One of the great blessings of working in World in Need is speaking with the Global Family and being able to visit their countries. This gives me the opportunity to experience our Global Family leader's great passion for their communities, and the desire to bless others with the love of Jesus. Earlier this year I had the privilege of visiting Ethiopia and Kenya to meet with our Global Family leaders there.
Ethiopia
Travelling can often produce challenges as these trips are far from uneventful, and my trip to Ethiopia was no exception. After some travel disruption I arrived 12 hours late and without my luggage, which was not returned to me until the day before I left Ethiopia. Thankfully I was well looked after by the team there as they helped me with this inconvenience.
I spent time with Meaza and her colleague Minte, who manage our WIN Ethiopia partner organisation in Addis Ababa called ‘The Right Path Child Development Association’. They are doing a great work in the city of Addis Ababa, reaching out to families and individuals in need, to help them improve their circumstances. They run the child sponsorship programme in the city – currently supporting around 40 children and their families. Through this they provide money for school fees, health checks, and visit poorer families supporting them through Minte’s social work skills.
In particular, they also provide advice and funds to individuals to start businesses, investing in the future of their families and giving them the ability to generate vital income.
What really touched me was Meaza’s heart for the children – she has a great relationship with the families she helps, forming bonds with them and their children, earnestly seeking to make a very real difference to their lives, and she succeeds in giving these families hope, and the promise of a better future.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
Kenya
On arriving in Kenya I caught a connecting flight west to Eldoret airport, and then a car ride to the rural community of Soy.
During my stay, the country received the news that Kenyan long-distance runner, Kelvin Kiptum Cheruiyot, winner of the 2023 London Marathon, and world record holder for the fastest marathon, had died in a car crash aged 24, along with his Rwandan coach, Gervais Hakizimana. Robert Mulumbi and I watched the news update on the death of this promising athlete, whilst sharing a meal together in a local restaurant in an area near to the accident.
Spending time with Robert was a joy – he is a wonderful man with a big heart. He has seen personal hardship with the loss of his wife in 2021, and we walked and talked together in what I believe was a time of refreshing for him.
I was privileged to visit the Nancy George Academy, and to see the children thriving in the school where so many WIN supporters sponsor children. It was incredibly rewarding to see the blessing of the sponsorship as well as the other financial and prayerful support over the years. It was good to see that the new science lab is working well and that the children are enjoying their lessons.
I also visited one of the new churches that Robert oversees, and was honoured to preach at the official opening of the new church building that the pastor had built out of wood and mud.
In addition, I was also able to visit a group who had participated in the WIN Basic Discipleship Course that Robert oversees, with a view that many of them will then go on to train others in what it means to follow Jesus. They told me how grateful they were for the course material from Emmanuel Press, and how good it is at helping them to understand the teaching of Jesus.
