Somalia is part of the Horn of Africa, east of Ethiopia and Kenya. The economy has been devastated by warlords and civil wars, and the narcotic leaf qat that keeps the desire for many Somali men to work. Millions are dependent on aid. The Cold War provided them with weapons, which brought them to civil war. Later, the Islamist group Union of Islamic Courts emerged as a national power, and seek to enforce order through shari’a law. Somaliland and Puntland in the north declared their independence from Somalia and set up its own government, but they are not recognized internationally. […]
Ethiopia is a very unique country.  It is one of the oldest known nations, and has a long written history even from the Bible.  It is Africa’s oldest independent nation and one of the first Christian nations.  The Ethiopian Orthodox Church was the state church from 1270 until the 1974 revolution.  The Orthodox church had been isolated from the rest of the Christian world for a long time, as a Christian island surrounded by Islam, so they developed a unique culture, theology and tradition over time.  In recent years, the demand for the Bible has increased, and the Orthodox Church […]
Eritrea is a small country in the horn of Africa along the coast of the Red Sea.  War with neighboring Ethiopia, a Marxist government, and severe religious restrictions have kept the country very poor.  Literacy rate is 56%, and half the population lives on less than $1 per day.  All religious groups are banned from meeting and practicing their faith except for the four officially recognized religions: Sunni Islam, Eritrean Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Evangelical Lutheran.  Even then, there is much religious persecution and imprisonment.  Since 2002, almost all missionaries and foreign aid workers of all religions have been expelled. […]

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About the Author

Sue McCusker is a writer, Bible teacher, and web developer who loves to share the stories of life, hope, and faith she sees around her every day. She has written for Guideposts and Angels on Earth magazines, and teaches the story of God in women's Bible study.