The first week on the ground I will be leading a team of a dozen or so folks from the Eastern part of the USA. We will be involved in orphan relief seeking to discern and meet the needs of children and those caring for them, primarily in the capital city, Addis Ababa. The orphan situation in Ethiopia is nothing short of a crisis. Approximately five percent of the entire population are orphaned children and the numbers are rising at a staggering rate. Orphans are on the increase to such a degree that most project that within ten years the number of orphaned children could increase to eight or ten million. That is the number of people that live in Mississippi and Tennessee combined. The numbers are actually so drastically surreal we do not, we cannot comprehend them. But we can, in obedience to Christ, minister to them. Pray with us.
My second week on the ground in Ethiopia will take a shift in direction but not overall focus. I am meeting two Zambian pastors who are coming up to facilitate training among the Addis Kidan church leaders. Pray for them. Grave will be teaching on the life and work of Jesus Christ from the Gospels and Victor will proclaim salvation as it is prophesied in Isaiah and fulfilled in the Messiah, looking closely at Ephesians to see God's work for us (Ch. 1) and God's work in us (Ch. 2).
It sounds like two different focuses doesn't it? Orphan care vs. Theological Training
It only sounds that way because of our superficial way of diagnosing and treating problems in our culture, especially our evangelical church culture. Think about it with me. Why is there a orphan crisis in Ethiopia (or anywhere else)? There are several factors that give way to the problem of course. HIV, malaria, TB, and other diseases are just a few of the issues facing Ethiopia and contributing to her orphan crisis. Dozens of NGO's attempt to curb the crisis but to no avail. They do accomplish some good, yes, but the root issues are, for the most part, never dealt with or even considered. We too often assume that the best way to care for orphans is to get them adopted to America. While that is one means of meeting the need, there is a greater need at the root level. It is the gospel. The crisis in Ethiopia exist because the gospel in it's biblical intention does not. The church has not done and is not doing her share in promoting a biblically sound gospel that results in God-honoring community and life. The orphan situation in Ethiopia is merely one of the numerous symptoms the the greater problem of the church not having, nor proclaiming Christ as He is portrayed in the scriptures.
Getting the gospel to the "churches", training the leadership, equipping believers to honor Christ in all things are some of the root issues that must be handled if there is ever to be any hope of really dealing with the swelling orphan crisis. We have to be careful to realize that poverty and disease in the land, which give rise to crisis, not only have spiritual implications but spiritual roots. And when we trace those roots we find that people have rejected God, His Son, and Their gospel. Therefore, the most foundational and most fruitful thing we can do in fighting the orphan situation in Ethiopia is to proclaim liberty to the captives, to preach Christ crucified, and to promote the knowledge of sins forgiven.
