Team 1 arrived safely in Ethiopia, everyone is feeling good, and all of their bags made it. Thank you for your prayers for safe travel. I'm sure the team is tired and glad that they're headed to the hotel and can go to bed. Please pray for a good night's rest and a great day tomorrow as they'll meet the translators they'll be partnering with this week.
Thank you for your continued prayers.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Team 1 is Halfway There
Hello friends! We have made it to the halfway point in our journey, resting comfortably in the Amsterdam airport. We have a short 3 hour layover here and then directly to Addis Abbaba. The trip is going well so far and we are all anxious to get to our mission destination. Pray for continued safety in our journeys and for conversations that a few of us are having with people on the plane and in the airport. Fun to see the team already on mission before we even get to Ethiopia. We'll update again once we arrive in Ethiopia. Thanks for your continued prayers.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Prayer Calendar
Here is our trip prayer calendar. For a printable version of this, go to http://s3.amazonaws.com/Wccmisc/EthiopiaPrayerCalendar.pdfWill you commit to praying daily for our teams?
Meet Our Teams
Today we wanted to introduce you to our teams and let you hear from them on what their hopes and prayers are for the trip. As you pray, we would love to ask that you pray by name for these friends.
Trip Leaders (will be with both teams for the duration of the trip):
Tim Coblentz
Wes Butler
Jessica Ridout
Team 1:
Lauren Lawson, Laura Smith, Chris Wells, Kevin Gober, Scott Eckstein, Amit Nihalani, Bryan Jackson, Charran James, Julie Neis, Katrina Preston, Kelly Fillingim, Lee Batson, Shawn McClure, Erin Gauglitz, Shawna Blake, Lisa Kelsey, Morgan Blaik
Team 2:
Lauren Lawson, Laura Smith, Mo Sadjadpour, Allen Hankins, Andrew Johnson, Trac Cook, Joel Sherman, Erica Penick, Lindsey Lauderdale, Shara Michalka, Erin Donner, Angie Denton, Claressa Norrell, Elizabeth Johnson, Allison Albani, Erin Patrick, Vicky Nguyen
Here are some of the hopes and prayers of our team as we get ready to travel and serve the people of Ethiopia.
That I would personally get to see at least 30 people come to know Christ.
That I would experience God’s presence in an awe-inspiring way like never before.
That I would grow in boldness in sharing my faith.
- Kelly Fillingim
My hope and prayer is that I can trust the Lord to comfort my family in the midst of some difficult times leading up to this trip and that He would draw them near to Him. That the Lord would remove my family's anxiety about me being gone and show them that He is in control of my life and has His hand on me. I hope and pray the words of Acts 2:42-47 and Matthew 9:37-38 for our trip, knowing that God can save souls right here in Dallas and Ethiopia at the same time.
- Erin Donner
My prayers for this trip are that the travel goes smoothly, that our team stays healthy during and after the trip, that we would be able to clearly and lovingly show the people of Asela the love and story of Christ, that God will bless the translators and their families who sacrifice their lives daily for Christ, and that our friends and family back home will come to know Christ by seeing how passionate and adamant we are about Him and spreading His word. It's hard to believe this trip is finally here after beginning to prepare for it way back in November! We have such an amazing team and it's been a blessing to form friendships with everyone. I'm thrilled for us to get to work alongside one another in Ethiopia. God is so faithful and good.
- Morgan Blaik
I pray to learn from the Ethiopian believers who have forsaken everything to follow Christ and make Him known! I pray for fertile soil: for our presentation of the Gospel to be clear, for the Ethiopians to have open ears to hear the Good News, that they will fully understand what Christ has done for them on the cross, and for them to receive our precious Savior!
- Lauren Lawson
My prayers are for the people we will encounter who will sacrifice everything, including their own relationships with their families, to come to a saving knowledge of Christ. I can't imagine what that must take and I am so thankful that the majority of my family knows Christ and supports me in this trip but my heart breaks for the many people have accepted Christ and are literally disowned from their family, as Jesus indicates will happen in Luke 12:52-53, both in nations abroad and even here in the Bible belt. I pray that they would stand firm and be surrounded by a family of believers.
- Lee Batson
My hope is that God will use me to further His kingdom on Earth both in Ethiopia and back home. I am simply a sinner to whom God has chosen to reveal Himself and I can claim nothing but the cross and Him crucified on my behalf. My prayer is that the message of the gospel will tear down enemy strongholds and be a light in the darkness. Thank you Lord for an opportunity to see You work among the nations. "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you." Ps 63:3.
- Bryan Jackson
Prayer Requests for Us
• For discernment and guidance as God leads us on this exciting opportunity (Proverbs 3:5-6).
• For unity among our Watermark team (Ephesians 4:1-6, Romans 15:5-6).
• That we would not look for immediate results but trust that God is writing the story of the people we will meet. Whether it’s a seed planted on rocky or fertile soil, that we would be faithful to do the work God has called us to do.
• We acknowledge our confidence in the Lord, knowing that what is impossible with men is possible with Him (Luke 18:22-27).
• For God to be glorified by our team’s time in Ethiopia.
• Specific requests: That we would be diligent in preparing and studying the scripture we need to know. That I (Elizabeth) will not try to “perfect” learning all the parables but would allow God to release me from my perfectionism and control. That God would use our unique strengths to reach others.
Prayer Requests for the Ethiopians
• That their hearts would be open to meeting with us and allow us to share why we came to see them (Acts 26: 17-18, Colossians 4: 3-4).
• That God would help them hear His call on their life (Romans 11:29).
• That their hearts would be receptive to receive Christ and believe in His name (John 1:12).
Thank you for being in prayer for us and being such a critical part of our team.
- Elizabeth and Andrew Johnson
My hope and prayer is that the Lord would give me a greater heart to care for those that are less fortunate and for me to realize that the rest of the world does not live like we do in the US. I also pray that the Lord would use this trip to impact how we love and care for people here in America.
-Amit Nihalani
I pray for Christ to move in the hearts of this team, to be on mission when we are back in Dallas just as we are on mission in Ethiopia.
- Kevin Gober
Praying that we would see God’s glory and outpouring of his Holy Spirit and every knee would bow and every mouth proclaim that Jesus is Lord.
- Allen Hankins
My hope for the next two weeks is for the Lord to be made known, loved, glorified, and desired. May hearts be changed not only in the people we encounter, but in us as well, so that we may forever be a people that seeks to share the Good News and Truth of Christ!
- Laura Smith
Trip Leaders (will be with both teams for the duration of the trip):
Tim Coblentz
Wes Butler
Jessica Ridout
Team 1:
Lauren Lawson, Laura Smith, Chris Wells, Kevin Gober, Scott Eckstein, Amit Nihalani, Bryan Jackson, Charran James, Julie Neis, Katrina Preston, Kelly Fillingim, Lee Batson, Shawn McClure, Erin Gauglitz, Shawna Blake, Lisa Kelsey, Morgan Blaik
Team 2:
Lauren Lawson, Laura Smith, Mo Sadjadpour, Allen Hankins, Andrew Johnson, Trac Cook, Joel Sherman, Erica Penick, Lindsey Lauderdale, Shara Michalka, Erin Donner, Angie Denton, Claressa Norrell, Elizabeth Johnson, Allison Albani, Erin Patrick, Vicky Nguyen
Here are some of the hopes and prayers of our team as we get ready to travel and serve the people of Ethiopia.
That I would personally get to see at least 30 people come to know Christ.
That I would experience God’s presence in an awe-inspiring way like never before.
That I would grow in boldness in sharing my faith.
- Kelly Fillingim
My hope and prayer is that I can trust the Lord to comfort my family in the midst of some difficult times leading up to this trip and that He would draw them near to Him. That the Lord would remove my family's anxiety about me being gone and show them that He is in control of my life and has His hand on me. I hope and pray the words of Acts 2:42-47 and Matthew 9:37-38 for our trip, knowing that God can save souls right here in Dallas and Ethiopia at the same time.
- Erin Donner
My prayers for this trip are that the travel goes smoothly, that our team stays healthy during and after the trip, that we would be able to clearly and lovingly show the people of Asela the love and story of Christ, that God will bless the translators and their families who sacrifice their lives daily for Christ, and that our friends and family back home will come to know Christ by seeing how passionate and adamant we are about Him and spreading His word. It's hard to believe this trip is finally here after beginning to prepare for it way back in November! We have such an amazing team and it's been a blessing to form friendships with everyone. I'm thrilled for us to get to work alongside one another in Ethiopia. God is so faithful and good.
- Morgan Blaik
I pray to learn from the Ethiopian believers who have forsaken everything to follow Christ and make Him known! I pray for fertile soil: for our presentation of the Gospel to be clear, for the Ethiopians to have open ears to hear the Good News, that they will fully understand what Christ has done for them on the cross, and for them to receive our precious Savior!
- Lauren Lawson
My prayers are for the people we will encounter who will sacrifice everything, including their own relationships with their families, to come to a saving knowledge of Christ. I can't imagine what that must take and I am so thankful that the majority of my family knows Christ and supports me in this trip but my heart breaks for the many people have accepted Christ and are literally disowned from their family, as Jesus indicates will happen in Luke 12:52-53, both in nations abroad and even here in the Bible belt. I pray that they would stand firm and be surrounded by a family of believers.
- Lee Batson
My hope is that God will use me to further His kingdom on Earth both in Ethiopia and back home. I am simply a sinner to whom God has chosen to reveal Himself and I can claim nothing but the cross and Him crucified on my behalf. My prayer is that the message of the gospel will tear down enemy strongholds and be a light in the darkness. Thank you Lord for an opportunity to see You work among the nations. "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you." Ps 63:3.
- Bryan Jackson
Prayer Requests for Us
• For discernment and guidance as God leads us on this exciting opportunity (Proverbs 3:5-6).
• For unity among our Watermark team (Ephesians 4:1-6, Romans 15:5-6).
• That we would not look for immediate results but trust that God is writing the story of the people we will meet. Whether it’s a seed planted on rocky or fertile soil, that we would be faithful to do the work God has called us to do.
• We acknowledge our confidence in the Lord, knowing that what is impossible with men is possible with Him (Luke 18:22-27).
• For God to be glorified by our team’s time in Ethiopia.
• Specific requests: That we would be diligent in preparing and studying the scripture we need to know. That I (Elizabeth) will not try to “perfect” learning all the parables but would allow God to release me from my perfectionism and control. That God would use our unique strengths to reach others.
Prayer Requests for the Ethiopians
• That their hearts would be open to meeting with us and allow us to share why we came to see them (Acts 26: 17-18, Colossians 4: 3-4).
• That God would help them hear His call on their life (Romans 11:29).
• That their hearts would be receptive to receive Christ and believe in His name (John 1:12).
Thank you for being in prayer for us and being such a critical part of our team.
- Elizabeth and Andrew Johnson
My hope and prayer is that the Lord would give me a greater heart to care for those that are less fortunate and for me to realize that the rest of the world does not live like we do in the US. I also pray that the Lord would use this trip to impact how we love and care for people here in America.
-Amit Nihalani
I pray for Christ to move in the hearts of this team, to be on mission when we are back in Dallas just as we are on mission in Ethiopia.
- Kevin Gober
Praying that we would see God’s glory and outpouring of his Holy Spirit and every knee would bow and every mouth proclaim that Jesus is Lord.
- Allen Hankins
My hope for the next two weeks is for the Lord to be made known, loved, glorified, and desired. May hearts be changed not only in the people we encounter, but in us as well, so that we may forever be a people that seeks to share the Good News and Truth of Christ!
- Laura Smith
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
An Introduction to Our Trip
For those of you just tuning into our team's journey, welcome. We are now around 48 hours away from our first team leaving for the adventure that awaits us in Ethiopia and wanted to give you all an idea of what is in front of our team and ask that you would follow along over the next few weeks and pray with us.
We are so blessed to be able to partner with a great ministry like E3 Partners and their staff here as well as their staff on the ground in Ethiopia. Our main task is to partner with them for the purpose of spreading the gospel of Christ to those who have yet to hear and to work with the local church in Asela, Ethiopia to establish new church plants among the villages around that city. Even this week, the E3 staff in Ethiopia has been training the men and women that we will be working with, called "Disciple Makers" who are Christ-followers living in and around those villages to prepare them for their partnership with us as well as the ongoing work they will have once we leave.
Once on the ground, our team of 20 will be divided into 4 teams of 5 and will travel to 4 separate mission sites, each equipped with at least 2 translators and 2 or more "Disciple Makers." Our main activities will be establishing relationships with the people of the village using soccer, hand ball (volleyball), and other games and taking advantage of opportunities to share with the people of the village our stories of God's grace in our lives and the hope that He offers to each of them. We will do this by telling stories from God's Word and using the "Evangecube" a great tool developed by E3 for sharing the gospel. We will also have opportunities to pray for the physical needs of people and be the hands and feet of Christ to people in impoverished areas of Ethiopia.
This trip is the culmination of a long journey of preparation that started back in October of 2009 and has included hours of preparation collectively and individually and the raising of thousands of dollars of support. Our work will follow to 10 hour flights and a 3 hour van ride to get to Asela and will be followed by the same on our return. We have two teams going, one traveling with us on July 16th and returning on the 25th and the second team leaving July 23rd and returning on August 1st. Five of our team will be staying for the full 17 days. The Lord has provided in amazing ways for the members of our team and has provided us with an amazing team. Tomorrow I'll let you hear from some of them and what their hopes and prayers are for the trip.
Starting today, you should find daily updates here and pictures from the field as well as stories of how God is working through our teams, so check back daily. The following is a video we shot last year of the church in Asela (Sagure is specifically the name of the village) celebrating our arrival and praising God for bringing us to partner with them (the camera work is awful thanks to yours truly, but you get the idea).
God's Continued Work in Ethiopia
Even as we gear up for our trip this week, we are reminded that God's work is in full swing already in Asela and the surrounding community. This past Sunday, we ran DK's story in the Watermark News, a story of how God used DK's faithfulness in sharing his faith with a man named Geda last year. Be encouraged by this great story and reminded of God's loving, relentless pursuit of His people.
http://watermarkblogs.org/stories/07/god-at-work/
http://watermarkblogs.org/stories/07/god-at-work/
Monday, June 14, 2010
Getting Ready for Evangelism
We are now 3 days away from Team 1's trip to Ethiopia and are continuing to prepare our hearts and minds for the trip. Since the vast majority of our time will be spent sharing our faith with the people of the villages, we did a little exercise with our teams a few weeks ago, breaking them into small groups and telling them to go out and share their faith with at least one person before coming back for our team meeting. One of our team members, Claressa Norrell, wrote about her experience on her blog and we thought we'd copy and paste the story here for everyone to enjoy. Here's her story.
http://claressasstory.blogspot.com/2010/06/africa-update-3.html
http://claressasstory.blogspot.com/2010/06/africa-update-3.html
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