Hesed International Missions

And so it begins …

Hello friends!

Welcome to my blog (posted on both the American Bride Abroad and Hesed International Missions sites)!  I can’t believe that it’s been almost two months since I moved from Washington, DC to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia!  Let me start by saying that I love it here and I wouldn’t trade my new life for anything.  That said, starting an orphanage and planning a wedding in Ethiopia has some unique (and hopefully entertaining) challenges!  So, after some encouragement from friends, I decided to give this blogging thing a try and invite you all along on this journey.

- Orphans! -

Let me catch you up on the basics:  Before moving to Ethiopia I practiced appellate law at two big law firms in Washington, DC.  I love the law (and being in a country without basic freedoms, and where precedent is given no weight has given me a renewed respect for the admittedly less-than-perfect American legal system) but after six years of helping giant corporations fight about money I knew there had to be something more for me.  Please don’t get me wrong, I am proud of the work that I did and I am honored to count some of the most talented attorneys in the U.S. as my friends (not all lawyers are evil, really!).  It’s just that I knew that God had a different plan for my life.

That plan, it turns out, is orphan care.  Ever since seeing the movie Annie as a child (about a million times, I wore out that VHS tape!) I have had a special place in my heart for orphans.  Even as a child I wondered how children survive without parents.  Sure, growing up we all knew kids who where adopted, or were being raised by family members other than their parents, but what about the kids who aren’t so lucky?  What about the nearly 46 million children in the world who have no one to take care of them and will never be adopted?   Can I help?  I know I can’t care for, much less adopt, tens of millions of orphans, but what about five?  Or 10?  Or 30?  What about just one?  Can I provide a safe home and education for children who would otherwise have nothing?  With God’s help, I have to try.  (For more information about the orphanage please visit www.hesedmissions.org or send me a message; we are in serious need of funding and there are many ways in which you can help!)

- The Wedding! -

Oh, yeah, and I’m getting married!  So lets get everyone’s first question out of the way:  No, I didn’t decide to turn my life upside down and move to Ethiopia for a guy (not that there’s anything wrong with that)!  Instead, I was blessed to meet an amazing man on my first trip to Ethiopia last Christmas.  After only having had the opportunity to spend a few hours together each day for three days, Dawit and I weren’t exactly in love when I left … but we were intrigued!  We spent the next few months getting to know each other over Skype, gchat and Facebook (is this a modern romance or what?!) and then when I came back to Addis in April to get the (long, difficult, challenging, you fill in the blank) process of obtaining the Ethiopian government’s permission to open the orphanage rolling, Dawit met me at the airport.  We spent nearly every waking minute of the next 10 days together and started planning our wedding!  After another three month separation as I wrapped up my life in the States and started the American corporation that will fund raise for the orphanage (Hesed International Missions), I moved to Ethiopia in early July.  We are getting married at Kuriftu Resort & Spa in Debrezeit (on a lake about an hour and a half drive outside Addis) on November 12, 2011 and you’re all invited!  Seriously, any American friends and family that can make the trip are more than welcome; it’s going to be beautiful!  (Note:  More pictures will follow, but the banner picture on the top of the blog is the wedding venue, just to give you an idea).

- The Blog -

So now that we’ve covered the basics, I will continue to post about my life in Addis (the orphanage, the wedding, and life generally) in greater (and hopefully more entertaining) detail over the next few weeks.  Almost everything is different here (did I mention that it’s still 2003 here until Ethiopian New Years on 9/11 when it will become 2004, there are 13 months, and on top of an 7/8 hour time difference with the East Coast, “midnight” here is at 6 am?!) so feel free to post any questions and I’ll do my best to answer.

Thanks for reading!

Angela

The Weeds

It is so easy to become distracted. I used to live my life as that third seed in Jesus’ Parable of the Sower Matt 13, you know the one, it grew up as a plant that had a root but still never produced any fruit because it was choked by the weeds. The weeds we are told by Jesus are the deceitfulness of wealth and the cares of this world. It is still, even after, I know better, so easy to become entangled by all of the stuff that comes my way. I mean, come on man, do you not see that I am trying to pay my bills in a global recession? My portfolio is insipid, my house has lost much of its value and the cost of gas and the groceries are getting to be ridiculous! How do you not get choked out by it all?

There are, I am sure, a seminar full of possible answers to that question. For me the key to sanity in Christ while living in a world seemingly bent on challenging that sanity is simple.  It is just this, do for others less blessed than yourself.  I told you it was simple. The real problem with doing for others is, that it is hardest to do when you need to do it the most. When your job is in jeopardy, when you are feeling old, when a critical relationship is troubled. Or on the other side of the weeds, when everything is going really well and the acquistion of the new house, or the vacation is beckoning to you, or the boat or the sports car or… you fill in the blank. It is at those times when our souls turn inward and away from God. It seems like it should be our turn to be paid attention to. And if others won’t do it [and we really wish they would] we will just have to do it ourselves. So where is the middle ground?

In proverbs 30:8 and 9 we have the words of Agur who was trying to find the right balance for his life and so he prayed to the Lord, “…give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise I may have too much and disown you and say ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. Agur recognized that at either end of the spectrum his soul would turn inward which he judges as, “disowning or dishonoring God”.  Have you ever looked at the act of  focusing on yourself as disowning or dishonoring God?

I have found, in my life that we can only honor God with Hesed, that state of being that puts others ahead of ourselves. Turning outward rather than succumb to the temptation to turn inward. We then look like the Son of God, who came to be the servant of all men.  That is our calling as Christians and that is where, we really do feel the most satisfied with the state of our lives. For me that translates into missions, whether it is building churches or looking after the needs of widows and orphans in their time of distress. It is only “out there” where I feel I am in balance and weed free.

So many of our team members have humbled me with their willingness to greatly sacrifice themselves in order to go and do for others. As I said, I must go. It is my way of weeding the garden. What is yours?

Called [?]

Here is a question I have struggled with in the past, “What if I don’t feel “called” to the mission field?” Should I still go, or should I just wait to be really sure it is God’s will for my life? I mean it is not like trying out a different flavor of ice cream, this would be a serious, life altering, hard to explain to my family and friends, event. Isn’t it just plain prudent to wait for an angel or a couple of prophets [everybody knows that you can't trust just one prophet] to tell me when, where and how. In fact isn’t it a “sign” that because there has been an absence of such”signs” in my life that I am safe in saying that I am one of those “not called” to go out there… somewhere.

I am reminded of a luncheon that my wife and I were invited to a few years back. The husband/host, we’ll call him Jack, told me when the subject of overseas missions came up [as it usually does when I am around] that he believed his “mission” was to his unsaved next door neighbor. “Great” I said, “How is that going?” “Well nothing yet.”Jack said. Jack went on to explain that he tried to speak with the neighbor about Jesus as often as they saw each other, as in when they were both outside taking out the trash. This had been going on for ten years. Jack took it ill when I suggested that the neighbor’s salvation [or continuing lack thereof] however important, might not be the end of Jack’s mission as a Christian. I also suggested that it might be time to move on to other richer fields. Unfortunately it was the last time I was ever invited to Jack’s house.

What if Jack had been actually present  just before his Lord ascended into heaven. And Jack had actually heard the words, “…and you [Jack] will be my witness [original word for witness is martyr] in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” or if he had heard, “Therefore [Jack] go and make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you [Jack]” would Jack have then felt “called” to be obedient to the command of his Savior to “Go”?

This is not to say that your “mission” can’t be to your neighborhood. But it seems too easy a default position that so many Christians feel ”called” to their rich neighbors.

Then there is my friend Bill. Bill as an expression of God’s love, brings used appliances and furniture for free to any one who calls him. Bill is an older disabled gentleman from the country who delivers the needed items, with the help of volunteers, to the inner city. Bill crosses ethnic, economic and cultural lines every day. Although Bill never leaves the U.S.A., he is every bit a missionary.

The question really is, for whom who were the words of Jesus written down? The apostles who were the immediate witnesses to the words of Jesus, acted on those words, dying nearly to a man far away from their homes in obedience to the command of their master to “Go.” So here is the question; is the bible just a history of other men’s encounters with God or is it relevant to you? If you say that it is, of course, relevant to you, then I caution you that Jesus also said that, “If you love me you, will do what I command” John 14:15

Therefore the conclusion must be; if I love him I am compelled by his word to go into all the world. My love for him is my calling. His word is my command.  How about you?

Heroic

I have been thinking of Peter today. Peter, the only one of the disciples that was brave enough to fight the temple guards with a sword. Peter the only one loyal enough to follow Jesus, that same night, into the courts of the chief priest to be close to his master. Those were unique acts, and they are worth something aren’t they?

Peter, watching Jesus being tortured for hours,  found it expedient to deny that he even knew Jesus.  He must have been imagining a similar fate for himself in the near future. Don’t we feel sorry for Peter? After all, he was just doing what he thought was possible to do in that extreme situation. He was a better man than the other disciples that were in hiding, right?

Peter was right on the edge–so close– to the heroic. But even with three chances, to bravely stand, he just couldn’t cross over.

Depending on who you are and how honest you are with yourself you may judge Peter harshly, convinced that you would have done better than he. Or perhaps, like me, you have been a little uncomfortable reading those verses because you are not at all sure how you would have acted differently than Peter.

How many times have we found it “necessary” to be like Peter, to play  ”undercover spy” in our various life situations? To be P. C. or not to be P. C. that is the question. Shakespeare, in his famous soliloquy of “To be or not to be” questions whether it makes sense to oppose the “slings the arrows” of man and thereby risk death. All that stops the writer from being heroic is his ignorance of what lies beyond this “mortal coil” what he calls the “undiscovered country.” Shakespeare says that this is the pivotal question that, “makes cowards of us all.” But surely not us! We have been assured of an eternal life with God! What are we afraid of? What people might think? Is that all? Really– is that all?

If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation. the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels. Mark 8:38

Peter on the day of his infilling with the Holy Spirit lost his fear of man. Peter found that when he was paired with the Spirit he was unstoppable and effective. But that pairing still required Peter to choose. Just a little later Peter would face those same men of authority that had previously been the authors of the torture that had so frightened him, and he had a decision to make…again.

“When they saw the courage of Peter…they took note that he had been with Jesus. [And] Peter replied, ” Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:13 and 19  

Friends you and I must choose. Let us be bold for God. Let us not be P. C. out of our fear of the world. In our churches let us be shocking in the face of the lukewarm mediocre religiosity of our generation. Let us be radically unconcerned with the preservation of our fortunes and our earthly reputations in this temporary existence. Come on brothers and sisters let us shout it from the rooftops! Let the world take note that we, like Peter, ”have been with Jesus” Let us, with the help of that same Holy Spirit, choose to be heroic!

What is your bet?

Every day, every moment of every day you make decisions. You evaluate, you choose. Mostly, if not universally, you make your plans and base your judgments on what will benefit you. You are not alone. It is normal and for the most part completely natural. It is not as if what matters to God holds no importance to you. Would you be reading this if God didn’t matter to you? Surely not. And certainly you give to God something of yourself and some of your possessions. And God can’t expect it all, how would you live? And so the natural, albeit unspoken, conclusion which is the basis of all of those daily decisions is; “Me and mine first” [minus perhaps a tithe] and then a portion to God out of your discretionary balance. After all, isn’t it God’s job to bless you? If He really wanted more from you He should have given you more, so that you would have had more left over for charitable pursuits.  So you give God something– because you would feel guilty if you gave Him nothing,– and secretly you blame Him–He could have provided you with more to give. “All He has to do is make those lotto numbers come through for me and then…”

But what if you have been wrong? What if giving God your “leftovers” is not what He demands of you. And yes I said “demands” What if He wants it all? What if  He wants to be, not just a consideration in your decisions? What if He wants instead to be the central focus of all that you do, all that you have, and all that you are? What if He wants you to see your life not as yours to live at all, but rather for you to see your life as an extension of His life?  [Question; How did Jesus live the life the Father gave him?]

Do you daily make the bet that what you have done thus far with the new life that you have been given through Christ, is enough to please God? Remember that you what want to hear is, ”Welcome good and faithful servant” not “Welcome lukewarm believer” [Question; Is such a "welcome" even possible?]

What is your bet? Do you really believe that a holy God will be interested in the lukewarm leftovers of your busy self centered life? Just think, if you were God, the creator of the universe, if you were the father that had crucified His own son for the sins of men, would you be satisfied with a lack luster devotion from those that had been redeemed by your son’s blood? Do you really think He will say, “Well at least they gave me something of themselves.”

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either one or the other! So because you are lukewarm–neither hot nor cold–I am about to spit you out my mouth.”          Rev. 3:15,16

My friend, seek only the narrow road carrying the cross that God has individually prepared in advance, just for you. And remember that the righteous ones, the authentic children of Father God, do not carry a cross for themselves they, like Jesus, carry it for others.  In short, God doesn’t ask for a large part of your life, He demands it all!

For myself this revelation of a all or nothing God has been very convicting of my lifestyle and my moment by moment choices. Make no mistake, none of us are perfect, least of all me. His grace is very real and His love is full of patience for His struggling children. But the question is; are you and I struggling with and for the things of this world or are we struggling to achieve oneness with Him. What is our motivation?

Remember all is what He gave to you and me. Are you betting that you can talk Him out of His expectation of receiving all of your life in return? Friends, let’s not bet our [eternal] lives on it. Join with me and say, as the gamblers do,”I am going all in!”

Bishop Mkisi

Our Bishop Mkisi from Malawi is doing quite well in America. He has preached in three churches thus far and will, the Lord willing, preach in three more before he leaves us. He is amazing to watch at church. He starts out slow and quiet and gets louder and more fervent until it feels like you are in an old fashioned tent rival. Last Sunday most of the congregation refused to leave for an additional 90 minutes after the “end” of the service. Some wanted to receive Christ and some just wanted prayer. Dianna and I were called up to help handle the crowd, which of course we were honored to do. It is certain that when Bishop Samuel returns to us there will be no lack of speaking engagements for him.

Now Ethiopia

I want to publicly thank the team members that were scheduled to accompany Dianna and me to Uganda in November 2011 for their patience and their trust. We made the decision to revise the whole trip and move the location to Ethiopia. There are reasons for the change that I don’t want to rehash here. I just want to express my gratitude for the teams flexibilty. It is, I am convinced, the best decision for the team. They will have, I am sure, a unique and special experience in Ethiopia, one that none of them will ever forget.

What is your “Sacred Cow” worth?

Samuel Mkisi from Malawi is currently in America visiting with Dianna and me. At some point we were talking about agriculture in Malawi when Samuel revealed that he used to have eight dairy cows, but now he has three. It turns out that in order for him to get to America he had to sell five of his cows for the plane fare. The revelation that this humble man of God would part with a large portion of his wealth just to be here at my house stunned and humbled me. I couldn’t help but wonder; how many of us would have sold the majority of our accumulated wealth to go on a mission trip? Before you answer know that Samuel and I had never met, there had been no offers of financial help nor were they even hinted at. Know also that days before Samuel got on the first of many planes that would bring him to me, Samuel’s children were sent home from school because their fees were not paid. Samuel’s church, we learned, is made from tree bark and the roof leaks. The new church they are trying to build is only up to the windows, where it has been for years, as they are out of money. But somehow there was room in his one suitcase for large presents for Dianna and me. Samuel only knew that the Holy Spirit had told him to go to America to see Steve. And so, in faith and whatever the cost was to himself, his large family, or his church, Samuel followed his personal “Great Commission” to go out into the world, to a place where the Lord led him. Led him to me, and by extension to my family and to my friends. Overwhelmed, and sure that I don’t deserve such consideration, it brings tears to my eyes as I write this to you. We have all been humbled to meet Samuel. It makes me examine, what are my “sacred cows” what is so valuable to me, that I would hesitate to “Go”? Would I be as willing, to do as much, give as much, and risk as much, as my new friend Samuel, to follow my old friend, Jesus. Could I be, as Samuel undoubtedly is, as Abraham was, trusted by our Lord, to go to a land that He would show me?