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Partners in Reaching the Suri
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Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship
Wycliffe Bible Translators
Ethioipa Facts
Unreached Peoples
Trinity United Presbyterian Church
Ethiopia Trips
Partnership Trip
Giny Roundy with Doug and Sarah Rumford visit the Southwest Bethel Synod leaders with a stay in Mizan Teferi: Feb 15-29, 2008 (itinerary)Project Trip
Bob Von Schimmelmann with Alice West, Cindy DeBerry, and Cristy Napolitan from Trinity go to Tulgit to work at the clinic or other light construction tasks: Feb 15-29, 2008 (itinerary)|
ITV funds help Southwest Bethel Synod build new churches A truck to visit remote locations and transport materials is purchased in Ethiopia for the church leaders. |
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Previous Trips
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| Friendship Development (tutoring): July 9-23, 2006 | |
Tasks Requested for Trips for 2007
Trinity has a covenant with the Southwest Bethod Synod in Ethiopia. (view)
Vacation with a Purpose! July 9-23, 2006 (details)
These trips will be an opportunity to meet with some of the Suri so we may build relationships with them. Over the next several years we will get to know the Suri and share with them about the redemptive plan God has for them through our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Engineering Trip: March 2006
Trinity Adopts An Unreached People
Although Jesus came to seek and save the lost two thousand years ago, many tribes and ethnic groups are still unreached. At Trinity we took an exciting new step in mission; we "adopted" an unreached people.
Who are the Suri people?
The Suri are a semi-nomadic, agricultural society numbering about 30,000. They live in a mountainous region in southwestern Ethiopia, near the Sudan border. The Suri are cattle herders who move every 2-3 years. They practice traditional animist religion, meaning they worship (and fear) the spirits of their departed ancestors.The Suri around Tulegit have begun to farm and grow corn. Unfortunately, some of them use the corn to make beer. It is one of the few things they can sell to obtain cash. They also drink the beer and violence erupts. Because they live near the Sudan border, many of them have AK-47’s, so the violence can be deadly. Theirs is a revenge culture and they live in constant fear of other Suri (as well as of the evil spirits).
Since the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus started an outreach to the Suri, spearheaded by John and Gwen Haspels, between 50-100 people have become Christian believers. The Suri Project has built schools and clinics for the Suri and miles of roads to bring in workers and food.
Wycliffe Bible translators, Mike and Andrea Bryant have now translated the Gospel of Luke into Suri. They have also put the Jesus film into Suri.
A nearby tribe, the Baale, have seen the change in the Suri and are curious. They sent three of their chiefs to visit John Haspels saying, "Light has come to the Suri, but we continue in darkness. Come bring the light to us, too."
Who are our partners in reaching the Suri?
We have formed a covenant with the South West Bethel Synod of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus. This is the denomination that sprang out of the mission work of the Lutherans and Presbyterians. In fact, some of Trinity's first missionaries worked in this same area (but with another tribe) about 50 years ago. The South West Bethel Synod sends evangelists to the Suri and has educated one the Suri at the Bible School and he is helping with the translation of the Bible. We work with the Synod in other ways, too -- like sending funds to provide villages with clean water.
We in turn have things to learn from the Suri and Baale peoples. What new blessings will we reap as a congregation here in Orange County for the investment of ourselves in Ethiopia? Exciting days are ahead for both Trinity and the Suri and Baale peoples.
What part can you play?
You may start right now by lifting the Suri and Baale of Ethiopia before God's throne. And you can seek to find your place in this exciting program by contacting Bill Ditewig at 505-6254 ext 108 or bill@tupcsa.org to find where help is needed.
Painted for Courtship 
Tulegit residents
Suri Children Sing
Songs of Worship in Tulegit