九月份最新消息

QUARTERLY REPORT -- May to August, 2004  by Joseph Chu

It is always appropriate to begin a Christian report with Scriptures: 'Then he said to his disciples. "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." ' Matt. 9:37-38. As this report progresses, you will find out why these two verses have been chosen.

The two Genesis Clubs in an annual retrospect:  By the end of August our 2 Genesis Clubs, which started around July of 2003, have passed their one year landmark. Since the Bible is always the backbone of our camping ministry, let me evaluate this area first. Our aim is to lead each Club to pursue this goal: to complete the first 5 Books of the Old Testament, i.e. the 5 Books of Moses; and also the first 5 Books in the N.T. --- the 4 Gospels plus the Acts. Currently we have kids from both Clubs who have finished Genesis, Exodus, Matthew, and a few have entered into Luke. 

During the Bible hour, boys and girls have been raising stimulating questions all along. Since most of them are from Orthodox family background, some became bold in speaking out their mind. A girl once blurted out: "Why can't we learn more about Mary?..."  Later she even asked in our VW: "Do you believe in Mary in the way you believe in God?"  To these girls (note: girls are usually more sensitive than boys concerning the veneration of Mary due to the influence from their mothers) I recommended them to find out about Mary themselves by studying Matthew & Luke. When entering into Luke, an intelligent girl from Club A made this comment: "...it has not been much about Mary in Luke..." Well, then let the Bible bring the conviction and not us.

The minds of these kids are keen to grasp teachings say from Exodus or from Matthew, yet the strong binding practice of the Orthodox church will also surface from time to time. To cite just one sample: to pray to God in the name of Jesus alone is strange whereas approaching God through Mary, the archangels Michael and Gabriel and many others are comfortable to them. Some have been very irregular in the daily Bible reading. Once a boy slipped out these words: "...it is the Bible thing in the Genesis Club that I hate..." Starting this summer, we introduced  an incentive system: if a boy or girl completes a book faithfully, covering one chapter a day,  they will get a prize like a pencil, a pen, an eraser, or a little note book. The incentive did create a new diligence to read the Bible. We cannot pressurize a junior to read the scriptures but we can pray and inspire them in establishing a most worthwhile habit in the morning of their lives.  

For both Clubs we have had volunteers coming in during the past year. But, unfortunately, most did not last for long.  Since camping ministry is quite new in Ethiopia, for example, the 2 theological students took our Genesis Clubs like a Sunday school class. They thought that their main duty was to lead a Bible time but to spend time with the Clubs in playing and sports were too demanding plus they got no salary from ACM. There are a number of factors that made these volunteers drop out --- always a bad testimony before our boys and girls. But I felt that the main reason could well be in our lack of prayer, which is to say that these volunteers came more through our human effort and connection rather than being sent by our Lord of harvest.  Here bring in this vital request:  PRAY to our Lord of harvests that he will send laborers to our Genesis Clubs.  With 2 vehicles, the VW & the Kia truck under our service currently, we are targeting 2 more Genesis Clubs in the days ahead.  When Clubs C & D be added, ACM will have 40 boys and girls to minister in His love and grace every Sat morning and Sun afternoon!   

The Lord leads ACM towards a Christian camping ministry!     In my past updates, you and your church were informed already of this direction. But let me disclose more in-depth information here: that how every one on our Committee of 7 had felt the same way that ACM should be a Christian and spiritual ministry rather than a social one. None of us dared to take the risk of getting land free from the government at the expense of being restricted in the pursuit of our highest spiritual goals. About 2 months ago, I was asked by a missionary colleague that, with ACM to be a national Christian ministry, whether this meant to be independent of SIM. Maybe some of you have been pondering on this question too. But this is not the case at all: this camping ministry has been and will always be closely associated with SIM.  But the overall benefits of Abyssinia Camping Ministry, whether in its vision and long-term development, are tilted towards being national rather than being foreign.

Another good news is that we learned from the 'Legal Advising Office' at the Ministry of Justice that, virtually, there was no difference in the registration of a Social or a Christian camping ministry. Both can get its certificate from 7 to 10 days as a national entity. However, in the case of a new foreign spiritual registration, it could drag on even for years. Also, we learned that ACM was not devoid of hope concerning land leasing: "...yes, social service is preferable, yet, with a good Christian program, that does not rule out the prospect of getting free land leasing from the government..."   

Besides praying all the time concerning our registration, during the past months, our Committee people have been interacting on various issues, recruitment, finances, and some major pitfalls of a Christian ministry in Ethiopia and how to overcome them. Let me just share with you  two areas being inserted into our ACM Proposal (or Constitution) to the government. Dealing with the problem of holding on to spiritual authority, we adopt a system of Rotational Chairmanship, which means that, normally, each chairman on our Committee will serve a term of 2 years unless, being unanimously endorsed by the Committee, he can continue on for another 2 years.

Coping with the not uncommon in-fighting in Christian circles and ending in a court, ACM will adhere and fully obey what God has given us through the Apostle Paul in 1 Corin. 6:1-8. Pray that our final draft will not omit anything that should be there and when being examined and harmoniously agreed upon, we will put it into Amharic. And may God grant ACM success and favor before the Ministry of Justice, who, not only will grant us the certificate speedily, but will discern the differences between a Christian and a worldly ministry thus honoring our Father in heaven!