We Have a Lot to Learn From These Leaders

Here we are currently in Ethiopia. As I look around. I’m astounded that most of these leaders have been persecuted for this faith, some imprisoned and tortured. I am humbled that we can walk alongside them in their development, for we have a lot to learn from these incredible men and women.

These past two weeks we have been teaching on Spiritual Leadership and Leading Teams to these participants. When we leave from this place I will return with our team to the States where we’ll celebrate Christmas in safety with our loved ones. When these leaders depart from this gathering they will face injustice, and will dare to be lights in dark places. But they will thrive because they go in the strong name of Christ.

We have a lot to learn from them.

In six months they will:

• come back for our next visit to Ethiopia.
• return to be with us because they truly want to learn and dialogue together as a group about how Christ-centered leadership can be played out in their specific contexts.
• report the way that God has changed them in their leadership, thus changing their churches.
• share about the times they have messed up as leaders and will receive the grace that Jesus freely offers.

And we will have their names on our lips as we leave from here and will remember to bring them before the Father.

I don’t say these things because I’m depending on this great program we call The Garden Project. This program is far from perfect (which is why we always bring it before these leaders to help us do it better). But I am confident because of the stories they tell of God at work every single time they come back to gather with us. Every single time

We have a lot to learn from these leaders.

This blog post is part of an end-of-year series that invites you to “go beyond” and be part of the work that God is doing around the world with Freedom to Lead International