

Oral Bible Day 2

Yesterday, the 7 Gumuz storytellers completed 14 stories in total which was the goal for the first day. Today, 18 stories were completed with most of the storytellers recording 3 stories each. The afternoons get really warm and everyone is feeling rather weary by afternoon. Thankfully as the sun descends, the air cools and energy returns. They need strength and perseverance as the days continue and as the stories get harder.  

I wish that I could send you pictures of the sights that I am seeing. Each morning, the storytellers sit on woven stools under a tree or lie in the grass while they practice their story with a partner. It is beautiful to watch these men and women boldly proclaiming what God has done. These stories are not easy for them to remember but as they practice, the story becomes alive. We believe that God's word does not return empty and so we pray that these stories will spread far and wide.

When I read an email about the Conneticut school shooting, my heart broke and it seemed to consume my spirit. All these hurting families, all these children traumatized by what they have seen. The things that we have seen do not compare to the loss and pain being felt by so many families at this time. We are involved in an exciting week while men, women and children are mourning such great loss.  

I am sure some people are questioning God's love and sovereignty during this time. But I am reminded of His great love for us for His heart too is full of pain. He grieves when evil is so great. If he wasn't so patient, he would have ended this evil a long time ago but he has a plan. I have come to see over and over again that his plan is so much deeper and greater than anything we can even imagine.

We often feel weak as we serve the Gumuz people. We feel weary when we see all the pain around us and in the world. But may we be glad this Christmas for the promised Savior was given and the promised Savior will return and make all things right. Do we know His heart and His story well enough to share it boldly with those who are hurting this Christmas?

Day one: Oral Bible recording

Yesterday afternoon, a small team arrived in Gesses in order to record a Gumuz Oral Bible. Rolf and I have been working with 7 men and 1 woman in preparation for this week. We knew it would take a miracle to happen. Last week, Demalash and Askale were sick with malaria and were bedridden along with one of their children. Without them, the Oral Bible recording would not take place as they are needed for checking the stories for accuracy. They are able to follow the stories in Amharic and hear the Gumuz translation being told.

Normally the Oral Bible is done with story tellers who already read a trade language. In this case, the trade language is Amharic. This would allow the story tellers to read the story, memorize it and then orally translate it into their mother tongue. Of the 8 story tellers selected, only 3 of them are able to read beyond a grade 2 level. Because of this, Rolf and I were feeling really nervous about the upcoming project. Had we just agreed to something that was actually impossible?

So for the past 2 weeks, Rolf and I have spend several hours each day working with the Gumuz story tellers by orally telling them the stories in Amharic and then having them tell them back in Gumuz. By the end of the second week, we could only praise God at the potential we saw in those that had come to practice. They were telling the stories with fairly good accuracy and enthusiasm. It will still take a mighty work of the Holy Spirit because most of the stories are basically unfamiliar. 

We are praying for God's hand of protection on each one involved in this project. The number of events that could prevent this recording from happening are many - illness, community death or tragedy, technical issues, fieldwork, family issues, etc. Demalash and Askale are still recovering from their illness, another member is involved in reconciliation talks in his free time. All of them have fieldwork to do.

This week, I am taking a hostess role and I have to say that I much prefer being on the frontlines. I think it is much harder to pray (especially without fretting) yet I know it is a valuable role. So the kids and I are praying this week and looking forward to seeing how the Spirit moves.

By 5:30pm, the story tellers had received an hour long training, had prepped with Rolf, John, Askale or Demalash and had told 2 of their 10 stories. Thank you Jesus. Tomorrow, they will attempt 3 more stories each. 4 men in the morning so they can do their other work in the afternoon and the other 3 will come in the afternoon. Meanwhile, Demalash and one of the visiting team members will be editing the stories already completed.

The pain of relationship

Goodbyes are always hard and as missionaries we say a lot of them.   We say them to family and friends when we leave our home country knowing it will be a few years before we see most of them again.  We say them to friends that we meet in our country of service as they are constantly coming and going.  

Goodbyes are hard because despite all the latest technology allowing us to stay connected, the physical distance threatens relationship.  This increases as the months and years pass.   Relationships are an investment and they take the effort of both parties in order for the relationships to grow and flourish. And for most people, the investment takes too much time and too much pain so it is easier just to let it go.  

This is a struggle for me too.  So what should our response be?  Should we pull away emotionally and communicate only when absolutely necessary?  

Is it worth the anticipation of seeing a loved one knowing that at the end the goodbye will be as painful as the last time?  Is it worth putting the effort into an email or a letter or a package or a skype conversation knowing that it isn't nearly as good as sitting down over a cup of coffee?  And if there are failed expectations and disappointment in regular relationships how much greater those are in a long distance relationship. 

Yet despite all the hard parts of long distant relationship, we know that God made us for relationship.  That means he already knows that we will experience joy and pain and he is ready to walk with us in these relationships.   

Mom and dad:  it has been a worthy month.  The pain of saying goodbye again is great.  It breaks my heart to let go again but the memories are worth it all!

Friends:  the distance feels great but the letters and emails and packages that were sent our way this month brought joy to our hearts and gladness to our souls.  They lighten the burden we carry and encourage us to persevere for the glory of God.  For a moment, the physical distance has been lessened and we have enjoyed precious time with you.  Kindred friends,  we need you even though it is hard and painful to stay in touch.  You are God's gift to us.

I have wept this week as I have reflected on relationships.  The Lord Jesus wept too and it was because of his relationship to man.  He was willing to lay down his life for us in order to restore our relationship to Himself.  It caused Him physical, emotional and spiritual pain but I know without a doubt that He would say.  It was worth the pain and he would do it all over again.

For the growth of His kingdom, for Jesus, it is worth the pain.

Heading to Addis.

We enjoyed our 5 nights in Bahir Dar with my parents and are now heading to Addis.  We would appreciate prayer for safety in travel and good attitudes in the car.  We are planning to leave at 7:30am and hope to arrive in Addis just before supper.   We will spend two nights in Addis and then will head to our North team meetings for the next 4 nights.  Travelling does take its toll on our bodies with the bumps and the constant traffic of people, animals and vehicles on the road but we trust that our spirits will be refreshed.   

Ending a family visit in Gesses

It has been a wonderful 2 weeks here in Gesses with my parents. As expected, my dad worked steadily on big and little projects which included finishing the solar lights in the govt teacher housing with Rolf, adding a ceiling to our homeschool room and hooked up a fan for air circulation which has already reduced the heat considerably. He has fixed things, built things and spent lot of time with his grandkids.

My mom on the other hand has been an amazing help with childcare, baking, cooking, cleaning, sewing and reading lots of books to the kids. This has allowed me to add extra time to do some village visiting, meetings, teaching and helping those that come to my door with way more energy than usual. Our houseworker is presently seeking other work and left a few days ago so having my mom here has been an added blessing. The kids have enjoyed so much quality time with their grandparents that there is going to be a huge gap after they leave.   

It is the greatest sacrifice for us....the emotional and physical distance between us and our family. Having mom and dad here has shown us how greatly we and our kids need them in our lives but the Lord knows that. We trust that the month with my parents will be sufficient for our needs and we will treasure these moments in the year ahead. 

My parents have gotten a very good glimpse into our lives, the challenges and the joys and so we know they will be able to share with many of you how to pray even more effectively and hopefully urgently for the gospel to be rooted deeply among the Gumuz people. That they might live wholly for the Lord instead of just adding them to their animistic worldview where numerous spirits exist and need to be appeased.  

Tomorrow (after church and our teaching time) we will head to Bahir Dar (4.5 hours) for a couple of days of sightseeing and then drive to Addis on Thursday or Friday. We praise God for good health and we ask you to pray as we travel in the coming week. 

A Gumuz wedding, a fearful bride

Late Thursday afternoon, I heard the sounds of a Gumuz celebration in the village of Wotak. It was obviously a happy occasion and I wondered if it might be a wedding. I mentioned it to Rolf who immediately responded by saying that one of our preschool teachers was apparently getting married. We know this teacher well as he was also my Gumuz language teacher. I also know his sister really well as she comes regularly to the women's Bible study each Sunday afternoon.

When there is a wedding, there are always two weddings taking place since the Gumuz practice sister-exchange. The two men who decide to get married, marry each other's sister. This apparently provides stability to the marriages and there is great pressure placed on the couple to stay together. If one couple separates or one girl is treated badly, it will have immediate repercussions for the other girl.

Unfortunately, it seems the girls have no say in the arranged marriage. It is certainly not a "match made in heaven" or "marriage with love".

We decided to take my parents to view this traditional wedding and I prayed there would be no guns as firing shots into the air are common at both weddings and funerals. In fact, as we walked to Wotak's village, one of my daughters asked several times if there would be guns and if we were going to Wotak's house. I told her that if we even saw a gun, we would go back home immediately. Thankfully there were none in sight.

As we arrived, there was already a large group gathered. The women were dancing in one place with the "bride" in the center. There was nothing special about how she was dressed and I was surprised that in fact she wasn't even wearing clean clothes. This is apparently just the preliminary wedding where the sisters are exchanged. The real celebration will be in a month when the bride is already settled with her new husband.

The poor girl looked very nervous and spent most of the time biting her nails. She looked like she was about to burst into tears as the women danced around her. The men were running up and down with their long sticks in the air. They also sang together.

I decided to take my mom and the girls to see our friend's sister and we were guided to a hut a short distance away. I found her in a dark hut with her friend and a group of men that I later found out were her future in-laws. I spent some time encouraging her in her faith as she is moving to a village with few if any believers. I prayed that she might raise her children for the Lord. I also urged her in-laws to care for her well as she is a child of God and a wonderful girl who I dearly love. This young bride is around 15 years old and she was to leave Gesses this evening and walk 2 hours to her new home.  Her husband looked about 18 years old. 

The other bride looked younger than 15 and very nervous.  In fact, it seemed she might burst into tears as she bit her nails.  I wanted to tell her that everything was going to be okay, that she would find a great community here in Gesses and that her future husband is a really great guy.  But I couldn’t because I really don’t know how well new brides are welcomed into a village.  And I couldn’t because the man she was marrying already has a wife and children.

Several years ago, this friend of ours was pressured to marry his father’s wife (not his own mother) after his father died.  This is a cultural practice that allows for a young woman to continue bearing children.  Our friend is a believer and has a prominent role in teaching and evangelism but he spoke openly about his desire to marry his own bride and not just fulfill his duty to his father’s wife. 

These are the challenges that believers face here and they have to be extremely strong to stand against traditional practices.  We just finished the story of Jacob and his brides and this story resonated deeply with the Gumuz.  They women understand the hardship of polygamous marriages but it doesn’t mean that they can change their cultural practices quickly.

Meanwhile....Rolf, my dad and Joel watched the men cut apart a goat and we were sent home with a stick holding a chunk of meat and stomach lining.

Later that night, I was woken by the sound of wailing.  It was so unusual.  Generally when someone weeps so loudly, the whole community joins in because it means someone has died.  The crying sounded so close and yet I knew it was coming from the village of Wotak where we had been that evening.  I wondered who could it be?  Could it be the bride?  Surely not.  The wailing continued and Rolf also woke up.  We prayed for this woman and the sound eventually faded.

The next morning, we found out that it was the very bride that we had seen nervously biting her nails.  She wept for her girlhood was over.  She wept for she was alone in a village not her own.  She wept for she would be the new wife of a man who already had a wife.  She wept because she did not want to be married but she had no choice, no voice.  But this night, she did have a voice and all who heard were burdened for her.

Our desire is not to change culture but for each man, woman and child to know they are loved.  Loved by their Creator.  Loved by the Lord Jesus Christ who died for their sin.  And once they know they are loved, they will also be able to love.  And there will be love in families, between spouses and children.  There will be love with neighbours and there will be love between enemies. Love because Christ first loved us. 

Water security ends overnight

So we were really pleased at all the water we have collected this rainy season. All the water tanks for the three houses were full to the brim. We would have so much water, that we were already planning ways to use some of the water for dry season gardening and how to turn a tank into a swimming pool. That all ended this morning, when my dad and husband discovered that one of the large tanks holding 10,000 litres had split open in the night. It not only split open but tore the pipe out of the connecting tank and emptied an additional 10,000 litres. 

The good news is that one of the houses still has two tanks of water and the second house has one tank of water. The third house has all 30,000 litres. 

The bad news is that the second house isn't directly connected to the remaining tank of water and that is the house we are living in presently. So my dear dad and my dear husband have a huge job to do in redirecting the water from this tank to the second house.

We were planning on moving into the third house anyways so the kids and I started that today. Life is always interesting in Gesses and everyday we actually NEED to rely on our heavenly Father for wisdom, joy and strength ... want to come?

The fear of lightning, and the gospel

This morning, one of my favorite Gumuz women sat on our front porch explaining how lightning had hit the tree next to her grass hut. My first mental response was "Praise the Lord....isn't it great how God protected your home." Second mental response: the community probably thinks it is a really big deal. 

Life out here is not very scientific. It is very spiritual. My friend, who is a strong believer, explained that she needed some coffee in order to respond to this near tragedy. Her reason for coming was quite obviously two-fold. One, she needed some coffee. Two, she was wondering how to respond in a biblical way instead of a cultural way. Did we want to come?

With my parents being in Gesses, we had the freedom to leave our kids at home with them this morning so we could attend the meeting that was to take place. On the way, I invited Askale, a highland Ethiopian woman, who happened to be in Gesses today. She has a great love for the people and a great understanding of their culture. She also knows this woman really well. We also stopped by a church elder's house to see if he was coming. He was. Rolf had planned a meeting with the elders for this morning and in the end, they all ended up at our friend's house. God was bringing His people to a place for His purpose. This Gumuz friend of ours happens to have married into a family that has not responded to the gospel yet and so we knew that this was not going to be simply a time of thanksgiving.

So imagine you have no scientific understanding of the natural elements. You certainly don't understand the reasons behind lightning. But you have a great understanding of the spirit world. You understand evil and good. You understand demons and you fear them. Fire falls from the sky and strikes a tree so near to your house that you can feel it. This fire hits the ground, leaving a hole but where did it go? Will it return? The natural response is to appease this god so that he won't send this fire again. And to make matters more difficult, you have seen lightning strike 4 times in the last year or two and last time you didn't appease the god. 

The discussions were calm but they were certainly focused on the warped tree that we sat facing. It looked like it had been skinned and the skin was lying in a twisted mass at the base of the tree.

I couldn't follow all of the discussion but it certainly revolved around one thing: how to appease the god who sent the lightning. There were about 15 Gumuz adults in a semi circle. The believers remained fairly quiet while the others discussed whether to slaughter a chicken, a goat or a sheep and how many. 

As we were served our first cup of coffee, one of the relatives got up and walked to the base of the lightning struck tree. He muttered "Do not return to us again. Do not bring this bad thing to us again." He then poured the coffee onto the ground and returned to his seat. 5 minutes later, the chief of this village and the grandfather to this family arrived and he also took a cup of coffee and also sought to appease this god of fire.

I was thinking....I can't believe I gave coffee that is now being sacrificed to Satan. I can't believe my friend and the church elders are allowing this discussion to even take place. I ignorantly thought that my friend's faith was stronger than the fear around her. But God had brought a unique group of people together and as the discussion began, I prayed. 

It seems, that the Gumuz as a whole have accepted that there is a creator God and that He is the most powerful. But, their actions show that they still live in fear of the spirit world and that they really believe Satan is more powerful.

Rolf asked leading questions which then opened the door for the elders and Askale to speak. One of the Gumuz church elders and another believer led in the discussions following Askale's talk and there was a great openness and desire to understand. I continued to pray. I prayed for this chief who is the oldest Gumuz that I know and has had a violent past. I prayed for his wife and for his grown children and for his grandchildren. 

The discussion seemed to end quite suddenly. There was understanding and smiles on people's faces. One of the believers stood up and prayed and following that my friend who had remained quiet throughout the discussion began to sing one of the songs she had created several months ago. She sang about God being the most powerful and everyone in the circle seemed to know the song and sang along. My prayer was: may these words not just be sung but believed.

Although the gospel may be accepted, it does not always mean that previous beliefs are abandoned. It also doesn't mean that the relatives didn't return later today to appease the god they fear but it does mean that there is an openness and a desire to follow our Creator God.

Pray for the believers who desire to Love the Lord our God with all their heart, soul and mind. Pray that the believers will have wisdom and be filled with courage. Pray that the elders would lead in boldness and truth.

He's got the day off.

My husband has the day off.   I don't but that is okay.  I actually don't mind at all.  My husband is an introvert who lives in a world of extroverts.   Do introverts even exist in Ethiopia?  Well actually I have seen them.  They are the men who quietly head off to the bush with their bows and arrows with their 3 dogs.  They are the women who grind grain at the back of a dark hut or head off to the well while men, women and children flow in and out of their space from sunrise to sunset.

But my husband doesn't get to head off to the bush on his own because someone would want to accompany him.  He doesn't get to find a quiet corner in our house because there is rarely a quiet corner.   And at the end of the day, he sacrifices an hour of quiet to listen to me share about my world.   

So, today, is his day.  I filled up our first day in Addis with appointments, shopping and an evening with friends but I made a promise.  Saturday he gets the day off.

I thought I slept in this morning and was worried, he was quietly sacrificing his time so that I could get sleep.  The clock was broken in our apartment.  It wasn't 9am....it was 7:30am.  And he was ready to go! 

The two advantages to staying at the CMF guesthouse or the SIM guesthouse is that we get space.  #1 Inside space: a full apartment with 3 bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen.  #2 outside space miles of mountains and valleys to run through and explore.  Space for our kids to play without getting backed into by a car.  A trampoline, a sandbox, green grass and a playroom.

Living in the bush is our life and we love it but it does mean when we arrive in the city of Addis Ababa which has between 4 and 9 million people (the official stats are old so no one really seems to know), we feel like we are suffocating.  Living at the SIM guesthouse means living in the centre of this city and the noise is constant, people everywhere and 5 kids in a parking lot with constant moving vehicles coming and going is frightening.  Our kids know what to do with scorpions but they don't really know what to do with cars.

My husband will do a little running, climb a mountain or two, pray, think, maybe even write, have his picnic lunch which he packed himself and arrive back when the sun starts descending (he didn't bring his phone or his watch and I am glad).  And I realized yesterday when I offered the gift of solitude that it has been needed for a long time and I fully plan on giving him this gift again...soon.

Part 1: Wotak dies

On Tuesday morning, Wotak’s son came down to the homeschool room where I was teaching the kids.  He told us without great emotion that his father Wotak had just died.  He wondered if we had a white cloth to cover him with.  We were so sad to hear the news as it was so sudden.  He was sick only for one or two days but had visited us just a few days before that.

Yes, this is the very chief that I have written about before.  He was one of the chiefs that gave SIM the plot of land to build on and has always been very welcoming.  He visited us on average 2 times a week ... always at lunch time.  Our kids loved giving him a plate of food and then we listened to him moan and groan on our front porch until he fell asleep.

He loved children and was always so pleased to greet ours.  He called us (and the other missionaries that have lived here) his white family.   I felt that I should call John Coleman with the news so that their family could pray. 

We knew this was a funeral we didn’t want to miss and asked for updates on when the burial would take place.  We decided to go at noon for ½ hour as the village is so nearby.  There was lots of dancing and drumming outside.  We briefly went inside the hut but there was so much wailing that we left after just a few minutes.  There were about 20 men and women with their heads under a blanket which was like a canopy over his body.  We didn’t actually get to see Wotak’s body because the crowd was so thick.

He had two wives and many children and grandchildren.  I believe his youngest child was about 3 years old so it was sad to see his young children crying.  It was the main thing that stood out to our own children.

Rolf and our children also went to observe the men digging the grave.  They basically dig a shaft and then a cave to the side where they slide the body into.  They dig into really hard ground with lots of rocks so it generally takes all day to dig a grave.  The men digging had plenty of strong alcohol to consume while they worked. 

Part 2: Wotak’s burial turns into tragedy

At about 4 pm, we were summoned by Demis.  Demis works for us, is an elder of the church, is our closest Gumuz neighbour and also a good friend.  The burial was about to take place, did we want to come?   We were pleased at the thoughtfulness shown.

We arrived and the body covered in a cloth was being slowly brought through the door and placed on a stick bed (without legs).  The crowd of relatives spent another 10 minutes looking under the cloth and wailing over his body.   The crying is so intense that it most certainly allows for grief to be fully expressed.    I had two thoughts while observing them mourn. 

One, we could learn something about openly expressing our feelings of grief and grieving as a community. 

Two, our family felt really peaceful about Wotak’s death.  He was a man of peace and always showed great interest in the gospel.  He may never have publicly declared his belief in Jesus, but we wouldn’t be at all surprised to see him in heaven!  So it is hard to observe people mourning without hope.   There is no sitting together and sharing all the amazing things about this man...it is only a feeling of hopelessness and fear.

Two large drums were carried on poles – one woman at each end.  The drums are moved back and forth and the drummer keeps the rhythm as he moves with the drum .  A man calls out the words to the mourning song and the crowd of people singing respond with a haunting wordless tune.  The same tune is sung all day and most of the night for 2 or 3 days.

We followed the crowd towards the gravesite.  Gunshots were fired into the air which is typical at all funerals and weddings.  It is a practice that the local authorities are trying to end as the guns are powerful AK-47s. 

We had nearly arrived at the grave when someone fell bleeding and obviously dead.   The bullet had hit the person in the chest.  I thought it was a child.  I was stunned.  I immediately began to wail.  I was instantly filled with grief and anger.  Demis was right beside us.  He grabbed my arm and told us to run.    Rolf hadn’t seen it happen and initially thought there was a swarm of bees.  He grabbed our two youngest children and the others ran ahead of him.  Demis was pulling me along with him while I wept.  At the time, I didn’t even think about why we had to run but Demis feared there would be immediate retaliation.

As we crossed the road, several of Demis’ sons started running back and I feared the worst.  It must have been one of Demis’ children killed.  Rolf gave the keys to Kalia, took Sonia from my arms and handed her to  Joel and told our children to run home.   It didn’t take long before we heard that Wotak’s younger wife had been shot by Wotak’s son Wombak (son of his older wife).  He had been one of the men digging the grave.   The men had been warned by numerous people to stop drinking but they didn’t.

We then heard Demis’ mother, Yaguk had been hit by the same bullet.  We watched them carry her to Demis’ house (which is right near the road).   I hurried home to be with the children as I knew we were about to get even more involved.

Wombak was immediately taken from the scene, police were called and within ½ hour had arrived and Demis’ mom was carried to our front door.  Her wound had been wisely tied with a long band of cloth that is used to tie women’s skirts around their waists.  The bleeding had already stopped for the time being.

Demis, his wife, and his brother Chapay were there and though I advised them to keep the cloth on, they decided to take a look at the wound.  I have never seen a bullet wound before but it had done a lot of damage considering it had already gone through one body.

The hole was about the size of a small orange and had hit the upper femur bone on her left arm.  I couldn’t see any bone left.  Yaguk flinched but didn’t make a sound as her children moved her obviously broken arm.

The decision was made to take her to Dibate.  My first thought was that the arm would need to be amputated to save her life.  She was actually conversing normally with everyone and it all seemed rather surreal.   I just hoped she wouldn’t go into shock.

Part 3 - Are there any emergencies in Africa?

This is a question that we ask ourselves often in order to remind ourselves not to panic.  We can rush someone off to a clinic and find it is closed.  We can rush someone to the hospital and have the person change their mind about receiving treatment. 

In the countryside, there are no ambulances and the transportation of the sick is done on foot.  Taxis and buses do not transport people with medical issues.  We were well aware that if we had not been in Gesses when this happened, Demis’ mom would likely have died.  We can’t help everyone but we were involved in this one but there was no panic or feeling of emergency.

Chapay had helped dig the grave and was covered in dirt.  He spent a few minutes washing his hair and changing into one of Rolf’s shirts.   Chapay and Bazaray (Demis’ son) went along. 

The kids and I prayed and then we talked about what had happened.  I was so pleased that they were open about how they felt and that we could process it in a healthy way.  We weren’t afraid and we knew that God had protected us.  We often talk about the fact that God knows the number of our days.   Our circumstances may not always feel safe but we have a God who is able to keep us.

Rolf called an hour later and we were not surprised to hear that she needed to go to Bahir Dar as soon as possible.  She was hooked up to an IV and was feeling the pain of her wound.   We had called John Coleman about the situation so that he would pray and he passed on the news to our team leader in Injebara.  The 3 men made a plan.  Rolf would drive to Chagni where Mark would meet him.  They would switch vehicles so that Yaguk wouldn’t have to be moved.  Then John would be waiting in Injebara and switch vehicles again and take her to the Bahir Dar hospital. 

It was a good plan except for one thing.  It was getting dark.  By the time everyone was ready to leave Dibate, it was 6pm.  Rolf had to take it slow as the bumps were hard on Yaguk.   She was still hooked up to her IV.

The transfer took place at 8pm and Rolf texted me to say he was on his way home.   I spend most of the evening in prayer knowing that driving after dark is rarely a good idea.  In the meantime, our house worker, Mesalech spent the night with us and the kids and I decided to have a giant sleepover.  I prayed also that John and Mark would make the right decision about whether they should remain in Injebara for the night or press on.

Our prayers were answered and Rolf arrived home safely at 10:30pm.  He was delayed by a flat tire.  Thankfully his cell phone has a flashlight otherwise he would have had to change the tire in the dark.  We only heard the rest of the story the following morning.

Part 4 - Admitted to the Bahir Dar Hospital

We were not surprised to hear what happened in Injebara.  They decided to stay in Injebara until morning since it was already past 10 pm when they arrived.  She wasn’t able to stay in a hotel and she was also not allowed to be admitted to the clinic in town.   Discrimination is something the Gumuz have dealt with for a long time but still it was sad to hear.

So the family members decided that it would be best just to spend the night in the car (and not move her again) and that is what they did.  Gumuz are incredibly strong and their pain threshold is remarkable.  We praise God Yaguk made it through the night.

First thing the next morning, John took them to Bahir Dar and admitted her to the hospital. The doctor there confirmed that this was one strong lady.  Her pulse and her grip were strong.  The hospital admitted her and took x-rays.  This hospital is only a 5 minute walk from the Colemans and so they are able to check in on the situation often.  What a blessing!  They know this family well and are glad to help.

Part 5 - The funeral continues and peace talks take place

Tuesday night was unusually quiet.  We knew everyone was afraid at what might take place.  Thankfully the morning dawned without any further tragedies.  After Wotak and his wife had both been buried, everyone went home.

The next morning (Wednesday), the mourning began in full force and we could hear the singing, dancing, gunshots (yes....they continued on with their practice!) and drumming.  We stayed home and for us it was a quiet day. 

Wakay, brother of Wombak and son of Wotak, was involved in the peace talks with the village of Dubi Kitcha.  Wotak’s wife was from Dubi Kitcha and so it was decided that Wake would give one of his daughters to the family.  If this exchange went smoothly on Thursday, no revenge would take place.

We struggle over some of these cultural practices.  A young daughter (I didn’t ask the age because I didn’t want to know) was to be given in order to keep peace, in order to keep any more tragedies from occurring.    I haven’t confirmed if it happened but I assume it did since there has been peace.

Part 6 - The Results

Yaguk’s upper femur was shattered just below the shoulder joint.  The surgeon in Bahir Dar felt it would heal on its own over time.  John was able to get a copy of the xray and send it to Addis where it was confirmed that this was the best choice.  It would likely take 1-2 months for the wound to heal and then many more months for the bone to heal itself.  The hope is that she will have at least some strength and mobility in her arm but it will be a long road to recovery.

When you find a hospital that is willing and able to care for a patient, it is also costly.  But the community here is ready and willing to pay for it (they just don’t realize how much it will cost).  It is likely Yaguk will spend a minimum of 6 weeks in the hospital.

Wotak’s funeral could have been the celebration of a life but instead it was filled with pain.  Pray that the community would see how harmful alcohol (and guns) have become to their relationships, to their health and to their safety and that they would desire to change.

Pray for Wotak’s family.  Pray that through this process, they would come to faith.  Pray for Wake, who is peace-loving like his father but has not yet received Christ as his Savior.  Pray for Wotak’s first wife and all their children and grandchildren to come to faith.  Pray that the children who lost both a mother and a father in one day would be comforted.  Pray for Wombak and his family.  Pray that Wombak would seek a relationship with the Lord and that he would be filled with repentance and peace for his actions.

Part 7 - How are we?

We are doing well.  We are amazed at how quickly the community has moved on from this tragedy.  Tuesday, the funeral and the death, Wednesday they were mourning and Thursday our staff was back at work.   Death, accidents and revenge are all part of the Gumuz “normal” life.  They have learned to emotionally move on from tragedy for it is the only way to survive.

And so we also have moved on.  We still talk about it occasionally and the images are still in our minds but they are fading.  Our love for these people is growing as we are involved in their lives but it is a love that hurts.

PRAYER REQUEST

Dear Friends,
Please pray for our Gesses community. This morning we heard that our favorite Gumuz chief died. Wotak often came 2-3 times a 

week to greet us, have lunch and take a nap on our front porch. This morning he died. The kids all love him so we decided to go to 

his funeral this afternoon together. They were just about to bury him when one of Wotak's sons shot his gun into the air numerous 

times (which is a common practice at funerals and weddings). 

Unfortunately one of those bullets was shot low and accidentally killed his step mom (one of Wotak's wives) and the same bullet also 

entered the shoulder of Demis's mom (He is an elder in the church). Rolf has taken Demis' mom to Dibate. Pray for forgiveness. 

Pray for Demis' mom's life to be saved. Pray that this dangerous practice would end. 

Our children have seen a lot today and our hearts are so heavy. Pray that we would not be filled with fear but love for love casts out fear. 

We love you and praise God for you. Angela

PS - My parents will be travelling to Ethiopia on Oct 23/24 and staying for a month with us. We are so excited about this visit and pray that it will be a peaceful and joyful time. We will go to Addis next Thursday to renew the children's passports and pick up my parents and then travel back to Gesses. Please pray for safety in travel.

How did you spend your Sunday?

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving. It caught us by surprise since we are the only Canadians for many miles. I did find one chicken in our freezer and took it out to thaw this morning while we were at church. It is baking presently and the mashed potatoes and corn are ready. I didn't take the time to make pumpkin pie although we have 4 pumpkins ready to eat. It isn't as simple as opening a can :)

I would love for you to be able to catch a glimpse into our Sundays as each one is so unique. This morning, most of the congregation was distracted by mating lizards on the wall and a flying bat. At the end of the service, the entire congregation decided to catch the bat and spent 20 minutes harassing the poor thing. Too bad it couldn't figure out that there were 6 open windows and an open front door. Several men brandished long wooden poles and several others waved their shirts in the air. The children all yelled and screamed whenever the men came close to hitting it. Occasionally the bat would land on the wall for a brief rest and then resume flying. How long would this continue?

Well after 20 minutes, one of the men hit the bat with his pole and the kids all scrambled to be the first to pick it up. A young boy picked it up and ran out of the church with a dozen more boys following. I didn't actually want to know what they were planning to do with it next? Things settled down and Rolf and I were able to spend the next hour teaching. Rolf and about 20 young men spend the hour choosing next week's ministry team and studying the Luke passage for next week's sermon. It is an opportunity for them to practice reading the passage in Gumuz, understanding the passage in greater depth, and coming up with an application. The 2 Sunday school teachers also attend this teaching time. They meet in the church office which is used during the week for translation.

In the main room, I meet with about 20 women and we are storying through the book of Genesis. Today we finished the story of Jacob. One of the women has an amazing capacity to remember the story as is unofficially designated as the teller of last week's story. Each Sunday, as Rolf and I enter these teaching times, we are so dependent on the Lord to help with teaching. Each week, we are amazed at how powerful God's word is. We teach in weakness but he speaks with power. 

We pray that these men and women will catch the vision to not only hear the word of God but live it out and share it with their family, neighbours and friends. Oh that they might love the Lord with all their heart and soul and mind and love their neighbour as themselves. 

The men then began their six hours of volleyball....yes, six hours! No one seems to drink any water or eat any food until they go home at 6:30 pm. I returned home from church to find that my kitchen was clean (Kalia did the dishes), SS was taught and the floor swept. The kids attend church until the sermon and then go home to watch a Bible video and take care of Sonia while I teach. Church starts at 9 am and ends at 11 am. After a half an hour break, Rolf and I teach until 12:30 or so and then come home for lunch. No Sunday is quite like the last but it is good to fellowship with these men, women and children and worship the same God.

A season for deworming... read at your own risk

This morning, I gave the children permission to start school late. Instead they spent an hour in the goat/sheep pen helping the "vet" give tick/deworming shots. Kalia and Joel caught the animals and helped hold them down and then spray painted an X on their sides (to show they had received the shot). It is tick and worm season and our herd has grown considerably in number with many babies born to them. 

The "vet" had a rather unusual style in that he just ordered the kids to bring a random animal to him. Of course this causes mayhem in the pen and much bleating. A more efficient method would be to corral them and then take one out at a time. Well the children got their exercise anyways and the goats and sheep too:)  

Our Gumuz dog, Kitcha died from tick fever but her sister, Cindy decided to be the replacement since its owner no longer wanted her. Cindy too needed deworming this week from the dreaded "mango fly". These flies lay eggs on bodies and even laundry. These eggs than hatch and turn into larvae. Kalia being the observant girl that she is, noticed the numerous bumps on Cindy's body and mentioned it to her compassionate father. Rolf spent 1/2 hour squeezing out large mango fly larvae.  

 Interestingly, I can stomach a lot of things including wounds and blood but the sight of the larvae was enough to turn my stomach. In fact, I could hardly fall asleep that night. It brought me back 7 years to when I squeezed a smaller version of the larvae out of Rolf and Joel's bodies in Sherkole. We learned our lesson: do not hang out laundry during rainy season. We hang our clothes in our screened in back porch and all is well. I have a nice sized box in my cupboard of albendazole for treating worms in humans as well. We have pinworms, hookworks, roundworms and tapeworms in Gesses. Hookworms are microscopic and prevented by wearing shoes. Gumuz children don't wear shoes and my children regularly forget to wear their shoes so we regularly give worm medication to our own kids as well. I have had atleast a dozen people in the last month come asking for worm medication (and that is for the type of worms that can be seen in the stool).  

At the end of the day, the mother of the woman with the gangrene arm, came to our front door. She asked for more gentian violet (purple antiseptic liquid that we had give to them a few weeks ago) and described the deterioration of the arm and hand. I was surprised she was still alive and we continue to pray that she will accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. It will take a miracle.

A taste of Bahir Dar

We came to Bahir Dar to do business and get a few days out of Gesses after an intense 7 weeks.  It has been a pleasure to stay with fellow missionaries.  They have hosted us well.  This morning at 8am, Rolf and Joel went to the fish market.  First they selected their strings of tilapia fish, then watched them filleted with great speed, then paid for them (30 cents a fish) and brought them home to wash and freeze them.

This evening we were treated with homemade vanilla icecream with zucchini chocolate cake.  The children took turns cranking the handles on the icecream makers and then licking the plastic blades! Yum. Yum.

Food For Work & Soccer Outreach

 dThe month of August was difficult for many Gumuz as the maize crop was still not ready for harvest.  One of the ways we were able to help was by providing food for work.  We purchased quintels of grain from Dibate town and then hired women to cut grass for us in return for grain.  They women love to cut grass together though we had to make sure that the groups were 5 women or less or very little grass got cut!  t was a

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25 boys came two times a week for a soccer outreach program.  They had a Bible lesson, a snack and then enjoyed an hour of exercise and drills and scrimmaging.   We look forward to seeing how soccer can reach many boys with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

These boys look pretty serious in this picture but there were lots of smiles as they played and practiced.

School starts this week in Gesses but there are many children who do not attend school for different reasons.  We are hoping to select a new group of boys who do not attend school for the next soccer outreach program.  This may include many of the same boys that attended the rainy season soccer program.  Pray for these boys - that they will hear God's word and share it with their families.  We believe that the gospel can grow through the lives of children!

 

Rainy Season preschool program

Well I didn't get out to take preschool pictures as I had planned.  The classes ran from 7-8:30am each morning which makes it a bit challenging since that is wake-up and breakfast at our house.  So I asked Rolf to visit 2 villages before we left for Bahir Dar.

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One of my favorite teachers with some of my favorite neighbourhood children.

Two of the children on the right are Eytish's kids whom many of you prayed for.  She has 4 daughters and then a son (sitting on his sister's lap). 

 

A daughter's perspective

Our Pets.....so I asked Kalia to grab a camera and take some pictures of Gesses before we left for Bahir Dar.  She knew exactly what she wanted to share with you.  Her new dog.  Meet Cindy.  Kitcha's sister who hung around our house all the time anyways.  She was rather malnourished and basically a stray but she is full of personality and full health now.   It didn't take Kalia long to train her either.

Our kids.  The children LOVE to check herd the goats around our yard and are always really upset when the shepherd doesn't care for them as he should.

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My shepherd girl.  What an animal lover!  She checks on the goats everyday and knows every single personality, name and state of health!

A young lizard that Kalia caught.  It was completely tame within 5 minutes and slept on her finger while she did school work.  Joel caught live flies for it and it was completely content hanging onto a finger, sitting on a head or attached to clothing. 

Meet Charlotte.  The mother of Kitcha and Cindy who likes to check on us from time to time.  She is actually a really great dog and belongs to our neighbours.

Cindy....waiting for a doggy treat that Kalia baked especially for her.

Our 3 tortoises who also are full of personality and love cooked carrots.  This is a treat since carrots are not readily available.

Kalia and Joel took the tortoises to a small spring and they LOVED swimming.  Did you know tortoises actually love water?

Meet Shelly, Kufkuf and Da