An Ongoing Mission Project Dear to the Heart of Our Congregation

THE GOSPEL OUTREACH IN JIMMA, ETHIOPIA

Jimma is located in southwestern Ethiopia.  It is the capital city of what used to be called the Kaffa Province.  From the word”Kaffa” we get our English word “Coffee”.  Coffee is said to have originated in Kaffa.  The city of Jimma has over 300,000 people  at present.  Our preachers went there first during 2004 and 2005.

In 2006 a kindergarten was established on land given to the church by the city of Jimma.  The school auditorium serves as the the meeting place for the Jimma congregation.  The children for the new school were from the poorest families in the Jimma community.  The KG has provided a wonderful opportunity to reach the families of our students with the gospel.  The school is a great example of education in the Jimma community.  One of the preachers in Jimma is Brother Degu.  He is doing a great mission even thought Jimma is a tough place.

THE SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF IN JIMMA & MAZONIA, ETHIOPIA

Every morning many children come to our Schools for the Deaf in JIMMA and Mazoria from homes where there is no food for breakfast.  Some of the deaf children have walked for miles and are tired and hungry when they arrive.  Each day they receive a fresh loaf of bread and a cup of hot tea at the school.  This is the common breakfast in homes where there is food.

THE PROCESS OF ESTABLISHING A CHURCH IN ETHIOPIA

On every trip to Ethiopia we are blessed as we sit with men being trained as gospel preachers and to listen to their life stories.  Some of them have grown up in the church.  Some are new Christians.  Some are sent to the training schools before they have been baptized and in some cases there is no congregation in the area where they live.  These men become very eager to share the good news they have received.

One great example of this is Awoke Etebo.  His home is at a place called Dabule, Gombora.  A water well had been completed nearby.  The hearts of the people had been touched by the wonderful gift of pure clean water.  Awoke was there the day that Bezuna Kelbako came and preached.  After the sermon, Bezuna was asked to study more with them and soon, twenty people, including Awoke, were converted and obeyed the gospel.  Bezuna continued preaching for the new congregation until one of the 20 converts named Tamarat Sugabo was sent to the Jajura School of Preaching and had returned home to serve as their preacher.  The new church then chose Awoke and sent him to be trained.

Eyasu Belacho, and Teskara Abdesa are from an area in the Western Region of Ethiopia called Gumze.  These men are members of that tribe and speak a language that is specific to that region.  They are both students this term at the Nekemte School of Preaching.  The first preacher to enter the Gumze region to preach the gospel was Abeyot Onaba.  Abeyot graduated from the Nekemte School in May 2011.  Another graduate named Jano Bagesha accompanied Abeyot and together they established a house church in the village of Benshangul.  It was there that Eyasu and Teskara obeyed the gospel message and were added to that new church.  Abeyot and Jano sent them to Nekemte to be trained and then return home to serve as ministers in Benshangul.  Our Santariea Preacher Training School teachers are playing tremendous roll in strengthening and keeping churches diligently following the New Testament pattern of faith.

OUR PRAYER IS

Please remember these churches, especially the new congregations, in your constant prayers.  Remember also the faithful brethren who are vigilant and dedicated to watching out for all the false teachers who seek to lead God’s people away.  Our prayer is that you will continue to be blessed through the sacrifice you make for this great ministry.  Continue to pray for Kevin and John Ed Clark who’ve made this information available to us.

THANK YOU

We sincerely appreciate all of you who faithfully support the Lord’s work in Ethiopia.  We understand the difficult economic conditions we are all living through at this time.  Still, you are faithful and the eternal destiny of many people in Ethiopia is being made secure through you.