Ethiopia Update – January 2020
I hope that you all had a wonderful CHRISTMAS and New Year holiday. As we come to begin the NEW YEAR of 2020, my earnest prayer for all of us is that may we all recommit ourselves to His Lordship and Kingdom purpose for our lives. I want you to know that we are grateful for the Lord’s ministry through you in His Kingdom.
The following are some of the updates in our ministry in Ethiopia.
1. Distributing goats for our orphans and vulnerable children as Christmas gift.
We thank God for our goat’s project because its impact is growing year by year and changes many lives significantly. Just last week we were able to distribute 16 goats for sixteen different orphans and vulnerable children who are from 10 various villages in the surrounding towns of Nazareth, Welenchity and Boffa. No words can express how much they were so exited and thankful to God for this provision.
One of our pastors from the village called Boffa named by Burussei said that this gift has impacted his village by brining the message that our church is taking care of not only its members but also the orphans in the village. As a result of that reputation, the church has increased and the number of new converts getting increased time to time. And He added that the project has become a tool to reach out to many more people in the village by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
According to his testimony three years ago a 9-year girl named by Teje Taddese who lost both of her parents and lives with her old grand-mother has got a chance to receive a goat. Now, after three years; her goat has multiplied and reaches 23 additional goats. Now she is able educate herself, covers all her food expenses and also the expenses of school supplies and uniforms every year as a result of this project. She even generously gave 7 goats to other needy orphans and vulnerable children in her villages. Praise God!!!
Pastor Taddesse who is our regional coordinator distributed the goats to the orphans
2. Providing bread for the community in Mehoni town, Tigray region.
Tilahun Abebe is one of our regional coordinators in Tigray & Afar regions in the Northern part of Ethiopia. He lives in the town called Mehoni and he has the vision for his town and for the entire region of Tigray. Just two weeks ago I visited him and I thank God for the incredible things that he is doing in that region.
By mobilizing some other Christians from other towns and he has got two locally made baking machines and distributes bread for vulnerable children freely and for the community with a reasonable and affordable price. The impact of this project is huge and reach out many more people.
However, he has got a challenge, because, since the machines are locally made; the electric consumption is very high and it affects the project. And now he is looking for other options which is buying better machine that have less electric consumption.
Our regional coordinator Tilahun Abebe with our baking machines.
3. Prayer and encouragement conference in Tigray Region, Ethiopia
Conducting prayer and encouragement conference is one of the purposes of my Visit to Tigray region. We have more than 11 churches in this region and the surrounding region called Afar. Since the regions are predominately populated by Orthodox and Islam religions followers; our churches are suffering in many ways: – such as the challenge of getting a rental house for gathering for prayer and worship and excommunication from the community.
Two weeks ago we organized a prayer and an encouragement conference in the town called Mehoni which is relatively better town for gathering. More than 25 leaders and prayer warriors gathered together from 12 different towns and villages and spent three days in prayer and sharing the word of God together.
They were so encouraged and exited about this meeting. Most of them said that they encouraged a lot by this meeting and it will help them to keep fighting the good fight of faith in Christ Jesus. I thank God for that!! And I would like to organize more meetings in various regions of the country.
Our leaders and prayer warriors in Tigray region.
4. Prayer Requests
I take this opportunity to thank all our friends and ministry partners all over the world for your faithful commitment and support in the past year of 2019. Last year, we have achieved more than what we expected. I believe that this happened it was because of your prayer and support. And I would like to say Thank you and God bless you.
We will continue keeping you updated of our work and our prayer requests.
Here under are some lists of our prayer requests:
- Pray for the current situation of Ethiopia for may peace prevails in the country.
- Pray for our churches in Northern part of Ethiopia particularly in Tigray and Afar regions that God would continue giving them strength to stand firm in their faith in Christ when they pass through any kinds of persecutions and hardships in the regions.
- Pray for our project in Tigray region which is providing bread for our vulnerable children that may God would enable us to purchase better baking machine.
- Pray for this year mass baptism event. We have prepared more than 1,500 new converts who ready to take water baptism this year March. So, pray that God would enable us to transport those new believers from their villages to the river.
Samson Weldemariam/Pst/
Vice – president of U4A and Ethiopia Director