Djibouti
In this area we provide for: 12 pastors, 25 widows, 15 orphans, 2 safe houses, 1 hair salon, 1barber shop, Pastor training.
In this area we provide for: 12 pastors, 25 widows, 15 orphans, 2 safe houses, 1 hair salon, 1barber shop, Pastor training.
Eritrea
In this area we provide for: 20 pastors, 6 widows, 8 orphans. There are more than 3000 believers in prisons.
In this area we provide for: 20 pastors, 6 widows, 8 orphans. There are more than 3000 believers in prisons.
Ethiopia
In this area we provide for: 50 pastors, 40 widows, 71 orphans, 6 safe houses, 1 hair salon, 1 internet cafe, Leadership training, Pastor training, Grinding Mill for persecuted pastors.
In this area we provide for: 50 pastors, 40 widows, 71 orphans, 6 safe houses, 1 hair salon, 1 internet cafe, Leadership training, Pastor training, Grinding Mill for persecuted pastors.
North Somalia
In this area we provide for: 42 farm workers, 10 widows, 21 orphans, 1 photography business.
In this area we provide for: 42 farm workers, 10 widows, 21 orphans, 1 photography business.
South Sudan
In this area we provide for farm workers.
In this area we provide for farm workers.
Kenya
In this area we provide for: 4 pastors, 25 widows, 360 orphans, Pastor training, Pastors and their family retreat
In this area we provide for: 4 pastors, 25 widows, 360 orphans, Pastor training, Pastors and their family retreat
We currently support evangelists in Ethiopia. Some of these evangelists are converts from Islam who have been trained to work among their own people. As a result 722 have been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and there have been 11 churches started. Our evangelists spread the Gospel in areas completed dominated by the Islamic religion. Through it all his commitment to “The Lord Jesus Christ” endured.
Ministry to the Homeless: Project Mercy
At present, we have more than 50 homeless families on our prayer and waiting list. We want to assist them in building a simple hut. The cost of building a simple hut or what they call a “house” is between $250-$300. Give Now.
Highlights from East Africa Trip 2024
Arrival and Initial Meeting
We all arrived safely in Addis Ababa on Saturday morning, July 6, 2024. Upon arrival, we met with Getaneh at the Nexus Hotel.
Day 1: Feeding the Homeless
On the afternoon of the same day, we had the opportunity to observe the Watch and Pray Ministries' weekly feeding program for the homeless at the Goro Muluwongel Church. Pastor Darin shared a powerful word, and after singing praises to the Lord, we began serving the meal. Pastor Darin, Julie, and Josh Wood assisted in passing plates to the homeless. It was an incredibly humbling experience for all of us. The joy and gratitude in the eyes of those we served reminded us of the profound impact of our ministry.
Day 2: Sunday Service and Departure to Adama
On July 7th, Pastor Darin preached at the Hayat MKC, a Mennonite Church. We had a very good time as Pastor Darin delivered a powerful message on the unity of the body of Christ. It felt like a small touch of heaven on Sunday morning in Addis. Following the service, we had lunch with the congregation and then departed for Adama.
Day 3: Women's Capacity Building Conference in Adama
In Adama, Pastor Darin and his wife, Julie, spoke to around 150 women on the topic of what it means to be a Godly woman, based on 1 Timothy 1:5. The session was well-received, and the women were deeply engaged and encouraged by the message. It was a blessed time of fellowship and learning. The participants were so inspired that they requested Julie to conduct this kind of conference at least once a year.
We all arrived safely in Addis Ababa on Saturday morning, July 6, 2024. Upon arrival, we met with Getaneh at the Nexus Hotel.
Day 1: Feeding the Homeless
On the afternoon of the same day, we had the opportunity to observe the Watch and Pray Ministries' weekly feeding program for the homeless at the Goro Muluwongel Church. Pastor Darin shared a powerful word, and after singing praises to the Lord, we began serving the meal. Pastor Darin, Julie, and Josh Wood assisted in passing plates to the homeless. It was an incredibly humbling experience for all of us. The joy and gratitude in the eyes of those we served reminded us of the profound impact of our ministry.
Day 2: Sunday Service and Departure to Adama
On July 7th, Pastor Darin preached at the Hayat MKC, a Mennonite Church. We had a very good time as Pastor Darin delivered a powerful message on the unity of the body of Christ. It felt like a small touch of heaven on Sunday morning in Addis. Following the service, we had lunch with the congregation and then departed for Adama.
Day 3: Women's Capacity Building Conference in Adama
In Adama, Pastor Darin and his wife, Julie, spoke to around 150 women on the topic of what it means to be a Godly woman, based on 1 Timothy 1:5. The session was well-received, and the women were deeply engaged and encouraged by the message. It was a blessed time of fellowship and learning. The participants were so inspired that they requested Julie to conduct this kind of conference at least once a year.
Day 4: Leadership Training Program in Adama
On July 9, 2024, we conducted a leadership training program attended by more than 550 leaders. Pastor Tsadiku Abdo, the President of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Fellowship (a fellowship representing 35 million Ethiopian Protestants), and Pastor Darin were the keynote speakers at the conference.
The event was profoundly impactful. Pastor Tsadiku delivered a compelling message on the importance of church unity and the responsibility of leaders to foster and maintain this unity within the body of Christ. Pastor Darin focused on "A Healthy Pastor and Personal Devotion" and "A Healthy Pastor's Family," offering practical insights and encouragement on maintaining personal and familial well-being in pastoral roles. The conference provided valuable insights and practical guidance, leaving attendees inspired and better equipped for their leadership roles.
Day 5: Baptism and Handing Out Donations
On July 10, 2024, during the morning session, Pastor Darin, Pastor Frizer, and Getaneh baptized 30 believers in the compound of the Adama House. All of the baptized believers came from nearby hostile areas where the Vineyard Church operates. Vineyard Church is one of our partners in Ethiopia.
In the afternoon, we distributed quarterly groceries to the families of the 100 students that we support in Adama. It was a wonderful opportunity to bless these families and provide for their needs.
Day 6: Feeding Needy Students and Visit to Dire Dawa
On July 11, 2024, we traveled to Dire Dawa to observe the feeding program for needy children supported by Watch and Pray in the area. Upon our arrival, we were received with high honor by government officials led by motorbike police.
In Dire Dawa, we feed more than 2,000 needy students every single school day. However, since the schools were closed for the summer break, not all students were present. Pastor Darin and his family served by passing plates to the students.
After the feeding session, we visited a newly started Teachers Training College. The head of the college requested laptop computers, mentioning that even refurbished ones would be helpful to equip their library. We then visited a center where abandoned infants are rehabilitated. The infants, ranging from two months to two years old, were in distressing conditions, and seeing them was very emotional. Tears filled our eyes as we witnessed their plight.
Day 7: Visit to Cornerstone Church, Fort Portal
On July 12, 2024, we flew to Entebbe, Uganda. Upon arrival, we were warmly received by Pastor Moses Mujaguzi and his wife, who then drove us to Fort Portal City. The drive was a challenging six hours on rough roads, and by the time we arrived in the city at 10:00 PM, we were all exhausted.
On the morning of July 13, we visited the piece of land that Watch and Pray had purchased for the expansion of the orphanage. We witnessed significant progress being made in expanding both the school and the orphanage.
On Sunday morning July 14,2024, Pastor Darin delivered a gospel message on the radio to the people of Uganda and then preached at Cornerstone Church. His powerful message deeply resonated with the congregation, and we all felt the presence of the Lord among us.
Following the visit, we drove back to Entebbe to catch our flight to Nairobi, Kenya.
Day 8: Visit to Kenya
On July 16, 2024, we flew to Kenya and were received by Pastor Moses Ondungu. In the afternoon, we conducted a meeting with our partners in Kenya at the Royal Tulip Hotel, where we stayed. It was a reporting session and discussion on the items raised from the report. All our partners were grateful for the timely support that Watch and Pray provided during the devastation caused by the flood.
On the meeting, they stressed that Watch and Pray helped them that they may be able to reach more souls and support their vision.
The leaders presented their resolution that Watch and Pray may consider the following:
- Watch and Pray Kenya needs structured office and want to have a country coordinator.
- Watch and Pray to register with the government of Kenya as Non-profit organization
- Calendar of events as well as plan related to watch and pray USA
- Joint leadership training, prayer summit and evangelism
Day 9: Visit projects
On July 17, 2024 we visited the compound that Watch and Pray purchased for the Liberty Celebration Church. We also visited orphans and needy students supported by Watch and Pray. They passed porridge to the students at their break time. It was like touching base with real ministry in Jesus. Then we visited the six story building that we funded. The building was built by Victory Evangelical Church. The building is completely finished and rented out. The building consists 24 apartments which each one of them rented for 600USD. Totally they collect 14,400 every month and this is of great help for the ministry of the church. They said that they have little debt that they have to pay through the end of this year and then they will utilize the income towards the ministry of the church.
Then we drove to Machckos to visit the projects we supported for the Mt Zion African Ministries. In Machckos, we visited the orchard, the fish farm and the water purification plant that watch and Pray funded. It took us three hours for the reason that the traffic was so crowded we visited the water well that we dug for them. Pastor Andrew said that the water well is a game changer that they are able to sell to eight families by extending a pipe and fixing a meter. He also said that since the area is desert now they are able to irrigate the land develop an orchard to feed the homeless every Sunday in the church. The fish farm is also using this water to replace the water every week. The fish farm is also decent source of income for the ministry. The third project is the water purification project. All the assembly of the project has been completed and they are ready to sell the bottled water once they get permit from the government. The factory has the capacity to produce 1000 bottles in eight hours. The plan is to create business to the homeless kids that they are supporting. All in all our visit in Kenya was fruitful though there are so many things that we need to work on.
Day 10: Safari visit
On July 18, we visited the safari near by Nairobi.
On July 19, 2024 I flew back to Addis to stay for couple days. On August 9,10 and 11, 2024 Watch and Pray planned a one day prayer summit in the Adama Stadium. It is believed that about 80,000 Christians will get together for prayer. The board of Watch and Pray Ethiopia requested the presence of Getaneh. However since Getaneh had to return on the appointed time, he urged me to stay and represent Watch and Pray on this big occasion. I also will participate on the Board meeting of Watch and Pray that will take place next week. I, therefore will return to USA on august 13,2024.
Conclusion
Our visit to East Africa was very fruitful and encouraging. But, we ccan do so much more with funding. For example:
- Both Leadership Training Program and Women Capacity Building Summit should be planned for minimum of two days.
- The Dire Dawa visit should be planned to include Leadership training
- The Kenyan visit should include Leadership training.
In His Ministry,
Fikru Befirdu, Executive Director of Watch & Pray International Ministries
