Rome Italy, Jun 6 to June 15
Italy is one of the countries that have lots of refugees, mainly from Africa.
The main purpose of this trip is to plan the crusade in Europe after COVID-19 and to bring the necessary resources for GFR partners to do God’s work in the area and in all of Europe.
We have a meeting with GFR Europe representative Pr. Abebe about the ongoing work and proposed crusade in Europe.
We had a prayer and meeting time with the current Italy GFR groups from Milan, Bologna, Rome, and Fabrica de Roma other cities
We also had a meeting with Pastors from all 6 Ethiopian and Eritrean churches in Rome.
The meeting is about how we can work together to reach the refugees in Rome.
God also gave us the opportunity to share our vision and God’s burden in one of the Italian Evangelical Christian churches in Fabrica do Roma.
Ethiopia. Jun 16 to June 20
The main purpose of GFR’s trip is to visit the people who are affected by the ethnic violence in Atayee, North Showa. Many people, their houses, and businesses are burned down; some are murdered. Many run to the wood some could be able to reach the nearby villages and town. We found few who came back and found no place to stay nothing to eat.
We were able to see the devastation. We heard the greatest tragedy from eyewitnesses. They were also the victim of this horrible violence, their house was burned, and the family scattered everywhere to save their lives. Some churches and government buildings were burned. One of the churches that completely burned down was Efeson Meserete Kristos Church.
GFR gave finical support to help build a temporary shelter in the church compound which can for shelter, worship, and also provide a meal for 70-100 people a day for two months.
Egypt: Jun 20th to June 28
Cairo is one of the largest cities in the world. More than 20 million people live in this city, more than 80,000 Ethiopians and Eritreans. Besides Cairo Ethiopians and Eritrean refugees are refugees in Aswan and in the camp at the border of Libya.
After we arrived, our first task was to meet with all Ethiopian and Eritrean church pastors and leaders in Cairo. At that meeting, all the churches including Egyptian and other African churches, 11 churches total, sent their pastors for the meeting. We did a presentation about our calling, reaching refugees with Gospel. We invite them to join us to fulfill our purpose in this world, preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They all expressed their willingness with excitement to work with GFR. They also told us this is the first time the pastors/ministers sat together to do God’s work. They thank God for GFR.
There was a training for the 15 GFR ministers in Cairo about the main purpose of our mission of making disciples. The churches requested to have the same training for their ministers. We gave that training.
There was a one-day conference for all church members organized by all the churches to learn from GFR about the Great Commission. This also was the first time for the churches to have a conference together
Our main work was to reach refugees with Gospel. We preached on the streets, at coffee places, restaurants, and places where many refugees gather, like the UNHCR office area. But most of our work, and the most effective one, was one-to-one evangelism, going house to house to tell about Jesus the Savior.
Sudan
GFR arrived in Sudan on Thursday.
Friday, we Served in Bethel church and Bethel branch in Ashanti Khartoum.
Saturday, we met the 7 Ethiopian and Eritrean Evangelical churches fellowship pastors and the 4 Eritrean Evangelical churches fellowship pastors to discuss evangelism work in Khartoum.
We got the opportunity to preach and give training in most of those churches.
We went to Al Gadaref, 600 km away from Khartoum to meet 12 brothers and sisters from Amrakuba Tenedba Hoasheba Amdayt Shegerab the refugee camps at Sudan and Ethiopia border. We Prayed prayed for them encouraged them, and gave them a short training. We couldn’t get to the camps because of the restrictions imposed due on the current situation between Ethiopia and Sudan.
We also visited Emgojia which is a few miles away from Gedarif to visit refugees who were elderly and were in Sudan most of their lives. The condition they were in is heartbreaking.
We were traveling to every corner of the city of Khartoum, which is more than 90 Square miles to visit refugees, especially the sick and the elderly. Our means of transpiration was walking and taking the motorize tricycle “Tuktuk” to visit refugees.
In this GFR 4th mission trip we saw God touches people and bring them to salvation.
Many came to Christ, among them 40% were from a Muslim background.