Mission guide
Ethiopia Addis Ababa Mission
A highland capital, a growing Church community, and an Amharic-speaking mission in the heart of Ethiopia.
- Amharic
Ethiopia Addis Ababa Mission shirts
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Ethiopia Addis Ababa Mission T-Shirt
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Ethiopia Addis Ababa Mission Heart Map Shirt
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Ethiopia Addis Ababa Mission Flag Map Shirt
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Choose size & color →I Glory in My Jesus, in the language of this mission
2 Nephi 33:6 as it reads in the Book of Mormon for each language spoken here.
Weak Things Become Strong, in the language of this mission
"I make weak things become strong" (Ether 12:27) as it reads in the Book of Mormon for each language spoken here.
About the mission
Amharic is the main local language highlighted for this mission. Missionaries and families may also encounter Ethiopia’s many other languages in this diverse country.
At a glance
- Country
- Ethiopia
- Main city
- Addis Ababa, about 6,287,000 people (2025)
- Time zone
- East Africa Time (UTC+3)
- Climate
- Subtropical highland climate, with a long rainy season from June to mid-September
- Elevation
- 2,355 metres (7,726 feet)
- Church in Ethiopia
- 2,626 members, 2 districts, 10 congregations
A short history of the area
The city was connected to Djibouti by railway in 1916. Italian troops entered Addis Ababa on May 5, 1936, and the city was liberated on May 5, 1941. Today, Addis Ababa is known as a political center of Africa and hosts the headquarters of the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
The Church here
- 1985Expatriates attached to embassies held Church meetings in their homes in Addis Ababa. Elder M. Russell Ballard and Elder Glenn L. Pace also visited the city with Church relief supplies.
- 1991Ethiopia became part of the Kenya Nairobi Mission.
- August 1992The first official Church meeting in Addis Ababa was held.
- February 1993Elder Eugene Hilton and Sister Ruth Hilton became the first missionaries to arrive in Ethiopia.
- September 16, 1993The Church was legally registered in Ethiopia.
- January 1994The Addis Ababa Branch was organized, with Girma Denisa as its presiding leader.
- 1994Girma Denisa became the first Ethiopian to serve as a full-time missionary.
- 2003The Church donated several thousand tons of food to famine victims in Ethiopia.
- 2020The Ethiopia Addis Ababa Mission was organized.
Temples nearby
Nairobi Kenya Temple
Dedicated May 18, 2025 · About 725 miles from Addis Ababa
The Book of Mormon here
Missionaries in this mission share the Book of Mormon in these languages. Tap a cover to read it free.
Cover art is an illustration. Links open the free edition on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Before you go
Phrases to learn
- SelamHello
- Dehna neh?How are you? when speaking to a man
- Dehna nesh?How are you? when speaking to a woman
- AmesegenalloThank you
Foods to try
- Injera (a soft, sour flatbread made from teff flour)
- Doro wat (spicy chicken stew often served with injera)
- Tibs (sautéed meat with onions and peppers)
- Shiro (a smooth, spiced chickpea or bean stew)
Fun facts
- Addis Ababa’s Oromo name is Finfinnee, meaning “fountain of hot mineral water.”
- Addis Ababa is the highest capital city in Africa, at about 2,355 metres above sea level.
- The city’s light rail system, opened in 2015, was the first light rail system in sub-Saharan Africa.
Just got the call?
Turn the opening into a game: family and friends guess where the missionary is going before the reveal.