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He looks more like a construction worker than a business owner; more like a hard-working rancher than probably anything else.

But make no mistake; when he smiles, it is warm, and rich, and genuine.  And he has a gentleness and a humility about him that make him undeniably likable, even across the barriers of language.

Pastor Epheson Erballo was born into a family of Christ-followers, in the Ethiopian village of Wolyta.  I had the special privilege to meet with this dear brother on Wednesday, while I was here in Awassa.  He travelled here to take care of some business, and especially to make himself available to me.

Epheson is the fourth of six children.  He has three brothers and two sisters.  Although he has believed in Christ for about as long as he can remember, he was given a special desire from the Lord around age 15.  At that time, he sensed a burden to minister to others.  

He began to share the gospel readily with friends, and anyone else.  As people came to Christ, he began to disciple them.  Within a short time, he was leading Bible studies, and the number of those in his care grew.  Soon, he found himself leading a church.  He would shepherd and pastor this group of believers for 22 years.  In 2009, his congregation was officially organized as a church, and he was ordained.  

He continued to pastor there until 2013.  It was then that the Lord moved him and his family to Turmi, in the hopes of church planting and reaching a poor, desperate people there.  

The work in Turmi is growing, but it is not without colossal challenges.  The region is a desert, and food sources are scarce.  Epheson and his family (with four children) have to work hard just to survive.  And it is the same with everyone there.  You cannot simply go and grab something from the market.  Food has to travel just to get to them.

And if the physical challenges are great, the spiritual challenges are even greater. 

The tribal people there are very connected.  The community sticks together, and is led by chiefs.  And their beliefs are animistic - not so much a formal religion, but a system of worship and fear of spirits and gods.  If a member of the community professes faith and begins to follow Jesus Christ, then they are threatened by their family and friends.  If this does not dissuade them, then they are often beaten.  Still, the gospel is setting captives free, and there is now a growing church among the Turmi, where Epheson and his family love and shepherd them.

This is not an easy life, but it is the life of great reward.

When you ask Epheson about his personality, and the kinds of things that he likes to do, he says, “I’m naturally curious; learning and teaching are who I am.”

Meeting Epheson, I do not doubt this.  Nor do I doubt that he has learned many things in his life, and is probably capable of doing nearly anything asked of him.

Please continue to pray for our dear brother, and for all of his family and ministry.  We will be sharing more information and prayer requests in the future.

And praise our strong Savior together with us, that I got to connect with Epheson during this trip, and that we have the distinct privilege to be able to partner with this faithful, humble man.

Visit our Path Three Missions page for information on how MCC supports Pastor Erballo in Ethiopia.

There are many throughout the developing world in need of the most basic necessities of life; safe water, affordable energy and dependable food—things we take for granted every day. Experience has proven over and over that the best help for those in need is to directly involve them in finding solutions to the problems they face (II Thessalonians 3:10-12). As Christians, we also know the importance of involving the strong hand of the Lord in all that we endeavor (Psalms 127:1).

This is essentially where the idea of Business as Mission (BAM) was born. That is, to establish Christ-centered businesses that are sustainably designed to help those in need help themselves while bringing the saving Word of God.

This past summer I started the path to BAM with several of my neighbors who are believers attending Forest Meadow Baptist Church.

They recently established World Light Africa, a BAM that grew out of a relationship with a Kenyan runner who trained in Albuquerque.

In June, I joined the BAM team when I traveled to Kenya and Uganda to conduct a preliminary survey of water issues.  The BAM approach targets the very high prices that rural people in Africa pay for energy and water. What the needy lack is the capital to purchase improved technologies that lessen the cost of these basic services.  World Light Africa provides new technology to someone in need which is repaid with the savings realized by the new technology.

One example uses simple solar powered lights which can easily be repaid in the matter of a few months, requiring only a portion of the savings from no longer needing to buy kerosene. When the light is paid off they can get a water filter, which they can pay off with their savings on wood which is no longer needed to boil the water.

Similar ideas are being developed to support small cottage industries; in particular, small scale agriculture. Here we combine training on soil management, with construction of small water catchments and drip irrigation to significantly improve farm yields (and reduce incidence of total crop failure). This provides an income to repay the capital improvements, improves the lives of the family and puts money into the local economy.

The goal is to establish World Light Africa as a sustainable business, meeting the needs of the needy while modeling Christian ethics and morals through the day-to-day conduct of the company. This is a very bright light in a region known for pervasive corruption that is deeply engrained in their culture.

World Light Africa has two full time employees in Kenya and Uganda that are managing a handful of projects. Several communities have been targeted for testing our energy and water technology upgrade program in the coming year. We are also planning construction and testing of a small-scale agriculture project.

We believe God has big plans for the needy in West Africa who are hungry for God’s Word. We value your prayers in the coming year as we pursue God’s leading.

Contact Vince Tidwell to learn more about BAM or find out how you can get involved today!

For our family, the focus of Christmas was Christmas Eve.  Yes, we shopped for presents, listened to Christmas music, put up a Christmas tree, looked forward to posole and tamales Christmas Eve, spent time with Joan’s family in Albuquerque or mine in Kansas, and opened presents Christmas morning. But, from the time our children were small, we always looked forward to a Christmas Eve church service followed by a family time. 

That time started with reading “Twas the Night Before Christmas” (with each member rubbing the fuzzy surface of Santa’s clothes), then several children’s books built around Jesus’ birth.  Next, I would read about His birth from the Bible and we would have a short time of prayer. The kids would then go off to bed while Joan and I finished wrapping presents. 

As our children became adults and we began adding grandchildren, we continued meeting at our house for Christmas and the Christmas Eve service followed by the family time (without changes – including the mandatory rubbing of Santa’s clothes).

Then the Lord sent Joan and me to Africa and we missed the tradition for 6 years.  In the U.S. the meeting place moved to our daughter’s home since she had children and our son was not yet married.  But, other than that, Christmas Eve was the same.

In Nigeria, things were different. The months leading up to Christmas were marked by an increased rate of armed robberies. And there were no Christmas Eve services because it was too dangerous to be out after dark. So Christian families gathered in their homes early. There was little outward evidence of Christmas and, because of unreliable phone service, the likelihood that we could communicate with our children in the U.S. was slim to none.  But we had God’s Word, knew His abiding presence, and had experienced His utter faithfulness, and they were more than enough.

Now that Joan and I are back in the U.S., we still meet at our daughter’s home as they did when we were gone.  And now that we have grown grandchildren (as well as an infant grandson), the tradition still holds, always ending with Scripture.

The time in Nigeria was a real blessing to us in many ways.  One of them was in moving more of the Point of Christmas more from our heads to our hearts.  No matter the tradition of the culture where one is living, there are things that are firm and unchangeable. 

Particularly that “God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son..”  By itself, that fact is an absolute wonder!  And He did it for a purpose “that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). The accounts of His birth carry evidence that Jesus met all the requirements for the long awaited Savior of the world; the only One who could reconcile us to God as we put our faith in Him.

At the end of the day, our confidence and comfort are in Him and Him alone.  What a great privilege we have to be able to celebrate His birth openly and without fear!

May the reality of His presence fill you with His peace and joy this Christmas and always.

The first time I saw him, I was drawn to him.  

Though I had only been in this country for a few hours, and had no experience with its customs, even I could readily see his Spirit-borne purpose.  His demeanor was easy and joyful.  He was earnest and peaceful at worship, and even more so with everyone that he met. 

From the first time that I saw him, I can honestly say that I thanked the Lord for him.

That was two years ago.

Since then, Orano has been in all three of the groups that I have taught.  He has served me as an interpreter in many of those class days. 

And I am grateful, in God’s providence, that a friendship has grown between us.  

I spoke with him for a while before class this morning. Rather casually, I asked him how his evening was, and what he had done last night.  

“Well, I went to teach the Kingdom curriculum with a family here in Awassa last night, and then I went to preach in a church.”

I was stunned.  

You see, we are in class from 9 to 5 each day this week. This is a significant commitment for the students, especially since they had homework Monday night - to create an outline of the entire book of Galatians for Tuesday morning; and then they had a 10-minute presentation of an assigned passage due today (Thursday).

But in addition to these things, Orano is spending each night this week, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., teaching the curriculum that he helped to write, to a pastor and his family of six.

Then, last night, he also went to a church here in town, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., where he had been invited to come and share a message.

Most of us go home at the end of the day pretty tired, having spent the day studying and wrestling together. 

He leaves from our teaching site - where he’s usually also been translating back-and-forth all day - and his ministry day is really just getting going.

The best part of it all?  He was joyful again this morning, and had I not specifically asked, I would not have known anything of these labors.  

In the end, I was humbled to think of the way that many of these students are willingly making sacrifices, just like Orano.  And I’m supremely grateful for the daily and weekly sacrifices that are made by many of you; to tirelessly serve your families, to serve the Lord at work, and to seek the Lord in your daily lives.  

The grace of God does not simply make us driven, bitter-hard workers.  The grace of God changes our soul, so that our work becomes a source and a chance for our joy.

Oh yeah. And did I mention that he did a really nice job on his presentation this morning?

In the comment section tell us which relationships you are grateful for, that the Lord has provided in His providence! 

This church is a field of contrasts.

We drive through the gate, and onto the grounds.  The few cars parked here are squeezed tightly together.  Motorcycles are stacked like sardines in a long column stretching down one side.  As with all of Awassa, it seems, there is no such thing as a parking lot.  Whatever vehicles have served to deliver the worshipers here, must now simply take their place alongside of them.  

The service has already begun, and the courtyard is empty, save for a handful of children who dot the open yard, or cluster in groups to one side.  The few adults who oversee them are friendly to us, but still mindful of their charge.  I wonder whether these have no classroom, or if the teachers have merely come early to the conclusion that theological education would better take place outdoors today.

As we ascend the wide marble steps, the church doors stand flung open.  Light and music spill out.  Immediately my attention is drawn the length of the bright room, down the center aisle and to the royal blue cross at the far end. The service is packed full, but well ordered.  The main sanctuary doesn’t look to have an empty seat, nor the broad foyer that is lined three-deep with rows of chairs.  

As we enter, a toddler darts in front of us.  His little legs cannot keep up with the fury of his pace, though, and he crashes at our feet.  A mortified young mother, beautifully-dressed and deeply earnest, rushes to collect him, and shyly express her condolences.  Meanwhile, the wide-eyed child can only stare at us in wonder.  

This place is both regal, and human.

We are led to the balcony.  Here we take our place near the front railing, in what seems to be “the youth section”.  We are surrounded by teenagers and pre-teens, and it is a wonderful sight.  The row in front of us has several respectable young men, all taller than me, keeping watch over a smaller boy.  For good or bad, there is no frivolity in their demeanor.  The young woman across the aisle also sits attentively.  At several points, though, her eyelids are heavy, and I wonder if we will lose her.  And yet, just when I’ve judged her as disinterested, she will nod her head, and say, “amen”. 

Pastor Tesfaye sits next to me.  I am grateful for this.  At several points during the sermon, he relays to me some of the message while it is happening. 

Many truths are shared.  In fact, the preacher is passionate, refers to Scripture on a few occasions, and is gospel-oriented.  This church is part of the denomination of which Pastor Tesfaye is a part, but this particular preacher is not a part of our training. 

His approach is probably even better than most of the evangelical church here; and therein lies the issue. There is much heat, but little light.

After church, we ask Pastor Tesfaye for his insights.  He was clearly blessed to worship.  He was encouraged to gather among God’s people.  He was even moved by one or two stories during the message.  But in the end, he is also sadly disappointed.  His opinion is that the people were not nourished, and that we never really got to hear God speak.  Instead, even when the preacher did quote Scripture, “he kept using passages to tell us what he wanted to say.” 

This example is a great discouragement to Tesfaye, and he knows that God has so much more for His hungry people.

This is a stark example of why we’ve been asked to come.  

You can see it in the face of our dear brother.  He loves God’s people, but He is grieved for them.

The Word of God is living and active.  It raises the dead, makes the fool wise, and sanctifies God’s people.  The word of man, doesn’t.