A verse that kept coming to my mind as 2024 finished and the new year began was:
The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned. (Matthew 4:16)
Darkness is common in Ethiopia. Light goes out often. It seems all of us make a collective sigh when that happens. And when light returns, you hear people clap. Darkness in general often brings unease. It can make you afraid and insecure. There's a deeper haunting darkness that the world has and it's the effects of sin. This has devastating impact.
Yet that's not how our story ends or how God left it to end up. Jesus came and brought light! He brought life, hope, peace and joy to all of us who lived in the land of the shadow of death. Again that shadow is still here. Wars rage. Sin rages. Darkness advances. Sicknesses attack. BUT light has dawned, a Savior came, the King arrived to forever get rid of the darkness! Thank you Jesus!
One great sermon I listened to over Christmas said when Jesus came, the One who would crush what was crushing you, was born!
sermon link: https://youtu.be/MppoSF3sWbI?si=xMaii7lNmvg9tJah
Jesus' life and light can fill us from within giving us perspective, strength, perseverance, hope, joy and peace even when fires rage, the ground shakes, and things seem to be going from bad to worse. He can give us resilience- the ability to not give up!
We have a Savior who loves us. a King and Good Shepherd who can lead us and stand by us. And the end has already been written! He has already won and so have we! We have eternity with Him - without pain or sickness or death or sorrow. And now, we have His hand in ours and His light to lead us and His light to share with those who are still in darkness. We need to share about Jesus, the King, this Savior, Heaven's Champion, the one has already crushed the darkness!
May we share the light!!!!
That is my prayer for 2025.
May people see the light of Jesus in me, in us, and have the chance to respond!
Praises and Prayer Requests from the End of 2024 and for the New Year 2025
-Praise God for the new staff who were trained and launched by EvaSUE in the last few months of 2024. Please pray God keeps these new staff safe and encouraged and impacting for Him.
-Praise God also for the northern part of Ethiopia and some of our Addis team who visited there to encourage students, may God bring healing to this area. Also pray for our new staff person there, for wisdom and courage and impact!
-Praise God for area leadership summits and Bible study trainings that have happened in different parts of the country and also for deepening connections made with local churches. We praise God for the chance to serve students all over the country and for the Body of Christ being strengthened!
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| Northwest Area Leadership Summit |
-Praise God for the great consultation week we had with our regional coordinators. We heard reports from the regions and had prayer and planning together with these key leaders. I'm so thankful for this humble team to serve with!
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-Praise God that I was able to travel home for Christmas and New Years with my family. The few weeks in Ohio went fast. It was such a blessed time with my family! I also praise God for the safe return to Ethiopia a few days ago.
-Praise God I was able to serve twice in children's ministry at Noel and Mike's local church. What a blessing the children were to be with as they learned about Ethiopia and prayed for me. I'm so thankful for global family, the young and old and everyone in between, who make us the family of God together.
-Please pray for the next one week of intensive meetings and training we have with the EvaSUE staff, that this will unify us and ignite us for the year ahead.
-Please pray for our regions preparing regional leadership summits that begin in early February and will continue into March-April. That God will provide the funding and resources for these summits and God will pour out a blessing and anointing on the student leaders who gather.
-Please pray for a Spring Semester Course I've been asked to teach beginning in February at ETC (the Evangelical Theological College). I'm excited to teach a course here again for church leaders! May God bless the time!
-Please pray for a Business for Kingdom Impact competition that will be happening this quarter in partnership with Christian Life Center in Dayton, my home church. Pray that some new kingdom businesses will be launched here through this initiative.
-Please keep my work permit and residence ID renewal process in prayer. It's not until March, but we have to begin praying now, it's never an easy thing to pass through.
-Please keep Ethiopia in prayer, for the economy, the government, for peace. It's also an election year (in May). We need prayer!
-Thank you so much for those who gave extra support that helped me get home for Christmas and for those who helped with my return here! Also, thank you so much for all of you who give and continue to! I'm honored to partner with you here for Our King!!!
If you'd like to give extra for the events coming up or if you'd like to join my monthly support team (if you're not part of that already), you can do so through this link:
https://www.globaloutreach.
Thank you so much!
May 2025 be the best year yet for God!!!
Many Blessings to You and Your Family in the New Year!
With Gratitude from Ethiopia,
Holly
