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CHURCH PLANTING IN ADDIS ABABA
This past Sunday, you learned about the Ethiopia Aids
Care and Treatment (ACT) Project and the wonderful things God is doing to
enrich this ministry which provides health and spiritual care to some of Addis
Ababa’s poorest and sickest individuals and their families. The environment in
this city is changing and impacting how effectively the Project can operate. The
Ethiopian government is gradually developing a city-center business district
and is demolishing the slum housing where the Project beneficiaries live. The Project
office will be soon be torn down as well. The government is building low-cost
housing on the city outskirts and gradually relocating the people
affected. Thus, Project leaders have identified opportunities in these
changes to plant a church in the area where people are being relocated.
The projected budget to successfully plant this much-needed church plant is
$79,000. If you feel led to be a part of this exciting phase of the ACT
ministry, please click here.
FROM SHOES TO BREAD
While the Lord may not ever
take you physically to Addis Ababa, there are tangible ways you can see the
differences your support makes for the ACT Project. To know about just a few
exciting ways your donations make an impact, keep on reading!
 THE HANDS AND FEET OF JESUS
This past summer, Cedar
Springs collected 100 pairs of shoes that were hand-delivered to Ethiopian
children in Addis Ababa
whose families are beneficiaries of the ACT project. The generous donations
were combined with 900 other pairs of shoes collected across the U.S.
by various other churches and civic organizations. With 1,000 gifts in tow, ACT
program employees and volunteers distributed them to the children, many with
worn shoes that were torn, ripped and worn through to the soles.
 THEIR DAILY BREAD
Ever heard of or tasted injera? It’s a traditional Ethiopian flatbread with a spongy texture, usually made of teff flour. Emebet and Netsanet are two women in Addis Ababa who are able to make injera for a living, thanks to microloans through the ACT Project.
Emebet is a single mother of two girls, the youngest who is HIV positive. She works hard to make ends meet for her family and received a grant of 900 birr ($54) for startup capital to begin baking and selling injera. Within two months, Emebet produced a sustained net profit of 799 birr ($48). Her goal is to expand the business and open a
grinding shop.
“My family’s life is changed a lot with this saving; we have more household assets, I was able to renovate my house…. I am changed a lot. Even though teff prices are constantly rising, I am still able to earn a profit for my family. I am so thankful for being provided with the opportunity,” said Emebet.
 Netsanet is the mother of an eight-year-old son and is expecting her second child. Like Emebet, she received a microloan of 700 birr ($42) to jumpstart an injera business…which in its first three months produced a sustained net profit of 1900 birr ($114).
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
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