Dear friends,

When we first arrived in Gambella I would look up in the sky whenever I heard a plane and long to be on it. The intense heat (even during the current “cold” season), the numerous mosquitos and scorpions that had made their way into the house and a dead tree stump at the back of the house which had the potential to be a snake haven, these amidst other challenges made our first few weeks here somewhat overwhelming. But just a couple of months later and Gambella is already beginning to feel more like home. In fact, we really missed the place when we had some time away in Addis a few weeks ago (especially Abigail, who would regularly tell us how she longed to be back here!). There are many things that are hard about this place, but many more things that are wonderful.

A highlight of the week are our evenings of food and fellowship with some Mabaan students who

live just across from us on the compound. They are refugees from South Sudan who have travelled (to study) here from a refugee camp in Ethiopia that takes three days to reach. They all hope to go back and help further establish and strengthen the church in their home country. Our times of worship together have always lifted our spirits. It is very exciting that these humble and inspiring men are being further equipped and raised up to help lead the church in South Sudan.

Since we arrived, in mid-August, Chris has been teaching two courses at the college. There’s a great bunch of students here and it’s a real privilege to be working with them. Slightly more than half are refugees from South Sudan; the others are Ethiopians from the Gambella region. The college is unusual in that it’s the only

CHRIS AND SUZY WILSON LINK LETTER NO.3 | NOVEMBER 2016

Hello from Ethiopia!

CHURCHMISSIONSOCIETY.ORG/CHRISANDSUZYWILSON

Top: Chris outside the new church building at the Anglican Church Centre in Gambela

Above: Chris and Suzy’s new two-bed house in Gambella (at the Anglican Church Centre)

Name: Chris and Suzy Wilson

Location: Gambella, Ethiopia

Our role: We are on the staff team atSt Frumentius’ Theological College andinvolved in the provision of theologicaltraining to local church leaders.

Our call: We desire to raise up and equipindigenous Christian leaders to serve ruralcommunities in South Sudan and Ethiopia.

place, as far as we know, where Anuak and Nuer students are gathering daily to worship, pray and study together. This has many challenges as many people in Gambella believe the two ethnic groups should live, worship and study separately and can offer many pragmatic reasons why this should be so.

It’s an incredible privilege to be able to study the Bible together with these students, and our eyes are slowly being opened to see how much of the Bible is about people who are displaced, and how those texts encourage those who find themselves in similar situations. Earlier this week, Chris asked the students what they thought of Moses as a leader and whether there were any aspects of his character that church leaders here could learn from, expecting them to comment on Moses’s commitment to both God and the people he was leading, or on his patience and his willingness to respond to grumbling and complaining with forgiveness

and patience. One of our older students – a refugee from South Sudan – answered that when you

find yourself leading a church of people who have fled into the bush and have no food and no water left, there’s a lot you can learn from Moses.

I spend the days taking care of Abigail and Matthew. Each weekday morning we have sweet tea and bread with the staff, and although I understand almost nothing of what is being talked about (conversations are in Amharic, Nuer and Anuak), it is a joy each morning to sit amongst them and enjoy their company. Often in the afternoon we visit the church on site and the children love dashing about the spacious, airy building. Abigail has thrived here in Gambella, and seems to love everything about the place, including the heat! Matthew is still adjusting – it doesn’t help that he insists on drinking his bath water (from the river), and any stones he can get his hands on, and consequently has suffered more sickness than the rest of us.

We really want to invest in friendships here, which requires us to learn Anuak. This is especially true for me, since the women here speak almost no English and very little Amharic

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“There is so much we delight in and there are lots of days when it feels very easy to be here, and there are other times that we wish we were somewhere else. But we are confident that, for now, we are just where we should be, and so we are glad to be standing alongside others in serving him here.”

Top left: Students at St Frumentius reading the article on Gambella in CMS’s newspaper “The Call”

Top right: Chris teaching students at St Frumentius

(another language we have invested some time in learning). It turns out Anuak is a very difficult language, with few resources available. However we are enjoying our lessons with a student from the college, and these have also been a great opportunity to learn a little more about the local culture. Slowly but surely, we are making some progress, and we continue to press into this.

Gambella is a very beautiful place. The impressive Baro River passes lazily through the town,

and we are told that soon we will find crocodiles resting on some of the small islands. Freshly caught fish is served at restaurants, which we have enjoyed a number of times. The market place is vibrant and bustling, another of the few places where you will find highlanders, Nuer, Anuak and Opo together.

On the church compound where we live, a myriad of stunning birds can be found amongst shady trees. There are plenty of colourful butterflies and lizards around that Abigail loves to chase. In the distance the highlands can be glimpsed, as they begin their ascent. We have planted papaya, mango and banana trees around our house and although we will

wait a few years for the fruit, the prospect of investing that amount of time in this place feels natural and exciting. There is so much we delight in and there are lots

of days when it feels very easy to be here, and there are other times that we wish we were somewhere else. But we are confident that, for now, we are just where we should be, and so we are glad to be standing alongside others in serving him here.

Love

Chris and Suzy

You can give online to Chris and Suzy at: churchmissionsociety.org/chrisandsuzywilson

Contact details: suzyandchris1@gmail.com

CHRIS AND SUZY WILSON LINK LETTER NO.3 | NOVEMBER 2016

PLEASE PRAY...

We thank God that Gambella has quickly felt like home, and that Abigail has settled here so easily.

We thank God for his protection from scorpion stings and any serious sickness.

We thank God for the friendships that are beginning to be established.

Please pray for a new dean who understands the needs of the students and college as the current dean of the college has now left on medical grounds.

Pray for help as we try to understand and speak Anuak.

Pray for our continued good health.

Above: Staff and students of St Frumentius

Below: Outside our new home (NB: Matthew was asleep!)