Missionaries Support At-Risk Child

I received word today that the missionaries supported through Indigenous Outreach (who receive and average of $60 each per month) not only support 5 indigenous ministers from within Ethiopia, they have collected amongst themselves to support an at-risk child through the TLC (True Light Childcare) project.

Asenaku Wube (center wearing blue sweater) is pictured with some of her indigenous supporters.

"What amazes me," said Patrick Beard, IOI Executive Director, "is that the missionaries did this completely on their own. It was their idea. It both humbles ad encourages me greatly."

The TLC project serves over 100 at-risk children (children who come from poverty stricken families, some of which are orphans). Supporting a child for $20 per month provides education, clothing and food assistance as well as participation in a Bible club program. Sponsors are asked to add an additional $5 to their monthly gift to help defray administrative costs of the program. "We believe in (the TLC) program so much that we will send the $20 per month at our cost so that 100% of the gift benefits the children and families served," said Patrick.

Go to www.ioiusa.org to find out how you can join with fellow believers from Ethiopian and America to support children in Ethiopia.

Tangible Ministry in Ethiopia

By Stephen Kennedy
Mission Coordinator
The emergency assistance fund was established last year as we heard of the tangible needs of some of the ministers in Ethiopia. In January we left $390 USD with Negash to use for meeting emergency needs for the missionaries. On behalf of all the ministers who received help in tangible ways, he wrote last month, thanking from his heart all who gave. Below is what all was able to be done for less than four hundred dollars.
Aid for Merkebu, Seyefu, Gelana and their wives on the occasion of them all having children born into their families. Yerga and his family received some help toward a new house. Kaleb received an MRI to see if surgery would be able to help reduce the pain in his hips as he walks. Awash Buni Church was given assistance toward buying a house church near the main road. Chaka’s wife was helped with some medical expenses. Mellese was able to go to the eye doctor and get glasses.
After all of this there is still more for Kaleb to return to the doctor and to help Matteows who will see a doctor next month.
I was amazed and very encouraged by how much was done with so little. It is a blessing to serve these dear ones in Christ not only with a little monthly support but to also come alongside of them in times of need. We continue to have the emergency assistance fund available for the brothers and sisters in Christ that He has yoked us with in love.

Bread Ovens to be Provided

It is our desire to not only send enough support to help families eke out an existence. We want to minister holistically, to improve the whole economy of life for our brothers and sisters.
With this in mind, Arlene Norton has begun raising funds to purchase ovens that will allow mothers of TLCP supported children to bake local bread and sell it. This will enable these families to add to their very small income with a business that is not based on ongoing support.
Arlene has already raised $1000.00 of the $3000.00 goal which will be enough to purchase every mother in the program an oven who desires one.
Pray that Arlene can meet this goal and that God will use these ovens to feed His own.

Elevate Ethiopia

A special blog has been established for our child sponsorship program that is being coordinated by Arlene Norton. She has posted videos of her recent visit with some of the families we help to support.

http://www.elevateethiopia.blogspot.com/

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.

Sponsor Visits Child in Ethiopia

by Arlene Norton

A little over four years ago I decided to help support an orphan in Mekele, Ethiopia at an orphanage called Operation Rescue. The amount was only $15 dollars a month.

Patrick told me that he would personally pick me a girl to sponsor while he was there on a visit. I really didn’t know much more than a name, age and small photo at the time.

Her name was Emebet and she was twelve and had never been to school. We exchanged letters and I sent her packages of candy, clothes and books. I was amazed at how well she was doing in school and hoped to see her one day. In Ethiopia you have to pay to go to a government school. The cost is out of reach for most. The average Ethiopian makes only a dollar a day. With this in mind you can see how the cycle of poverty keeps repeating. If you’re an orphan, because of AIDS, war, sickness, death, or abandonment - then you have to survive by living in the streets and begging or worse.

Emebet’s father left when Emebet’s mother died of tuberculosis. Her grandmother took her and her sister in when they were just small children. The grandmother could not afford to send them to school and she prayed and cried about it often.

The grandmother cannot physically work, but she does rent out two small rooms about the size of a walk-in closet. With her windfall of $40 a month she has to feed, clothe, and take care of two granddaughters and an aging mother.

I decided to go to ORE in January of this year and meet Emebet. It took a precise series of miracles to get me there. My husband would have to get 10 days off in a row, and they had to be a certain 10 days. I would have get out of the U.S. before my flight was cancelled by a storm. I had an impossible 5-minute connection in Detroit. Patrick and I would have to get the last two tickets to Mekele on the major Ethiopian holiday weekend. We would also have to secure the last two rooms in the last hotel in town. I would not suggest to travel like this unless God is your “Plan A” and “Plan B.” Everything went eerily smoothly.

Meeting Emebet and her extended family was the highlight of my trip. She and her sister live in a two-room stucco tin-roof hut. They have no running water, sporadic electricity, and no kitchen. The two living rooms convert into bedrooms at night where Emebet, her sister, her grandmother and great-grandmother sleep.

I have never felt so welcomed as I did that day. I met her uncles, an aunt and nephews and friends. We had coffee, popcorn and a lot to talk about. The great-grandmother told me she had prayed that she would live long enough to see me. She was frail and almost blind, she walked with a cane over many boulders to meet me at the front gate because she wanted to be the first to see me. I don’t think that the Queen of England could compete with that.

I didn’t realize that going to ORE had helped so many people. ORE helped Emebet’s older sister start a small roadside business with her aunt. ORE gives the children an education, and a hot meal everyday, in addition to a family to live with. All grandparents, aunts, uncles, brothers or sisters who are willing to take in an orphan are given a part of the $15 a month and free business classes, job skills and financial advice.

Emebet went from being a 12-year-old uneducated street child to an educated young lady heading for pharmacy school this fall. She completed all her classes at ORE and took computer classes at the Nile college in Mekele.

Emebet hopes to be a pharmacist in three years. Pharmacy school will cost about $3,000 total for books and everything! I told her we could pay for it and her whole family cried. I would suggest that you get involved with ORE on a personal level. Do write them and encourage them.

Emebet is well on her way out of poverty and of course I looked around for a new orphan to sponsor while I was there. I have a new girl, Blean. She is six and completely charming. Her father died of AIDS and her mother is very sick and is expected to die. She is being raised by a grandmother. Blean gave me a small bead bracelet while I was there and I will wear it as a prayer for her. I hope each day that these children can grow into their full potential .

Praise God.

Building Up the Church

by Patrick Beard

Often in America we talk about “building” a church. More often than not our conversations involve brick and mortar, rather than the edification of individuals within the church. Our terminology reveals our error in that we call building a “church” rather than the congregation that has covenanted to follow Christ together.

As Christ ascended from the earth He promised to stay with us by sending His Holy Spirit. His Spirit now lives in the heart of those whom He gives faith in His gospel. He resides within both to comfort and empower all believers as we anticipate the return of Christ, make disciples and edify each other. Our brothers and sisters in Ethiopia are certainly no exception to this promise.
Each week in Ethiopia minister from eleven denominations gather to pray at the IOI prayer meeting. These meetings have led to many deep relationships. Often the diverse ministers gather around a common table to share meals and exchange their joys and sorrows. Each minister, and indeed each believer, has been specially gifted by God to fulfill a unique role in the Kingdom of God. Frequently the ministers will call on one another as they have become interdependent within the greater Body of Christ. This fellowship is just one way that God has used IOI to build His Church.

Our Bible conference this year focused on Following Christ. This following is done as individual parts within a greater body. It is our ambition as an organization to build up the Church as God gives us the resources and ability. Please consider joining with us in 2007 in the way that God directs. v

Ministry Among the Poor

Thanks to a generous gift from a Jackson church the Bible conference in Ethiopia held a special blessing for the ministers supported through IOI. In addition to each minister receiving gifts of special shirts and medicine the ministers also received a Christmas gift of 500 Birr (about $60 US). The missionaries also received the same amount to give away to neighbors or church members who are in desperate need.
The monetary gift was especially timely as food in Ethiopia has increased in cost almost 100% over the past two years. The inflation has been particularly hard on the poorest Ethiopians who were already strapped financially and often go days without eating.
“I have never seen God’s people begging for bread, but I have seen them go hungry,” Patrick said. At the last board meeting of IOI the Board was unanimous in their resolve to increase giving as much funding as possible to help alleviate the suffering of church members of associated churches, as well as using the Micah and Agemba Funds to minister mercy to the surrounding neighbors. “We want to reach people with the love of God by preaching the Gospel of grace and ministering God’s mercy through tangible benevolence. v

Ecki's Trip to Ethiopia

German Port Minister Ecki Breitenmoser visited Ethiopia this January. He met with the family of an Ethiopian seafarer, preached at the IOI Bible conference, visited churches in the countryside and met with many of the Ethiopian missionaries supported through IOI.

They came hurting. They left healed!

Kalkidan was all smiles as she strapped in for her flight home!








Gashawoy and Kalkidan safely arrived back in Addis Ababa at 6:30 p.m. on September 3rd. They were greeted by Kalkidan's teary-eyed mother, Emmebate, and many of their friends. Gashawoy's friend Tatek sent us an email to let us know they made it home and that there was a celebration upon their return.

The whole group spent the night at a friend's home in Addis Ababa and sang hymns of praise and thanksgiving. Tatek included the lyrics of one of the praise choruses: (Amharic) Becemayu sifra bekibir yalhew, egzabhere lenae liyu nehithat. (English) God who is in heaven, you are special to me.

After singing, they read Psalm 113:5-8. "Who is like the Lord our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of their people." (NIV)

So, it is with both sadness and joy in our hearts that we make this final entry in our journal regarding the miracle of Kalkidan. Gashawoy and Kalkidan touched our hearts in a way that will never leave us, so the sadness is not one of gloom or despair, but an emptiness that occurs when a loved one goes away.

The overwhelming joy is in knowing that God has performed a miracle and we were able to be a small part of it. It took many people many hours of hard work, both in the US and Ethiopia, to arrange for passports, visas, transportation, housing, medical care, the website, fundraising, and so many other things that it is difficult to remember them all. Yet none of this would have been possible without God, the sustainer of life itself. For those of us who were closest to this whole project, we can state with certainty that we would have failed without the intervention of our Lord and His response to our prayers. Throughout this endeavor we have received letters and emails from people all over the country that have prayed for Kalkidan, and those intercessory prayers were answered in a mighty way.

It is somewhat ironic that we even use the term "miracle". We sometimes look at things through the prism of our own abilities and we stand dumbstruck when something we pray for actually happens. We worry and toil over the little details and wonder what we can do to make things happen, and we forget that the sovereign God is in control of his creation. All it really takes is faith that the One who spoke the universe into existence can heal a sick little girl. So we praise God for his abundant mercies and his everlasting love.

What about Gashawoy's faith. He could have given up. He could have believed the doctors and the naysayers from his own country that told him to prepare for his daughter's death. He could have seen the obstacles to going to America as insurmountable and given up. He could have cursed God for the tragedy of losing his only child. But none of those things happened. By faith, Gashawoy left his family and traveled thousands of miles to bring his daughter, Kalkidan, to the USA. He had to come alone, because his wife could not accompany him on the trip. He faced and overcame a language barrier and a significant cultural barrier, because he believed God would answer his prayers regarding Kalkidan - and he was right! So, is it really over? No, it's just the beginning.

Now that the surgery was successful and Gashawoy and Kalkidan are home again, let us not forget to remember this family in prayer. Time and distance have a way of pushing today into the forgotten past and the things that seem important now can be buried in our daily routine. We believe that God is not through with Gashawoy and Kalkidan and we sense His purpose will have a far reaching impact on the people of Ethiopia. What better testimony of the power of God than a living, breathing "miracle" child. Our responsibility is to continue to pray that God will lead and direct Gashawoy, his family, and his friends as they continue to faithfully serve Him.

With much gratitude and appreciation we want to thank everyone who contributed their time, prayers, and financial support to save the life of Kalkidan Gashawoy Asfaw, and we close out this chapter with the words of the Apostle Paul, "May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Corinthians 13:14 - NIV).

Grace Wilson

Gashawoy and Kalkidan to Depart for Ethiopia

Now, it's time to say Good-bye.

Gashawoy and KalKidan are READY TO RETURN TO ETHIOPIA ON THIS SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 2.

Their leaving is a reminder of all the awesome things that God has done; but, they are such loving people...their leaving is Bittersweet.I KNOW that God has great things for them to accomplish in Ethiopia. Ethiopia needs wise,future thinking, Godly people to encourage and teach the people so the country can prosper.

Who....Gashawoy and KalKidan
What...SUCCESS OF THE OPERATION & NOW, BACK TO ETHIOPIA....Open House celebration!
Where...West Covington Baptist Church at 1003 Highway Ave., Covington, Ky. 41011
http://www.westcovingtonkybaptist.com/
When...Friday, Sept 1, 2006 from 5:00-7:00
Why....Stop in for 1 minute or 2 hours, get some cake, finger foods & snacks, and say Good-Bye and just show your love and support!

DO NOT BRING GIFTS BECAUSE WE DO NOT WANT TO WORRY ABOUT HOW TO SHIP "STUFF" BACK! JUSTSTOP IN-THAT IS YOUR GIFT.PRAY FOR THESE FLIGHTS...Delta Airlines Flight 5225Departs Cincinnati (CVG) on Saturday Sept 2 @ 12:10 p.m. (12:10)Arrives Washington, D.C. (IAD) on 9/2 @ 1:38 p.m. (13:38)Ethiopian Airlines Flight 501Departs Washington, D.C. (IAD) on Saturday Sept 2 @ 7:30 p.m. (19:30)Arrives Addis Ababa (ADD) on 9/3 @ 6:06 p.m. (18:05)

Gashawoy and Kalkidan visit Tennessee

It was a particular blessing to have Gashawoy and Kalkidan visiting in Tennessee and Georgia over the past week.

Kalkidan's doctor was so pleased with her progress since surgery that he allowed them to travel for a visit which began with a visit to the Mathenia's home in Memphis. They also visited Christ Community Church in New Albany, Mississippi while they stayed with the Mathenias.

In Jackson they were able to meet their supporting family and past supporters at Woodland Baptist Church. They attended Christ Community Church in Jackson where Gashawoy shared his testimony.

On Saturday they spent the day at Pickwick on the Tennessee River with the Beard family (with Papaw & Mamaw) and had their first boating experience on the "sea".

As Gashawoy shared about their three year ordeal and suffering he wept as she praised God for providing this miracle for Kalkidan. "For three years of terror I have not heard Kalkidan laugh since her birth. Her mother and I only heard her cries and we only dreamed of laughter," he said. "No she cannot stop smiling and laughing."

Kalkidan's surgery seems to have been a huge success and her digestive system is working as normally as could be hoped. Gashawoy said that he is excited about going home and sharing this miracle with others. "I have a fire in me for sharing the Gospel like never before."

Kalkidan released from hospital!

Praise the Lord!! Kalkidan was released from the hospital yesterday and she and Gosheway are back over at the Ronald McDonald House.

Kalkidan had some x-rays yesterday morning that showed everything was looking good. Also, her incisions are healing well. Kalkidan was very,very happy to be out of the hospital! There is some follow-up care necessary. Kalkidan will have another x-ray on Wednesday to make sure her stools are moving through her bowel correctly. Since constipation is not allowed during recovery, she will need a mild laxative and have some irrigation (enema) once a week for several weeks tomake sure the good colon has a chance to function properly. Gosheway was given special solution, catheters, and large syringes for this task. Gosheway will also be working with Kalkidan on exercises to help her control her bowel movements. The doctor wants Kalkidan to stay in the USA for another six to eight weeks, just in case he needs to see her again. He wants to make sure she is fully healed and functioning before returning to Ethiopia. So, we will be working on getting their tickets changed to a later date.Thanks for all the prayers.

Have a blessed day!
Jeff

PLEASE PRAY for complete healing, no complications, and a properlyfunctioning colon.
PRAY for Gosheway as he cares for Kal Kidan.
PLEASE PRAY they will be able to obtain extended visas and easily be able tochange their airline tickets.

Update on Kal Kidan

I met with Gosheway, the doctor, a nurse, a social worker, and the interpreter this afternoon to discuss Kalkidan's condition. Gosheway was very concerned about Kalkidan, based on the vomiting and fever she developed last night. He was upset because it seemed to him that this surgery was heading in the same direction of the previous five - failure. However, after talking with the doctor his spirits were lifted considerably.

So, here's the latest: Last night Kalkidan experienced a burning sensation and a lot of pain in her abdomen and she vomited multiple times. To relieve that, a tube was inserted through her nose into her stomach to release any gas that has collected andto drain the bile. She is slightly dehydrated and is continuing to get IV fluids, and they are monitoring her urine output. The doctor explained that general anesthesia not only puts a person to sleep for the surgery, it also puts all your organs to sleep as well. So, he is now waiting for her colon to "wake up", and they are doing irrigations to stimulate her intestinal tract. To comfort Gosheway, I asked if this kind of a reaction is common following a major surgery and we were assured that it is. The doctor also suggested that Kalkidan remain in the States for another eight weeks. The purpose of the extension is to ensure Kalkidan has plenty of recovery time and the opportunity for multiple follow-up visits after her release from the hospital. Gosheway needs to learn a few bowl management techniques and that cannot begin until her surgery scars are well on the way to healing. So prayer is needed for our application to extend their visas.

I think knowing this will also help Gosheway find some peace as he diligently watches over little Kalkidan. He very rarely leaves the hospital room for fear something might happen while he is gone. He and Kalkidan havebeen down a long road over the past three and a half years and he is going to be with her no matter what.

As I watched them this afternoon I could see a parallel with the way God looks after His children. God is always there. He is there when we wake inthe morning and He is there when we lay down at night. He is there when times are good and He is there when times are rotten. He is there when weare faithful and He is there when we sin. He is there when we are at home and He is there when we are thousands of miles from home. When you see Gosheway tenderly stroking Kalkidan's forehead, speaking ever so gently, and witness the special bond between them, you can picture God's love in action.

Jeff

Surgery Report

The report last night is that Kal Kidan's surgery went well and the doctors expect a good recovery. She will be in the hospital for a few days and the coming weeks she will be recovering. Please continue to pray for healing and that the procedures performed in the surgery will be successful.

Doctors were able to repair the large scar from previous surgeries performed in Ethiopia, but they did report some potential problems as a result of those surgeries.

Update on Kal Kidan

For those of you who have been keeping up with and praying for Kal Kidan this is the latest update. Kal Kidan (which means "promise") was born with severe intestinal problems. Her father is a countryside evangelist in Ethiopia. God has opened the door for Kal Kidan to come to the USA for surgery.

Dear Friends,
THANK YOU for your prayers for Kal Kidan! She is now in the states!

I am so full of joy that I can hardly write! Gosheway and Kal Kidan will arrive in Cincinnati at 3:30. I will have an Interpreter and we will pick them up, take them to Ronald McDonald House and get them settled for the night. I will get some pictures tomorrow and update the website with pictures and details by Saturday at noon!

Here are important dates to remember in prayer:

Friday July 7 - Initial Consultation @ 2:00 with Dr. Levitz @ CincinnatiChildren's Hospital (Peds Surg Cener/C2)
Monday July 10 - Enema and testing
Wednesday July 12 - Pic Line. Radiology, Admin
Thursday July 13 - Five hour surgery - Pull Thru Colon, create a new rectum NOTHING TO EAT for 7-10 days
Friday July 28 - Post Op check-up; determine return date to Ethiopia

Sincerely,
Grace
www.TheAdWeb.com/child

Ministries Update (June 2006)

The rains came early and heavy this year in Ethiopia and with the rain the work in the countryside slows dramatically. Some of the villages where we minister are practically unreachable because of the mud and danger in travel. Yet the work goes on.
Reports from Ethiopia have been encouraging. There has been a heavy emphasis on the Oromo region which has witnessed a time of growth through church planting. At last count thirty boxes of Bibles had been delivered to the ten churches in the Oromo region, and teachers are being assigned to the region for the purpose of discipleship. The church has grown so rapidly that we are in great need of qualified teachers to help the fledgling churches develop a sound foundation. Negash reported that the congregations in Alemgena and Senkele have acquired land and begun to build meeting halls, sanitary facilities and housing for ministers (this is currently being done with mostly local resources and donors).
Operation Rescue in Mekele, Ethiopia continues to minister to over 200 orphans at their new campus that includes an eight-room school building. The construction of other buildings that will house a clinic, offices, a cafeteria and hygiene facilities is currently underway. The goal for the new campus is to increase the number of children ministered to by 100.
The Mathenias have returned to the States from Ethiopia for a time of physical healing and plan to return to Ethiopia by January 2007. The Lanes have returned to the States for the duration of the rainy season for the purpose of raising additional support. They plan to return to Ethiopia in September.
The Breitenmosers report that the ministry in Bremerhaven, Germany has been well-established and fruit is beginning to be seen. Not only has Ecki had the opportunity to witness on the ships, but he has also had groups of sailors in his home for worship, fellowship and Bible study. They are currently searching for a home that can facilitate the growing needs of their family and ministry.
Praise God for good news from distant lands!

2005 in Review

Our organizational goal for 2005 was to “speak the Gospel fervently by the grace of God.” God graciously allowed us to share His love in word and in deeds.

The number of missionaries supported in Ethiopia grew to more than 30. New churches have been started in the Oromo region of Ethiopia. Multiple families with special needs children have been assisted. Two American families moved to Ethiopia to minister through assisting with theological training, construction and children’s ministry. Volunteers help in the ministry and were themselves discipled. Two Union students served as interns in Ethiopia. “Mama” Mae Mitchamore completed her service in Ethiopia ministering to Women and Children. Operation Rescue completed a building that will house classes for over 200 orphans and former street children that they minister to. The evangelistic ministry in Germany was officially established. The office was expanded in Jackson and volunteers have helped to fill staffing needs. Our second semi-annual banquet was held in Jackson with guest speakers Negash from Ethiopia and Marciano from Brazil. Ethiopia Evangelists supported through IOI began regular support of two additional Ethiopian evangelists.
It has indeed been a blessing to watch the work expand and witness the faithfulness of God in His provision and love.

Once again, for this new year we make it our ambition to glorify God in all that we do and ask for His grace to share His love in deed, word and truth. Our goal remains the glory of God and our mission is to make disciples.