Yezelalem Minch

“The history of missions is the history of answered prayer.” ---- Samuel Zwemer

 

Yezelalem Minch is an NGO founded by an Ethiopian woman (Birtukan) and her husband (Nesibu). Birtukan was a sponsored child growing up through World Vision where her medical, nutritional, and educational needs were met. Growing up Birtukan always thought people who sponsor children were rich. After graduating from high school she began working for World Vision. It was during that time she was able to read many letters from sponsors. She recalls one letter that changed the way she thought of sponsors. In the letter the man explained that he was crippled and he didn't have much money, but that he had a strong love for his sponsor child and it would be his pleasure to help him. Birtukan told us that in Ethiopia if you are a crippled person you are considered extremely poor and it was at that moment she prayed, “Here I am, Lord! I have hands and I have feet. What can I do to help those in need?” It was then she feels God placed in her heart a vision to care for orphaned children.

Birtukan continued to pray asking God to use her to care for orphans. A while later she began to notice street children near her home. She took two of those abandoned children into her home to care for them (at this time she was still single, but dating Nesibu). Soon after taking in the first two children, she took in ten other orphaned children. (the two boys that stayed at the guesthouse with us last week were part of the original 10-15 children). While dating her husband she explained her vision and what she had been praying for and if that was something he wasn't interested in doing, she was not going to be able to marry him. Fortunately, Nesibu agreed with her vision that these children should not be left behind. They started by opening three group homes, which grew and grew to what it is today. They are now serving more than 1400 children.

We know God answers prayer!! It was amazing to hear Birtukan's testimony of how God has answered her prayer by calling her to love and serve the least of these. God planned from the beginning that he was going to work through her to give these little ones a chance. She was orphaned as a young child, grew up in poverty, but was given the opportunity to transform her life and is now changing the lives of others. The Lord has a heart for orphan children--and so does she!! (One year ago a newborn child was dropped of at the gate of the compound at Yezelalem Minch severely malnourished. Birtukan took her into her home and began the process to adopt her. Six months later that little girl became the newest member of the Birtukan and Nesibu family).

 

YZM's purpose and mission is to see that orphaned and vulnerable children in the community are cared for...we spent an afternoon playing with the children in the preschool program...the children in the program are ages 4-10



 

after spending time outside playing, they brought us into their classroom to play some more  

 

YZM provides a Saturday feeding program at three different locations, ensuring every child receives a nutritional meal each week

 

 

lunch was cooked and served in this room

 

Every Saturday during the feeding program, each child is given a medical check up

 

playing thumb wars while waiting for their parents to pick them up

 

these ladies are widowed and work for YZM...they prepare the lunch in the morning, serve the lunch to the children, and clean up afterwards

 

Nesibu and Birtukan thanking us for the donations to purchase sheep...

              the gratitude shown to us for presenting them with the opportunity to purchase sheep for their families was tremendous....thanks everyone for your generous giving!

 

After leaving the YZM office we drove about 40 minutes into the country to meet four of the 25 families that will receive the sheep  

 

Each family was able to go to the market in the morning to select their own sheep...owning these sheep is an opportunity to improve their standing in the community they live in

 

 

leaving the compound with their sheep

 

walking home with their sheep

 

we visited a family who had already been given three sheep from a previous donation

 

 

the sheep already reproduced!...they use the female sheep to reproduce and sell the male sheep in the market to help support their families...the owners bring their flock to a central grazing area, they can then count on the animals mingling with other flocks so they do not have to keep a male

 

 the home and sheep above belong to this young man and his family

 This is Johanna, Birtukan and Nesibu's adopted one year old little girl

 

 

 

**I'm trying to upload video footage we have of Nesibu and Birtukan saying thank you and footage of the families receiving their sheep--I'm having a difficult time doing that.  If I can figure it out(Angie has been trying to help) I'll post that in an upcoming post. **