2014 is in full swing. Last month, I became the Project Coordinator for Discovering Light. No, I didn’t get a new job. We just got
ourselves a new name. This coincided with an extremely rewarding trip to Ethiopia in January. I left on the 12th (Roman’s 4th birthday!) and spent a week with Bill Bailey and John Messinger meeting with our partners in West Arsi. Our visit was special because we witnessed firsthand several ways the programs we’ve sponsored are beginning to make an exponential impact.
Entrepreneurs sponsored through our micro-loan program are starting to build viable businesses in their community. We spent a day with Habib, owner of a post-harvest thresher business made possible by a loan we made several years ago. He now employs his brother and other local day laborers and his service can increase a family’s grain yields by 50%. We also witnessed a baptism of 60 new Christians and received another fantastic report on the development of savings groups in the region.
Personally, the most significant ‘sign’ was the progression in our relationship with our partners. Leaders like our Project Manager Haile Dadu and Pastor Lako Bedasso are taking the lead shaping our programs towards sustainability. In years past, there was a lot of ‘push and pull’ as we learned to trust one another and determine the best way to serve the Arsi Oromo people together. For the first time, they seemed comfortable to take the initiative in our strategy meetings. They provided a list of outstanding guidelines for expanding the micro-loan program without any prompting on our part.
I believe this progress is an answer to prayer and a result of years building trust and collaborating with our Ethiopian friends. Our visits with meetings in ‘dimly lit rooms’ are paying dividends with our partners. It’s going to be fun as we watch their confidence grow and their creativity blossom.
Keep Your Eye on the Rhodes 
