News: Thirty-Two Come to Christ at Conference

The year 2009 marks the fifth anniversary of Ezra Rural Ministry. To celebrate this milestone, Dereje Shiferaw, director of ERM, combined the annual Evangelists’ Conference in Hosanna with a Fifth Anniversary Celebration, inviting all the evangelists who have been supported by the Adopt an Evangelist program, ERM African board members, church leaders, along with many of the individuals who have benefited by this ministry.

This special time in January began with the three days of the conference. The evangelists enjoyed precious fellowship, food, extra training in sound evangelism, and encouragement in the commitment to their calling.

In the afternoon of the third day, the Fifth Anniversary Celebration began with worship, singing, preaching, and testimonies from those who have been touched by God through Ezra Rural Ministry.

Testimonies of His impact were given by students, evangelists, village church leaders, and some of the widows who received the gifts of wheat and oil at Christmas time.

We are pleased to be able to say that in these past five years, Ezra Rural Ministry has-

• trained 450 Bible students from rural village churches

• supported 25 evangelists and their families through the Adopt an Evangelist program

• preached the Gospel to more than 3000 people through film, field training, and evangelism

• introduced more than 250 church leaders to the idea of “tent-making”

• provided 150 students and evangelists with study Bibles in the Amharic language

• instructed 20 women (with 40 more soon) in the Women’s Health Education program

• enhanced the English language skills of many adults and children through David Suda

• fed 350 impoverished families

• gave school supplies to100 children

To celebrate God’s faithfulness to this ministry, Dereje ended the celebration by handing out bread and drink to 185 of whom he calls his “dearest guests”, the poorest of the poor in Hosanna. Dereje showed the film The Passion of the Christ and preached the Word of God. In the days following, thirty-two of those guests made the decision to follow Christ!

Dereje says, “God bless you all who supported Ezra Rural Ministry the last five years that multiplied God to bless many many families here. Your sacrificial gifts changed many families life to survive and to be fruitful. We pray that God to reward you more for what you have done for Ezra Ministry. We also pray that we will do more in the future to impact many families life as God help us.”

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