July 25, 2008 

Some of you who read this report have asked about the ongoing food crises in Ethiopia. There isn’t much about it in our news papers or on our television news broadcasts. Articles on Google News have been telling about the problems for several months. Current news reports can still be found everyday on Google News. Non Government Organizations (NGOs) in Ethiopia have been told not to take pictures or to spread the news saying another famine has come to that country. We have received many letters from local church leaders informing us about the problems they are facing everyday. The picture of what is left of a little child at a relief station was taken from a Voice of America internet news report which said 14 million Ethiopians are facing problems similar to the 1984 tragedy that took the lives of millions of people before it was over.   Seasonal rains have come to Ethiopia but there are few crops in the ground. Families have eaten all the grain that would have been their seeds. Other food crops have dried up and died because of the drought conditions that lasted for two planting seasons. There are some large humanitarian organizations that are supplying food to the most severely affected areas. We would like to help through the local churches in those areas, but our church leaders have said it would cause problems if we did at this time. If we receive approval to help, we will immediately notify all of you. Our brotherhood relief organizations are standing ready to be involved as soon as we have approval to go forward. Please remember this situation in your prayers.         

Guta Dirba is from a place called Wama Gamo, which is about 50 miles from the school in Nekemte. He was born deaf. He is an orphan as his mother and father died while he was a small child. His uncle took Guta into his home to raise. The family is extremely poor and was not able to properly provide for their own children and Guta. Since there was no school for the deaf anywhere in his area, as soon as he was old enough Guta was assigned to watch his uncle’s cattle all day.  Many children in Ethiopia are shepherds by the time they are 4 or 5 years old. The Department of Social Services became aware of Guta’s need for an education and brought him to our school and asked that he be admitted. This is Guta’s first year in school. He had no ability at all to communicate with others. He was unable to interact with the other students when he came, but slowly he started to learn sign language and a new world was opened up for him. He quickly came to love to be with the other deaf children and to have his own bed in the dorm. He told our director that he now has a big happy family.

Chaltu Gari was brought to our school from a town called Najo. Najo is 240 miles from Nekemte. Chaltu has been an orphan most of her life as her parents died when she was very young. She knows what it means to have nothing. She had no family and spent her time begging on the streets of Najo. The same streets were the only home she knew. The Department of Social Services picked her up and brought her to our school. She trusted no one when she came. She had no memory of ever being loved by anyone. She had never been inside a school before. But all that started to change after she began to feel the warmth of others who had once been like her and understood everything she was feeling. For the first time in her life she felt accepted. However, the years of neglect had taken its toll on this young life. She has struggled during her first year at school. She will need to repeat the beginner class again next year. But that’s ok. It really doesn’t matter how long it takes, our school and the love she feels there will bring the needed changes and growth and in a few years Chaltu will be a beautiful, productive and wonderful young lady.

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June 25, 2008

Dear Brethren and Friends of the Gospel Outreach to Ethiopia,

On August 1, 1997 we signed a working agreement with the Sunset International Bible Institute (SIBI) in Lubbock, Texas.  At that time we had two Level 1 Preacher Training Schools in Ethiopia; one was in Jajura and the second in Santariea.  The purpose of our agreement with SIBI was to make these schools better.  We needed to upgrade our curriculum, to provide intensive training for our Ethiopian instructors and to add additional SIBI Branch Schools where they were needed in order to meet the demand for trained preachers and teachers in the new congregations that were being established.  Since that time, SIBI has provided all the teaching materials, lesson outlines and video courses that were requested.  SIBI instructors have made many trips to Ethiopia to teach and train our staff members.  Brother Truman Scott taught two sessions of the “Master Teachers Certification” courses.  In 2004 a third SIBI Level 1 Branch School was constructed and opened in the city of Nekemte, located in the Western Region of Ethiopia.  This school was needed because the church had been established in that area and many new congregations had been planted and they were begging for their men to be trained as preachers and teachers.  The people in the Western Region spoke a different language and we needed to train men to preach for their people in that language.  We had a Level 2 Preacher Training School in Addis Ababa, but it was not conducted on a regular schedule.  In 2005 the Level 2 facilities in Addis Ababa were upgraded and the SIBI Level 2 School was established with a regular training schedule.  It is from the graduates of the Level 2 program that we obtain our teachers for the three Level 1 schools.  From May 2007 to May 2008, a total of 122 men graduated from the three Level 1 Preacher Training Schools.  Nine men graduated from our Level 2 program making a total of 131 new gospel preachers trained in one year.  Some of these men went to new areas to preach and establish churches.  Most of them went back to the congregations that sent them to become full time staff members.  The preacher training program continues to be the thrust of the gospel outreach in Ethiopia. 

On Wednesday July 2^nd, Joe Boe and Kevin Schwiger, both graduates of SIBI in Lubbock, will arrive in Addis Ababa.  They will open a Level 2 training course at the school in Nekemte.  This session will be conducted in English and the students will be brethren from Eastern Sudan who have been living as refugees in Ethiopia.  In August, Lynn Campbell from Omaha, Texas and Tyrone Mynhier from Houston, Texas will arrive in Nekemte to replace Joe and Kevin and they will complete the teaching program.  Some courses will also be taught by our teaching staff from Addis Ababa.  Each year during the months of July, August and September 15 subjects are taught in English to our Sudanese brethren at the Nekemte School.  Usually, two or three English speaking Ethiopian brothers also attend the sessions.  Four of the Sudanese graduates from past sessions have since returned to Eastern Sudan and have established four congregations in the Nasir area and in the city of Malakal.  Eventually as the repatriation continues, all our Sudanese brethren will return to their homeland to preach.

Our brethren in the Southern regions of Ethiopia continue to tell us of the serious problems being caused by a severe drought.  On the left is a picture taken in the South of a small farm that has not been prepared for planting because there has been no rain.  At this time of year, crops should be planted and growing.  In the high plains of Central Ethiopia the seasonal rains have started and everyone is praying they will continue.  The shortage of food has caused a price increase of more than 100% in many areas. 

The picture on the right came across a UNICEF web page this past week.  The child is 10 years old and weighs less than 30 pounds.  This was the same thing we started seeing in 1983 just before the world was made aware of the massive famine going on in Ethiopia at that time.  There are always food shortage problems in Ethiopia as well as many African countries.  This time, the drought is causing problems for the areas where our churches are located and the people affected are our brethren.  When we visited Southern Ethiopia in March, we saw dry river beds where there had always been water for the past 40 years.  Please pray that the rains will continue and will be sufficient to produce a good harvest and will relieve our people of this impending disaster. 

On our last trip we visited this well that had been completed seven years ago.  It was still producing good water for the people in the Santariea area.  This little girl had brought two plastic containers to fill for her family.  She wasn’t born when this well was completed and she has never known what it is like to have to drink water contaminated with bacteria that makes people sick and some times causes them to die.  Her family attends one of our near by congregations.  She may not know that the hearts of her parents were touched by this great gift and they were willing to listen to the Christian people who provided the well for them.  This is a story that has been repeated more than 200 times because our crew has drilled 205 wells in places that badly needed clean water.  Please pray that we will be able to drill at least another 30 new wells before the end of 2008.   More than 900,000 people get their water from the 205 wells we have completed.  

These young ladies attend our School for the Deaf in Nekemte.  They are sitting on their beds in the new girls dorm at the school.  These deaf girls come from areas all over the Western Region.  Most of them are orphans or have been abandoned by their parents and relatives.  This is the first time some of them have ever had a bed of their own.  We have 28 deaf children living in the new dorms; 14 girls and 14 boys.  Thanks to all of you who pray for and support all the good work being accomplished in Ethiopia.  You are making a difference!

                                                                                                John Ed Clark

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  May 26, 2008

Dear Brethren and Friends of the Gospel Outreach to Ethiopia,

This report is different than others we have written recently. The following three pages contain a report with pictures of a missionary journey made by Brothers Moges, Abebe and Bekele last month. I hope you enjoy reading this report as much as I did as I put it together with the pictures Moges took along the way.

It was in June of 1968 that I made my first trip into some of the same areas where these brethren traveled. At that time there were few congregations, no roads, no bridges and no trained preachers. We walked most of the time carrying our supplies with us. Some times we rode mules. Some places we were welcomed; some places we found we were unwelcome. In the following three years we probably visited 50 to 60 places. We saw some of the new churches and helped train some of their preachers. What used to take us 10 hours to walk can now be reached by Land Cruiser in an hour.

Today, they call us the pioneers. That sounds ancient, doesn’t it? Today, just in the Soro area there is more than a hundred churches with tens of thousands of members in them. There are other areas in Southern Ethiopia that have equally as many churches and even more members. I am reminded of the parables Jesus told in Mark 4 about the growth of the kingdom. The farmer plants the seed and then he waits. He can’t explain how it happens and he can’t make the seeds grow. That is God’s business. We were then and our Ethiopian preaching brethren still are seed planters. God has always blessed the seed and it has reproduced itself; some a hundred fold, some sixty and some thirty. (Matthew 13:23)

Another thing that has encouraged us through the years is that so many of you who read these reports have been with us along the way. Others are still catching the vision of reaching out to the lost and are praying and giving so the work can progress and grow.

In a statement we printed recently in a report, Brother Demere informed us that over 8000 young people have gone through our Christian schools. Many of them are part of the churches. More than 200 water wells have been drilled since 2001 providing clean water to almost a million people. This has opened a door for the “seed” to be planted in many places.

We read in the news reports coming out of Ethiopia today about a pending food crises that is already affecting 4 million people in Southern and Eastern Ethiopia. We are standing by to see what we may be called to do. God’s work never stops. It must go on and He will depend on us to provide the effort and energy to see that His purpose is accomplished.

I pray that you will enjoy reading Brother Moges’ report.

John Ed Clark 

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Brother Moges' Report

On Saturday morning, April 5^th, we all prayed together and then left Addis Ababa on our trip to Jajura. We arrived safely at 11:50 that same morning. More than 800 Christians from surrounding churches had come to spend three 3 days studying God’s word together. There was not enough room inside the building and people were gathered outside. Brother Abebe and myself preached for 4 hours that afternoon.

On Sunday morning Bible classes started at 10:00 and gospel preaching continued until 2 P.M. in the afternoon. 700 people attended the assembly that day. Because many of the members had to walk up to 8 hours to their homes, it was necessary to dismiss and say good bye to many of our beloved brethren.

On Monday, April 7, Abebe and I spent the day teaching the 20 students attending the Jajura School of Preaching (PTS) along with the school instructors. It was a good day to be with the men who will soon be taking the gospel to many new areas in the Soro region.

On Tuesday, April 8^th, we left early to travel to the Willie congregation. This church is about 25 miles from Jajura. It was established in 1972 and they have 400 members, five elders and 4 full time evangelists. The evangelists are all graduates of the Jajura PTS. We spent 4 hours with them preaching and studying God’s Word. It was a time of great encouragement. After we were dismissed, we were invited to Bro. Mulugeta’s home where we were served Doro Wat (Chicken Stew). They showed us their love in every way possible.    After lunch we continued our journey to the Meko congregation. It is about 7 miles from Willie.  This was the first time we have visited the Meko church since it was established in 1974. They have 200 members, 3 elders and 3 full time evangelists. Over the years this congregation has been targeted to be destroyed by denominational preachers and leaders. They have caused division among the members. It was good that we were able to be there to teach for two hours and encourage them. They are now strong and growing and are in the process of building the new church building pictured here. It was late by the time we started our travel back to Jajura. Even with the hour being so late, we were asked to stop by and visit with the brethren at a new congregation at a place called Angaga. They have constructed an old style Tukul church building pictured on the right. It was good to visit a new place and new Christians who are excited to be a part of the Lord’s Church.

On Wednesday, April 9^th, we left Jajura early to travel to Humero. This place is about 30 miles south and west of Jajura. Brother Desalegn Arficho, one of the oldest preachers in all of Ethiopia serves as the minister of this church. He had been the preacher at the Sawe church and then moved to Humero because he was born there and the church had not been established. They now have about 100 members and 3 elders. Bro. Desalegn had already killed a lamb before we arrived and it was being prepared for our lunch. It was a wonderful experience for us to be cared for and loved by our brethren everywhere we traveled.

Humero is a very beautiful remote area. Its people are very poor, but they are so willing to share what they have. We preached for four hours to more than 200 brethren who had come from the surrounding areas where there are 9 other congregations. They begged us to spend the night with them because the road back to Jajura was so rough. But, we had to leave them and returned to Jajura about 6 P.M. that evening. It had been a good day.

On Thursday, April 10^th we traveled to the Hangeda congregation. This church is about 5 miles from Jajura. Because of the attacks brought by preachers from the denominational churches, this church has had to stand unified against false doctrine and this has made them a strong.They have four full time evangelists who are all graduates of the Jajura PTS. We were able to spend 5 hours preaching and encouraging them to stand strong in the faith. It was a wonderful day of fellowship, prayer and studying God’s word with a people who have been tried and tested and did not shrink back from the truth.

On Friday, April 11^th we left early for our trip to visit the Gedachamo Church of Christ. This trip ended up being the most difficult because the rain had made it impossible to travel over the muddy road. We were forced to park the Land Cruiser and walk for 45 more minutes to reach the building with all the people waiting for us to arrive. This church has 430 members and 7 elders. The evangelist who planted this church in 1975 was Brother Benchamo. He was also the one who gave the land on which they built a very large church building. We preached and encouraged the brethren here for four hours. They begged us for more, but because of the long walk and distance back to Jajura it was necessary that we leave them. It had been a wonderful experience being there.

On Saturday, April 12^th, we were scheduled to go to Zeta. The congregation in Zeta is one of the largest, having more than 1000 members, 7 elders and several full time evangelists. We spent 4 hours preaching and teaching at Zeta and then started back to Jajura. On the way it started to rain and the road became impossible to travel over. We parked the car and waited until 7:30 P.M. and then decided to leave the Land Cruiser there with some brethren and we walked to Ginbichu to spend the night in Brother Mathewos’ home.

On Sunday, April 13 we rose early in the morning. Brother Bekele was able to bring the Land Cruiser to Ginbichu. After having a prayer of thanksgiving with the brethren who helped us through this difficult time, we left and drove back to Jajura. We changed our clothes and then left for Hosana to worship with the church there. The members were so very happy to have us come and visit with them. Following the worship, we went to the prison in Hosana to visit and encourage a brother who is incarcerated there. Then we returned to Jajura where we had some time to rest. Our trip up until that time had been very tiring and we needed some time to recover.

On Monday, April 14^th, Brother Markos from Gumbo came very early to take us to his congregation. Gumbo was in the same area where our Land Cruiser had been stuck so we knew we would face a problem. We decided to park the car in Ginbichu and walk the rest of the way to Gumbo, but when we arrived in Ginbichu, the day was bright, so Markos insisted that we drive on to Gumbo. On the way we passed by another church at Arara. The leaders were waiting beside the trail for us and asked that we come and see their new building which was under construction. We had helped them purchase some corrugated metal sheets for their roof. They were very happy that we stopped and they fed us bread and honey during our fellowship with them.   The Gumbo brethren had built a bridge for us to cross to make it possible to travel to their church building.   They were pleased when they saw our Land Cruiser cross their new bridge. They had gone to a lot of trouble to make this possible. The church in Gumbo was established in 1972. They have over 500 members. We spent four hours preaching that day. They had already prepared a lamb for our lunch and we had a great fellowship.

That afternoon we were scheduled to visit 4 other places. But because of the rains and the lack of roads to those places, we begged to be excused and promised we would return to visit them in November. There are so many places we want to visit in the future.

Summery of our trip

This trip was different from others trips which we made before.   In 11 days we were able to meet with members from 52 churches and many leaders and preachers. We had a chance to go and teach at 10 places. These were Jajura, Willie, Meko, Humaro, Hangeda, Gedachamo, Zeta, Harara, Gumbo and Hosana.  I myself the last 16 years have been involved in the Kingdom ministry and have made several evangelical trips.  But I never had a chance to visit this many places, congregations and preachers in one trip. We found that preachers and Church leaders are strong in their faith.  We were encouraged very much when we see their faith, their love, their hospitality and their eagerness to learn the word of God day and night.  We really believe that we need to concentrate and do the same thing every other place too. At least once in a year we need to go to those areas and spend 15 – 20 days.  We have a special appreciation for Bro. Walde Ghorghis and others who are working with him.  He may not be able to go to every place but he is sending brothers to do the job. Because of this effort the Churches of Christ have flourished in the Soro area.    I also really want to appreciate Bros. Abebe and Bekele for their dedication to accomplish our task this time. I have seen many changes in Bekele’s life. He asked to speak and share what he has in his mind in three places and took 15 to 20 minutes each time to encourage the Church as much us he can and this what we want to see in every ones life.

                                                                                    Brother Moges Wolde