From the Dwell Missions Staff
We have seen throughout history and scripture that God works in the middle of challenging situations and discouraging circumstances to reveal His glory. And it is in just these sorts of places that some of our partners find themselves. Please join us in prayer for Bethel Church in Ethiopia and our partners in Côte d’Ivoire:
Bethel Church Ethiopia: There has been a long history of tension among the various ethnic groups of Ethiopia. This tension has bubbled to the surface throughout this year and has reached a breaking point in the last week. The federal government is now in active conflict with a militia group TPLF. This violent conflict is taking place in the Northern part of Ethiopia and has now spilled over into the neighboring country of Eritrea. Not only does this violence threaten the stability of the country, but potentially the whole Eastern region of Africa.
Please pray for Bethel church as there are many church plants in the Northern part of the country where it is most violent. Pray for the protection of the congregations and church leaders. Pray for wisdom on how to proceed in an unstable environment.
Pray also for our dear friends Lou and Genet Kassa--they are both sick with COVID. There has been a particular concern for Genet, as she has preexisting health problems--praise God that she is now recovering! Pray the Lord sustains them and that they can continue to lead well in this trying time.
Côte d’Ivoire: For many years the political situation in Côte d’Ivoire has had phases of instability and violence. This fall during a recent presidential election, a struggle for power has brought instability back to this nation. Violence has broken out in revolt against an unfair election and no conclusion has been reached on who is truly in power over the country. Many Ivoirians fear a repeat of the civil war in 2010 and 2011 that was also triggered by an election.
This, of course, has a negative effect on our Global Partners ability to conduct home churches. As tension rises people who were already struggling to make ends meet, face an especially hard challenge. A recent note from our Global Partners says that, “We gave a word to all the pastors and members of the church not to leave their homes, to stay in the homes in order to preserve their life. For tomorrow we have no idea what the situation is going to be. We remain in prayer. This is the whole situation of the country. We prefer that people stay in the houses, even if they have nothing to eat, that they stay in the houses in order to preserve their life.”
Pray for the safety of the church leaders and members. Pray that they and their families would have enough to eat. Pray that God would comfort them and they would seek solace in their citizenship of Heaven.