Greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Last week we made a short trip to Ethiopia visiting with Rev. Yonas Yigezu, President of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus, and Rev. Tsadiku Abdo, President of the Ethiopian Evangelical Churches Fellowship.
President Yonas shares the following update:
A visit to one of the sites where some 5,000 IDPs are sheltered (Angar Guti). This family lost a son to a sniper only hours before our arrival. A pastor like myself cannot help but accept vulnerability when sharing space with overwhelming and desperate people, such as these. Trauma healing is as urgent as relief items are. Food and shelter are one thing, but life isn’t just that. These are members of Mekane Yesus (IDPs) at one of the temporary sites in Anger Guti. Many among these women are with small, newborn babies. One cannot avoid tears. Trauma and healing is critically necessity. Please take a moment to pray—Lord have mercy on us.
We traveled to extend our support and show our solidarity with them in this time of crisis and pain. We extended financial support to both, since their needs are urgent. Sixty-six Mekane Yesus churches were destroyed, and eleven Evangelical Churches were also destroyed in the Halaba area. Over six hundred Mekane Yesus pastors are also displaced, having lost their congregations and are suffering without their monthly income to support their families.
If you are interested in assisting with financial support, please consider making a donation to the NALC’s Ethiopian Church Relief Fund. To donate online, please visit: Ethiopian Church Relief Fund. Alternatively, it is possible to send a check through the postal mail to the NALC. (Please send a short note/cover letter and note “Ethiopian Church Relief Fund” in the memo line of the check.) Please keep these church leaders, pastors, and congregants in your prayers.