Global Missions
The Buzz
Ethiopia Short-Term Team Updates
Monday, July 7, 2025
First day was great! This morning, the power was out and traffic was bad, but God is good, and it was still a great day. Our team has a variety of roles: Becca is in Bible Story time, Geoffrey is in crafts, Nick is in games, Justin is the team leader for the yellow group, and Tori is the team leader for the blue group. IEC is also doing a puppet show every day–Geoffrey is the squire, Charity is the princess, and Nick is the knight.
A lot of deep questions were asked today, like “What is salvation?” And “why does God send people to hell?” And the kids were very engaged and super sweet! We are really excited for the rest of the week.
After VBS, we were able to explore Addis with Charity. It was great to see the culture and different areas of Addis. It was also sweet to see how tight-knit the community is in Addis.
Prayer requests:
For the team to sleep through the night. A few of us have been waking up unable to fall back asleep until the early hours of the morning.
Becca and Nick have lost their voices, and they both have jobs in VBS that require a loud voice. Pray they get better!
For Charity and the leaders to be able to rest and not get burnt out. VBS is a big job, as we all know!
For the kids at VBS, that they would know the Lord!
For Martha, our driver. She pulled her tooth the other day and is in some pain, but still manages to have a constant smile. We love Martha!
Saturday, July 5, 2025
A few notes from our work at Korah Kids Ministry, where we played games and Jenny, an employee of the ministry, taught a lesson on Jonah.:
Abbera, founder of KKM, grew up in the area and came back as an adult to begin the ministry.. “Korah” is the trash dump.
When Aberra was growing up in Korah (pronounced Core-ay), someone exposed him to the Gospel. As an adult, he became educated but like Moses, he couldnt stay in the palace when his people were in need.
The team continues with VBS prep, which begins on Monday. We enjoyed a Korean meal for lunch and had dinner with Mike and his wife, Fasika, sons, Ebenezar, Caleb and Gideon. We love this family!
Pray for Tori, Nick and Becca. Tori ate something yesterday that didn’t agree with her stomach and she needed to sit out most of today. Nick and Becca have a sore throat. Pray the team feels better quickly.
Friday, July 4, 2025
We woke up bright and early and continued VBS prep: cutting and folding. Then, we went to Bingham Academy, the an International School and toured the facilities. Then, they threw a July 4 party :) and we listened to Louis Armstrong and had American flag cookies. We played volleyball and got to know some of the Bingham and IEC staff. It was a sweet time! Then, we had Jebena Buna (coffee) and tea.
Funny note about dinner: A bunch of Americans ate Mexican in Ethiopia on Independence Day.
We are already seeing the fruit of this ministry here and it’s only day 2!
Also, yesterday, we toured IEC and got to see the wall that First Evan helped fund to build and also the youth center!
Thursday, July 3, 2025
A short text from the team confirmed that they arrived safely in Addis early this morning and enjoyed lunch with Charity. How great to see Charity and the team together!
(left to right) Justin Hensley, Becca Hensley, Tori. Martin, Nick Birdwell, Geoffrey Warberg
Wednesday, July 2, 2025
Our short-term team spent the night in Chicago and departs internationally at 10:00 a.m. this morning. Continue to pray for their partnership with the International Evangelical Church in Addis Ababa as they conduct Vacation Bible School. The team is scheduled to arrive in Addis at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow morning (12:00 a.m. local time). The next week will be dedicated to preparation and fellowship with the local church and Vacation Bible School will take place from July 7-11. Pray for endurance for long travel, patience among team members, sweet fellowship, and an effective VBS that plants seeds for years and generations to come.