Written by Ron & Maria Cunningham
Visit to Degan in Ethiopia and Moshi Elders Conference Week, 2012
We arrived home from Ethiopia on 27th July, after a very good trip to our old mission station. Samuel came from N. Zealand and Andrew, and his son, Ewan, from Northern Ireland. We were late in arriving in Ethiopia on 14th July. This was due to our passports being with the Tanzanian Emigration Dept. for the renewal of our resident permits for the normal two years. Last year our permits were renewed for one year only. We do thank the Lord for answered prayer on this important issue.
Samuel and Andrew were in Ethiopia at this time because both of our sons were working on a special project to help with the development of Degan in northern Ethiopia, a town in which we served the Lord and it is where our sons grew up. Our boys have maintained their interest in Degan and have set up a charity which is working to reduce poverty in the area, through improved health facilities and education. One of their projects was the delivery of an ambulance for the town, in order to take maternity cases, with complications, to the nearest hospital which is fifty miles away in Dessie. Transport for such cases is not available in the town and, sadly, most maternity cases with complications end tragically. Maria had worked as a midwife in the area for many years and we regularly transported maternity cases to this hospital. This aspect of our work in Ethiopia was greatly appreciated by the people. Our work permit delays meant that we missed the official ambulance commissioning ceremony at which many local and regional officials were present. These are the officials who have signed an agreement to provide the funds for operating the ambulance and the operating rules on how it will be used and maintained. Wonderfully, the ambulance saved the life of an expectant mother within an hour of being commissioned! We hope the provision of this ambulance will save many more lives and, through this, carry on an aspect of the work in which we were previously engaged.
Although we were not able to be in Degan for the commissioning of the ambulance, Maria and I were able to travel up on our own a week later. This was a wonderful experience for us as we were able to meet with a number of the believers there and have a meeting with them on the Sunday afternoon in the home of Mohammed Hassen. He is a faithful brother in the town, seeking to maintain a witness in an overwhelmingly Moslem area. We praise the Lord that his house was packed for the meeting, with many non-believers and Moslems also being in attendance. It was a joy to share the Word of God with them. Please do pray for the believers meeting in Degan as they seek to maintain a testimony in the town.
Back in Moshi we immediately went to the annual Conference for Elders and Evangelists, held in the week, 30th July - 3rd August. Quite a number had traveled up to 1,000 kms. in one direction, on very basis public transport. Each day was full. From the Tuesday, Maria was able to be present for half a day. Then I brought her home after lunch and, on the Friday, she was present for the whole day. All those who were present were glad to see her and Maria enjoyed every moment. It brought back so many happy memories for us both, going back more than twenty-five years, at times in rough conditions when we would travel around northern Tanzania in seeking to spread the gospel. We give thanks to the Lord for the assemblies that were started in that time and the elders and evangelists who continue the work in those areas. It is therefore a special joy for us to be able to renew fellowship with these men who faithfully serve the Lord in often remote areas of Tanzania.
Brother William Rea had a friend, Mr. J. Baigent, from England, who gave very helpful ministry, over the five days, on, "God Is Holy and we ought to be holy in every department of life." There were about thirty-five brethren present and a number of sisters. The Lord was with us in leading the ministry that was given by all the speakers, which was a blessing to those in attendance and honouring to the Lord. We praise the Lord that there are now nearly seventy assemblies spread across the northern regions of Tanzania. The various reports were encouraging and some of the words spoken show that maturity is growing amongst those involved in the Lord's work in the assemblies that have been started. A new assembly at Wereta, near the dam site which we were able to rebuild some years back, is developing close links to the Katesh assembly. Both are in the Manyara region, which is three-hundred kms. north-west of Moshi. The Wereta assembly now has fifteen believers which is a result of an outreach from the Katesh assembly. On the Lord's day they walk approximately seven miles into Katesh and seven miles back home. Maria and I thank you all for praying. The Lord wonderfully answered your prayers on behalf of this week of conference. Our closing song of the conference was, as has been in previous years, "Thou art worthy, O Lord." Please continue to pray.