February 2012

Bethel celebrations...

Hanah and her children have been attending our church from the day it opened. She came to know Christ as her personal Savior last year. Since that time, it has been a joy to watch her grow in her faith and to be faithful at the church. We talked to Hanah about baptism and what it pictured in her life. On January 1st, our church had a special day of celebration as Hanah was baptized. This was the first baptism for our church and it was a day of excitement as we rejoiced in what God had done. Adding to the praise of the day was another event. Seble also has been attending our church from the beginning. She has been an amazing encouragement as our church has taken its first steps. One day after church, Seble sat in our office expressing the fact she wanted to join our church. She gave an amazing testimony of what God had been doing in her life and the growth she had experienced in certain areas. Seble went through our membership interview process along with Hanah. It was great to welcome them both officially into the church as our first members!

Just over the last few weeks God has been working as we had several meetings with people desiring membership and baptism. Please continue to pray that God will add to His church and people will continue to respond to the preaching and teaching of His word.

Personal celebrations...

This week the government once again approved the paperwork that allows us to live in Ethiopia. The finalizing of these documents means our family can live in Ethiopia for another year! God truly does have all things in His hands and is able to make the path smooth. It is amazing to know that no obstacle, situation, or government is outside of His control.

Lastly, our family had the blessing of enjoying my mom and dad for Christmas this year. This is the third time they have come to Ethiopia. I think they like it! It is always a blessing to have family and friends come to visit. In April of this year, we are looking forward to having our Pastor, Richard Edwards, come to visit along with others. What a blessing to have the encouragement of so many people face to face.

December 2011

Adding to the Church ...
We reported last month that our church had been given funds to put up new signs in our community. These signs would help advertise our presence in the area and also give direction to our location. Recently, several of these signs went up in the area. We are so thankful for the Lord providing the funds for this project from a family that has been attending the church. The signs have already made an impact and we are looking forward to the people that will hear of the church through this advertising.

We recently finished a series of messages at the church called “The Path Series”. These messages focused on the Biblical beliefs of our church. One of the messages was on the topic of “the local church”. As we taught on the church, we also emphasized the importance of church membership.

We have been praying for those who are believers to see the importance of being part of a local church. Last month, we had several individuals that desired to go through our membership class. This was a great time for us to hear testimonies and emphasize the doctrine of the church. This group of individuals will be the first members of our new church plant. God is adding to His church and we are thankful. On January 1st, we have a baptism service scheduled. This will also be a time of rejoicing and celebration for our people.

Merry Christmas ...
We would like to wish all of our family, friends, and churches back home a Merry Christmas. The birth of Christ truly is something worth celebrating. Our family appreciates your faithfulness in prayer and financial support. We are looking forward to telling the good news here in Ethiopia in the coming year.

Happy Thanksgiving from Team Ethiopia

New Church has impact...

     Earlier this year, we reported on the new church plant that has been started in Ethiopia. We held our first service on May 29th and had a great day. Since that first service, we have seen many individuals and families continuing to be faithful in attending. One of those individuals is Hannah. Hannah and her husband moved into a house next door to Craig and Amanda Dyson. They invited her to church for our first Sunday and she has been coming ever since. A few weeks ago, Hannah went with a family member to another sister church. A short time after, Hannah told Amanda Dyson that she had put her trust in Christ for salvation. Please pray for Hannah as she continues to learn the Bible and grow in her faith!      Over the next few months, we are praying about several different ways to get our church presence out in the community. First, we are considering expanding the current advertising for our church. Several church signs located before you enter our community will help give better direction to our current location and make our presence known.
     We also are looking at several different outreaches that would provide us with new opportunities to make relationships. One of the ways our church has been reaching out currently is with our children’s ministries that take place on Sunday morning. Many Ethiopian churches have no Bible instruction specifically geared to children. We see this as an open door to reach many families by ministering to their children. By hosting different events and activities for children, we are praying to reach more contacts in the area. Please pray that we will have wisdom as we continue to reach out to the community that God has put on our hearts.


Back in Ethiopia...

     In June, we decided to head back to the United States for a short furlough that lasted until the middle of August. It was exciting to see family and friends. Spending time with our sending church, First Coast Baptist Church, was such a blessing.
     When we first went to Ethiopia in 2009, we took many supplies with us. Not knowing exactly what we needed, we took a variety of things. Coming back home this time, we were more knowledgeable on what things to bring back to Ethiopia for our second term.     
     We spent much of our furlough making these important purchases for the next term. Buying medicine, household items, and purchasing clothes was high on the list. We also brought back ministry supplies that we had received from churches. Along with this, we took time for doctors and dentists visits that were very overdue. The purchase of these items and services was a major expense of furlough. We appreciate your consideration in helping to offset these costs.
     We are looking forward to what God will teach us and accomplish in Ethiopia over our next term. Please continue to pray for our new church, Bethel Bible Baptist Church, as we preach and teach the Gospel.


Eric, Amanda, Kayla, and Aaron Shadle
Ethiopia