Park's Prayer (No. 8)


Date: Mar. - May '97

Greetings in the Love of Jesus Christ !

How are you ? Owing to your prayer and love, we are all well. Now it is dry season. It is too hot to go out and makes us tired in the afternoon because we have few rain.

Since we settled in Jimma last September, we finished the first semester at the Bible School. We teach Corinthian and Timothy for the second semester. This semester is the final one of the school course. 25 students are graduating from the School this coming June. After their finishing 2 years course in May, they will return to their home and continue to work as a church planter or a minister in their area.

Last January 11 Korean youngsters visited us for 3 weeks and served for reaching out the Muslim people. Their visit was great encouragement to us and enabled us to make the precious relationship with the local people. Their prepared songs, drama, puppet show and Jesus film were proceeded in different churches. Even at night time churches were crowded with people to listen the Gospel. We were very happy to see Muslims with white caps enter the church to watch the puppet show and film. The local church were also encouraged to multiply in Muslim area through this program. We helped them to build 2 churches with mud, which really touched the mind of the local church people. Through this mud labour, we felt that we became brothers and sisters in one God, regardless of the race and the language. After this program many people still ask us to lead the conference to reach out the Muslims. We praise that through this program 39 people committed themselves to Jesus Christ and we saw the love of God towards Ethiopia.

Last February, using the 2weeks school break, Jong Cook traveled down to the Hamar-Banna. This place is far from Addis. It takes 2 days* trip to reach there. The people are unreached by the Gospel and the civilization. They live as real Africans we know. They don*t wear dress, eat the food made of beans, and drinks milk and the blood of ox. They have their tribal language but no letter. Jong Cook had great time to research one of the unreached people in Ethiopia.

Few weeks ago Grace and I went to picnic with 200 children and their parents who are sponsored by Compassion Ethiopia. We had lunch, games, and Sunday School program. Compassion Ethiopia program just started at KHC Church in Jimma . It sponsors the children of the poor Muslim or Orthodox for reaching them with the Gospel. Now it set up the office and organized the Sunday School program, however, it needs the help to train Sunday School teachers. There are 226 children and their family who have to be reached by the Gospel ! There are 16 teachers who are responsible for the spiritual life of these unbelievers who has been sent to them ! From last wee[1]k Grace started to lead the Bible study for teachers and will help them how to teach the gospel. She has few materials to train them and she has to devise how to do it. Pray that she may get wisdom to make the material for teachers training.

We heard the news from our supporting church that they would reduce the main support, and stop our children*s schooling fee and ministry fund from last January. There are one and half year left for our furlough. We were really discouraged by this notice. Now we thank God that He gave us good opportunity to trust Him, not people. Pray for us that we may be strengthened by the power God supplies us.

What Jimma looks like?
Jimma is the one of the largest cities with 180,000 of population. The word, Jimma is *tzzat* in Oromo language, which they produce green leaf for chewing and saleing( a hallucination). Its main product is Coffee(from kaffa) and Banana. Muslims is 75 % of the population and Ethiopian Orthodox is the rest of it.

The Bible school and the KHC church at Jimma had been closed by Communism for 17 years, but the government returned totally ruined and destroyed buildings and estates to the KHC with the property of MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship). The Bible school started again from October of 1995.

PRAISE
- that we finished teaching John the Gospel and the Holy Spirit in last semester.
- that our Amharic has been improved.
- that God has kept our health & good relationship with missionaries and Ethiopians.
- that Jason and Anna are happy at school and boarding.

PRAYER
- that the future of the 25 students in the Bible School may be open for their ministry after graduation.
- that Jong Cook may have good relationship with the students in the teacher*s college and start to reach the Muslim in the local area.
- that Grace may have good relationship with Sunday School teachers and have wisdom to train them.
- that our ministry may be strengthened by getting the 4 wheel drive car. (57,000 USD including 106% Tax)
- that our main supporting (350 USD/ month), and JaIson and Anna*s schooling (300 USD /month) and ministry fund can be supported.
- that we may be encouraged by the power of the Sprit.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all, our brothers and sisters. Our Love and Prayers.

Jong Cook, Grace, Jason & Anna Park

Our address and telephone No. at JIMMA
Jong C. & Grace Eun-hye Park
P.O. Box 1190, Kaffa Region, Jimma, Ethiopia
Tel (+251 -7)11 1672 (home) 11 2468(School)

Also available the former Address and Fax No. in Addis Ababa
Fax (+251 -1)51 1242(SIM)
P.O. Box 127 SIM, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Rev.& Mrs. Jong C. & Grace Eun-hye Park
P.O. Box 1190 Kaffa Region, Jimma Ethiopia
Tel (+251 -7) 11 1672 (home) 11 2468(School) Fax (+251 -1) 51 12 42(SIM HQ)
Internet:sim.eth@telecom.net.et