The Tribe works with two gifted men and their churches in Ethiopia: Sammy Ghiwot who leads a work in Addis and Dinberu Akewold who leads a work in Debrezeit.
Both men are married with children. They work extensively in Ethiopia into various regions.
Our work alongside these Ephesians 4-gifted men includes areas in the north, Gondor & Bahar dar; and in the east, Dire Dawa & Harar. We have also been into Djibouti on three occasions. Stuart has been going to Ethiopia since 2004 and, as an elder of The Tribe, he has had the privilege of overseeing the work there since 2006. Hennie Keyter (of the New Covenant Ministries International team) pioneered the work in Ethiopia through supernaturally meeting up with Sammy and Dinberu.
We have had teams go with us from The Tribe as well as friends from other churches around South Africa who have a heart for the people in Ethiopia.
We work with a host of churches and leaders. Our Leadership Training Times have been attended by approximately 150 leaders/pastors/workers. These leaders represent about 30 different churches.
You can get involved through prayer, by actually coming with us on a trip, and also through contributing financially. We go at least twice a year, March/April and October. We fly on Ethiopian Airlines and the cost is approximately R10 000 depending on the internal travel arrangements. We cover the costs of venues, and training for the local church leaders.
Our aim is to build the local church in Ethiopia without making them dependant on us financially. Our desire is to help the local leaders build authentic Christ-centred churches that rely on the Holy Spirit’s leading and empowering to build prevailing churches in Ethiopia.
It is an amazing privilege to work alongside these humble, courageous and gracious men and women. Many have been imprisoned for their faith by the Orthodox Church and yet have counted is pure joy!
Our prayer is that you will open your heart to the Holy Spirit and share with us in the inheritance God has given us in Ethiopia.
Our most recent trip took place from the 14th to 21st October.
Ethiopia Trip May 2010
“For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you- that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.”
Romans 1:11-12
Of all the trips that I have been on to Ethiopia, this one stands out as the best! Not that one compares trips and rates them per se, but as one that is measured by the work of the Spirit and the evidence of power!
I know that He has been working in all our trips previous, but I am so thankful and grateful for what the Holy Spirit did in us and through us this past trip. Arno and Cobus accompanied me on this trip. For Arno, his 4th visit and for Cobus his first. Cobus clearly felt the Holy Spirit lead him to join us, it had to be God, his wife had 3 weeks to go before their first baby was due to be born. So already the Holy Spirit was hovering over the preparations, stirring hearts and speaking words of life into the going…
There were significant words given before we left, and we saw them unfold. This makes such a difference when you go into the context of ministry having a word from God. In a nutshell they were: – That the veil that stood between us and the Holy of Holies has been torn and that the glory of God would rush out from the Holy place and flood us, we would not have to try and push through to lay hold of the glory. – As we preached the same message of the gospel over and over as we have done for the past 4 years, it would be like a hammer that keeps hitting away at a wall, you don’t know which blow will be the one that breaks the wall, but our faithful preaching of the gospel of grace would bring a breakthrough. – We would be like soap dispensers, having the Holy Spirit inside us we would be able to dispense however much needed whenever needed!
All these words we saw happen! Praise you Jesus for your great grace and favour.
We saw 3 people come to Christ, one man on the first night came forward acknowledging Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. He was a Muslim, first time in the meeting! We saw a number of people healed and delivered in the most precious way. Just as we worshipped the King and prayed gently with people who needed healing we saw significant changes. The one man, an ex-Muslim, had come to the meetings with severe back pain. He told me that the pain had affected his bladder control, which is how bad it was. In our 2nd meeting God healed him. The pain left him and he testified that a day later all was well and that he had no problems with his bladder.
14 people were filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of Speaking in tongues. The deliverances were also so precious as 2 people testified that they had felt so oppressed and during the meeting had experienced that delivering power of God in their lives and were healed.
It is such a privilege to work with Sammy and Dinberu, their wives, children and churches. They are doing an outstanding job in modeling New Testament Christianity in their beautiful country. We have the privilege of partnering with them in seeing the gospel preached and modeled to many in Ethiopia.
We gathered about 150 leaders in Addis on our final weekend from about 20 different churches for input and impartation. Michael Eaton from Crisco churches in Kenya Nairobi has also been partnering with us in ministering to Ethiopia. His ministry was exceptional to say the least as the Holy Spirit anointed the word of God as he preached to us on Saturday. I can only describe it as a feast and at the same time a cleansing. The washing of the word and the manna from heaven! The prophetic impartation into the local’s context was profound! I believe that they will never be the same again as I believe that I have been changed. Arno and Cobus also testified to the day’s ministry as life transforming! What a precious gift Michael is to the body of Christ.
Tribe you have faithfully sown financially and through prayer into this apostolic partnership over the past 4 years, thank you! This is what Paul speaks about in Philippians 4 about sowing apostolically that increases to your credit. One day in heaven we will be rewarded for our obedience to the Spirit, even though we are greatly encouraged by the fruit that we see already through our work into Ethiopia.
Keep praying for the work in Ethiopia and that God would give us grace into Djibouti, Somalia and Eritrea. I believe that we are going to see more of God’s Kingdom breakthrough into these new areas as well.
Thank you Lord for the privilege of being led by your Holy Spirit!
Love
Stuart
