The beautiful thing about beginnings is that you never quite know where they’ll lead. One moment, you’re stirred by conviction—a story, a cause, a whisper of purpose—and the next, you’re off, molding and shaping, forging ahead without a full map, but with a deep certainty about what called you to begin in the first place.
No one could have imagined, thirty years ago, where Life in Abundance would be today. Operating in 17 countries, serving hundreds of thousands across Africa and the Caribbean, supported by a staff of passionate, capable, and sincere followers of Christ. With training programs and centers equipping churches, organizations, and individuals to walk more fully in their God-given calling. And yet, what stands tallest is not the scale of what LIA has become but, it’s the stories. The stories of those who have walked alongside this work over the past three decades, and who still do.
The story of Life in Abundance in Ethiopia began humbly. It didn’t start with a strategic plan, but with a burdened heart. Dr. Florence Muindi, a Kenyan medical doctor, had just arrived in Ethiopia. She was living in a leprosy community on the outskirts of Addis Ababa—still learning the language, still waiting to be released to serve in the mission field. Originally called to serve the Oromo people in southern Ethiopia, she was in language school, hands restless, and her spirit eager.
So, she did what she could; she began leading Bible studies. With Alpha Course materials in hand, she gathered neighbors and local Christians, teaching them how to read Scripture and grow as disciples of Christ.
Among those attending the Bible study was a woman who worked alongside Dr. Yared Mekonen. Sensing something significant in what she was hearing – and recognizing a shared passion – she felt it was important to introduce him to Dr. Florence. At the time, Dr. Yared was in a deep season of prayer, seeking to understand how to bring together his heart for evangelism with his medical calling. That woman. That Bible study. That introduction. God used them to begin what none could have foreseen.
When Dr. Yared met Dr. Florence, she shared the vision that had gripped her: to establish a ministry that would empower the local church to serve the vulnerable and marginalized with dignity—making the Bride of Christ the hero, and ensuring the work would be sustainable. That was it. From that moment, their journey began. And the Spirit of God moved them forward, not knowing exactly where, only that they must go.
As Dr. Yared recalls, those early days were full of life and steeped in prayer. Prayer wasn’t a routine, it was a lifeline. There was a tenderness, a surrendered dependence, and a deep realization that without the Father’s leading, they could not move forward in truth or integrity.
And so, the team grew, first in Ethiopia, then beyond. From modest beginnings in a single office with a handful of faithful believers, Life in Abundance expanded from one nation to the next. But it was those hours, of earnest prayer, bold obedience, surrender and quiet faith, that laid the foundation on which LIA still stands.
We are grateful for their sacrifice, their obedience, and their love—for one another, for the communities they served, and for the ministry. Through prayer, they spoke life into what has now become. And we continue to tell the stories of touched lives, of transformed communities, and of a people who bear witness to the abundant life that God brings.
