Newsletter: July 2016

When Louise was considering my proposal of marriage 32 years ago she thought: “Well, if I marry him, I will never be rich, but my life will never be boring.” So, she married me and life has never been boring. But we are rich…rich in the Lord and rich because we have each other…and rich because serving the Lord is always rewarding, especially when one thinks it isn’t. That’s the time to keep your eye peeled for the real treasures in life.

July has not been a boring month. We ended June on a very high note having just had nearly two weeks of prayer with James and Julie Conlon from South Carolina. We started July on a very high note too with the arrival of Frances Metcalfe…she came as a SAMS Bridger (http://samsusa.org/content/go-bridger) to teach our compulsory English Intensive Course…and boy, was she good! We hope to have her back next year, with Charlie, her husband.

We had a number of applicants, but it soon became clear that some could not understand even simple instructions in English. To cut a long (and somewhat painful – it is never enjoyable to send a prospective student away) story short, we now have eleven brand new students starting – YIKES! – next Tuesday! You have been receiving short bios about them for two weeks now and we will continue to send them out until you know them all.

The special thing about this year’s intake is that three of our students are from the Mabaan people group...history in the making. Praise God for these three men! Please pray that the refugee camp authorities will allow them to relocate to Gambela so that they may attend the College.

WE NEED SCHOLARSHIPS FOR EVERY ONE OF OUR NEW STUDENTS! Please pray for us. If you know someone who might be willing to sponsor a student, please let me know asap. We need US$ 3,500 per student per year, which includes their tuition, board and lodging, travel and per diem (for going home, field education and research placements), and basic medical costs. See how to give below.

On a personal note, Louise and I have been in South Africa for two weeks seeing doctors and dentists. Louise had to have a root canal done and I had to have several follow-ups with my cardiologist. My heart is fine…even the battery in my pacemaker is doing great…but apparently I have a wee bit of a holdover from the postoperative seizure and stroke…something they call focal epilepsy…which sounds far worse than what it actually is. So, new meds for me…zip-a-dee-doo-dah…and no driving for a while.

We leave for Addis tomorrow night and for Gambela early Monday morning. We start the new College year with a bang. A professor from Addis will be coming down with us to teach African Church History to our second and first year students as well as our part-timers. Thanks to the gracious gift from Pastor Mike Hellum or Westmark Church (https://westmarkefc.org/) to Langham Literature (http://us.langham.org/what-we-do/langham-literature/) in our name we have been able to buy all the books we need for our students this semester. 

We have found that the postal service in Gambela is working well…Karen Salmon used to receive small care packages on a regular basis and we have received letters and a book so far. So, if you would like to mail something small to us, try the following address:

St Frumentius’ Anglican Theological College
Gambella Anglican Centre,
PO Box 177, Gambella, Ethiopia

If you would like to make a donation to the College, here’s how:

In the UK

If you live in the UK you can send £ Sterling cheques*, payable to “FACE” to:

Friends of the Anglican Church
in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa
Gresham Lodge
52 Westerfield Road
Ipswich IP4 2UT

* Donations made by UK taxpayers through the Friends of the Anglican Church in Ethiopia may be eligible for Gift Aid. If you would like to Gift Aid your donation visit the FACE website for more information.

In the USA

If you live in the USA you can send US$ cheques**, made payable to “FADE” to:

FADE
2104 Ridge Road
Raleigh, NC 27607

** Donations made by US citizens through the Friends of the Anglican Diocese of Egypt (a 501(c)3 organisation) may be eligible for tax relief. 

In Canada

If you live in Canada you can either send a cheque to:

Devxchange
PO Box 224
Barrie, ON L4M 4T2

or donate online using PayPal or your credit card right HERE.

If your donation is for scholarships, please make sure you make that clear on the check memo line or the space provided online.

Thank you again and again for your support and love and your encouragement. I know we seem to say this every time, but we really do mean it: we simply cannot do this without you.

Many blessings and tons of love

Johann and Louise

INTRODUCING OUR NEW STUDENTS: YOHANNES ABRAHAM HARUM

Yohannes Abraham Harum is a 23 year old, dynamic Christian man. He is not married. He told us that it was his father’s consistent Christian witness that brought him to Jesus in 2009. It is evident that the SIM missionaries to the Mabaan did an excellent job at explaining the Gospel to these dear folks as well as their need to disciple others. 

Yohannes told us that he has been in a refugee camp for 7 years together with a number of other young Christian Mabaan. They decided to get together every evening, except Sundays, to hold Evening Prayer services. The non-Christian camp authorities promptly arrested them all! Their pastor came and told the authorities to put him in prison too with them, as he was their leader…they were all set free…and have not stopped praising the Lord since! 

Yohannes wants to be a pastor. He would also like to translate the Bible into Mabaan. Pray that the camp authorities will allow him to relocate to Gambela so that he may pursue his studies with us at St Frumentius.

INTRODUCING OUR NEW STUDENTS

Ojulu Omot Obang is not married…not by choice though. The price to marry is simply too high…a sad reality of a culture not yet completely changed by the Christian worldview. 

Ojulu met Jesus in Kenya and has served Him ever since. Before coming to College, he lived in an area rife with conflict between different people groups. When asked what his goal is in life he simply replied: “I want to be a peacemaker or reconcile when there is conflict between people.” (His own words.)

INTRODUCING OUR NEW STUDENTS!

Jeremiah John Daniel is a 28 year old Mabaan student who has spent quite a bit of his adult life in a refugee camp. But this has not made him bitter or depressed – to the contrary! 

Jeremiah preaches hope to the members of the Anglican Church in the camp and he teaches them how to praise God. 

He is married to Mary and they have 5 children, Phibe, Daniel, Sunday, Luk, and Santinno. 

His goal in life is to serve as a priest in the Anglican Church. 

Please pray that the camp authorities will allow him to relocate to Gambela town so that he can attend St Frumentius.

INTRODUCING OUR NEW STUDENTS!

Samuel Gatwech Keat is a 21 year old Nuer refugee living in the Jewi refugee camp just outside of Gambela town. He is married to Nyakuacha Chot and they have one son named Keat Gatwech. 

Samuel told us that when his father died, his uncle refused to take care of him…so he cried out to God Who provided him with a place to live with his grandmother. Because of this, he decided to become a follower of this God Who hears and answers. 

He is active in the church and wants to get his diploma from St Frumentius Anglican Theological College so that he can serve the church better.