Caring for Orphans in Yabelo, Ethiopia
Shining Lights Ministry is a Christian ministry in Fargo, ND which supports a children's home for orphans in Yabelo, Ethiopia. We support Shining Lights children's home as they love, educate, and disciple the children in their care, so the children will be fully equipped for every good work!
Prayer and Desire
During a time of prayer, God put a strong desire in Genet Wario’s heart to help orphans. She did not know who these orphans were or where they lived.
The Call To Help
In June 2017, Genet learned that one of her Christian childhood mentors was helping orphans living in Yabelo, Ethiopia, Genet's hometown. God’s compassion filled her hear. A month or so later, Genet and a few of her close friends formed a small giving group to help cover the cost of the children's care, schooling, and housing.
First Trip to Ethiopia
Genet and her close friend, Brianna Nelson, traveled to Yabelo, Ethiopia to help oversee the setup of Shining Lights Children's Home. An advisory team of four local community leaders provided local leadership and oversight for the children’s home. After a visit in June 2019, our ministry began a conversation with the Ethiopian government about the official licensing of the children’s home. At that time the government officials presented our ministry with several licensing options. Our board of directors, along with our Ethiopian Advisory Committee, began exploring, discussing, and praying about each licensing option.
Shining Lights Children's Home - Ethiopian CSO
After much prayer, we decided that the children’s home should be organized and licensed as an Ethiopian Civil Society Organization (the Ethiopian equivalent of a US non-profit) with local Ethiopian leadership.
As we continued to learn and pray, we felt compelled to ask one of our Ethiopian Advisory Committee members, Dabasa Jaldessa, to organize and lead this endeavor. He agreed to be the founding board member of what is now Shining Light’s Children’s Home, an Ethiopian Civil Society Organization in Ethiopia!
What does the formation of Shining Lights Children’s Home as an Ethiopian organization mean for us as a ministry? It means that we work alongside Shining Lights Children's Home as financial fundraisers and supporters of their organization. In addition, we will advise, encourage, pray for, and visit the board of directors, the staff, and the children.
As we continued to learn and pray, we felt compelled to ask one of our Ethiopian Advisory Committee members, Dabasa Jaldessa, to organize and lead this endeavor. He agreed to be the founding board member of what is now Shining Light’s Children’s Home, an Ethiopian Civil Society Organization in Ethiopia!
What does the formation of Shining Lights Children’s Home as an Ethiopian organization mean for us as a ministry? It means that we work alongside Shining Lights Children's Home as financial fundraisers and supporters of their organization. In addition, we will advise, encourage, pray for, and visit the board of directors, the staff, and the children.
Shining Lights Ministry
Shining Lights Ministry was formed as a 501c3 nonprofit organization in September 2018. We are supported by the generous one-time and monthly gifts of donors. To learn more on how to give, please go to our Donate page.