2008 Bible Conference Funding Needed

We have planned a Bible conference for the indigenous missionary families in Ethiopia for January 2008. The expenses for this trip include renting a location for the conference, transportation to and from the location for all missionaries, food, materials, and medical supplies for family check ups. We are seeking funding for the conference and appreciate gifts of any size. For more information about what we will be doing or how you can help, call the IOI office or email Stephen.

Four Need Support

There are times when the Lord gives us the need for more supporters through bringing new missionaries. There are also times when new supporters are needed because some of those who have supported in the past discontinue their support. At this time we have both new missionaries and a couple who formerly had supporters.
Yerga Berta has been with IOI for almost seven years. He has a wife and two sons. He works in Addis Abeba doing evangelism and church planting. Kebebush Gudeta has been with IOI for almost four years and is a dear sister who is praying that God would give her a good husband. She works in Addis and in the countryside as an evangelist and has a wonderful prayer ministry. This brother and sister have been faithful ministers in Christ and are a true joy.
The other two who need support are new to IOI and working in regions that we have been praying that God would expand this work to.
The first is a Baptist congregation in the northern city of Mekele where the ORE childcare program is located. The pastor of this church is doing full time ministry but the congregation is not able to fully support him on their own.
The other church we would like to partner with is being planted in Debre Tisge which is about 40 kilometers northwest of Addis. This church was formerly opposed by many in the area. New laws in Ethiopia require local governments to give fair treatment to all religions. City officials were seeking to display their progressive thinking and gave the new congregation a plot of land approximately six acres in size which is a large lot in Ethiopia. The church planters involved have recently rented the house of a witchdoctor to use for a temporary meeting place. The church now needs support to be able to build on the land and have a full-time pastor.
You can support one of these missionary families for only $60.00 USD per month. If you are interested in supporting any of these ministries, please contact the IOI office. Please pray that God will provide supporters where there are needs for our brothers and sisters in Ethiopia.

Childcare Sponsorship

IOI has partnered with two childcare programs in Ethiopia: Operation Rescue in Mekele and the Repi Childcare Project in Addis. These two programs seek to take the poorest children and those who have lost their parents to a place where they and their families are able to have their basic needs provided for. The children in the programs are placed in school and receive weekly Bible lessons. Our hope is to care for the physical needs of the poor and orphaned as well as point them to Christ who alone can care for their spiritual needs.
Tom Spencer and Arlene Norton were at the recent IOI board meeting where they gave updates on the work in Ethiopia. Tom is the founder of Jabez Children’s Ministry, which is now the umbrella organization for the Repi Childcare project. Arlene is the new volunteer coordinator for IOI Child Sponsorship.
Recently we have learned that Habatamu, a child supported at Repi, and his whole family have received faith in Christ. They thank the Lord for this program where they heard the gospel and witnessed God’s love in action.
Thanks to the efforts of Arlene, forty new sponsors have recently joined with IOI to provide for children like Habatamu.
If you are interested in supporting a child at $20 per month, or if you would like more information, contact Arlene at (662)610-4056 or call the IOI office.

Missionary Profile - Fikadu

In 1970 Fikadu was born in a military compound. His parents divorced when he was only two. He was kidnapped by his father and taken to Addis. Life with his father and stepmother was very difficult.
At seven Fikadu began attending an Orthodox church and desired to enter the priesthood. Because of his stepmother he could not go to church. Seeking revenge against his stepmother, Fikadu began to learn witchcraft but it didn't work. Stopped twice from going down a path of his own choosing, he began to feel God’s leading.
When Fikadu was twelve he saw a vision of injera (Ethiopian bread) coming down from heaven for him to eat. Years later a cousin shared Christ with him, and he believed.
Fikadu was fifteen when his father died, and he began working as a laborer. After high-school he worked odd jobs for food. Soon Fikadu began serving the Lord full time although he did not receive any compensation. “Once all I had for an offering was a pencil, so I gave it to the Lord. I spent much time in prayer because of my needs and eventually IOI support became available,” Fikadu shared. Now Fikadu is physically and spiritually healthy. He praises the Lord for IOI’s support so that he has the food he needs. His extended family still does not support him but God has given him a family in the church and with the fellow ministers of IOI.
Fikadu has been working in children’s ministry for several years but recently he is spending the majority of his time church planting.
Fikadu works closely with Negash who has said, “He is my right hand man.” He has been very instrumental in starting at least half a dozen churches in the Oromo region and in Addis.
Fikadu finished Bible Theological School this summer and has proven to be an able teacher of Scripture. He said that he has been thankful for good teaching from IOI and has been using Dr. Padelford’s booklet “The Mystery of Christ” for teaching and discipleship.
Fikadu often works behind the scenes as a vital member of a church planting team. He has seen many come to Christ in the last two years. He is also thankful for the great peace that God has given him in the ministry.
Fikadu is 37 now and has been praying for a godly wife for many years. He asks that we join him in this prayer and also asks for prayer that he would do what God shows him to do with youth and in the countryside.
Fekadu is a member at Repi KHC, along with Negash and Matteous. He has been faithfully serving Christ for many years and has been with IOI since September 1999.

Orthodoxy & IOI

Over the past few years it has been a prayer that we could begin working more closely with Orthodox believers in Ethiopia. God has begun answering that prayer. On Patrick’s recent trip he and Negash met an Orthodox monk who is clearly a brother in Christ and knows the gospel proclaimed in scripture. Negash is meeting with this brother and encourages him to remain Orthodox. Our mission is to make disciples not to promote a particular denomination. Please pray that more doors open to work with Orthodox believers both in Ethiopia and here in the US.

Patrick's Paragraphs -- Making Progress

“Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
I John 5:5

A friend of mine recently said, “When we feel like we are making progress God will show us that we are not.”
On the surface this quote might seem a bit pessimistic, and imply that we cannot make progress as Christians. I have certainly witnessed this brother in Christ making progress for the better part of 20 years. He obviously does not feel like he has progressed much since his salvation, but his walk with Christ is identified by persistence despite his experience.
On the other hand, certainly there are those who feel that they have made progress in the faith. However, if they despise the Church, and have inflated thoughts of their own righteous deeds it might be evidence that they have not progressed as much as they think. In deed they may not know God at all.
One thing I see in common to most men that I admire is their humility and a almost constant feeling that they simply don’t measure up to God’s standards. Throughout history we read personal biographies of missionaries, ministers and saints who felt that they lacked much more than they had in the realm of spirituality. Indeed even Jesus tells a parable about a justified man who has humbled himself prostrate in prayer, while a pious Pharisee stands looking on in thankfulness that he is “not like” the sinful man on the floor.
As I turned 40 this past month, I have reflected on so much of my life that has been wasted, how little evidence that I see of the faith I proclaim. So much of experience seems to contradict the faith that I claim, yet I know that Jesus is the Way, Truth and Life. I believe by faith that Jesus is Lord and God has raised Him.
Watchman Nee said, “Faith follows truth and experience follows faith.” Our faith is based on what is not seen, otherwise it would not be called faith. Certainly we should see growing love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in our lives. Good works should be our lifestyle. But, rather than looking to our experience, we look to Christ himself.
Do you love God? Do you love His Son? Do you love His Bride? If so, that is progress.