Lähtöjuhliamme vietettiin Mekane Yesus seminaarissa illalla 14.6.2016. Juhlapuheet pidettiin kappelissa ja koska niitä oli paljon, tilaisuus kesti noin kaksi tuntia. Sen jälkeen söimme yhdessä juhla-aterian seminaarin nurmikolla. Pimenevää iltaa valaisi ja lämmitti suuri nuotio. Tunnelma oli kuin juhannusjuhlassa konsanaan. Laitamme alle pitämämme juhlapuheet. Valitettavasti ne ovat englanniksi, emmekä ehtineet niitä lähtökiireiden keskellä kääntämään suomeksi. Anteeksi kaikille, jotka eivät ymmärrä englantia.
TUULAN PUHE
Thanks to everyone!
Dear Rev. Dr. Berhanu, Dr. Belay, MYS Board
and Senate Members, MYS Staff and especially MLC staff, honourable guests and
friends!
I would like to take this opportunity to give
you thanks for your efforts to organize this big fair fell party. I feel that
by no measures, I do not deserve it at all. I feel even embarrassed in front of
you. But I want receive all your kindness humble and from the bottom of my
heart and say thanks to you!
One chapter of our life is coming to an end.
When our Mission, FLM repeatedly asked us to come and serve Mekane Yesus
Seminary I could never have thought how it would be. We were very much thinking
whether we should come here or not. Only when the Mission asked us third time
and explained the people of our background and professional experience would be
needed here, then only we agreed. We felt that it is not the Mission that calls
us as a hand of Mekane Yesus Church but we felt that God is calling us. So we
came January 2013. And time has run so quickly that 3,5 years have passed and
this chapter of our life is closing.
Working in Mekane Yesus Seminary has been a
shared calling to me and Rev. Esko. I would like to thank Rev. Dr. Berhanu, MYS
Board, Dr. Belay and MYS Senate for the trust that you have shown to me by
assigning me to the position of Dean of MY-MLC. Especially I would like to
thank the staff of my own College, Academic Commission, Graduate Studies
Committee members as well as entire staff and our external lecturers and
professors from Government universities, especially AA University. I would like
to give thanks to Dr. Belay for being a supportive immediate supervisor! Thank
you very much. And thank you all for your understanding for my cultural
mistakes, thank you for your support, your ideas, your advice and your
cooperation! Also I would like to recognize the good cooperation with the
administration and finance section office staff; you have always been ready to
helps, to Registrar office staff, to maintenance and income generation, all of
you have shown an attitude to serve and to understand. I would like also to say
special thanks to Rev. Markus - thank you for giving us spiritual home in Addis.
Thank you very much for welcoming us to Mekane Yesus Ammist Kilo congregation. We
also want to thank EECMY Personnel Office – without you we would not be able to
be here. Also our fellow missionaries from different organizations serving in
the Seminary and other places in Ethiopia, it has been a priviledge to get to
know you, learn about your ministry and feeling the fellowship. May God bless
you and your families! Last but not least, I want to give special thanks to
Alemitu, the Administrative Assistant of the College. You have been my nearest
resource in the College, always helping, working hard and always asking, min
lirdash, Thank you very much! Our students give reason for our work and the
entire existence of the College! Thank you all of you who are here today! I
have enjoyed seeing your enthusiasm and energy to learn! May God bless you!
I was asked to take the Leadership Position in
MY-MLC a bit more than two years ago. When Rev. Dr. Berhanu asked me, we were
in the middle of curriculum development of MA Program of Organizational
Leadership. I felt that the task he asked me is too challenging for a foreigner
and I even told that there should be an Ethiopian in the position. He was
persistent and asked me to serve for some time till we find a successor. We
prayed with my husband and then I agreed.
We have experienced a lot in the College
during the last years. It is all fruit of cooperation, working for common goals
and putting aside our own interests. We are grateful for successes:
·
We have our accredited MA Program and the first students will graduate on
Saturday.
·
We have revised the Strategic Plan of the College and defined our
Strategic key success areas
·
We have established the College Quality system and implement and follow
up the system
·
We have developed Student Handbook and Distance Education Handbook
·
We have developed a new culture of having regular AC meetings with
systematic documentation, having staff workshops and training on important
issues
·
We have published our first MY-MLC Journal in the end of 2015
·
We have seen our staff to develop their capacity – we have new PhD
Holders, Dr. Melese Mekasha - last year and last week Dr. Temesgen graduated –
he is now making a presentation in a Conference in Spain. We also had Mr. Gerba Abdissa who last year achieved his MA
Degree as well as Naol Frede and on Saturday we will have Mr. Girma Endalew and
Mr. Fekadu Neme to graduate from our own program. In addition, Mr. Omot and Mr.
Fraol are studying in AA University for their MA degrees
You hear right – I do not
say that I have…. I say we have
All these things have
been developed on the basis that was established in the College by cooperation
of the staff and former leadership. What we have developed is done by cooperation
with our staff and also we have had a privilege to have Dr. Raija Timonen from
Finland to serve the College four times and she has been involved in almost all
the above issues.
All what I have told
about our successes does not mean that the College has become a Paradise. We
all know, especially my own staff, that there are many things where we have
failed, we have made mistakes and many things have to be improved. So there is
still a lot to do.
But I strongly feel that
our successes have been made possible, first because God has helped us and
given us His guidance, help and strength. Secondly, we have been searching for
common understanding and ways to reach commonly agreed goals. Many times we discussed
and argued even in the AC, we were of different opinions and strongly expressed
them. However, when a common decision was made, we worked for the common goal
and put aside our personal interest. Thirdly, we wanted to be transparent and
open towards each other and also to Senate and broader MYS community. In doing
all this, I feel that sometimes I have even broken some cultural norms which I
do apologize. I want to thank my own staff for your patience and forgiveness.
Although God has given me more years of life than to many here, my biggest
weakness is still being impatient: I am very far from being an angel. Don’t let
all these nice words that you have heard to mislead you. If you need prove, you
can ask my husband and my near colleagues.
I am so happy that my
successor, whom God has miraculously brought from America, is also present
today. It has been a pleasure to get to know you, Dr. Haragewen. We have been
able to work together almost one month and I have learned to know you as a
devoted Christian, highly qualified professional and a person that is easily
accessible. Please, my staff, receive her with the same love and support that
you have received me. Work together, search for common understanding and goals,
and put aside all personal interest. I will be praying for you and following up
the future successes of your cooperation.
I want to say and
encourage us that we can leave everything to the Cross to be cleansed by Jesus
himself. His mercy and grace are at the same time new and consistent every day.
You will be in our
prayers. Thank you for your love and kindness! To close, I would like to read
you a verse, May this present the footprint of the leadership that I wanted to
develop in the College being far from perfect but we are still on the way!
Philippians 2:1-3
2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from
being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing
in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then
make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love,
being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out
of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others
above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but
each of you to the interests of the others.
May God bless all of you! Again thanks!
Dr. Tuula Siljanen
 |
| Kiitos, että saimme palvella Etiopiassa kolme ja puoli vuotta |
ESKON PUHE
Farewell
message
Mekane
Yesus seminary 14.6.2016
Dear Rev.
Dr. Berhanu, Dr. Belay, members of MYS Board and Senate, dear colleagues from
the MYS staff, representatives of the students, other distinguished guests.
First I
want to join to what my wife Tuula already said to you. Thank you so much for
your brotherly fellowship and co-operation which we have experienced from your
side during these three and half years. Thank you for calling, receiving and
accepting us into the family of MYS. Thank you for bearing us with our
weaknesses and mistakes which we have made not only in Amharic language but
also in the daily activities of the Seminary. I feel that maybe more than we
have been able to contribute to the ministry of MYS we have learnt new things
ourselves. You have touched our heart and will always have a place in our
prayers.
One important but not an easy part of leaving is
sorting out all the important papers which during passed years have been piled
up in my office at home. When I sorted them out they filled one big plastic bag
that weighted about twenty kilos. The FELM guesthouse where we have been living
has a gardener who usually burns all this kind of papers in the back corner of
a small eucalyptus forest behind the house. Couple of days ago I went to this
place to see the result of burning our papers. I saw a pile of ashes that was
about half a meter wide and about 30 centimeters high. That pile of ashes
started to speak to me. Is this all what is left of my three years’ service at
the Seminary? I cannot present such a
list of achievements that Tuula presented from her co-operation in the
Management and Leadership College. When I was thinking this I remembered what
the Word of God says in the first Epistle of Paul to Corinthians Chapter 13
verse 13:
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But
the greatest of these is love.”
If nothing more than a small pile of ashes is left of
my service at MYS I hope that the love of God remains in your heart. In fact,
only a pile of ashes will be left of us when each one of us will leave this
earthly life for the last time. What will be left is the work of God, not our
deeds. His work only is eternal. Glory be to Him! When I looked at that small
pile of ashes I remembered our dear brother Gideon. I must confess that the
most difficult thing for me during these three years at MYS was the sudden
murder of our brother Gideon. Gideon was both my colleague and my boss. The
last time I saw him was the same morning when he was murdered in the evening. Gideon
was an exemplary Christian colleague and leader. He was always present in his
office and received me friendly ready to serve if his help was needed. I will
always remember Gideon with deep respect and love.
About a week ago I wanted to see once more the place
where Gideon’s body was found in that tragic morning. I took a walk to German roundabout and
beyond. When I came to that small pit of drainage water where Gideon was found
I saw that someone had constructed a small wooden bridge that run over that
drainage pit. It was a bridge over troubled waters. This small bridge was a
sign of hope for me. Living God can change our troubles into hope, into blessing,
into His glory. Through some or other hidden way God can change even Gideon’s
death to His glory and to blessing for other people.
As Tuula told us one great miracle of God is that her
successor, Dr. Haragewen, is here with
us today. I cannot bring you same good news today. I do not have any successor
coming from Finland who would replace me. However, the good news is that the
door is already open both between MYS and Finnish Lutheran Mission and MYS and
Theological Institute of Finland. Beginning January 1st 2016 MYS and
Theological Institute of Finland have signed an agreement of partnership that
aims at starting of student and teacher exchange as soon as possible.
Theological Institute of Finland is located in Helsinki and it is a
conservative institution providing theological education and support especially
for students of Theology in the University of Helsinki.
During these three years I have acted as an Instructor
of Biblical studies at MYS SoT. I must confess that I am happy for the academic
level of Biblical student of MYS. They are among the best students of the whole
Seminary because they are so motivated to learn the Word of God. I want to
thank my colleague Rev. Bulti for establishing a solid foundation for the
future Biblical studies at MYS. Teaching of Biblical Greek and Hebrew is a
legacy that should continue also in the future in order to facilitate more advanced
Biblical studies on Master’s Level. My hope is that Biblical track would be
opened in MA Studies as soon as possible. As a Lutheran Church and Seminary we
should honor Luther’s wise principle Sola Scriptura and also take it seriously
when developing the curriculum of MYS SoT in the future.
As I already said before, I feel that I have more
learned from you than been able to instruct you. Now I will mention three
things which I have learned from you my Ethiopian colleagues.
1. I have learned from you many Spiritual lessons.
Among these lessons are: accepting Bible as the true Word of God as it is
written, praying sincerely and continuously, and proclaiming the Gospel boldly
and intentionally to those who do not know Jesus yet. In this connection I would
like to express my gratitude to Rev. Marcos for receiving us into Ammist Kilo
Amharic congregation and letting us to feel at home among you. Thank you so
much for your brotherly respect and love in Christ!
2. Another lesson that I have learned from you is that
other people are always more important than time. Because if seems that often you
are not using your watches you could donate them away. We in Europe and Western
world are so bound with our watches and time. We are running around and being
tired of being busy. But you have time. Especially you have time to meet your
colleagues, your friends and extended family members and have a cup of Bunna
with them. This is very important especially when sorrow suddenly strikes us.
You do not leave your neighbor alone in sorrow.
3. Third important lesson that I have learned from you
and that I admire in you is your high motivation to study new things. Now I
refer especially to my students as I have learned to know more closely at least
some of you. You are really committed to study and learn. Even if you do not
have any scholarship and support from your own congregation or synod you sell
your ox and loan money from your friends and relatives in order to be able to
continue your Theological Studies. You are committed to serve Jesus and His
Church. I admire your commitment. This might be one of the reasons why Mekane
Yesus Church is the biggest Lutheran Church in the world today.
After saying this, however, I want to remind you that
in the academic study, as also in Theological Studies, the number of graduates
is not so important as is the quality of the graduates. I hope that also in MYS SoT more attention
would be given in the future to raise the academic level and quality of the
graduating students. The business card of MYS SoT are the students who have and
are graduating from it.
To close, I want to remind myself and also all of us
about the following aspects of our Biblical faith:
-
Christ is the center of our salvation; we are saved by
grace alone as Paul says in Ephesians chapter two verses eight and nine:
“For it is by
grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is
the gift of God—
not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus
to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
-
Word of God is the basis of our faith, not our own
feelings or thoughts: Psalm 119 verse 105 reads: “Your word is a lamp for my
feet, a light on my path.”
-
Finally, I want to repeat what Jesus said to His
disciples in Luke 17:10 “So
you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done
our duty.’” May God bless you all!
Rev. Esko
Siljanen
