Our Story

Every ministry has a story. Ours begins in Ethiopia with two faithful servants of Christ, Birtukan Sinshaw and Nesibu Kebede, who devoted their lives to full-time ministry founding and leading Yezelalem Minch Children and Community Development (YZM). Through their unwavering faith, sacrificial love, and commitment to sharing the Gospel, they demonstrated what it means to serve God wholeheartedly. Their home became a place where ministry was not simply something they did—it was a way of life. Growing up in that environment, their daughter, Semayawit (Semmy) Kebede, witnessed firsthand the beauty of serving others in the name of Christ. She watched her parents care for people with compassion, invest in communities, and trust God faithfully through every season. Those experiences planted seeds that would shape her own calling for years to come. In 2021, tragedy struck when Birtukan Sinshaw passed away due to COVID-19. The loss was heartbreaking, but through that season of grief, God began placing a new burden on Semmy's heart—not simply to continue her parents' legacy, but to help strengthen ministries that are faithfully serving the Kingdom of God around the world. As God was shaping this vision, He also placed the same burden on the hearts of the YZM USA Advisory Board. United by a shared calling and committed to seeking God's direction, the board worked diligently and prayerfully to turn that vision into reality. By God's grace and through the faithful efforts of the Advisory Board, Everlasting Spring was born. From that calling, Everlasting Spring was born. Rather than creating independent programs, the organization exists to come alongside Christ-centered ministries that are already making an impact in their communities. Through partnership, administrative support, leadership development, global engagement, and sustainable collaboration, Everlasting Spring seeks to help ministries flourish for generations. One of our foundational partnerships is with Yezelalem Minch Children and Community Development (YZM) in Ethiopia—a ministry founded and led by Semmy's parents. For decades, YZM has faithfully served orphaned and vulnerable children through education, healthcare, discipleship, and community development. Everlasting Spring is honored to continue supporting and strengthening this ministry while also building partnerships with other Christ-centered organizations that share the same heart for serving the "least of these." Everlasting Spring also connects students, churches, and supporters with opportunities to participate in God's work through internships, mission trips, and long-term relationships. We believe that when people from different backgrounds come together in partnership, they not only strengthen ministries but are transformed themselves through serving alongside one another. The name Everlasting Spring reflects the everlasting hope found in Jesus Christ—the Living Water that never runs dry. Just as a spring continually gives life, we desire to continually strengthen ministries that bring hope, healing, and the love of Christ to those they serve. Everything we do is for one purpose: the glory of God. We believe that when ministries are strengthened, communities flourish, lives are transformed, and Christ is glorified.