Tamene, Tigist, and their children could use your encouragement this Valentine's Day! Share the love and hope of Christ with this special needs family as part of the Heart for the Disabled campaign.
Send your Valentine to Tamene and Tigist at Joni and Friends, PO Box 3333, Agoura Hills, CA 91376. See their photo at joniradio.org.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and thanks for having a heart for the disabled.
All this week I’ve been sharing stories of special needs families who are really in need of encouragement. And I am so grateful for the many cards and letters that are now beginning to arrive at our office! Good on you, guys! Thank you for cheering on these families with your encouraging notes, and Bible verses, your prayers, and much more. And today I want to tell you an interesting story about an incredible family. I met them at Family Retreat this past summer, and when I saw them, I recognized them as Ethiopians. I have such great memories of serving in Ethiopia years ago, and the people there are so stately; they’re so beautiful. Anyway, I introduced myself to the parents, Tamene and his wife Tigist. They pointed out their two boys with autism, 11-year-old Liam, and 6-year-old Lucian. I tell you what, these two kids were so active; they were a handful; their volunteers were a couple of strong teenaged boys. Tigist and Tamene also introduced me to their typical 13-year-old daughter, Lelena.
When I told this couple that I had once visited their country years ago, Tamene answered, “I know. I saw you there.” I looked at him in surprise. And then he went on to tell me that decades ago, back in Ethiopia, he was a seminary student, and that’s when he heard me speak at a pastor’s conference in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. He said, “Joni, I had never heard someone so clearly explain the sovereignty of God over our suffering, and I was blessed by your message. It totally changed my thinking about the goodness of God in terrible hardships.”
Around the time that Tamene graduated from seminary, the influence of Islam became more prevalent in Ethiopia, and there was widespread persecution. And that’s when he immigrated to the United States. He and his wife settled in this country and began to raise a family. However, they did not anticipate the birth of two boys with significant autism. At first, it was a huge disappointment, and there were many challenges to overcome. But Tamene said, “That’s when I remembered what you taught at that pastor’s conference, Joni. It strengthened my heart and the heart of Tigist, my wife. We knew that God was in control.” This father told me that he hoped to one day meet me, but it was such a far and distant hope.
But then someone scholarshipped his family to attend Family Retreat, and, oh, Tamene and Tigist could not contain their joy. They were thrilled to be embraced by people who understood the enormous needs of Lucian and Liam. Best of all, their faith in Christ was strengthened. But now, it’s the middle of winter and this precious family needs encouragement. So would you write Tamene and Tigist and their children an uplifting note? Send a poem, or the lyrics of a hymn, or even a gift card. Whatever, this dear special needs family from Ethiopia will thrive on the Scriptures that you send, and it would mean the world to know that you are praying. So send your Christ-centered encouragements to Tamene, and send it to Joni and Friends, PO Box 3333, Agoura Hills, CA 91376. And if you need to review the details, I’ve listed everything on this family at joniradio.org. Oh, and guess what? Tamene and Tigist are now in the process of establishing a disability ministry in their own church, so cheer them on with a card. And thank you for having a heart for this family dealing with so many disabilities. Get more details at joniradio.org.
© Joni and Friends