By Marlon Govender (International Coordinator – Emmaus Worldwide)

As part of my North Africa ministry journey in June 2026, I had the privilege of spending several days with our Emmaus team in Ethiopia. It was a tremendously blessed and deeply encouraging visit.

Ethiopia is one of Africa's most remarkable nations. Home to almost 139 million people, it is Africa's second most populous country. It has a proud history stretching back thousands of years and is one of the few African nations never to have been colonised. Ethiopia is also unique in its rich Christian heritage, with Christianity dating back to the fourth century. Today, approximately two-thirds of the population identify as Christian (predominantly Ethiopian Orthodox and Protestant), while about one-third are Muslim. This rich history and vibrant Christian presence make Ethiopia a fascinating nation in which to witness the Lord's work.

My visit began on Wednesday evening, 10 June, with warm fellowship in the home of our National Coordinator, Degafa, and his family. Their hospitality was exceptional and immediately made me feel at home.

*Wim, Marlon, Degafa, and Degafa's wife enjoying a meal together at their home.*

The Ethiopia Emmaus ministry has an inspiring history. The work began in 2004 when our International Regional Coordinator for North Africa, Wim Hoddenbagh, first visited Ethiopia and met Degafa. From that seemingly small beginning, the Lord has done extraordinary things. Since then, more than 120,000 students have studied over four million Emmaus Bible courses throughout Ethiopia and among the Ethiopian diaspora. It is another wonderful reminder of how God delights to bless faithful labour in His service.

One of the unique strengths of the Ethiopia Emmaus ministry is its vision for the Ethiopian diaspora. Ethiopians are well known for travelling abroad to work in many parts of the world, particularly throughout the Middle East and neighbouring African countries. This has created remarkable opportunities to reach Ethiopian and Eritrean communities with God's Word far beyond Ethiopia's borders.

*Sign marking the Emmaus Centre in Zuway, rural Ethiopia.*

Through Degafa's close relationships with pastors and church leaders in these countries, the Emmaus ministry has expanded into numerous nations. Together with Wim, Degafa has helped establish and encourage Emmaus work in countries including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Sudan, and Djibouti, and he has also ministered in Turkey, South Africa, and Yemen. It is a wonderful example of how the Lord uses the movement of people to spread the gospel and make disciples across national boundaries.

The following day was filled with encouraging meetings. I had the pleasure of meeting Uwe and Petra Schaeffer for the first time, along with Wim. Uwe and Petra have been visiting Ethiopia since 2018 and have officially taken over oversight of the work from Wim, several years ago. It was wonderful to spend time together discussing the Lord's work and seeing how He continues to open doors across the region.

That afternoon we travelled approximately three hours south of Addis Ababa to the rural town of Ziway (Batu), where Emmaus workers from across Ethiopia were gathering for a three-day conference. Around 90 Emmaus course correctors travelled from every corner of the country, some journeying more than 700 kilometres to attend. Together with the office staff and other workers, over one hundred believers gathered for a wonderful time of teaching, fellowship, encouragement, prayer, and mutual edification. Their commitment, sacrificial spirit, and evident love for the Lord were truly inspiring.

*Food being prepared the day before the conference begins.*

During the conference, I had the privilege of ministering God's Word on several occasions and presenting updates on the work and vision of Emmaus Worldwide. It was a joy to open the Scriptures together with such a receptive group of believers and to share how the Lord is using Emmaus ministries around the world to reach people with the gospel and disciple believers through His Word. I am thankful that the Lord graciously blessed these sessions, and many delegates expressed how encouraged and strengthened they had been by both the Bible teaching and the presentations. It was evident that the fellowship, teaching, and shared vision for the ministry made a lasting impact on those who attended.

One of the greatest highlights of the conference was the Lord's Day morning. Together, many of those present gathered to remember the Lord Jesus in the Breaking of Bread. For several of those attending, this was their first experience of such a gathering. In a peaceful and reverent atmosphere, we sang beautiful hymns a cappella, read the Scriptures, and reflected together on the sacrifice of our Saviour. It was a deeply moving occasion. The response afterwards was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing how meaningful and Christ-centred the gathering had been. Truly, it was a time to praise the Lord.

Following the conference, we returned to Addis Ababa and spent our final day with the entire Emmaus office team. I came away profoundly impressed. The structure, organisation, and teamwork of the Ethiopia Emmaus ministry are among the finest I have encountered anywhere in the world. Their systems are well established, responsibilities are clearly defined, and there is a wonderful spirit of cooperation throughout the team.

*Meeting with the Emmaus team at the Addis Ababa office.*

Before leaving, we read together Psalm 133, especially the closing words:

"For there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore."

Those words beautifully describe what I witnessed. For many years this team has laboured together in genuine unity, and it is evident that the Lord has richly blessed that spirit of harmony. It was a tremendous encouragement to me personally and a wonderful testimony of what God can accomplish when His people serve together with one heart.

Outside the conference itself, one of the greatest joys was once again enjoying the generous hospitality of Degafa and his family. One unforgettable experience was participating in the traditional foot-washing of honoured guests. I quickly realised that politely declining was simply not an option—it would have been considered discourteous to their hospitality and culture! Although I felt rather uncomfortable being served in this way, it became a powerful reminder of humility, servant-hearted love, and the example our Lord Himself gave to His disciples.

Another memorable highlight was experiencing Ethiopia's famous coffee ceremony on several occasions. Ethiopia is widely recognised as the birthplace of Arabica coffee, with the ancient forests of the Kaffa region traditionally regarded as coffee's place of origin. According to a well-known Ethiopian tradition, a goatherd named Kaldi first noticed his goats becoming unusually energetic after eating berries from a particular shrub, eventually leading to the discovery of coffee. While the story itself cannot be historically verified, Ethiopia's claim as the birthplace of coffee is well established.

Watching the beans freshly roasted over charcoal, ground by hand, and slowly brewed in the traditional jebena pot was far more than simply enjoying an excellent cup of coffee—it was experiencing a cherished expression of Ethiopian hospitality, friendship, and community. As a coffee lover, tasting some of the world's finest coffee in the very country where coffee originated was an experience I will not soon forget.

As I departed Ethiopia, my heart was filled with gratitude. Seeing what the Lord has accomplished through faithful servants over the past two decades was both humbling and inspiring. From one meeting in 2004 has grown a flourishing ministry touching hundreds of thousands of lives across Ethiopia and far beyond its borders. The Lord continues to build His church, and it is a privilege to witness firsthand what He is accomplishing through faithful Emmaus workers around the world.

Please continue to pray for Degafa, the leadership team, the office staff, the many volunteer course correctors, and the thousands of students throughout Ethiopia and the Ethiopian diaspora who are studying God's Word. Pray also for the nation of Ethiopia, where ongoing regional conflicts and ethnic tensions continue to create significant challenges in many parts of the country. These circumstances have made travel and the distribution of Emmaus Bible courses increasingly difficult, particularly when transporting materials across regional boundaries into areas where different local languages are spoken and administered. Yet despite these challenges, the Lord continues to open doors for His Word, and we trust Him to sustain and expand this remarkable ministry.

May the Lord continue to command His blessing upon the Emmaus work in Ethiopia, and may many more lives be transformed through the faithful teaching of His Word.

Ethiopia – A Ministry that Inspires

Everyone is Invited!