Acts 8:26-27 (NKJ): Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship.
For some reason our accommodations were not yet available at the Seminary. For this reason we stayed the night at the Ethiopian equivalent of a ‘Pension”. It was not the most accommodating room and neither of us slept well, but awakened to a beautiful morning. After a coffee and roll at the local coffee shop called Kallis, (and creatively looking like Starbucks in terms of coffee choice, logo, and the use of green) we went back to the “pension” to await ABDI. He arrived punctually and we began our journey to the Seminary. Met the Academic Dean Prof. Etana Abdissa Debel. He spoke with Dr. Quill and was impressed with the Program at Ft. Wayne. After much discussion it was decided that Dr. Quill would teach 1 hour this week and Seminars on Liturgy for all the students every day next week. There was a special seminar in honor of a former professor and church leader Rev. Gudina Tumsa scheduled for every afternoon from Wednesday though Friday this week.
It was decided that I would be invited to “teach” the Christian education class on Tuesday from 11:30 till 13:30, This 2 hour session was all that was available this week. We attended chapel at 10:30. It appears that the American influence on the young has not missed Ethiopia. After 20 minutes of singing songs of Praise, the Academic Dean rose to officially welcome Dr. Quill and myself. He took a bible from one of the student leaders of the “praise Service” and read a Psalm that was a wonderful combination of both God’s judgment and grace. He began by saying: “LEST WE THINK THAT WORSHIP IS only ABOUT OUR PRAISE TO God let us hear from Him in His word! What a thrill for the two of us American Lutherans to hear that language in Ethiopia.
After Chapel and “Coffee” we met several more of the Professors. Later we went to the site on the campus where we would be housed. It was being cleaned by some of the “deaconess” students. After Lunch we returned to a cleaned home and began unpacking. This would be Dr. Quills home for two weeks and mine for but 6 days. Later we went shopping with Abdi. Returned home and unpacked our groceries. Most we stored in the refrigerator. It seemed good to unpack and call a place our home if only for a brief time. We spent the evening talking and planning how I might get the most out of my two hours the next day.
Arose refreshed and restored after the best nights sleep both of us have had on this trip. Arrived at Chapel a bit late after meeting with Abdi to ascertain whether there was a communion Service or not. There was none.
After chapel I met Barbara, the Education Teacher. She had just begun teaching the course last week and had not done any teaching courses before. After class began she introduced me and allowed me to have almost the whole two hours.
Class went well and I was truly amazed when I looked at the clock to discover that not one but 2 hours had expired. Barbara invited the students to meet with me both on Wednesday and Thursday mornings this week because next weeks classes would need to be canceled because of her impending absence. So tomorrow and Thursday it will be rise and shine for an 8AM class. Needed to review both law and Gospel as well as prepare a lesson on how God rectifies the world through Christ.
Tomorrow, I will teach on Naaman in 2 Kings 5; hopefully we will with the Word and the Spirit point out that the power is in the word of God. We returned home at 2PM to a peanut butter and jelly lunch.
Taught both Wednesday and Thursday mornings at 8AM and attended a special presentation in the afternoons on the life of the Rev. Gudina Tumsa who was martyred in 1978. Rev. Tumsa was a leading figure in the Evangelical Church of Ethiopia.
I taught my last class to the seminarians and deaconesses on how to teach or Conduct Christian Education Sessions on Thursday morning. I Taught a sample lesson asking the class to be teenagers (Confession & Absolution) , a lesson for Adults who may be unable to read, and a lesson for the very young (foundations of Faith the bible books).
Friday: Dr. Quill and I will conduct Chapel today. He will officiate and I will preach. We were able to print out “Thy Strong Word” and the Litany prayer with the response “Lord Have Mercy” In the Service Dr. Quill and I Sang stanza 1 of Martin Franzmann’s hymn and on the rest of the stanzas the congregation joined us in singing in English. I preached on the parable of the Prodigal son or as I called it the parable of the Forgiving Father. Then we sang the Litany. By the second response most were chanting and by the third I thought all were chanting. The service was well received by those who truly want to be Lutheran both among the Faculty and students.
Taught both Wednesday and Thursday mornings at 8AM and attended a special presentation in the afternoons on the life of the Rev. Gudina Tumsa who was martyred in 1978. Rev. Tumsa was a leading figure in the Evangelical Church of Ethiopia. I taught my last class to the seminarians and deaconesses on how to teach or Conduct Christian Education Sessions on Thursday morning. I Taught a sample lesson asking the class to be teenagers (Confession & Absolution) , a lesson for Adults who may be unable to read, and a lesson for the very young (foundations of Faith the bible books).
After Chapel services Dr. Quill was invited to lead the Liturgy and Preach at the Monday Service. He has also been invited to preach in the Lutheran Service on Sunday morning. We will attend the last of the Special Essays mentioned above, in honor of Rev. Gudina Tumsa this afternoon. of the writings of Dr. Tumsa, and discovered that they are much more biblical and Lutheran than one might imagine from the speakers.
Friday Afternoon: The Academic Dean of the Seminary invited me to give the opening prayer at the start of the last conference session this afternoon. I purchased several of the writings of Gudina Tumsa this afternoon and have been reading them. Much to my amazement and in contrast to most of the speakers’ understandings the two that I have read are Christ centered and Gospel centered, in other words they are truly Lutheran. We have been invited to a professor’s home for coffee this evening at 7Pm. They are housed just down the “street” from where we are staying. My last day is rapidly approaching and I await it with sadness and joyful anticipation of being with you once again! Saturday was a lazy day and in many ways helped to prepare me for returning to the USA. Today was the first day that I had nothing really to do except pack my bags. Dr Quill was working on His sermon for Sunday. It is a tricky thing to preach when your sermon is translated. There is both a need for simplicity and timing so that the sermon may be given in “sound bites”.
We were invited to Abdi’s family home for dinner. Much of the extended family came to meet the “Americans’. It was a nice meal of “national food”, which was the 4th time that I had eaten such. After dinner we returned to the Seminary Compound. Dr Quill and Abdi went to print his sermon for Sunday. I returned to our lodging and soon was greeted BY A KNOCK ON THE DOOR. There stood Dean Abdissa to bid me farewell. I arose at 1Am to prepare to go to the airport at 1:30. Was able to reach Jan by Dr. Quills phone. At the airport Abdi insisted on waiting until he was certain that I was indeed on the scheduled flight. At 4;15 AM I bid good-by to Addis. The flight to Amman was mostly uneventful.
When arriving at Amman to refuel and change flight crews we were informed that the relief crew was unavailable as of yet. It happened that they were lodging in the hills and a “snow and ice storm had made the roads to the airport impassable. So instead of a 45 minute layover an hour was added. This became crucial because we arrived at Heathrow at 1:30, and my flight left at 2:15. I arrived at the gate at 2:15, but the doors were already closed. My choices were to go to Chicago and pay fo4r my overnight stay, or stay in London and fly home on Monday. In the latter case, , BMI would pay for food and lodging for the night because it was there late arrival that caused my missed flight to Chicago.
Arose refreshed and restored after the best nights sleep both of us have had on this trip. Arrived at Chapel a bit late after meeting with Abdi to ascertain whether there was a communion Service or not. There was none.
After chapel I met Barbara, the Education Teacher. She had just begun teaching the course last week and had not done any teaching courses before. After class began she introduced me and allowed me to have almost the whole two hours.
Class went well and I was truly amazed when I looked at the clock to discover that not one but 2 hours had expired. Barbara invited the students to meet with me both on Wednesday and Thursday mornings this week because next weeks classes would need to be canceled because of her impending absence. So tomorrow and Thursday it will be rise and shine for an 8AM class. Needed to review both law and Gospel as well as prepare a lesson on how God rectifies the world through Christ.
Tomorrow, I will teach on Naaman in 2 Kings 5; hopefully we will with the Word and the Spirit point out that the power is in the word of God. We returned home at 2PM to a peanut butter and jelly lunch.
With joy filled thankfulness, I remain,
Pastor Froh
