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The familiar Acacia trees greet us as we drive in from the remote Hawassa airport. Such a welcome friend! I cannot hold back a smile.

Beyond the native dome huts and cacti-fenced yards that scatter along the roadside, the fields of corn are now as tall as a man. I suspect that the harvest is not far away. Passing through the villages, before many homes stand piles of wide, flat stones. Each is crowned with sacks of potatoes. The markets are open.

The land of Ethiopia is a nation of great beauty, and also great turmoil. On a teaching trip there last year, I had the privilege to meet with some of our missionary church planters. The nation has recently seen a northern tribe rise up against the government, and Islamist guerrilla groups are also active in some areas. Prolonged drought in the horn of Africa has left millions of people acutely in need. Please continue to pray for our gospel workers, and for the people of this dear land.

Ask for the Lord’s grace and power for Alebachew. He works his trade and builds relationships with people among the Afar tribes. He loves to share his testimony. Pray for Medina to grow in her new faith, and for God to lead Alebachew to more open hearts.

Pray for God’s continued provision for Epheson. He is in a very impoverished area, and the needs are large even for him and his family. Believers in this animistic region are sometimes threatened and even beaten from the time of their faith in Christ. But the Lord has brought many to Christ, and there have been many baptisms. Pray for the growing church there to have a safe place to worship, and for Epheson to grow in shepherding them well.

Tesfaye’s church was scattered by war. Pray for the Lord’s great wisdom for them, and for stable and rich relationships among the weary believers. Also that the Christian witness of Tesfaye, a security guard, a barber, and several women selling bread, would be fruitful and see many come to Christ. 

Ask for God’s power amid spiritual battle for Henoke. He has been persecuted many times - losing his place of rent; being beaten and hospitalized; being driven out of town. He shares the gospel in the markets, and has seen miracles that have brought others to salvation. For safety, he also does discipleship out in the bush, and meets with friends interested in the gospel in this way.

We are continuing our series on Getting to Know your church leaders a little bit better. Read along to learn more about Marcy Bryant, who serves as our communications coordinator and on the Deacon Council. 

Where were you born, and do you still consider that home, or somewhere else?

I was born in Chattanooga, Tn. but have been in the East Mountains for 28 years. The MCC community is what I consider home. 

What did you want to be when you grew up – and is that still a dream?

I wanted to be an architect, but my favorite job to date has been mom. 

What or who was your earliest spiritual influence?

I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home and receive a Christian education. If the church doors were open, we were there. My grandparents, Mama and Daddy Wilson, were a great spiritual influence because they loved and served the Lord more faithfully than anyone else I’ve known. 

How and when did Christ call you to Himself?

I remember “asking Jesus into my heart” when I was seven years old at a missions conference at our church. I really began to dedicate my life to the Lord in my early 20s. 

What is a scripture you often read or share with others?

Hebrews 12:1-2: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. 

What is a special answered prayer you’ve received from the Lord?

I will forever be grateful for the way the Lord carried us through Shannon’s cancer treatment and healing.  

What is a blessing and what is a challenge in serving at the church?

I wear a few hats at Mountain Christian and I honestly love it all. I enjoy being able to see how God is working in so many ministries, and to be a part of it so I don’t miss out on anything! The challenge is knowing there is always more I could be doing.

What are your hobbies and how did you get into them?

I love to hike - especially with family and friends. We really got serious about it during COVID when we couldn’t go to many other places. I also love to travel, read, play pickleball and go out to dinner (is that a hobby?).

What is your favorite family tradition?

During the Christmas season we do something deliberately, just the four of us in our immediate family. Sometimes it’s the River of Lights and sometimes it’s going to dinner and a movie - but I love how we slow down and make time to enjoy being together in a very busy season. 

How do you enjoy spending a day off?

It usually includes hiking or pickleball and going out to eat with friends. 

What is the perfect meal?

Pizza or BBQ. I love both. 

Who or what never fails to make you laugh? 

Shannon - he’s very witty and always knows how to lift my spirits. 

We asked Shannon: 

There’s something stirring in my home that I’m sure is common to most during this time of year. Though we are in the middle of spring and winter seems to be unwilling to let go, summer is really at the top of mind for my kids. 

They are so ready for school to end. 

It’s almost as if they have been anticipating it from the start of last year, their yearlong school sentence will end and they will be FREE! Free to do as they want, no going to class, no homework or tests, no teachers or moms nagging them.   

However, if your household is anything like mine, it won’t be long, maybe the middle of June, before my younger ones will say, “I’m bored!” And so, the challenge becomes how we can guide them to spend their time wisely instead of allowing them to go the way of least resistance and turn to media and video games. I trust the Lord gives us all the foresight to both plan and prepare them for the use of their expendable time. 

As a family, we have always relied on VBSes (is this even pronounceable?) to give their mama a well-deserved break (oh, wait, did I say that out loud?). It was always a glorious time for her to be able to sit uninterrupted for a few hours, enjoying a cup of tea and simple breakfast, while our kiddos were at vacation bible school.

Of course, this outcome really is an additional benefit for what already has so many primary benefits.  Let me share a few.

First, though it is a parents’ primary calling to “train up their child in the way he should go”, the church is here to come alongside and help with this very endeavor - to assist the family in discipling their little ones in the life of Christ. I believe that VBS within the larger context of children’s ministry can play a part in aiding this discipling.

Second, through VBS, “we want to reflect our creative, inspiring, joy-giving God who made laughter and fun!” We want to create an environment where children develop lasting memories that help to connect them with biblical truths. Every activity in vacation bible school is planned so as to engage the kids using all of their senses. There’s singing, dancing, creating, playing and eating. It really is a five-day party where the central theme is God’s Word and specifically His plan for redemption. 

And finally, VBS is an intentional evangelistic opportunity. As described directly from this year’s curriculum: “Our primary goal has always been to bring glory to God by boldly and unashamedly proclaiming him to a strategic group - young people! From both a biblical and statistical point of view, young people are a big deal. They’re not only awesome - we love ‘em - but they’re also dearly cherished by our Lord and tend to be soft-hearted towards spiritual things. Researchers generally agree most people become Christians when they’re children, so it’s apparent this age group is a huge mission field!”

Will you help us this year again by inviting any and all elementary-aged kids that you know to this year’s VBS, The Great Jungle Journey? 

They will be forever grateful to you one day in the same way that I am grateful now to the white-haired lady who not only invited my siblings, cousins and I to VBS some 40 plus years ago, but picked us up every day in her station wagon to take us. Be that beloved “white-haired” lady to someone in our East Mountain community.

We are continuing our series on Getting to Know your church leaders a little bit better. Read along to learn more about Eli Malizzo, who serves as our youth ministry coordinator. 

Where were you born, and do you still consider that home, or somewhere else?

I was born in Albuquerque, NM, but the Cedar Crest/Sandia Park/Tijeras area is home.

What did you want to be when you grew up – and is that still a dream?

I was (and still am) generally uncertain. I was always inspired by businessmen who used their professional influence to spread the Kingdom, and strive to walk a similar path.

What or who was your earliest spiritual influence?

My parents and my grandmother.

How and when did Christ call you to Himself?

I got to know who Christ was and what He did for me as a young person (can’t recall the exact age, but maybe around 5th grade, through my family and the mass of spiritual influence around me at church). But, it wasn’t until my teenage years that I really came to grips with what that meant for my life, and it became time to make my faith my own.

What is a scripture you often read or share with others?

1 Timothy 6:11-12 has provided me with encouragement many times in my life, and I have shared it with many others, hoping they find the same encouragement in these words that I do.

What is a special answered prayer you’ve received from the Lord?

I remember being uncertain about buying our home. A huge decision, and one we didn’t want to take lightly. We prayed for many months that if it was God’s will, he would lead us to the right one, and let it be simple. After many months of praying and feeling God telling us ‘not this one’, we found one we thought seemed too good to be true. With each passing day and each prayer, we asked God to help us say no if it wasn’t right. He kept the process simple for us, and it culminated in the Denver airport on the way home from a wedding. It was one day after we put an offer on the house (which we were very prepared for the sellers to reject). We had a layover of about an hour, and I was pacing the airport, fielding calls between work, our banker and our realtor, and talking to the Lord in between. I had just hung up with the banker and was anticipatorily pacing. After a minute of praying that the Lord would let us have an answer before we got on the plane, we got the call from our realtor saying our offer was accepted. Needless to say, we had a great flight home. His faithfulness to us was on display during these many months, and I routinely think back on that when I am frustrated, as a reminder that His timing is not mine, and His plan for me is infinitely better than my plan for me. 

What is a blessing and what is a challenge in serving as a youth ministry leader?

Blessing: Every week, we finish our discussion groups with prayer, and we pray for each other. Scripture talks about childlike faith, but it’s on full display during prayer times. Our students’ optimism and trust in God’s ultimate control often encourages me; it’s a wonderful thing to hear a 12-year-old pray for something that’s causing me frustration, knowing fully that the Lord is faithful.

Challenge: Being present. It’s not uncommon to end up at youth group with a head full of other thoughts and concerns. I am learning to ‘be where my feet are’ when at youth group, and fully devote a few hours to loving our students like Christ would, but it’s a challenge for me. 

What are your hobbies and how did you get into them?

Fly fishing is my go-to in the summer, and snowboarding in the winter.  My grandpa took me fishing for the first time, and I immediately loved it.  Sid and Linda Barker took me snowboarding for the first (and probably second and third) time, and I am grateful that I got to learn it at a young age.  

What is your favorite family tradition?

The Birthday Breakfast. I won’t go into details, but suffice to say we get to see the Lord glorified on a day that would otherwise be very self-focused. 

How do you enjoy spending a day off?

Being outside. Hiking, bonfires, volleyball, fishing, or simply working around the house - I feel at peace.

What is the perfect meal?

Any pasta that my wife makes. Maybe it’s the Italian heritage. Can’t beat a great pasta.

Who or what never fails to make you laugh? 

Spending time with my brothers. I can’t recall an instance of significant time spent together that didn’t include a healthy dose of laughter.

We asked Kristine: 

What is your favorite trait of Eli's?

From sweet baby smiles all the way up to friendship with an adult child, motherhood brings a myriad of blessings. Children truly are a gift from God. As we seek to bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord, we delight in the everyday blessings, as well as the eternal purpose God has granted to us.

And yet, motherhood also brings struggles. Right now, sleepless nights and cranky teething can drain my joy. Maybe for you it’s chronic health issues, a pattern of rebellion, or something else altogether. In these moments, what we know to be beautiful purpose can sometimes feel like nothing more than painful endurance. What happened to our joy?

Though it doesn’t always seem like it, coming face to face with imperfect joy in our mothering is actually a blessing. It’s a reminder that abiding joy isn’t found in our calling as a mother. Rather, it’s found in our Savior.  Our children are sweet gifts from God that we delight in. Yet we cannot look to them, to ourselves, or to our circumstances for what only Christ can supply. If we do, we will find dry wells that leave us thirsty every time. Our Savior alone provides rivers of living water. 

Here are just a few glimpses at how He satisfies:

When we feel exhausted because of the constant needs of our children, we see Christ becoming a servant and pouring out His very life for us: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). “For we know love, because He laid down His life for us” (1 John 3:16a). Jesus held nothing back to meet the need of our souls. We delight in His servanthood and love.

When we struggle over our inadequacy to be the perfect mom, we see Christ fulfilling the law: “Do not think I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17). Jesus did what we can never do and imputes His righteousness to His children.  We rejoice in His perfection.

When we feel burdened by our sins of impatience, selfishness, and so on, we see Christ as our Sin-Bearer: “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed” (1 Peter 2:24-25). Jesus endured the wrath of God on our behalf and frees us from slavery to sin. As we gaze in continued faith and repentance on Him, we are forgiven and enabled to live a life of sanctification. What beauty and freedom we find in His sacrifice!

No matter what we face in motherhood, abiding joy is born as we look to Christ. This joy will grow and deepen until one day it reaches its full maturity in the very presence of our Lord: “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).

Look up, dear mom, and rejoice!