Saturday, May 15th @ 1:00.

Please send an email to ragznson@austin.rr.com and we'll be happy to provide additional details. We'd love to see you there!

Updates from Zeway

God is moving in Zeway through the visit of Tom & his brother Steve. We thought we'd share with you a recent email from Tom:

It's 11:15 am Monday morning and Steve is in the first session of his seminar. There are right at 50 social workers here. Yesterday Dawit and Feye picked us up at the hotel in Addis and drove with us down to Zeway. It was a great time for Steve to get to know them a bit and vice a versa. When we stopped for lunch I suggested to Steve that he drink a Sprite instead of just water since he still wasn't feeling normal. The Sprite had an immediate positive affect on his body chemistry. He said it was the first time he had felt normal for days. He had another for dinner and is much, much better. Praise God for soda pop.

When we got to Zeway, we dropped our stuff at the hotel, (a different one than the one we stayed at before), and then went on three house visits. The first was a family led by a 17 year old girl with a 15 year old sister and a 9 year old brother. They are all HIV positive. They are Muslim. Their mother died 2 years ago and they are fairly marginalized by their neighbors because of the HIV. It was the first time to watch Steve work. It was fascinating. By the end they had cried, remembered, been affirmed, given purpose, and laughed. The second family was a 17 year old girl with three younger brothers. She is a brand new believer and they all attend a local evangelical church. Their mother took her own life 10 years ago and the father died of aids a few years ago and their step mother abandoned them. Steve really connected with these kids. In fact he is talking about "adopting" them through the sponsorship program, writing them and supporting them. The third visit was with Melekete and Denabe. This was refreshing to my soul. Denabe has grown so tall and Melekete has grown into a beautiful young lady. She is doing so very well!! She loves the Lord and speaks about her past with amazing calm and understanding. They have three new kittens in their home and it's wonderful to see how they care for and love the kittens.

After the visits we had dinner at a new restaurant in town and a great visit with Dawit and Feye. Back to the hotel where Steve and I have separate "cabin" like rooms. Lights out before 11. Best night rest for both Steve and me since we left the States.

Breakfast at 7, to the church where the seminar is being held by 8. I gave a devotional after the worship time and then Steve began. He is into the Trauma section and doing a great job. The social workers that I am watching right now are completely engaged, taking copious notes and working hard to understand. Lot's of information.

Tom

Tom in Ethiopia

Please be praying for Tom, our global outreach pastor, and his brother, Steve as they travel to Ethiopia. Steve just happens to be a grief and loss counselor and part of the Partnership is to provide training for the social workers. Grief and loss is an appropriate place to start with the children, most of whom cared for their sick and dying parents in their own homes until the end.

Please be praying for Steve as he is doing 5 days of training. That can be exhausting on its own, let alone working through a translator. Most of the social workers understand English, but a translator will be necessary to avoid confusion and make sure the particulars are understood.

Also, be praying that Steve can overcome any cultural differences that may get in the way as he trains the social workers. Measures have been taken to make sure the information he is teaching is culturally relevant, but this is difficult to do entirely. Our prayer in the Partnership is that we will never leave American footprints in Zeway, but only the hand prints of God's work, not ours. God is cultural relevant wherever He goes!

Updates

Dawit's visit to Austin was such a blessing to us! His visit here made the Hope in Ethiopia partnership touchable and within reach for those who have never visited Zeway.

I was struck by a quote that God revealed to me Easter week:

"The joyful news that He is risen does not change the contemporary world. Still before us lie work, discipline, sacrifice. But the FACT of Easter gives us the spiritual power to do the work, accept the discipline, and make the sacrifice." ~Henry Knox Sherrill

I believe it is so fitting for this partnership.

Today, Tom Sanchez along with his brother, will be traveling to Zeway to offer training on grief and loss counseling. Tom's brother, Steve, is a grief and loss counselor and will be training the social workers Monday-Friday of next week. Pray that the Spirit removes any cultural misunderstandings and that the social workers can apply the information to the children. Pray for strength for Steve as he does 5 days of training. Pray for Tom that he is an encouragement to his brother, Dawit, the social workers, and the church leaders in Zeway. Pray for God to move mightily during their visit!

God has also given us a very special opportunity to sell our Hope Jewelry at a large women's conference this weekend in Austin. This is an awesome opportunity to raise awareness to this partnership and God willing, will allow us to send additional funds to help support the orphans.

God is moving and our sails are raised! What an awesome God we serve.