Update from Ethiopia

 Many of you may remember a couple of years back when our dear friend and ministry partner from Ethiopia, Konjit, visited Salt and Light with one of her friends who is a famous singer and actress from there, Zeritu!  They spoke and sang and brought the joy and wonderful depth of their faith in the beautiful flavor of Ethiopian culture!
  Konjit was a judge who left everything to live with the poorest of the poor- street girls in Addis Ababa. A boys house was developed at the same time by a community of young believers who taught these abandoned children about God's love, how to bathe, live together, read, write, math skills and dream of a full life that would be productive and a blessing to everyone around them!  These children went on to become, teachers, nurses, farmers, business people- including Ben in the picture above, who owns a large architectural firm in downtown Addis and employs young people who came out of His same situation!
  Konjit (Koni), has also worked with famous artists in the entertainment industry who she subsequently introduced to new believers in a leper colony and they started a most unusual and wonderful Bible Study together!  Only God... 
  Koni then began working with David Beasley, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. for food aid programs around the World.  And two years ago David was awarded the Nobel Peace prize for his extraordinary work.  During her time with the Ambassador, Konjit was also finishing a Masters program on social services which she recently finished.
  Throughout the years Koni has been deeply involved with many leaders from numerous African nations and is beginning a new project to address the humanitarian crisis all over Africa and especially the 4 million people in Ethiopia who have been displaced by years of civil War there and a number of epic natural disasters occurring at the same time!
  I recently received an update on her latest travels and received permission to add it to our blog...
 
Dearest Jerry hope and pray you’re fully recovered from your surgery. Paul, 21, Tone’s (a leader from Norway) son spent past three weeks with me. We had such a wonderful time together! With Him and his friends from Iceland we visited IDP camps where displaced people/ kid’s mothers etc live in very challenging conditions! Paul managed to raise close to $ 5,000 USD online and we were able to distribute energy biscuits and milk to the kids and breastfeeding moms in the camps. The past weekend Paul and I flew to Northern Ethiopia Tigray region where the situation is worse and people are dying of hunger! Conflicts/ civil war, draught, locust infestations and flood in some region affected millions of people. Over 4 million people are internally displaced in Ethiopia it’s overwhelming, painful and heartbreaking! I’m just by the grace of God slowly recovering from emotional distress of what I saw and experienced! Please keep us in your prayers! Above are a few pictures:-