> Mission Ethiopia 2008 Background

Three Fort Wayne Lutheran Churches – Concordia, Southwest and Martini – are partnering with the Lutheran Hour Ministries Global Work & Witness program (http://www.lhm.org/globalmission/) on this effort.

It’s the beginning of what we believe could be a long-term relationship between the Christian church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and the Christian church in Ethiopia. It’s a global/local – glocal – partnership. People here and there who haven’t yet heard the Gospel need your help. Ethiopians and Americans can be blessed through a glocal partnership in which we learn mission and outreach techniques from each other.

The Ethiopia team (left to right): Jennifer Davis, Pastor Kevin Wendt, Loretta Sassmannshausen, Faith Hilty, Barb Johnson, Steve Soldano, Kelly Herring, Mackenzie Herring, Dan Dienelt, Doris Kayser, Julie Kratzman, and Gary Penner. Inset: Pastor Dave Maki.

There are two key aspects to this mission

1. Ministry Bridges
   A glocal partnership is being built by identifying global/local ministries common to both Fort Wayne and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. One such bridge is Muslim outreach. Approximately 3,500 Muslims live in Fort Wayne, brought here as refugees by the US State Department and their numbers are increasing. We will spend time with Ethiopian pastors and lay leaders assessing ways in which we can teach and learn from each other in the growing opportunity of Muslim outreach.

2. Making Friends

A global partnership is built simply by making friends. We will visit villages outlying the capital city of Addis Ababa to meet and talk with counterparts from the Fort Wayne team among the people of Ethiopia. The plan is to then nurture these relationships through ongoing communication and recurring visits in Fort Wayne and Ethiopia. We are convinced that building relationships among Christians and Muslims in Ethiopia will open avenues to building relationships among Muslims in Fort Wayne. In addition, we are currently finalizing plans for a work project at the Gerferssa mental health facility in Addis Ababa.

Please pray for the mission!

• For this local/global partnership to become firmly established and to bear fruit
• For team travel and arrangements to fall in place
• For team flexibility and adaptability in the face of interruptions and complications
• For team health and safety before, during and after travel
• For political stability and spiritual ripeness throughout Ethiopia
• For individual courage and boldness in Gospel witness
• For individual humility and understanding in mission training
• For financial provision for Muslim outreach staffing in Ethiopia and Fort Wayne
• For financial provision for team member travel
• That you are blessed by God and personally grow spiritually as a prayer partner in this effort