Ethiopia Updates – February 2022

1. Another Baptism Event – South Omo

This is another breakthrough that God has given us in this new mission field to Evangelize and plant new churches in the place called South Omo in the Southern Region of Ethiopia. Currently we are working in the communities called Hamar, Turmi and Karo. Those communities are nomadic and among the most unreached people groups in the country and follow their own customs and traditions strictly.

Just last week, we baptized 134 people in the river called Omo. This is historic event in the entire region because it is the first time that such number of indigenous people got baptized.

Our mission team from the head office led by Pastor Getahun Tadesse the president of EEUC visited the region, encouraged the people, ministered to them and administered the baptism event. We thank God for His amazing work in the region and just within a year we are able to plant more than 20 Churches various villages.

Baptism Event in South Omo Region, Ethiopia

2. Marriage & Family Counsellors Graduation – Awasa

Addressing the needs of a whole person: spiritual, physical, social and economically is our vision and mission as Unite 4 Africa team. We believe that real transformation comes from within the community itself and successful community transformation initiatives must be owned by the community and individuals. And our role is empowering communities and individuals to transform themselves.

Marriage & Family Counsellors Graduation Event in Awasa

One of the areas that we believe that transformation has to be taken place is Marriage and Family. In order to combat the challenges that we are facing today in our marriages; we come up with the program called EMC (Empowering Marriage Counsellors) so that we Train, Mentor and Coach Marriage Counsellors in various regions of the country. This program is a 10 months program and it contains selective Biblically based courses in it that address the current challenges and issues of marriage and family.

So far, we have trained 179 counsellors in the towns called Diredawa, Adama/Nazareth/, Awasa and Butajira. And currently the program is going on in Addis Ababa, and Awasa again. Just last week, we held a joyful and colorful graduation event in Awasa and 44 additional counsellors graduated from this Program. We believe that those graduates will be used by God to transform their own local Churches and Communities on the issue of marriage and family.

3. School Class Rooms Renewal – Butajira

Bible based Education is very key to transform communities and to make the future of our children bright. Currently, Unite 4 Africa is working in 15 Schools here in Ethiopia. We are being involved in various projects and programs in our schools such as providing clean water, providing school supplies, training and empowering our teachers etc.

Few months ago, we got funds from Unite 4 Africa to enhance our schools so that our students get better education and have a good and friendly school environment.

Our school in Butajira is one of the beneficiaries from this project. The project aims to renew class rooms and desks so that our students get better education, good class rooms and good school environment. And we have renewed 7 old class rooms by working and changing broken doors & windows, fixing many Desks and painting of the walls.

Our School in Butajira have totally 110 students from Nursery to grade 5. The school has been bringing a great impact in the lives of our students and the community at large. God is using our school to reach out many Muslims to come to Christ.

4. Conclusion, Praise & Prayer Requests

These are praises and prayer request items to pray about with us: –

• Thank God for our EMC (Empowering Marriage Counsellors) program. God is using it to help our families to resolve the conflicts that arise in many marriages and reduce the divorce rate in our communities.
• Thank God for our school projects. We have seen the lives our children are being changed holistically and the transformation impact is visible in our communities.
• Continue to pray for our ministry outreach in South Omo remote regions. May God would continue transform those nomadic communities holistically by addressing all their needs.

Samson Weldemariam /Pst/
Vice – president and Africa director of U4A