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Ethiopia
A crowd gathers for a showing of the “Jesus” film.
PC(USA) mission co-workers John and Gwen Haspels serve in southwestern Ethiopia at the invitation of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church MekaneYesus. They live among a people group the Ethiopian government terms the Surma, while they work on a comprehensive program that includes evangelism, education, medical care, and development.
The joys and the frustrations of work in Africa are not foreign to John and Gwen Haspels, both of whom were children of missionaries and were reared in Africa. They have been serving as mission co-workers since 1973.
Ethiopia is near the bottom in rankings of health professional ratios worldwide, with only one doctor for every 34,000 people. That’s why the arrival of Dr. Issak, who had made a wrong turn going to Maji, was so remarkable. Gwen writes about being called to assist a woman who had a retained placenta after childbirth. All of her efforts to remove it were to no avail. At noon the next day, as Gwen was crying out to the Lord in prayer for help, John stuck his head in the door and said, “Your prayers have just been answered!” Dr. Isaak was able to remove the malformed placenta. With shouts of “InkeseTumu!” (praise to God) the woman was able to go home, and Dr. Issak was able to travel on to Maji. At just the right time and place, God provided a gynecologist to help a woman in need.
PC(USA) People in Mission
Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus: Dorothy Hanson, Ethiopia AIDS consultant, Gwenyth Haspels, nurse, Rev. John Haspels, evangelist, Marie Lusted, mission volunteer, Bible translation coordinator and adviser, Bruce Whearty, education specialist,
Lora Whearty, English teacher
PC(USA) General Assembly Staff
Bill Brock, OGA
Charlotte Brooks, OGA
Healing God, we thank you for the way you miraculously provide for us every day of our lives. With the Haspels, we ask that you would give us the heart and hands of Jesus. In his name we pray. Amen.
Ps. 12, 146 Ps. 36, 7
Isa. 52:1–12
Gal. 4:12–20; Mark 8:1–10
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