Dear friends in the harvest, warm greetings. It is my prayer that the joy and peace of Easter fill your heart and home with love and laughter. As you celebrate His resurrection, may it bring you hope, happiness, and countless blessings.
Wishing you a Happy Easter!
Three Months Ministry Update
God is moving with us amazingly as usual. In the last three months from January – March 2024 through GCM staff and volunteers working under my leadership efforts we could achieve the following results: 1. Prayer and fasting: Over 7,773 people mobilized and trained for prayer 2. Training: Over 37,369 people were trained for action, both for evangelism, discipleship, leadership, a healthy marriage, children, and church planting… 3. Gospel Exposure: Over 685,183 people heard the gospel message, decision for Christ: 20,981 decisions to follow Christ, follow-up engagement: 11,934 new believers follow up, 4. Planted churches andgroups: 192 churches and groups with a membership of 6227 new believers. 5. Bible Study: 7226 believers are engaged in weekly bible study within 867 groups.
Prayer Request
We need your prayers in the following areas:
Healthy Family: Since we relocated to our new house, we have been constantly worried, visiting the doctor almost every week.
Financial Support: We are currently facing a critical situation due to a significant increase in our living expenses. We kindly ask for your prayers, seeking God’s provision of families and individuals who can support us, enabling us to continue the ministry entrusted to us.
We extend our warm greetings to you in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. As we celebrate Ethiopian Christmas and step into the new year, we find it essential to reflect on the remarkable journey that 2023 has been for our family and ministry. It has been a year filled with challenges, milestones, and the unwavering faithfulness of God. We are immensely thankful for the significant moments that have shaped our lives, and we are eager to share with you some of the major highlights that have taken place in our lives during the past year.
Family Update
At the beginning of 2023, our hearts swelled with joy as we witnessed our special needs daughter, Bethany, taking her first steps. Her journey from crawling to confidently walking and even jumping has been a testament to the remarkable progress in her development. We are filled with gratitude for the milestones she has achieved and the resilience she has shown.
Another significant change in our lives was our move to Addis Ababa after seven years of living in Debre Zeit. This transition allowed us to find a suitable facility for Bethany, tailored to her special needs. Additionally, she became the first student at the first Down syndrome school in Ethiopia, a place we had fervently prayed for and sought for the past two years. This progress has brought immeasurable joy and hope to our family.
Furthermore, we were blessed to receive generous gifts that enabled us to complete the basic finishing work on our house. Despite the challenges we faced, we are grateful that all members of our immediate and extended family made it through the year alive. Each moment has been a testimony to God’s faithfulness and provision in our lives.
Ministry Update
In 2023, our ministry witnessed remarkable growth and impact. The responsibilities entrusted to us for national leadership were met with God’s enabling grace, resulting in abundant fruits. Here are some of the key achievements that marked our ministry’s journey:
Prayer and Fasting: Over 62,502 people were mobilized and trained for prayer, fostering a culture of spiritual growth and intercession.
Training: More than 158,981 individuals were equipped for various aspects of ministry, including evangelism, discipleship, leadership, healthy marriage, children, and church planting.
Gospel Exposure: The message of the gospel reached over 2,535,409 people, leading to 107,679 decisions to follow Christ. A total of 53,575 new believers were engaged in follow-up, nurturing their newfound faith.
Church Planting and Groups: A total of 785 churches and groups were planted, and about 17,859 new believers into the community of faith.
Bible Study: An average of 8208 believers engaged in weekly bible study within 687 groups, fostering spiritual growth and community.
Special Events: Notable events such as the Ignite Women Conference, 21 Days of Fasting and Prayer, Staff Achievement Annual Celebration, Reaching Oral People initiative, and Children Summer Camp were instrumental in mobilizing, training, and engaging individuals for transformative ministry.
Partnership Development: Emphasizing missional effectiveness and self-sustainability, we have made significant strides in developing partnerships and fostering sustainable growth in our ministry endeavors.
Gratitude
As we reflect on the milestones of 2023, we are filled with gratitude for the lives transformed, the communities reached, and the hope that has been ignited. Each achievement stands as a testament to the unwavering commitment and dedication of every individual who has contributed to these significant milestones.
Prayer Request
We humbly request your prayers in the following areas:
Healthy Family: Over the past three months, our family has faced constant health challenges. The impact has been particularly significant on our special needs daughter, Bethany, whose low immunity makes her vulnerable. Your compassionate prayers for our family’s health and strength are deeply appreciated.
Financial Support: We find ourselves in a critical situation due to the increasing cost of living in the capital city. Our living expenses have risen, and the burden of school payments and housing loan back payments has added to our financial strain. Despite our prayers for increased support, our monthly sustenance has been decreasing. We earnestly seek your prayers for God’s provision of families and individuals who can support us, enabling us to continue the ministry entrusted to us.
As we look back on the journey of 2023, we find ourselves standing on the foundation of faith, hope, and unwavering commitment. We are deeply grateful for your continued support, prayers, and encouragement that have sustained us through every challenge and problem. Together, let us step into the new year with hearts filled with hope, faith, and the assurance of God’s faithfulness.
Dear family and freinds, We greet you in the precious name of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, who called us to serve him in this generation. It is our prayer that the Lord keeps you safe and under His mercy. The last three months for our family were unique, and we are enjoying God’s blessings and mercy. These are the highlights: Ebenezer, our second child, was promoted to grade two. Lydia, our daughter, was promoted to grade 5 with a high score. She stood out as a star student in the academic year at the school. Bethany, our third daughter, is growing healthy and improving her walking skills. We have celebrated our children’s birthdays. Lydia turned 10, Ebenezer turned 7, and Bethany turned 5.
Three Months Ministry Update
God is moving with us amazingly as usual. In the last three months through full-time staff and volunteers’ efforts under my leadership, we could achieve the following results Prayer and fasting: Over 30,583 people mobilized and trained for prayer Training: Over 39,861 people were trained for action, both for evangelism, discipleship, leadership, a healthy marriage, children, and church planting… Gospel Exposure: Over 889,889 people heard the gospel message, decision for Christ: decisions to follow Christ, follow-up engagement: 16,696 new believers follow up, Planted churches andgroups: 272 churches and groups with a membership of 4,947 new believers. Bible Study: 8,748 believers are engaged in weekly bible study within 972 groups.
Staff Achievement Annual Celebration: Every three months, my leadership team evaluates each staff member’s progress with the objective of identifying things going well that need to be improved. In the six-month progress evaluation and monitoring, we sit with the staff and deal with their next improvement steps. Then every 12 months or yearly, we evaluate each staff member’s progress in detail, and at the end, we celebrate together, encourage the model achievers, and set improvement points. One-Year Achievement Summary July 2022 – June 2023 i. Over 15,646 people mobilized for prayer and fasting. ii. Training = 126,493 iii. Exposure = 2,157,735 iv. Decision = 95,715 v. Follow up = 46,960 vi. Planted Churches = 724 with members of 15,716 new believers vii. Bible Study Group established = 1594 group with 21,054 believers viii. 36 Evangelism groups established with about 2000 active members
We celebrated our achievements together in the last month with GCM 108 staff under my leadership in the presence of National strategy leaders, the Global VP (Dr. Bekele Shanko), the National Director (Dr. Girma Altaye), and StroryRnners Global Team. We have acknowledged the model staff, region, and strategies.
Prayer and Praise:
Praise the Lord for the people who heard the good news, decided to follow Jesus, and planted churches.
Prayer: 1. Pray that the Lord gives us wisdom and knowledge. 2. We are hoping to move to Addis Ababa at the beginning of September, please keep praying for us.
Dear co-workers, I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and Savior, who has called us to serve Him in this generation. It’s our prayer that the Lord keeps you and your family safe. We are enjoying God’s gratefulness in our daily life and ministry. Here is a short update on my family and ministry in the last three months. Our daughters and son are growing healthy. Lydia and Ebenezer finished today their second-semester mid-exam. Bethany growing healthy. Ministry Highlights God is moving with us. In the last three months from January – March 2023 through GCM staff and volunteers’ efforts under my leadership: 1. Prayer and fasting: Over 7,337 people mobilized and trained for prayer and also prayed for the ministry within 423 groups. 2. Reaching Oral People: We have developed 42 stories in the Amharic Language that will be used for evangelism, discipleship, and church planting with the collaboration of StoryRunners. 3. Training: Over 28,149 people were trained for action, both for evangelism, discipleship, leadership, a healthy marriage, children, and church planting… 4. Gospel Exposure: Over 410,647 people heard the gospel message, decision for Christ: 19,653 decisions to follow Christ, follow-up engagement: 10,892 new believers follow up, 5. Planted churches and groups: 165 churches and groups with a membership of 4,582 new believers. 6. Bible Study: 8,517 believers are engaged in weekly bible study within 921 groups. 7. Food Support: 550 households supported food in Borena among the people who were and are experiencing severe drought and fodder scarcity.
Changed Life Story Impact of Story-Telling TrainingThe training was held in Yabelo from September 24 to October 22, 2022, with 18 participants; among the participants, two were Abagadas Waqefecha religion leaders, which is a cultural belief in Ethiopia, particularly among the Oromo tribes. We have never seen such a mixed audience for training. However, it opened a good opportunity to share the good news with the non-believers’ trainees, and they were expected to share what they learned or did with their neighbors and families every day after training and on weekends. There were also two Muslim English teachers working as local back translators twice a week, and they heard the good news very clearly through all the stories we were developing. One of them was very challenged, so he promised to spend more time reading the Bible. In addition to the trainees, we had 4-6 non-believers twice a week; all those gusts heard the story, retailed it, and provided feedback and concerns about the story. Generally, over 24 non-believers were engaged in the training in one way or another until it was completed Well-known two religious leaders, Abo Guyo and Abo Dida believed in Christ during the training. Azmach had a conversation with the Abagedas as follows: As I interviewed Abo Guyo, I asked him how this training had helped him. He said, “It helped me in many ways.” I got my salvation and learned many things. This training is about the work of God, and that’s what I enjoyed. And I got something I call God’s son: “I very much like that I am the son of God.” He explained to me that he was used to everyone calling him father, so it was so good to know that he was a son of God. I asked him to share a little more of his story with me. He said, “At first when they came and told us about the gospel, I didn’t understand it like this.” I thought it would destroy our culture, and it did not go with our society, but now I come and hear many histories and don’t hear anything that opposes our culture. The way they were telling us was not the way the training was conducted. ” After I met Jesus, this was the right way and the way our communities were searching for it, and I am so happy to get such an opportunity to be part of this team.” Abo Guyo started sharing the gospel message and winning others immediately, like the Samaritan woman in John 4. I will share with you the continued impact in my next post.
Praise the Lord!
Prayer and PraisePraise the Lord for the people who made the decision to follow Christ and those who mobilized for the kingdom expansion.
Prayer: 1. Pray that the Lord gives me wisdom and knowledge as I lead a global church movement on a national scale. 2. Today my wife, I, and some of the GCM team arrived in Bangkok, Thailand, to attend the Global Church Movement Annual Conference. Kindly pray to God to give us a fruitful time here. 3. Continue praying for my family’s relocation plan.
Dear co-workers, I greet you in the name above all names—Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who called us to serve Him in this generation. It’s our prayer that the Lord keep you and yours safe. We hope that you had a fruitful year in 2022 and are enjoying the new year’s opening celebration. All our kids are doing well and growing healthy; Lydia and Ebenezer are enjoying their school; Bethany has begun to walk. All in all, we are doing well. Praise to the Lord!
“I know what you are doing. See! You do not have much power, but you have obeyed My Word. You have not turned against me. “So I have given you an open door that no man can shut.” Revelation 3:8
Christ opened His letter to Philadelphia by revealing His sovereignty. He is the one who “has the key of David, He who opens, and no one shuts, and shuts, and no one opens.” Jesus possesses the key to the kingdom of God and entrance into eternal life. He told the church in Philadelphia, “I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it.” When the Lord opens a door for someone, nothing can prevail against it. Philadelphia was a strategic gateway city to a large region that included other metropolises. This location created a strategic opportunity for their ministry. I believe that God has intentionally placed or positioned you where you are; thus, my prayer for you as you begin the new year 2023 is that doors of opportunity for ministry will open before you, as it is written, “Pray that God will open the door for us to preach the word.” Colossians 4:3
2022 Ministry Highlights
Despite the difficulties we encountered, such as the civil war, drought, famine, and insecurity, God was faithful to transform our lives and the community through us. We were able to achieve the following results in the last twelve months through the efforts of our staff and volunteers under my leadership. Your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Let’s celebrate God’s goodness.
Boldly prayer and fasting. Over 13,925 people mobilized and trained for prayer and also praying for the ministry within 390 groups.
Village Mapping) We have launched village mapping. 45 national trainers from nine denominations and national ministries are being trained. The Great Commission Ministry of Ethiopia only planned to survey about 4000 Kebles in the fiscal year.
Reaching Oral People We have developed 42 stories in Afan Oromo Language (Borena) that will be used for both evangelism, discipleship, and church planting with the collaboration of Storyrunners.
Vacation Bible Club 135 children, teenagers and youth participated in Holistic Personal Development Program for a month from 11 July – 5 August, 2022. The program encompasses foundational Bible Class, Physical Exercise, Music, Arst, crafts and Personal development skills.
Panel Discussion July 28 and August 6 we had a youth and Parenting Panel discussion where averagely 700 people participated.
Training: Over 88,568 people were trained for action, both for evangelism, discipleship, leadership, a healthy marriage, children, and church planting….
Gospel Exposure: Over 1,996,312 people heard the gospel message, Decision for Christ: 86,700 decisions to follow Christ,Follow-up engagement: 38,722 new believers follow up,
Planted churches andgroups: 702 churches and groups with a membership of 25,506 new believers.
Bible Study: 21,054 believers are engaged in weekly bible study within 1594 groups.Your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Let’s take few minutes to celebrate God’s goodness!
CHANGED LIFE STORY
The Lost Found!
In the Oromia region, in a village named Miriga, there was an evangelistic training conducted for eighty members of the Miriga church (north of Nekemete). After finalizing the training, the trainees were sent to experience outreach. They went around the village preaching the gospel and demonstrating what they had learned in class. On the way, they encountered a young man named Reta Befekadu. Reta were joined Dilla University from Kombolcha, where his family lived. When he was in his second year, an evil spirit drove him to stop his education and sent him to the wilderness, away from the university and his family’s village. For two years, since 2019, he has been living under trees, in rocky shelters, etc. When the new trainees from the Miriga church found him, they prayed for him. They brought him to church for more prayer to set the young man free from the tormenting evil spirit. Immediately after the prayer, he was set free and was under the follow-up care of missionary Birhanu Chalsisa. When he was completely well, they sent him back to his family at Kombolcha. Praise to the Lord!
2. Power of Prayer: Cancer Disappears!
Desalegn Shamebo, a Great Commission Staff who lives in Hawassa Town in the Sidama region, was devoted to his ministry and rarely spent time at home.
But one day, his mother fell ill and he rushed her to the hospital. The doctor’s diagnosis was a devastating one, she had breast cancer. Desalegn refused to believe it and kept praying to God for her healing. He refused to accept the doctor’s advice that her breasts should be removed as part of the treatment. No matter how many times he was told it was impossible, Desalegn refused to accept it. The cancer kept spreading and Desalegn’s prayers kept growing. He refused to give up hope and kept believing in the power of healing. He kept on praying and believing that God would work a miracle. Finally, one day when the doctor came to check on his mother, he found she was completely healed. The cancer had disappeared and she was back to her old self. It was a miracle. God had worked a miracle through Desalegn’s prayers and faith. Desalegn thanked God for healing his mother and for the miracle he had worked. He was reminded that God is the God of the impossible. That no matter how impossible the situation seemed, God could still work a miracle.
3. The whole Family Transformed
In the rural village of Kite, located in the outskirts of Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, lived a family with an evil curse placed upon them. The family was controlled by an unseen force, and the youngest daughter, unable to ignore its power, heard about Jesus Christ and received Him into her life. The family was, of course, appalled and began to ostracize her for her newfound faith. The power of the curse was so strong that it had taken over one of the sons in the family, making him an insane and dangerous person. The family members were so scared of him that they tied him up in a corner of the house, hoping to contain him. Desperate for help, the family sought out a witch doctor, but he was unable to help them. It was then that the youngest daughter, who had chosen to follow Jesus, suggested that only He could free her brother from the curse. But her suggestion was immediately rebuked, and she was despised for her faith. However, the family eventually gave in to her pleas, and the son was brought to Jesus. To everyone’s amazement, Jesus touched the boy, and the power of the curse was broken, setting him free from its hold. The family was amazed at this miracle and accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. The youngest daughter was finally accepted by her family and was no longer marginalized. From that day on, the family was truly blessed by the power of Jesus, and the village of Kite was forever changed.
It was a dark and despairing day. The family of the young boy had gathered around him as he lay dying in his bed, his body becoming weaker by the minute. Everyone was in shock and distress, unable to comprehend what was happening. The boy’s mother, in her desperation, had asked her Christian daughter to call someone from the church to pray for her son. The daughter quickly complied and called the church planter, Gemechu Kaba. When Gemechu arrived at the house, he was met by a scene of chaos. Everyone was shouting and crying, and the atmosphere was thick with pain and sorrow. Gemechu quickly took control of the situation and asked everyone to be silent. He then began to preach the gospel, his words calming the distraught family and bringing them some solace. Finally, Gemechu prayed for the boy and rebuked the evil spirit that was afflicting him. Suddenly, the young man was freed from his torment, and everyone was filled with joy. As Gemechu continued to preach and many in the house accepted Jesus Christ, a new church was quickly formed. The family was filled with gratitude and joy at the miraculous work of the Lord in their lives. Not only had their son been healed, but they had also experienced the power of the gospel and been brought closer to God. This was only the beginning. From that day forward, a church planter named Gemechu Kaba regularly visited the family and helped them to deepen their faith and knowledge of the Bible. Together, they all experienced the joy of being part of the family of God.
PRAISE AND PRAYER ITEMS
Praise: Praise the Lord for the health and peace that the Lord has given to my family and my team Praise the Lord for the wonderful ministry results we have seen in 2022
Prayer Item: Pray for spiritual growth and our relationship with the Lord. Please pray for continued ministry success in 2023 Pray for our financial and needed resources provision
Dear co-workers, I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and Savior, who has called us to serve Him in this generation. It’s our prayer that the Lord keeps you and your family safe. We are enjoying God’s gratefulness in our daily life and ministry. Here is a short update on my family and ministry in the last three months. Our daughters and son are growing healthy. Lydia and Ebenezer finished today their second-semester mid-exam. Bethany growing healthy. Ministry Highlights God is moving with us. In the last three months from January – March 2023 through GCM staff and volunteers’ efforts under my leadership:
Making My Generation God's Generals 