March 5, 2001

Dear Friends,

Today is another Muslim holiday, one called "Arifa" which commemorates Abraham’s testing on Mt. Moriah. The four Muslim girls who board in the dormitory here at BESS left several days ago for the long weekend at home. They’ll return tonight in preparation for classes tomorrow. On a previous holiday, my good friend Margaret Franke, who is teaching English at BESS this year, and I were invited by the twins of this foursome to their home to eat their special chicken stew. Their oldest sister, a former graduate of BESS who was sent to India for her university work, had returned to Dembi Dollo for a vacation from her job at a bank in Addis Ababa. This young woman, it seems, has never stopped talking about her years at school and life in the dorm. She speaks of the love she experienced. She and her sisters, the twins, are strong believers in their Muslim faith. Not long ago, the youngest child of Mary Lou and David Boyer (who also teach at BESS) asked one of the twins with the spontaneity of an 8-year-old, "Don’t you want to be a Christian?" Badariya replied that she was satisfied with her own religion. We pray that the spirit will open their hearts to receive Christ. Please pray that we Christians live and love effectively. Within the past few decades, an enormous amount of money has financed the building of mosques and the propagation of Islam here in this land of Ethiopia. Presently, the population of this oldest Christian nation in the world is predominantly Muslim.

On the other hand, Protestant churches are also growing rapidly. The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, partner of the PC(USA), is no exception. Several weeks ago, a group of Germans from Berlin Mission came to visit our local synod, with its nine presbyteries and different institutions and development projects. The leader of the group used the parable of the mustard seed to speak about the growth of the EECMY, explaining that it had more than doubled its enrollment, from 1.5 million to 3.5 million, within the past few decades. More importantly, he spoke about the great need within this church for believers to use their God-given gifts in commitment to Christ for building up the kingdom of God in this country. After years of drought, famine, and devastation from civil wars, dependency upon relief aid has deepened. The church also is not far from this state of dependency. It is easier to ask others for help than to put one’s hands to the plow and move forward. With the charismatic movement permeating the church, there is a heavy emphasis on the emotional aspect of worship and life-style. Right here in our school community and boarding department, I find myself caught up in the struggle of being both Mary and Martha. As the number of dorm prayer meetings increase in number, volume, and fervor, there are frequent reminders given to the boarding students that the function for which every broom was made should be exercised.

Guests have a unique way of bringing the fragrance of the gospel into our midst. For two weeks in late January and early February, a work team of five from Eastminster Presbytery in Ohio came to do some much needed maintenance projects on our school buildings. Their efforts were commendable, to be appreciated for years to come. For three of the five members, this visit was their third, so they were welcomed enthusiastically by their friends here in the church community. To be a part if the renewal of friendship made those days special for me.

For us who live in a town still under martial law 10 years after the new government promised to end it, we simply say that things are quiet. Major changes in Ethiopia’s educational system announced three years ago are being realized, but crucial questions are still unanswered. This year’s 10th graders are the ones feeling the crunch as they will take the matric (like a college entrance exam) this May for the first time while present 11th and 12th graders will be the last classes following the old pattern. Pressure on us to comply with the formation of a middle school has been alleviated by the provision of funds to build a new plant for the old elementary school Birhai Yesus. Pray for us as the planning still lies ahead.

Jo Ann Griffith

The 2000 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 34