In these past days I have had strong mixed emotions. With Negash in town Stephen and I have traveled more miles than I care to count, and we shared about the ministry of IOI with hundreds of people. This is a direct answer to prayer, but it also brings a new set of challenges.
When we prayed for a multiplication of the ministry it was because we believe that what we are doing is truly a ministry from God. We want to raise up 300 new missionaries in Ethiopia, continue to support current ministers on a greater level and send out 70 Ethiopians to neighboring nations to share the Good News in places we often cannot go. For this to happen there will have to be an increase in resources and already we are seeing it begin to happen.
We have a great need now for help in these ripe fields.
I recently got a call, “Why don’t you guys answer your phone?!?” The simple answer is that we have not been in the office to answer it. As the work of sharing about the ministry has increased and the paperwork involved with growing the ministry has increased we simply do not have enough time to do it all. Granted, these past eight weeks have been unusually busy, but there seems to be a little light at the end of the tunnel as the annual Bible Conference is just around the corner and the Spring Speaking schedule begins in February.
In addition to teams to Ethiopia, we need help here at home as well. I believe God will raise up laborers and provision for all the dreams He has given us. Will you join us in praying that the Lord of the Harvest will send laborers?
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Fruitful Fall Visit
This fall has brought many blessings and many events that have helped to further the ministry of IOI.
We have been blessed to have Negash Gemeda (National Coordinator for IOI in Ethiopia) and his wife Becu with us for the past eight weeks. They traveled to ten states and spoke about the ministry of IOI in Ethiopia.
This was Negash’s third visit to the United States, and Becu’s first. In addition to speaking at church meetings and other gatherings, they had opportunity to visit with friends and extended family. They also visited with the leadership of two sister ministries (The Oromo Project and Mission ONE) that work alongside IOI in Ethiopia.
While in Fort Myers, Florida the Gemedas, Patrick, and Stephen were able to visit with the ministry of ECHO and a couple of former missionaries to Ethiopia. While at ECHO, the group learned some techniques that may be very useful in the future ministry of Sanctuary Village.
The Gemedas, Ecki and Nadine Breitenmoser (missionaries in Bremerhaven, Germany supported in part by IOI), and Dr. James Wilson (IOI Contact for the United Kingdom) joined with several board members and wives for a weekend meeting at Pickwick State Park to discuss the current work of IOI in Ethiopia and the possible expansion of the ministry. They were hosted in part by Patrick’s father Bobby Beard who took the group on a fishing excursion.
Dr Wilson has recently been in Ethiopia for the purpose of surveying the work of IOI, assess the Sanctuary Village proposal and investigate the possibility of youth teams from Northern Ireland serving as volunteers. Currently the ministry of Exodus 360 (a Northern Ireland ministry) is seeking leadership for a possible team to Ethiopia this summer.
In addition to speaking in churches and small gatherings Negash, Patrick and Stephen were invited to the campus of Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia where they made many contacts with students.
As the holidays approach, it brings an end to our busy season of sowing. We pray for good fruit to come.
We have been blessed to have Negash Gemeda (National Coordinator for IOI in Ethiopia) and his wife Becu with us for the past eight weeks. They traveled to ten states and spoke about the ministry of IOI in Ethiopia.
This was Negash’s third visit to the United States, and Becu’s first. In addition to speaking at church meetings and other gatherings, they had opportunity to visit with friends and extended family. They also visited with the leadership of two sister ministries (The Oromo Project and Mission ONE) that work alongside IOI in Ethiopia.
While in Fort Myers, Florida the Gemedas, Patrick, and Stephen were able to visit with the ministry of ECHO and a couple of former missionaries to Ethiopia. While at ECHO, the group learned some techniques that may be very useful in the future ministry of Sanctuary Village.
The Gemedas, Ecki and Nadine Breitenmoser (missionaries in Bremerhaven, Germany supported in part by IOI), and Dr. James Wilson (IOI Contact for the United Kingdom) joined with several board members and wives for a weekend meeting at Pickwick State Park to discuss the current work of IOI in Ethiopia and the possible expansion of the ministry. They were hosted in part by Patrick’s father Bobby Beard who took the group on a fishing excursion.
Dr Wilson has recently been in Ethiopia for the purpose of surveying the work of IOI, assess the Sanctuary Village proposal and investigate the possibility of youth teams from Northern Ireland serving as volunteers. Currently the ministry of Exodus 360 (a Northern Ireland ministry) is seeking leadership for a possible team to Ethiopia this summer.
In addition to speaking in churches and small gatherings Negash, Patrick and Stephen were invited to the campus of Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia where they made many contacts with students.
As the holidays approach, it brings an end to our busy season of sowing. We pray for good fruit to come.
100 for 200 for 300
Over the next 12 months we are searching for 100 churches, Sunday school classes, organizations and individuals who are willing to give $200 per month to help us raise up 300 missionaries in Ethiopia.
We have had a very encouraging beginning in the initial stages of our promotion of the Sanctuary Village project. In seven years we hope to have completed a village that is a place of ministry and a training center to send out missionaries across the Horn of Africa.
Already the Sanctuary project has been shared publicly at a banquet in Tennessee, and in meetings in Texas and Louisiana with some positive results. In addition to seeking larger one time gifts to help us meet the seven year budget for Sanctuary Village, we are simultaneously trying to increase the regular donations to the General Fund to help meet the growing needs as the ministry multiplies.
Our hope is that we will be doing ten times more ministry in seven years. For this to be possible we must increase regular monthly donations by four times current levels.
If our goal is met by August 2009, total regular giving will have doubled and we will be well on our way to seeing Sanctuary Village established and an expansion of the entire ministry in Ethiopia, Germany and Brazil.
We have had a very encouraging beginning in the initial stages of our promotion of the Sanctuary Village project. In seven years we hope to have completed a village that is a place of ministry and a training center to send out missionaries across the Horn of Africa.
Already the Sanctuary project has been shared publicly at a banquet in Tennessee, and in meetings in Texas and Louisiana with some positive results. In addition to seeking larger one time gifts to help us meet the seven year budget for Sanctuary Village, we are simultaneously trying to increase the regular donations to the General Fund to help meet the growing needs as the ministry multiplies.
Our hope is that we will be doing ten times more ministry in seven years. For this to be possible we must increase regular monthly donations by four times current levels.
If our goal is met by August 2009, total regular giving will have doubled and we will be well on our way to seeing Sanctuary Village established and an expansion of the entire ministry in Ethiopia, Germany and Brazil.
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