December 1, 2006
Thanksgiving/Advent
Dear Friends,
D r. Yishak was on board a hijacked commercial flight 10 years
ago that crashed into the ocean. One of 50 survivors, he committed
his life to Christ in gratitude.
Last Thursday was a day of Thanksgiving, even here in Ethiopia.
Ten years ago, on November 23, an Ethiopian Airlines flight from
Addis Ababa to Nairobi was hijacked by three men who said they
were escaped political prisoners. They wanted to be flown to Australia
on a plane that had fuel for a two-hour flight. Dr. Yishak, a
gynecologist on his first trip outside of Ethiopia to attend a
workshop in Kenya, was on that plane. When the pilots convinced
the hijackers the plane had run out of fuel as it neared the Comoros
Islands, the hijackers instructed the pilot to fly the plane into
a tall building and then went and stood in the front of the plane,
prepared to die. But when they had left the cockpit, the pilot
turned the plane and crashlanded it in shallow water off the Comoros.
Dr. Yishak was one of about 50 passengers who survived out of
the over 170 people on board.
So this past Thursday was a very special and moving day of thanksgiving
as Dr. Yishak invited his fellow students and the staff of the
Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology to join him for lunch and
a time of prayer and giving of thanks. As the plane went down
ten years before, Dr. Yishak had prayed that if God chose to save
him, he would be God’s witness for the rest of his life.
Dr. Yishak is answering his promise and his coming for studies
at EGST are part of his journey in responding to the God who spared
his life. He maintains his medical practice one day a week, serves
as an elder in his church, and is open to God’s direction
in this latter part of his life.
Not all our students have such dramatic testimonies of what has
brought them to the EGST, but we are very aware that we have the
privilege of teaching and learning together with some of God’s
choice and chosen people in this part of his church. Another of
our students has come to EGST after a full career as a manager
in the banking industry. He is a part time-instructor and chairman
of the board of his denomination’s Bible college here in
Addis Ababa. Another student is active in women’s ministry
in her church and shares a counseling ministry with her husband.
Coming out of a Muslim background, she is being challenged in
the mission courses to rethink her witness among her family of
origin.
It is for students such as these and many others who will come
that EGST is prayerfully embarking on a major fundraising drive
to build facilities to serve the church in training educators,
ministers, missionaries, and administrators. We currently operate
out of a building that was previously the very nice home of a
retired general. The living room is our large classroom, the carport
was enclosed to serve as a small classroom, and the bedrooms are
offices. EGST did not begin ten years ago by building buildings
but by building people. As this key ministry continues and the
vision grows, facilities for classrooms, a larger library, student
center, faculty offices, and apartments for visiting faculty are
needed. We are grateful for the members of EGST’s administration,
who have the faith to pursue this vision for the only theological
institution in the Horn of Africa providing graduate level training
for the mission of the church. (To learn more visit EGST's
Web site.
Ten years ago, when Dr. Yishak got a second lease on life, EGST
was coming into being, and John and I were called to leave our
home in Kenya and move to Ethiopia to serve in what God was and
is doing in the churches here in Ethiopia. It is wonderful to
consider that God is very aware of and involved in the intricacies
of our little individual lives, and he moves amongst nations and
peoples that all may know his greatness, his goodness, and his
love.
It is at this time of year too we consider the God of the universe
who touched the life of a young Palestinian Jewish girl and brought
into this world the savior of all nations and peoples. For the
intricacies of our little lives and for the greatness of this
humble love we give thanks this Advent once again to the God of
gods and the King of kings who will finally bring justice and
righteousness in all of life.
We wish you the gift of this good news in your lives in this
coming new year.
Anne and John Wheeler-Waddell
Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
John & Anne Wheeler-Waddell
The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 330 |
