From the Field Friday: ET-555

Today's letter from the field comes from the country of Ethiopia, from project #555, which is where my boy Milkias attends. It's a newer project, but it seems like great progress is being made!

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Dear Kayla, 

My name is Mengistu Wolde and I am the reverend of the Bedele Mekane Yesus Congregation where our child development center ministers to your sponsored child. It is located in the Oromia administrative state of Ethiopia, in the town of Bedele. We thank you for sponsoring Milkias. 

This center is serving as much as possible in the community in the spiritual and development aspects. The inhabitants of the town of Bedele live in good fellowship and support each other. They are about 40,000 and they are followers of various religions. The town community has good ties with the rural community. Our church serves both these communities. The challenge our church faces when it serves in town is the limited economic capacity. We know the church has to meet at least some of the practical needs of the community. The other challenge is the spiritual pressure that comes from contrary faiths doctrines. 

The future vision of the center and church is give ministry to the children of our center so that they can grow to become useful for their nation, the church, and their families. We also want to give shelter to children that have this great need and help them learn properly. We also want to open a Bible school run by the church to help these children grow in their spiritual lives. Please pray for us on all these subjects. 

Since the establishment of this center in the Bedele town, many changes have been seen in the lives of our children. They have developed spiritually, physically, and morally. Many of the children and their parents have accepted the Lord as their Savior and come to the church. From my personal observation children that had a bad history among the community have now become good examples among this same community after they joined the center and their parents have also got a good esteem. 

With the funds Compassion allots for our center, we help the weak, offer medical treatment, organize shelters for the widows giving them monthly food provisions, and according to our capacity, participate vividly in development areas. Since this center started operating 6 years ago, 26 parents of these children have been saved. 

When children receive letters from their sponsors they feel very happy and rejoice. On the contrary, the children that do not get any letters from their sponsors feel very depressed and get sad. It is so important to keep a communication between the sponsor and child through letters. If their sponsors would visit them here to know each other, the joy of the children would be immense. 

Pray for us. Pray that, if God wills, to help us organize shelters for the homeless in our compound. Pray that we can open a Bible school and open a school that can help in the economic growth of the church. Finally, please pray we are able to reach out with the Gospel as we have planned. 

I extend my deep gratitude to you for all you do for Milkias. 

May God's ample grace be with you! 

In Christ,

Mengistu Wolde

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