Merry Christmas from Ethiopia!
መልካም ገና (Melkam Gena)!
Christmas cards are usually about all of the amazing things from this past year, but let’s be real: It’s not always like that, and it has not been like that for us this year. I was reading my favorite missionary community blog and I was reminded that even the first Christmas, the day God gave his best gift to mankind, was a day of “violated expectations”.
“The very first Christmas was also greatly anticipated. Prophesies about Jesus had been spoken for centuries. The world was awaiting the “long-expected Jesus,” but how he made his arrival violated many expectations.”
You can read about Mary’s, Joseph’s, and Israel’s violated expectations at the Velvet Ashes blog.
We are excited to celebrate this Christmas season in Soddo. But that excitement isn’t without our own “violated expectations.” The weather is dry and sunny, not wintery. Some of our teammates have left Soddo either for a short visit home for the holidays or forever and so work that is usually shared among many are left to the few. We had hoped to start the family medicine residency this January, but it is delayed. We have come to expect a peaceful stable country, but the security situation has been changing often. We had hoped to bring life to these dry bones, but sometimes we just feel we are picking up the broken, and hurting pieces.
Yet, it has been such a sweet opportunity to focus our attention on the sweet gift of newborn Jesus, and we will rejoice in the Lord.
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Habakkuk 3:17-18
It easy to think about these “violated expectations” as evidence that we are not walking in God’s path for us, but that is not always the case. If we look at the story of Mary and Joseph, it was hard. They had many “violated expectations” with each other and for the future. Yet, it was God’s will for Jesus to be born of the teenage, unmarried, virgin Mary and for an infanticide to follow immediately, and subsequent urgent evacuation to Egypt.
And despite the challenges of this past year, God has been faithful. He has been near and he has been guiding our every step. We feel closer to our Ethiopian friends and coworkers than ever,
Cole and Leah are learning Amharic, our ministry is slowly growing and we have loved the patients and people in Ethiopia with all our hearts. We could list all the ministry accomplishments from the year, but ultimately we feel we are being obedient to the call and are acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with our God.
So Merry Christmas to you and your family. We are continually grateful for your financial partnership, for your prayers, and for your kind words of encouragement. We really could not be here without you.
With Love,
Adam Michelle Cole and Leah
መልካም ገና (Melkam Gena)!
Christmas cards are usually about all of the amazing things from this past year, but let’s be real: It’s not always like that, and it has not been like that for us this year. I was reading my favorite missionary community blog and I was reminded that even the first Christmas, the day God gave his best gift to mankind, was a day of “violated expectations”.
“The very first Christmas was also greatly anticipated. Prophesies about Jesus had been spoken for centuries. The world was awaiting the “long-expected Jesus,” but how he made his arrival violated many expectations.”
You can read about Mary’s, Joseph’s, and Israel’s violated expectations at the Velvet Ashes blog.
We are excited to celebrate this Christmas season in Soddo. But that excitement isn’t without our own “violated expectations.” The weather is dry and sunny, not wintery. Some of our teammates have left Soddo either for a short visit home for the holidays or forever and so work that is usually shared among many are left to the few. We had hoped to start the family medicine residency this January, but it is delayed. We have come to expect a peaceful stable country, but the security situation has been changing often. We had hoped to bring life to these dry bones, but sometimes we just feel we are picking up the broken, and hurting pieces.
Yet, it has been such a sweet opportunity to focus our attention on the sweet gift of newborn Jesus, and we will rejoice in the Lord.
Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Habakkuk 3:17-18
It easy to think about these “violated expectations” as evidence that we are not walking in God’s path for us, but that is not always the case. If we look at the story of Mary and Joseph, it was hard. They had many “violated expectations” with each other and for the future. Yet, it was God’s will for Jesus to be born of the teenage, unmarried, virgin Mary and for an infanticide to follow immediately, and subsequent urgent evacuation to Egypt.
And despite the challenges of this past year, God has been faithful. He has been near and he has been guiding our every step. We feel closer to our Ethiopian friends and coworkers than ever,
Cole and Leah are learning Amharic, our ministry is slowly growing and we have loved the patients and people in Ethiopia with all our hearts. We could list all the ministry accomplishments from the year, but ultimately we feel we are being obedient to the call and are acting justly, loving mercy and walking humbly with our God.
So Merry Christmas to you and your family. We are continually grateful for your financial partnership, for your prayers, and for your kind words of encouragement. We really could not be here without you.
With Love,
Adam Michelle Cole and Leah
