Lighting the Way: Misgana’s Path to a Brighter Future

This week, I want to share an inspirational story from our partner in Ethiopia.  It's not unusual for us to share stories of how business skills help to alleviate poverty, but this story also tells what can happen when denominations allow their pastors to be co-vocational.  Often members can't afford to pay their pastor a living salary, but denominations want their pastors to be fully focused on the ministry.  Pastors then struggle to survive and feed their families.  But when churches recognize that almost every person in the Bible worked in the marketplace in addition to spreading the gospel, they begin to see that the two can actually work together, and not necessarily be in conflict (hence, "co-vocational" as opposed to "bi-vocational").  Stories like this inspire me and I hope it will do the same to you as you do your work as an act of worship this week!

My name is Misgana. I am a resident of Jinka Town in Ethiopia. I am married with one child. I have been a full-time minister for 10 years and my monthly income was around four thousand birr (about $37). Three years ago, I was one of the trainees when DML training was given to 200 people at Tena Adam Local Church in our town.

After the training, I took time to think and pray, and I decided to start a metal welding and manufacturing business. Over time, this work started becoming effective. As my income increased, I opened a merchandise store for my wife and got her to work. I am currently employing four people in my business! We are able to eat 3 times a day, which was never possible before. For more than ten years I have been struggling, but now, with the light given to me by DML, I have found the ability to buy a motorbicycle and run my ministry and business successfully. 

Because the church leaders have taken the training with us, all those who used to prevent us from getting involved in business have now cooperated so that I and other fulltime pastors can be blessed in everything. I used to rent a lamp for 20 birr ($0.20)for the house I live in but the owner would come and take the lamp back whenever he wanted it. We were not allowed to use pans and stoves in our house. But now I can afford to put in an electricity meter and we are getting full electricity service in our home.  

We used to carry water from the river. But we have been able to install a water pipe and we stopped going down to the river. The water is able to come to our house. This has greatly reduced the daily pressure on our family. I was also able to renovate my house to a better condition than before. In addition to this, I have bought a piece of land as well as different machines for the business. Based on what I learned about saving from DML, I was able to save 120,000 birr ($1,125) to buy a 3-legged Bajaj vehicle.

I am leading a happy life in my locality, not only with my ministry and business, but also with my money as I can give better tithes and various gifts to others. May God bless the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church and DML for bringing this important lesson to us.

Finally, I thank God that I stand here today to witness the beginning of this change for those who have not started like me. 

Impacts like this could not happen without the generous support from friends like you and we appreciate you this day!

If you would like to join us to help others like Misgana, please click here for more information.