"Wow! We're really in Africa!"

Feb. 11-15th the three of us headed south to Lake Langano. We joined a vision team from the US who were here to visit Sports Friends ministry and to see what the Lord has been doing here in Ethiopia. It was a 4 hour drive south of the city. The scenery was beautiful- I had several moments where I thought to myself, "Wow! I'm really in Africa!" Sometimes here in Addis, the capital, I get so familiar with my surroundings- tall buildings, restaurants, traffic, etc.- that I almost forget forget I'm on a different continent! But as we headed south, the scenery changed dramatically. We passed fields and fields of the typical African trees- ones with the trunks and branches bending and twisting with the tops flattened out. We also spotted hundreds of termite mountains...yes, mountains! Some reached as tall as 6 feet or more! We made several stops along the way...no, not to eat or use the bathroom, but for herds of goats, donkeys, and cattle to cross the road! Down country, they live a life of farming- they live off the land and depend on their animals for survival. The children learn at an early age- I saw some as young as 8, I would guess, herding his sheep across the plains! Some have to travel as far as four hours by foot, maybe more, to the nearest source of water. They trek that several times a week to gather water for their home and to feed their animals! It's a lifestyle I can't even begin to imagine!
While at Lake Langano- the new campsite for Sports Friends to hold conferences for leaders and camps for youth teams- there were two projects we were involved in. One was a sports ministry leadership course for sports ministers all across Ethiopia. 32 coaches were present, representing 14 denominations. our Ethiopian staff said these sports ministry conferences are the only gatherings with many denominations present to be unified and peaceful!
The other project was to visit churches planted through sports ministers to encourage and pray for them.
There was story after story of the miraculous ways the Lord has used sports ministry to change lives of the people of Ethiopia! One such story goes like this...A man named Gemetchu, a converted Muslim, was introduced to sports ministry and desired to use it to reach his all-Muslim community. His house is on the same property as the mosque and the Islam school, a very aggressive teaching style of Jihad. Gemetchu was heavily persecuted for his faith by the Muslim community- one time he was attacked by 300 students at once, attempting to take his life by stoning him. The Lord protected him and spared his life, miraculously! I couldn't imagine escaping from 300 people- clearly supernatural intervention! He and others began to pray that the school and mosque would be torn down. Soon after, a fight broke out between two students who ended up killing each other. The school officials attempted to cover it up and keep it a secret. But the government found them out and shut the school down! Their prayers were answered- Praise God! I look forward to hearing how the Lord will shut down the mosque!
We heard many testimonies similar to this and how the Lord used these sports ministers to connect with their neighbors to share the love and hope of Jesus Christ! Many Muslims are coming to Christ- lives are being changed, even whole communities! But we also heard many who have shared in the sufferings of Christ through persecution- something most of us have not experienced. It was a privilege and an honor to see and partake of the Holy Spirit's work throughout Ethiopia!
Back in Addis now, we just completed the short course of Amharic language school! We had class every morning for the past month. It was actually a really enjoyable time for all of us! We learned a lot in a just a short time...not only the language but cultural information as well! We hope this will enhance our relationships with the people we will be working with!
We will now be focusing all of our time on connecting with the women coaches around Addis who have been through Sports Friends training. We will be meeting with them to encourage and support them in their coaching, sports ministry with their teams, and their spiritual lives. * Please pray for us as we will be doing a lot of ground work to connect with these women. Pray for wisdom, discernment, and quick relationships so that we can best encourage them where they need it.
Ali will continue to play with the Addis Eagles and connect with the girls there. We are working closely with two of the Christians on the team...Genet and Aselevich...we are encouraging and supporting them to reach out to their teammates. They are a bit frustrated with the outcome for Bible study...please pray for wisdom and creativity for a different way to connect with their teammates.
Pray for Sarah as she has been struggling a bit with prolonged stomach issues! It's nothing major but very annoying and not all that comfortable!
Thanks for all your prayers and support! We love you all!

Blessings,
Sunshine (for Ali and Sarah)