29 November 2008

Dear Friends,

As I write this on the eve of the last day of our current term of service, it is remarkably the eve of the first Sunday in Advent as well. Advent provides a time for looking back and remembering God’s faithfulness to God’s people. It provides a time for looking ahead to God’s good and promised future. It is the time where once again we watch and wait for the Savior’s coming, the One who comes bringing peace and the fullness of life.

Ethiopia

Looking back over these past almost four and one half years, most of our time was spent and our lives and ministry focused in Ethiopia, particularly with the Ethiopian Graduate School of Theology (EGST) in Addis Ababa. We have been blessed to be a part of an international faculty with friends and colleagues from Ethiopia, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada. We have been blessed to learn and fellowship with students from across the spectrum of denominations and ethnic groups. We have seen God’s faithfulness in the beginning of the missiology offerings at EGST and God’s wonderful provision in Dr. Ermias Mamo’s return a few months ago to head the missiology emphasis.

We look ahead in anticipation with others of the EGST family as Phase I of our building program is on track for completion in February or March 2009. With the use of this five-story building, we will be able to move out of our little house and temporary buildings into more adequate space for classes and offices for the time being. But we look even further ahead prayerfully as funds are raised for the start of Phase II, which will provide lecture halls, library facilities, staff offices, limited student rooms, and faculty offices to see EGST into its growing future.

Since our return to the United States at the end of July, our role at EGST has been been carried out from a distance. We continue to help get textbooks purchased and hand-carried to EGST. The kinds of books needed are just not available in Ethiopia, and trying to send them airmail is too costly, so we are grateful to many friends who have assisted in taking an extra bag or box in this simple but important ministry to EGST.

From a distance, we continue to pray for friends and colleagues in Ethiopia. There are so many challenges, needs, and differences to navigate in striving for God’s kingdom first. It never seems easy, but as Ethiopian brothers and sisters attest, God is faithful.

Africa

This past term was punctuated also with opportunities to visit different theological institutions and ministries in Ghana, Rwanda, and, of course, back to Kenya. We realize that mission education—and really all theological education—is enriched by the cross-fertilization of cultures and churches and other institutions.

The United States

In and around family visits, most of our time since the end of July has been spent on the road or in the air as we have been visiting many of the churches which have been supporting us, EGST, and ministries in Ethiopia. It was daunting to realize we had committed ourselves to living out of suitcases, staying in so many different beds, traveling to eight different states for such a long period of time. We are ready to settle down somewhere!  But truly, our travel over the past few months has taught us about some exciting things that God is doing in congregations in different places and very especially with some wonderful spirit-filled, faithful people who housed us, befriended us, prayed for us, shared with us along this nomadic journey of interpretation.

Tomorrow...

...is the first Sunday in Advent. We enter into this season of watching and waiting for the Savior to appear. As of Monday morning, we, John and Anne, enter into this season of watching and waiting in a very personal way as well, as we are taking a leave of absence with PC(USA) World Mission in order to go on sabbatical. We have planned this sabbatical from 1 December 2008 through 31 August 2009, to provide time and space to reflect on the fullness of these past years living and working in Ethiopia and starting something very new (the missiology program) which has dramatically challenged and shaped our own understanding of God’s mission and our part in it.

We hope that later in 2009 we will be returning to rejoin the faculty at EGST and become involved in some different new ministries. In the months ahead we look to God to be shaping and enhancing the vision.

We are grateful that PC(USA) World Mission is willing to continue to receive support from churches to help cover our Board of Pension insurance during these sabbatical months.

It was a great step of faith to request the leave of absence nine months ago, which was before the economic downturn. The financial freefall of the Western economy since that time has made me think much of Ethiopian friends who are not bothered by banks collapsing, loans growing tight, and personal savings diminished. These dear friends are just struggling to buy food at twice what it cost a year ago, trying to educate their children, and hoping the landlord will not raise the rent so high they have to move on a moment’s notice.

For our Ethiopian friends and for you, we pray as you watch and wait again this year for the Savior’s coming. May His coming bring you peace and fullness of life.

Anne and John Wheeler-Waddell

The 2008 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 12