We received news this month that our well was being dug and hewn for the village people of central Ethiopia! Water to Thrive workers wanted to know what to put on the sign! Can you believe that across the world, in the remote Oromiya Region of Ethiopia there will be a sign that reads - this well is a gift from “Abiding Love Lutheran Church, Austin, Texas, USA”!!
I read a story about a great Lutheran: “Matt Berg dreamed of bringing technology to Africa to help improve people's lives. Living that dream through the Millennium Villages Project and Child Count+ earned Berg, a Lutheran and the son of missionaries, a place this year among Time magazine's 100 people who most affect our world.
Berg, 32, has spent considerable time in Africa, particularly in the past three years, perfecting the use of simple mobile phone technology to create a system to monitor the health of children in Africa. That work got the attention of the people at Time.
In an interview with the ELCA News Service, Berg said he was "shocked and humbled" to learn that he had been named to the Time list. "The community that I work with was very happy," he said. "It's been really good for our work, a big validation that the work we're doing is really important."
A select group of people made the Time list, including such notables as Kathryn Bigelow, Bill Clinton, Steve Jobs, Conan O'Brien, Elizabeth Warren and Oprah Winfrey.
How awesome to be a part of a church that gets such recognition! We have missionaries that serve in 48 countries around the world! We participate in these mission ventures through our gifts, both monetary and in kind, and our prayers. With our name on a sign half way around the world, who knows what’s next! I can’t wait to find out! Let’s go!
