News: 2008 ERM Graduation
In this year’s graduation ceremonies, 210 students in total graduated from Ezra Rural Ministry Training Center with one-year certificates and two-year diplomas. These ceremonies took place in various locations: Hosanna, Butajira, in the remote village of Alem Gebeya, and in Tiya. Sixty-six students graduated in Hosanna with the graduation celebrations begining on Friday night, June 14th, with a large campfire. Dereje roasted three sheep for the occasion. Participants put on a short skit, told jokes, and sang songs together. Dereje said that the Presence of God was there and everyone enjoyed themselves very much. The next morning, on Saturday, they held a three-hour graduation ceremony, which included singing, praying, and preaching.
On Sunday, June 16th, in the afternoon, the graduation program for 49 students in Butajira began in the local church hall. There was singing, praying, the preaching of God’s Word, and a short skit. In the evening, the participants were invited to a campfire program in which they enjoyed skits, jokes, songs, a question and answer time, and testimonies.
Alem Gebeya, which means “world market”, is an extremely remote, Muslim-dominated village far from any main roads, inaccessible by public transportation. On June 22nd, Dereje traveled there on the top of a truck carrying wheat and corn to those affected by the severe drought and famine. For three hours, Dereje endured the hot wind and dust on top of the wheat sacks. Dereje says, though, that he forgot his struggles to get to Alem Gebeya when he received the friendly welcome of the villagers. The graduation ceremony, according to Dereje, was very blessed, wonderful. He was touched by the sacrifices these students and their teachers make, living and working in such a remote area, and persevering in faith despite opposition and poverty. Thirteen students graduated with one-year certificates in this village Bible school graduation ceremony. On the way back to Addis Ababa, Dereje rented a motorcycle to get to the main road again, and at one point had to swim across a river big enough to be impossible to cross in the rainy season!
On Saturday, June 28th, 25 students graduated in Tiya with one-year certificates. ERM worked in conjunction with World Vision in this program, ERM covering the cost of students’ materials and teachers’ salaries.
All our thanks go out to those who have supported this ministry and have made the education of these graduates possible!
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