The first BTBAB trip of 2015 was to Ethiopia in the Horn of Africa. The only African nation never to have been colonised, it is a country with a facinating history and culture, not least as the home to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church – one of the oldest Christian traditions in the world. The team focused their work on two centres – the capital Addis Ababa, and up-country in the rural community of Debra Zeit.
Based in Addis for the first few days, the small team worked alongside a local couple as they ministered in a city orphanage. Bringing BTBABs ethos of using the skills you have, the team provided health promotion clinics, networked computer systems, ran children’s activities, and dished out many hugs and cuddles in the orphanage nursery.
Travelling out of the city to Debra Zeit, where the team worked alongside YWAM. During their visit they were able to provide food for six widows and accompany local elders as they were introduced to their village. Here they prayed for individuals and were blessed to see 6 ask Jesus to come into their lives.
The team were very touched by the plight of the people they met in the village – every day they , like many others, had to trek 45mins each way to collect water. Before they left the UK, they raised £877 towards a rural water project. $800 of this went part-fund access to water for the village. The remaining $475 went to the support families who live in a rural area outside of Addis Ababa, who in the dry season have to trek 2 hours to fetch water.
