Supporting our Community in Ethiopia

Yesterday afternoon, August 17th, there was flash flooding on the Mekane Yesus compounds in Mekanissa. This is the worst flooding that this area has seen and while there has been flooding from time to time on these two compounds, this is by far the most devastating. The river overflowed in several places and raced through several staff and mission residences and offices, and partially flooded dorms and other residences. Eight people have died, mostly children of the Ethiopian staff or students. Many families have lost all that they own.

More than half of our current membership at Redeemer has been personally impacted by this event as they live and/or work here and we have a long history between our congregation and the seminary.

Our church community, Redeemer International Congregation of the EECMY (formerly known as ILC) has our roots at MY in Mekanissa. Nearly all of the pastors who have served our congregation have lived and worked there, some in the houses that have been most affected. The majority of our leadership and our membership over the last 75 years have also lived and worked at the seminary or at the missions that are located in the adjoining compound (Finnish Lutheran Mission, Finish Evangelical Lutheran Mission, Danish (Promissio) Mission, Missouri Synod, Reformed Church of America, and in the past the Norwegian Lutheran Mission and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and others). We also have students of the seminary within our membership and supported several over the years with scholarships and so we feel the impact of this flooding very personally as a congregation.

This GoFundMe is a call for support to assist our larger community. The goal of these funds will be to provide immediate financial support for those affected within our congregation and within the seminary community, through cleanup, meals and/or financial assistance. We will have a committee put into place to oversee the distribution of both monetary and in-kind donations.

We grieve with our brothers and sisters in Christ who have lost loved ones and we thank the Lord that more lives were not lost. He knows their needs and we feel called to do our part to assist however we can.

Thank you for your prayers and support for this community.

From the Redeemer Council.

• The pictures below are of the seminary compound; the staff residential housing area, mission housing and the compound.
• The swell of the river.
• Cleanup on the compound today.
• The funeral service for those who died, which took place this afternoon.

**Clarification on Fund ‘Beneficiary’: Nathaniel Veltman is listed as the beneficiary of this GoFundMe. He serves on Redeemer’s Pastoral Team and has been asked to serve on the Committee created in response to the flood. Specifically, he has been designated by Redeemer to act as the financial facilitator for this Fund. All of the funds will be distributed directly to those individual and families with immediate needs or to the Seminary to distribute to affected staff. No goods or payment are being given to Nathaniel Veltman for acting in this role.

 

 

 

 

!