Ethiopia Update – March 2020

1. The J-life Discipleship Training in Ethiopia.

I met Pastor Billy and his wife Darleen Honc who is East African director for J-life Africa ministry almost a year and half ago in Addis Ababa. We discussed and shared with one another about what God is doing in Africa and in Ethiopia and the needs of the African churches today. And we decided to work together to build a disciple-making movement in Africa. This movement is about multiplying individual disciples through disciple making disciples and multiplying leaders through leaders discipling leaders. Since this mission is very similar with our vision and mission as Unite 4 Africa and Emmanuel United Church we embraced it and go with it.

After that, I have recruited 16 pastors and regional leaders to take them through this training. It took them one year to complete the four modules of the training and had a great time with them receiving their Certificates of Completion after a year of training and journeying just last month.

I have confident on them that God is going to use them mightily to mobilize this movement in their churches, regions and in Nation at large. Most of them have already started training others and have seen the fruits of changing the lives of our leaders and churches.

Receiving of Certificates of Completion

2. My Visit to South Africa.

I was fortunate to visit South Africa to connect with different churches and Pastors and to attend the J-life international discipleship summit. Along side attending the summit I got an opportunity to visit the “Friend of God Church” family in Cape Town, South Africa and had great time with them sharing our vision and what we are doing in Africa as Unite 4 Africa and Emmanuel United church. Met and spent a wonderful time with a great man of God, full of wisdom, vision, and leadership Pastor Gerald Ferreira & his wife the lead Pastor of the Church.

I also met and spent fruitful time with other Pastors, Pastor Carlo and Pastor Nicko. Their lives, the commitment & love they have for Jesus touched my life. I really enjoyed the church service on Sunday morning and evening as well. I have got a privilege to share the word of God and my life and ministry journey with Jesus with the young people in the Church and had an unforgettable time of fellowship. As we always say “Stories change worldview” and I believe that my story & testimony has changed many.

I take this opportunity and would like to thank Pastor Jerald, for organizing all this and for good taking care of me. I hope this relationship will bear more fruits in the future for the kingdom work as we keeping in touch with them.

Fellowship time with youth of Friend of God Church.

3. Our Animal Project has been transforming the lives of many orphans

Last year we were able distribute more than 200 goats and cows for hundreds of orphans and vulnerable children in various communities of our region. We have also prepared for this year and we are thankful for God the team who are coming from US will be involved in giving out goats to our orphans in the upcoming mission trip to Ethiopia in next month of March.

We have completed the work of screening and make 15 orphans ready to give them goats next month. I am so much exited by the team who are coming from US to hand over those goats to our orphans and I believe that it will a life changing moment for them to see how a small gift will someone’s life significantly.

4. Prayer Requests

Here under are some lists of our prayer requests:

• Praise God for our ministry. Our ministry is growing time to time and transforming many lives.
• Praise God for the church planting movement in Ethiopia. It has been bringing many souls to Christ.
• Praise God for those new converts who have decided and accepted Jesus and ready to get baptized.
• Pray for our new Disciple making movement that has been taking place. May God would be enabling us to disciple many more disciple makers so that the movement can continue.
• Keep praying for the protection of our leaders specially those who are serving in unsecured areas of the country.
• Pray for our projects such as “goat project” and “Leaders’ Empowerment Training” programs that may God provide us the necessary budget so that we are able to conduct more trainings in various parts of the country.

Samson Weldemariam/Pst/
Vice – president of U4A and Ethiopia Director