Adidas Ababa Good News

Manny (Amanuel) Dandena was baptized in October of 2018 in the campus ministry in San Antonio, Texas. Since that time, he has become one of the most fruitful students in his campus ministry. In the past 9 months, he has helped 3 people to become disciples. He leads a Bible talk, serves as one of the officers in his student organization, and is the main liaison between the organization and the university. He is very responsible and is one of the brothers relied upon the most by his Campus Minister, Nick Ziegler. 

From an academic standpoint, he excels as a math major in the honors college and gets exceptional grades. He currently has a 3.73 GPA. He pays his bills working as a math tutor for the university. 

God has blessed Manny with many talents and abilities, and he has decided to use these talents to build up God’s Kingdom.

Elsh (Elshaday) Dandena was baptized in March of 2019 and is a vibrant part of the campus ministry in San Antonio. Both she and Manny have been an integral part of helping their parents to become disciples in Ethiopia. 

Elsh is an outstanding student and has a 3.8 GPA.

Meseret (Manny & Elsh’s Mom) began noticing changes in her children after their baptisms in 2018 and 2019 in San Antonio, Texas. In December 2019, she had a mini-stroke, and she felt like God was trying to get her attention. In May of 2020, Meseret began studying the Bible while visiting her older daughter, who lives in Kentucky. She studied the Bible in her native Ethiopian language (Amharic) with Kibra (from Missouri), Meskerem (from Kansas), Tsega (from Virginia), and Addis (from London). It was apparent from the beginning that she was a woman who loves God and was determined to do whatever is necessary to be right with God. After studying the Bible with these 4 wonderful sisters and counting the cost with the women’s church leader in Ethiopia (Zoe), Meseret decided to make Jesus the Lord of her life. On June 28, 2020, she was baptized into Christ in the Cincinnati church building! Her baptism was attended on Zoom by disciples in Ethiopia, San Antonio, Cincinnati, Missouri, Kansas, London, and Germany. God was truly glorified on that day!

Meseret returned home to Ethiopia in August of 2020. Since her return, it has been amazing to see what God is doing through the impact of one changed life!

Meseret’s husband, Sori (Manny & Elsh’s Dad) studied the Bible with Berhanu (the church leader in Ethiopia) and Solomon. He was baptized on 

December 27th.

Masresha and Tigist are dear friends of Meseret and Sori. They began studying the Bible, and were baptized - Masresha on October 31st, and his wife, Tigist on November 21st.

Meseret and Sori’s oldest son, Tenu is currently studying the Bible. His wife Tina, was baptized on December 6th.

Addis is the daughter of close friends of Meseret and Sori, and she lives with them. She began studying the Bible, and was baptized on December 20th.

So far, 5 people have decided to make Jesus the Lord of their lives since Meseret's baptism! Some several other friends and relatives are currently studying the Bible. Please keep them and the church in Ethiopia in your prayers. 

Three other people were baptized last year in the church in Ethiopia (for which we praise God). That alone would have been a fantastic year for a church that began the Year 2020 with a membership in the '20s.

We thank God for Berhanu and Zoe, who are doing a stellar job leading this church, and we thank all of those who have served the church in Ethiopia over the years.

Last year has seen the most people brought to Christ in our sister congregation in Ethiopia in over 20 years. We want to take this opportunity to especially thank God for Dan Kuria, a courageous Kenyan leader who turned down the opportunity to pursue a Master's Degree in the U.S. to go into the full-time ministry in Kenya. He went into the full-time ministry in 1998. He was asked to move to Ethiopia from Kenya in 2000 to take over from the inspiring leadership of Steve & Carol Mukenya, who helped the church in Addis Ababa grow tremendously. Under Dan's leadership, the church continued to grow and flourish. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the passing of our dear brother Dan Kuria (April 18, 2001), who was shot and killed during an uprising in Addis Ababa while he and Hanna Woldeyes were on their way to visit one of the members of the church who was ill. In the month before he died, the church had 7 baptisms and 1 restoration.

One of the last people Dan studied the Bible with and helped become a Christian was Berhanu Wari, who was then a campus student and is now the leader of the church in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

We salute Dan Kuria's faith and love for God and the church in Ethiopia.