(February 25, 2001)

A former military headquarters in Ethiopia was visited by Lillian Sparks, director of Assemblies of God Women’s Ministries, and other Women’s Ministries leaders in November. Once occupied by the Army Signal Corps, the property will soon become the home of the Assemblies of God Worship Center complex that will house the Touch the World Care Center.

There are an estimated 100,000 homeless people in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia — 40,000 of them children.

"The former buildings have all been demolished, and it’s all rubble now," Sparks says. "But as our team drove around the property and claimed the land for Jesus, we saw next door a wall that was painted years ago with portraits of leaders of atheistic ideologies. Now the property will be used for the glory of God."

The care center will provide a full range of compassion ministries — food and clothing distribution, health care, dentistry and optical services for destitute families.

Three women from the national Women’s Ministries Department and 12 district leaders joined Sparks on the trip. Team members were deeply impressed by the efforts of Ethiopian believers and missionaries, who are ministering to both the physically undernourished and spiritually hungry.

"Hearing about the need is one thing; seeing it for yourself is quite another," says Sparks. It is estimated there are as many as 100,000 homeless people in Addis Ababa, the capital — 40,000 of them children. "Seeing these circumstances changes you. The team members are returning to their districts and churches and telling what they saw and what we want to do. Our goal is for the firsthand missions experience of these leaders to be a turning point for raising the $1.2 million we need to build the Touch the World Care Center."

When Joyce Addison, Georgia District Women’s Ministries director, left Ethiopia, she took home a visual keepsake.

"I will forever carry in my memory the many mothers with infants and other small children who were obviously sick and needy," Addison says. "They surrounded our vans at every stop. I believe God has ordained for the women of America to join hands and hearts to help the women and children of Ethiopia. They are suffering and we can help."

Women’s Ministries workers helped about 700 children at Mercy Center church in Addis Ababa and toured an AIDS children’s hospital. Team members met with Bible college students, led worship services, taught workshops and hosted a children’s ministries training class.

Assemblies of God Women’s Ministries accepted the challenge of totally funding the $1.2 million care center project. In keeping with the Women’s Ministries theme, Women Touching the World, the center is being named the Touch the World Care Center.

"When Assemblies of God people see a need, they respond whether through prayer, finances or with their hands," says Karlene Gannon, finance/projects coordinator for the national Women’s Ministries Department, who participated in the Ethiopia outreach. "Each year the women and girls give in excess of $3 million for the support of missionaries and foreign missions projects."

"The momentum is now ours," says Don Corbin, Assemblies of God regional director for Africa. "It’s time to run to and through God’s open door. Thank you, Women’s Ministries, for believing in God’s vision for Ethiopia."

— Colette Walden

More information is available from womensministries@ag.org or www.ag.org/womensministries.