The Sudan Project - Respect for Christian Pioneers

I wrote the following while in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, spending several days waiting on a travel permit to enter South Sudan. On the wall of the guest house on the church compound where I was staying were pictures of the American missionaries who came to Ethiopia in the 60s and
70s to evangelize that country.

These families were young and in most cases had small children. They had left their families and all the comforts of their homes in the United States. They came needing to learn a strange language. Their food was far different from anything they were accustomed to, the roads were bad, houses were much different, and there was constant heavy exhaust fumes from vehicles that barely ran. Few stores existed, little medical assistance was available,and they had almost no medicine. They arrived knowing no one and having almost no friends in this strange country.

Communicationwith relatives at home took weeks. Sitting and looking at those pictures and contemplating what they did gave me a renewed respect for their dedication. Theywere Christian pioneers in every sense.
Because of their pioneering spirit, today approximately 850 congregations of the Lord s church meet for worship every Sunday in Ethiopia, and more than 1,000 preachers have been trained in four preacher training schools. Parts of thatnation are even described as Church of Christ Country.
Missionary work in South Sudan is now where it was when those pioneers arrived in Ethiopia. But it is wonderful to look into the future and think that 40-50 years from now, the New Testament church in Sudan will look as exciting as it does now in Ethiopia!
As I sit in the Sunday morning service of the congregation in Addis Ababa, still waiting on my travel permit, I realize this is a city of nearly five million people.
Here in this service, men sit wearing suits instead of loin cloths. This is a great congregation filled with inspiring Christian men and women who know the Bible and can provide leadership for Gods work in their land.
What encouragement it is to know that on the other side of the world from the United States there are devoted Christians that all of us would be thrilled to have in our home congregations. How moving to realize that we will be with people like these ... people who speak a different
language, eat different foods, and have a totally different culture ... when we all get to Heaven some day!



		Respect for Christian Pioneers I wrote the following while in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, spending several days waiting on a travel permit to enter South Sudan. On the wall of the guest house on the church compound where I was staying were pictures of the American missionaries who came to Ethiopia in the 60s and 70s to evangelize that country. These families were young and in most cases had small children. They had left their families and all the comforts of their homes in the United States. They came needing to learn a strange language. Their food was far different from anything they were accustomed to, the roads were bad, houses were much different, and there was constant heavy exhaust fumes from vehicles that barely ran. Few stores existed, little medical assistance was available,and they had almost no medicine. They arrived knowing no one and having almost no friends in this strange country. Communicationwith relatives at home took weeks. Sitting and looking at those pictures and contemplating what they did gave me a renewed respect for their dedication. Theywere Christian pioneers in every sense. Because of their pioneering spirit, today approximately 850 congregations of the Lord s church meet for worship every Sunday in Ethiopia, and more than 1,000 preachers have been trained in four preacher training schools. Parts of thatnation are even described as Church of Christ Country. Missionary work in South Sudan is now where it was when those pioneers arrived in Ethiopia. But it is wonderful to look into the future and think that 40-50 years from now, the New Testament church in Sudan will look as exciting as it does now in Ethiopia! As I sit in the Sunday morning service of the congregation in Addis Ababa, still waiting on my travel permit, I realize this is a city of nearly five million people. Here in this service, men sit wearing suits instead of loin cloths. This is a great congregation filled with inspiring Christian men and women who know the Bible and can provide leadership for Gods work in their land. What encouragement it is to know that on the other side of the world from the United States there are devoted Christians that all of us would be thrilled to have in our home congregations. How moving to realize that we will be with people like these ... people who speak a different language, eat different foods, and have a totally different culture ... when we all get to Heaven some day! July 2010