ETHIOPIA
 
Up Global works through the Ethiopian Organization, Better Life for Pastoralists. For more information about them, please visit the Better Life for Pastoralists website.
 
 
Ethiopia is a country located in the Horn of Africa. With over 102 million inhabitants, Ethiopia is the most populous landlocked country in the world and the second-most populous nation on the African continent. The nation is a land of natural contrasts and occupies a total area of 420,000 square miles, and its capital and largest city is Addis Ababa.
 
Learn more about Ethiopia at Joshua Project.
 
UP FOCUS & OBJECTIVE
 
In 2016, Omo Valley leaders set a goal to plant 150 churches in the “kebeles” or sub districts in 3 years. By the grace of God, they have already exceeded that goal. The first goal was to plant 159 churches in the 150 South Omo “kebeles” or sub districts in the last three years. Now, the goal before us is to have a total of 450 churches planted in the Omo Valley by the end of 2021.
 
The Key Afar Bible Training Center is an integral part of our objective and strategy.
 
The Battle cry is, “The Bible in every language. A church in every village. The gospel available for every heart.” 
 
 
TRIP UPDATE – 12/18/2019
 
We are amazed at the progress being made by the church planters in the Omo Valley!
 
One of the highlights of this trip was the graduation for the pastors and oral storytellers. There were 20 pastors who had finished a two-year program helping them to do the work of a pastor. These folks are amazing.
 
Alongside them were 65 oral story tellers who were from 10 different tribes. All of the church planters combined have seen over 250 churches planted in the last 5 years in very difficult circumstances. The leaders reported that there are now approximately 18,000 believers in the Omo Valley! A few years ago, there were merely a handful. The gospel is spreading.
 
Graduates were again given a pregnant, female goat to help them learn some of the finer nuances of disciple making. “Take care of this animal and the herd will grow. So it is with growing the church.”
 
Thanks for your interest in UP Global’s work in the Omo Valley of Ethiopia. Together we are seeing God do impossible things.
 
PROJECTS
CHURCH PLANTING
Church Planters are the main vehicle that God is using to plant the church in the Omo Valley. Their success is critical to the future of the church in the valley. These servants of God have completed the oral storytelling training. They need to have ongoing “on the job” training and encouragement as well as close supervision. These program would help by bringing them back to the Key Afer training center at least once a year for training and resourcing.
 
  • Cost: $70 / year per church planter
  • Needed: 78
  • Donate Here
 
 
ORAL STORY TELLERS
This is “square one” for the church planting movement in the Omo Valley. After a person accepts Christ, they are recruited based on their passion to share the faith with their community. Since most of the Omo Valley are oral learners (i.e. over 80% illiterate), they memorize key Bible stories so as to be able to communicate the message of the Bible by way of storytelling. They are the door of the Blessings of God to their tribe and the generation to come.
 
 
 
PASTORAL TRAINING
As evangelists settle into building the local church, some of them excel at “pastoring”. These leaders need further training in theology and supervision to develop ministry skills.
 
 
 
REGIONAL COORDINATORS
In time, some church planters demonstrate gifts of leadership and shepherding and are asked to oversee up to 10 other church planters. They meet every other month to pray, to grow together, to problem solve and encourage each other. These visionary leaders carry the vision and empower young leaders to continue to reach out to that next village where the church is not yet planted.
 
  • Cost: $120 / year per coordinator
  • Needed: 29
  • Donate Here
 
 
OMO VALLEY PEACEFUL GENERATION YOUTH SPONSORSHIP
The vision for the Peaceful Generation is working in partnership with the Ethiopian government to select promising students from 11 tribes of the Omo Valley. The government provides the schooling and the children live at the Key After Bible Training Center (KBTC). The history of these tribes is one of conflict. The future hope and prayer is for lives in the Omo Valley that are lived together in harmony as young people learn a better way. KBTC offers them loving supervision, vocational training, and discipleship to become true followers of Christ.
 
  • Cost: $420 / year per youth OR $35 / month
  • Needed: 37
  • Donate Here
 
 
 
MICRO LOAN
These are one-time loans to provide a base of sustainability for the Christian worker. They submit a business plan, it is reviewed and administered by local financial institution that is partnering wih us in creating these loans. There are currently 21 workers in the process of making a proposal. Sustainability without outside funding is key to the future of the movement in the Omo Valley.