Argaw and Rachel Ayele

Argaw was born and raised in the southern part of Ethiopia. Rachel was born and raised in Indiana. Argaw and Rachel Ayele met at Calvary Chapel Bible College Europe (Hungary) in 2005. After a short time, they made plans to be married and move to Ethiopia as missionaries. Both had the desire to share Jesus’ love by helping those in need, especially children. In 2006, they began the multi-year process of becoming licensed as a local non-government organization (NGO) under the name Ebenezer Supporting and Development Association (ESDA). In 2014, Ebenezer Shepherding Ministries of Africa, Inc. (ESMA/ESMAfrica) was approved to operate as a US 501c3 non-profit organization.

They chose to include the Biblical name “Ebenezer,” which means “stone of help,” and as 1 Samuel 7:12 says, “God has helped us.”

• In January 2010, Ebenezer Grace Children’s Home (EGCH) was founded. Eventually, as their own family grew to seven, the Ayeles moved off-site in order to accommodate the needs presented by the growing number of orphans being brought into the children’s home. Since 2013, many children have been adopted locally or have been reintegrated into their families.

• In October 2015, Lantu’s Home of Hidden Treasures (Lantu’s Home) opened its doors to reach those who are in dire need of specialized care. The children ranged from abandoned newborns (during arrival) to those with moderate to severe special needs.

• In April 2017, a children’s home that we had partnered with over the past years became part of the Ebenezer family. House of Hope was a home for older boys, many of whom were HIV positive.

• In 2022, the homes that were being rented for House of Hope and Lantu’s Home were sold, and the kids had to move out. At the same time, the Ayeles were also being forced to move from their rental. Thankfully, the Lord saw to it that the house the Ayeles had been in the process of building for their family was able to be fixed up enough to allow for all the boys, as well as many more who were living at EGCH, to move into it for temporary housing. The Ayeles were able to rent a place big enough for their family, as well as 14 older girls. The Lantu’s Home kids moved into EGCH. Now we call each home as follows: “Ebenezer Grace,” “House of Hope,” and “Mommy’s House.”

Our children have come from various tribes and backgrounds. Some have come with their mothers, some their family was unable to care for them, some their parents have died, some were abandoned, and even some were considered “cursed.” Regardless of how they came to one of the Ebenezer homes, we know that God has a special purpose and plan for each of their lives.