October Newsletter
Dear Friends and Family,
Joy fills my heart as I anticipate arriving in Africa, November 11th; to connect with that part of me that I left in September. My heart is in Ethiopia.
I have just returned to Fort Myers after spending 3 weeks in Georgia. After the 1st week of needed R&R, I received a call from the Global Missions Office of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF). From that day, until yesterday, when I returned to FL, I was on the application "fast track" to meet the requirements for affiliation with CBF.
I took a day out to drive to Greenville, SC, to meet with Rebecca Donovan for 2 hours. It was refreshing to see her joy and enthusiasm for college life. She obviously has a big responsibility planning activities for the freshmen class and also has a heart for missions.
God is using Rebecca now, as a missionary to other young people, as she responds to the command of Jesus Christ---"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…" (Matt. 28:19).
Back at my brother's house, on Lake Burton, I had an opportunity, on weekends, to visit with long-time friends from Atlanta and had one more time to be with my son, Thomas, who left for Baghdad, Iraq, Oct. 25th, when I was flying back to Ft. Myers.
Since Oct. 8th, there have been long written assignments, readings, interviews, tests, a conference call to Berlin, training, and a psychological review (in Columbus, Ga.) to be completed for CBF. My head is still spinning and now I am eagerly waiting for my final interview at CBF on Nov. 8th and the final CBF "Team Decision." After that, there will be additional meetings and training on the field as teams meet me in Ethiopia, on the internet, and with all the African field personnel when we gather in one place.
CBF is a "Cooperative" agency because it works with other Christian churches throughout the Globe to facilitate the cooperation needed for "God's Mission" through His church (the body of Christ throughout the world) to become a reality in the 21 st Century. Rob Nash, CBF Global Missions Coordinator, has written and preached on this subject of Global Missions. I want to print something from his texts here:
"This particular understanding of God's mission in the world
is becoming increasingly clear in this first decade of the
twenty-first century, a century which is quickly becoming
the century of local congregations in global mission. For the
first time in Christian history, a truly global church is emerging.
Christians and congregations across the world are embracing
the reality of their own missionary callings and moving beyond
the modern divides of the twentieth century that divorced
professional from lay missionaries and the sending church of
the West and North from the receiving church of the East and South."
I was so excited as I learned more about what CBF is; as it made all the pieces of the puzzle come together for me.
I had been observing this concept through my experiences in Ethiopia. I will be working with the Ethiopian Kale Heywet (pronounced "Cal'-lie Hugh'-wit) Church which has more than 60,000 churches around the world. They have 7 Bible Colleges in Ethiopia and send missionaries to many other countries (including their greatest mission field, the United States of America, and many countries where U.S. Missionaries are not welcomed). Rob Nash makes clear in his thinking that the U.S. congregations have much to give to the congregations in other countries but that we, in the U.S ., need to realize that we have much to learn from the congregations in the East and the South, as well.
I have had many learning experiences while going through the process of finding an umbrella church. I thought I only needed a U.S. umbrella so that my donors could have a tax deduction. I was already lined up to work with the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church but it is difficult to donate through them because funds have to be wired to Ethiopia. When God provides for a need, I have found that His provision goes far beyond anything I could ever imagine. I am so grateful; first, to God, and then for what I have learned about Him through this long summer and fall search; for friends and family who have given me encouragement, help, and prayer support during this time.
Some of you have been holding contributions until I have an address to a not-for-profit agency to give to you. If CBF can tell me, on Nov. 8th , that they have accepted me as an affiliate, then before I depart on Nov. 9th for Ethiopia, I will send an e-mail with all the contact information for making contributions through CBF to help with my personal expenses and my ministry expenses.
Thank you for taking time to read my newsletters, for showing an interest, and for caring for the less fortunate people of the world.
God bless,
Dee Donalson
sandeedonalson@myway.com
U.S. cell phone: 1 239 223 9549
I receive mail through my Mother's address:
1333 Santa Barbara Blvd. #620
Cape Coral , FL 33991
Joy fills my heart as I anticipate arriving in Africa, November 11th; to connect with that part of me that I left in September. My heart is in Ethiopia.
I have just returned to Fort Myers after spending 3 weeks in Georgia. After the 1st week of needed R&R, I received a call from the Global Missions Office of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship (CBF). From that day, until yesterday, when I returned to FL, I was on the application "fast track" to meet the requirements for affiliation with CBF.
I took a day out to drive to Greenville, SC, to meet with Rebecca Donovan for 2 hours. It was refreshing to see her joy and enthusiasm for college life. She obviously has a big responsibility planning activities for the freshmen class and also has a heart for missions.
God is using Rebecca now, as a missionary to other young people, as she responds to the command of Jesus Christ---"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…" (Matt. 28:19).
Back at my brother's house, on Lake Burton, I had an opportunity, on weekends, to visit with long-time friends from Atlanta and had one more time to be with my son, Thomas, who left for Baghdad, Iraq, Oct. 25th, when I was flying back to Ft. Myers.
Since Oct. 8th, there have been long written assignments, readings, interviews, tests, a conference call to Berlin, training, and a psychological review (in Columbus, Ga.) to be completed for CBF. My head is still spinning and now I am eagerly waiting for my final interview at CBF on Nov. 8th and the final CBF "Team Decision." After that, there will be additional meetings and training on the field as teams meet me in Ethiopia, on the internet, and with all the African field personnel when we gather in one place.
CBF is a "Cooperative" agency because it works with other Christian churches throughout the Globe to facilitate the cooperation needed for "God's Mission" through His church (the body of Christ throughout the world) to become a reality in the 21 st Century. Rob Nash, CBF Global Missions Coordinator, has written and preached on this subject of Global Missions. I want to print something from his texts here:
"This particular understanding of God's mission in the world
is becoming increasingly clear in this first decade of the
twenty-first century, a century which is quickly becoming
the century of local congregations in global mission. For the
first time in Christian history, a truly global church is emerging.
Christians and congregations across the world are embracing
the reality of their own missionary callings and moving beyond
the modern divides of the twentieth century that divorced
professional from lay missionaries and the sending church of
the West and North from the receiving church of the East and South."
I was so excited as I learned more about what CBF is; as it made all the pieces of the puzzle come together for me.
I had been observing this concept through my experiences in Ethiopia. I will be working with the Ethiopian Kale Heywet (pronounced "Cal'-lie Hugh'-wit) Church which has more than 60,000 churches around the world. They have 7 Bible Colleges in Ethiopia and send missionaries to many other countries (including their greatest mission field, the United States of America, and many countries where U.S. Missionaries are not welcomed). Rob Nash makes clear in his thinking that the U.S. congregations have much to give to the congregations in other countries but that we, in the U.S ., need to realize that we have much to learn from the congregations in the East and the South, as well.
I have had many learning experiences while going through the process of finding an umbrella church. I thought I only needed a U.S. umbrella so that my donors could have a tax deduction. I was already lined up to work with the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church but it is difficult to donate through them because funds have to be wired to Ethiopia. When God provides for a need, I have found that His provision goes far beyond anything I could ever imagine. I am so grateful; first, to God, and then for what I have learned about Him through this long summer and fall search; for friends and family who have given me encouragement, help, and prayer support during this time.
Some of you have been holding contributions until I have an address to a not-for-profit agency to give to you. If CBF can tell me, on Nov. 8th , that they have accepted me as an affiliate, then before I depart on Nov. 9th for Ethiopia, I will send an e-mail with all the contact information for making contributions through CBF to help with my personal expenses and my ministry expenses.
Thank you for taking time to read my newsletters, for showing an interest, and for caring for the less fortunate people of the world.
God bless,
Dee Donalson
sandeedonalson@myway.com
U.S. cell phone: 1 239 223 9549
I receive mail through my Mother's address:
1333 Santa Barbara Blvd. #620
Cape Coral , FL 33991
posted by John | 7:10 PM
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