2014 TEAM VISITS TO ETHIOPIA
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FEBRUARY 2014 VISIT TO ETHIOPIA
It is now over 15 years since we began to share in a small way in the prisons ministry in Ethiopia. Each year teams travel out there and work alongside our partners Justice for All PF Ethiopia (JFA-PFE) based in Addis Ababa. In February, Rebecca Ducker and Jean Davies were able to visit eight prisons from Debre Birhan, over 80 miles north of Addis Ababa, down to Arba Minch some 280 miles south of the capital. Accompanying them on their travels this time was Ato Tesfaye Teka who oversees all JFA-PFE prison based activities. The main - though not exclusive – focus of this visit was the work amongst women and children affected by imprisonment including the JFA-PFE Twinkle of Hope and REFUGE child care projects. Closely bound up with this loving practical work there are opportunities to share the gospel message, pray with prisoners and provide much sought after Bibles. Here is only a very tiny glimpse of a tremendous time of blessing. Twinkle of Hope – caring for children in prison with their mums. Fifteen Twinkle of Hope children were seen in one prison They were in their classrooms with their teachers and even wearing school uniforms! Pencils, books, pens etc were left for them. They were also given presents. REFUGE – caring for prisoners’ children in the community. In one prison Rebecca and Jean met the five children and their parents currently benefiting from the REFUGE programme plus three for whom sponsorship is now being sought. This was a happy time and they were all given small gifts. There is an education programme in place which needs support. In another prison only one of the five original REFUGE families remained as the other four imprisoned parents had been now released. On release families are given a goat and a sheep to help them get established and sponsorship also continues for 6 months after release . Four new children with a parent in this prison were able to be added to the programme replacing those who have left. PRACTICAL PROJECTS – from Skills Training to farming There was great enthusiasm for skills training – from sewing to farming – but these can be hampered by lack of resources. In one prison there were 12 good sewing machines and a workshop. Funding is needed to pay for a teacher. Small agricultural enterprises are being established in a number of prisons and Rebecca and Jean were able to visit some chicken projects, some fruit and vegetable growing and to discuss the possibility of cattle in the future. THE GOSPEL, TEACHING and PRAYER Give thanks for the many opportunities to share the gospel message and see prisoners respond, to offer Bible teaching and to pray for prisoners individually. The Lord is doing great things in Ethiopia at this time. Jean even commented – “It was like living in the book of Acts!” |
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NOVEMBER DECEMBER VISIT
Every time any of us visit Ethiopia there is always so much to take in and so much to give thanks for. Working alongside our friends in Justice for All and Prison Fellowship Ethiopia (JFA-PFE) also gives us a wonderful insight into so many aspects of this prisons’ ministry.
Here is a brief account of the visit of our founder Bob Spratt accompanied by Rev Saju Muthalaly in late November and early December 2014.
Bob has been going out for 17 years. This was Saju’s first visit.
MEETING WITH JFA-PFE TEAM
At the beginning of our visit we spent some time in the office with members of the JFA-PFE team and were updated on all that had been happening during the year and given details of proposed projects for 2015. We heard accounts of great blessing, including many prisoners coming to know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour and Lord as well as of Bible study opportunities at many different levels.
Every time any of us visit Ethiopia there is always so much to take in and so much to give thanks for. Working alongside our friends in Justice for All and Prison Fellowship Ethiopia (JFA-PFE) also gives us a wonderful insight into so many aspects of this prisons’ ministry.
Here is a brief account of the visit of our founder Bob Spratt accompanied by Rev Saju Muthalaly in late November and early December 2014.
Bob has been going out for 17 years. This was Saju’s first visit.
MEETING WITH JFA-PFE TEAM
At the beginning of our visit we spent some time in the office with members of the JFA-PFE team and were updated on all that had been happening during the year and given details of proposed projects for 2015. We heard accounts of great blessing, including many prisoners coming to know the Lord Jesus as their Saviour and Lord as well as of Bible study opportunities at many different levels.
PRISON VISITS
Something of the wonder of this was experienced in the very first prison that we visited – a prison housing over 1,000 inmates, Apart from at the Gate where some of the staff were in uniform it was not possible to tell who were prisoners and who were staff as all were dressed in their own clothes. This prison had a small separate section for women prisoners some of whom had their children with them. We visited them and were able to leave some little presents for these children to try and brighten up their day! As we walked through this prison we were also impressed once again by how different the prison regime is in Ethiopia than here in the UK. The prisoners are not locked up all day. It was almost like an outside community. Some were standing chatting, some were working and some were walking down to the chapel where we had been invited to join them in a time of prayer and worship. As seems to be the pattern throughout Ethiopia, so many of the prisoners in this prison are now Christian believers that the chapel is not big enough to hold them and before joining them we were shown where it is proposed to extend it. After the service in the chapel, we wandered through the prisoners exchanging the occasional nod, smile and wave, before Bob presented the commander of the prison with soap for all the prisoners. As the first step in distributing this the commander in turn then handed it on to someone else – whether a prisoner or staff member was bit unclear due to the very informal dress code . In another prison we were able to visit the women’s section and meet some of the children who are supported through the Twinkle of Hope project. It was lovely to see some smiley faces but so sad to learn about the experiences of some of these young ones including bereavement. A new facility for young offenders is being developed and we were also able to visit this and to share the gospel message with them in the open air. CHAPLAINS’ ANNUAL CONFERENCE The team of chaplain co-ordinators employed by JFA-PFE and supported by this Trust through sponsorship continues to grow. These men and women play a key role in the work. Not only do they provide pastoral care etc. they are also able, often in co-operation with local churches, to ensure the provision of good Bible teaching etc. Having such active church links is also helpful whenever a Christian believer is released from prison. The 2014 Conference once again drew chaplains from all over Ethiopia – a country five times larger than the UK. Together they were able to worship the Lord, to enjoy fellowship, discover what the Lord was doing in other places and to get updated on the practical aspects of their work. Bob was given the role of keynote speaker and the Bible teaching was mostly provided by Saju but both were greatly blessed as they enjoyed fellowship with these devoted servants of the Lord. |
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SAJU REFLECTS ON HIS FIRST VISIT TO ETHIOPIA
This was Saju’s first visit. He was so blessed by this visit he is already talking about his next one! In the meantime he has recorded a few impressions.
HOSPITALITY
Ethiopians I am convinced are the most hospitable people. Everything about them said, “Welcome to our home and become one of us.” “Welcome to our lives and become one of us.”
From Tesfaye who greeted us at the airport with the widest smile possible to Pastor Minas who dropped us off, the people were genuine lovely and incredibly hospitable. There is of course something inspiring and intimate about sharing an authentic Ethiopian meal with friends and it was powerful one afternoon to share a plate and laughter with new found friends at an Ethiopian restaurant.
Their affection, openness, welcome, smile, humour and hospitality is second to none. I came away thinking they took the phrase “Practise hospitality” found in Romans 12: 13 to a new level. Who among us can refuse from saying, "Welcome to our lives and become one of us"?
CONTENTMENT.
On our second day we were taken into a prison an hour from Addis Ababa and we found ourselves in the chapel within the prison. It was very moving to observe contentment and spiritual passion in the lives of young men even as we spent some time in prayer and worship. They didn’t just want to know about God. They were hungry to experience him and it seemed to me that was the root to their contentment.
Someone once said, ‘genuine contentment is not self-sufficiency but is Christ sufficiency’ and I learnt one can be sufficient and deeply content in Christ even in difficult places like prisons. I think of Paul who himself wrote from a prison, “I’ve learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”
SCRIPTURE
I was teaching Ethiopian Prison Chaplains on the parables of Jesus. I wanted the teaching sessions to be collaborative involving dialogues and therefore planned sessions where we could listen to each other.
I came away learning so much from their reflections and observations. It was clear that they read Scriptures with a deep love for the word of God. It was truly humbling to hear that some of these chaplains had travelled close to a 1000 kilometres to get to the conference; many of them growing disciples and reaching out with the love of Jesus to literally thousands of prisoners. Their love and appreciation of God’s Word has indeed inspired me to read the Bible diligently.
RELATIONSHIPS
Relationships are one of the greatest gifts we can receive and give and it was very moving to watch children spending and serving time with their mothers and especially to observe the authentic loving relationships celebrated in the prison community.
My few days in Ethiopia has enabled me to read Matthew 25: 31-46 in a refreshing and very challenging light.
I also thoroughly enjoyed Bob’s company. Bob is 83 and spending 10 days with him confirmed to me what I always admired about him; his integrity, authenticity, faith, desire to hold the hand of Jesus and his heart for the least – all this and more I think are the marks of a compelling Jesus loving servant leader.
This was Saju’s first visit. He was so blessed by this visit he is already talking about his next one! In the meantime he has recorded a few impressions.
HOSPITALITY
Ethiopians I am convinced are the most hospitable people. Everything about them said, “Welcome to our home and become one of us.” “Welcome to our lives and become one of us.”
From Tesfaye who greeted us at the airport with the widest smile possible to Pastor Minas who dropped us off, the people were genuine lovely and incredibly hospitable. There is of course something inspiring and intimate about sharing an authentic Ethiopian meal with friends and it was powerful one afternoon to share a plate and laughter with new found friends at an Ethiopian restaurant.
Their affection, openness, welcome, smile, humour and hospitality is second to none. I came away thinking they took the phrase “Practise hospitality” found in Romans 12: 13 to a new level. Who among us can refuse from saying, "Welcome to our lives and become one of us"?
CONTENTMENT.
On our second day we were taken into a prison an hour from Addis Ababa and we found ourselves in the chapel within the prison. It was very moving to observe contentment and spiritual passion in the lives of young men even as we spent some time in prayer and worship. They didn’t just want to know about God. They were hungry to experience him and it seemed to me that was the root to their contentment.
Someone once said, ‘genuine contentment is not self-sufficiency but is Christ sufficiency’ and I learnt one can be sufficient and deeply content in Christ even in difficult places like prisons. I think of Paul who himself wrote from a prison, “I’ve learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”
SCRIPTURE
I was teaching Ethiopian Prison Chaplains on the parables of Jesus. I wanted the teaching sessions to be collaborative involving dialogues and therefore planned sessions where we could listen to each other.
I came away learning so much from their reflections and observations. It was clear that they read Scriptures with a deep love for the word of God. It was truly humbling to hear that some of these chaplains had travelled close to a 1000 kilometres to get to the conference; many of them growing disciples and reaching out with the love of Jesus to literally thousands of prisoners. Their love and appreciation of God’s Word has indeed inspired me to read the Bible diligently.
RELATIONSHIPS
Relationships are one of the greatest gifts we can receive and give and it was very moving to watch children spending and serving time with their mothers and especially to observe the authentic loving relationships celebrated in the prison community.
My few days in Ethiopia has enabled me to read Matthew 25: 31-46 in a refreshing and very challenging light.
I also thoroughly enjoyed Bob’s company. Bob is 83 and spending 10 days with him confirmed to me what I always admired about him; his integrity, authenticity, faith, desire to hold the hand of Jesus and his heart for the least – all this and more I think are the marks of a compelling Jesus loving servant leader.
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Saju concluded his reflections by saying – “In some ways, because of this trip I will never be the same again.”
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Saju concluded his reflections by saying – “In some ways, because of this trip I will never be the same again.”
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