Learnings at the Mettu Community Library

This blog is supposed to be about God at work in Shenandoah Presbytery.  So why am I writing stories about Ethiopia?  Today’s visit to the Mettu library offers a good illustration for the answer to that question.

In 2005, Opequon Presbyterian Church in Winchester built the Mettu Community Library.  It is a beautiful building, clean and well lit with lots of natural light.  Since our last visit 15 months ago, they have doubled the number of tables and chairs that are available for reading and study.  (The tables and chairs are made in the wood shop at the Gore Home.)  There are still a number of empty shelves, but from what we saw the books they do have are excellent and on a wide variety of subjects.

We wondered how often books from the religious section were used.  On a table between two young men was a book titled “The Christian Faith.”  We asked the librarian if those two were part of the Bible school and he said no, they were two exceptional young men from the town.

Shortly before noon we went outside to the front of the building to take another picture and we were addressed by four teenage boys.  We later learned their names were:  Abil (Abel from the Bible), Gru, Sura and Mesh.  The conversation went something like this.

Abil

Abil:  “Why you take picture of this building?”

Randy:  “It is a wonderful library.”

Abil:  “Yes, we know it is a library.”

Doug:  “Do you use the library?”

Abil:  “Yes, it is very good for us.  We are blessed to have this library.” 

Gru:  “But why you take pictures of it?”

Randy:  “We helped build the library and we are trying to fill it with books.”

Gru:  “So you are sponsors of this building?”

Randy:  “Yes, we are from Shenandoah Presbytery and…..”

Abil: (interrupting)  “Oh, Shenandoah!”  There was not only recognition in Abil’s voice but excitement.  The conversation had just been raised to a whole new level.

Doug:  “How do you know Shenandoah Presbytery?”

Abil:  “We are Christians!  Mekane Yesus church.”

Gru

Gru:  “Yes, and next year we will go to University.”

Doug:  “You have very good English.  Were you in the classes this summer?”

Abil:  “Yes, we were in the classes”

Gru:  “Amy Gwaltney and Jeremy and Theresa, and Renee were the teachers.”

Randy:  “Yes.  That team was sent from Shenandoah Presbytery.”

Abil:  “Yes, we know.”

Doug:  “Amy and Jeremy are getting married this year.”

Gru:  “Yes, we know, we follow their plans on Facebook.”

It did not take much to see that God was at work in Abil and Gru’s lives as they quickly and stongly confessed “We are Christians.”  It also did not take much to see that God had blessed them and worked on their lives through the mission efforts of people and churches in Shenandoah Presbytery.  Their excellent English that opens the doors to higher education, and the library of resources available to help their study and growth, were there for them because of the witness of Shenandoah Presbytery people giving of their time and resources to make these things happen.

The evidence of God at work in Shenandoah Presbytery extends far beyond our geographical boundaries, and it includes God working with us, God working through us, and God working on us.

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