The Tiatia's are from New Zealand. Michelle, Asaua, and their five children Jamal, Kiera, Lydia, Matthais, and Wesley are long term missionaries working with BCI and have been since September of last year. Michelle teaches art at the school and Asaua teaches sport or PE. They were out of town the first weekend we arrived so we taught their classes Monday morning. It was intimidating but a good way to just jump in and serve without worrying about it having to be perfect or planned ahead. They are an amazing couple with an incredible faith journey that brought them to Ethiopia and Debre Zeyit. They live just a few houses down from the guest house and, it seems like at least one member of the family was always around. They just had their Visas renewed and are staying in Debre Zeyit for at least the next year! It is an answer to prayer and a blessing for anyone who gets to meet them.
Because the Tiatia's and Jonnette speak English and church in Ethiopia is a difficult way to have community when you don't speak the language, they started having a home church every Monday evening at the guest house. It's been a blessing to them and any missionaries who are there as a chance to worship together. We got to lead it the second Monday and shared how God was moving in our own lives while we were there.
The other thing their family has been working on for months is starting an English service in Debre Zeyit. Through some homeschool groups and their own missionary contacts, they realized that their reasons for starting a home church at the guest house are shared by many others working and serving in Ethiopia. They realized that having an English church service is a great need to so many living and working in the area. They arranged to have it held at Zion church, and we were able to be there for the first one! Will was an answer to their prayers for a keyboard player and was able to play for the service while Asaua and their girls led worship. Another missionary from Australia was a pastor and had come in a few days before so they already knew he was going to speak. I assumed any other English speaking people would be missionaries but I was wrong. Our team were the only short term people and missionaries there. There was a family from South Africa that had started a flower export business, a man from the Netherlands who owned a Dutch furniture store, and a couple of men from India there on business. They hope to continue it and watch it grow throughout the next year.
I don't have any other good pictures of them because they didn't look to be in front of the camera. Instead, they are just always there in the background. They are helping paint faces, playing soccer, teaching school, laughing at our funny English accents, and welcoming us with open arms into their lives, house, meals, and service projects. We had many great conversations hearing about how they ended up in Debre Zeyit and how God is working in their lives. They are an easy family to miss but I'm thankful for Facebook and how we can still keep in touch so many miles apart.
Because the Tiatia's and Jonnette speak English and church in Ethiopia is a difficult way to have community when you don't speak the language, they started having a home church every Monday evening at the guest house. It's been a blessing to them and any missionaries who are there as a chance to worship together. We got to lead it the second Monday and shared how God was moving in our own lives while we were there.
The other thing their family has been working on for months is starting an English service in Debre Zeyit. Through some homeschool groups and their own missionary contacts, they realized that their reasons for starting a home church at the guest house are shared by many others working and serving in Ethiopia. They realized that having an English church service is a great need to so many living and working in the area. They arranged to have it held at Zion church, and we were able to be there for the first one! Will was an answer to their prayers for a keyboard player and was able to play for the service while Asaua and their girls led worship. Another missionary from Australia was a pastor and had come in a few days before so they already knew he was going to speak. I assumed any other English speaking people would be missionaries but I was wrong. Our team were the only short term people and missionaries there. There was a family from South Africa that had started a flower export business, a man from the Netherlands who owned a Dutch furniture store, and a couple of men from India there on business. They hope to continue it and watch it grow throughout the next year. I don't have any other good pictures of them because they didn't look to be in front of the camera. Instead, they are just always there in the background. They are helping paint faces, playing soccer, teaching school, laughing at our funny English accents, and welcoming us with open arms into their lives, house, meals, and service projects. We had many great conversations hearing about how they ended up in Debre Zeyit and how God is working in their lives. They are an easy family to miss but I'm thankful for Facebook and how we can still keep in touch so many miles apart.
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