May 2016

ISSUE 16

Last Call Ministries

Quarterly: Doug &

Mesi

Fresh Start: A New Season of

Ministry

Special points of
interest:
A Fresh Start

Our New Home

Our son, Noah
Joes Visit

About LCM & How

to Contact/Support
Us
Ethiopia Missions
Council

To visit the USA for 6 months required me, in early 2015, to either shut
down ministry points that had been ongoing for years or at least man
those posts via a faithful fellow worker. Everything was on hold. I
needed a break, and I also needed to submit to an official ordination
council with a view to being ordained in the gospel ministry. While
stateside, development of new strategies for broader outreach in Tigray
was underway in our monthly Ethiopia Missions Council meetings. Priorities upon which I had been placing the most emphasis were put on
the table alongside of the counsel of more seasoned ministers of the
gospel for the purpose of some much needed scrutiny. My passions and
energies were challenged to adopt a more expanded vision of broadcasting the gospel and to redirect those powers into a newly prioritized
strategy of mission work. I can say I am thoroughly pleased by this and
feel that this is a fresh start: a new season of ministry. Since returning there
are many new things that have been set in order. For one, my family and
I have moved to a new house; for another thing, I have not jumped
right back into all the previous things I was doing before; and for another, I had the privilege of meeting with the director of the Tigray
Evangelical Churches Association (TECA) both to discuss the prospects of reaching out to three cities and three towns in Tigray, and to
envision reaching out in Mekele (our current city) in a fresh way. The
breadth of the opportunity for ministering the gospel was wider than
expected. To say the least, about 1250 homes could be visited with the
gospel in the coming months. These are homes of children belonging
to the Compassion International effort that works with the local evangelical
churches. The social needs are done. Visit of the homes has not yet
been undertaken. This is the fresh start. May the word of God run swiftly!

Page 2

Quarterly: Doug & Mesi

A New Home

ISSUE 16

As soon as we returned from the US, we began

to look for a new house to rent. God answered
our prayers and yours and soon we were settling into a new home with a great location,
great access to resources and great potential
for being a ministry base. We are thankful for
Gods leading us to this new home, and we are
already seeing it useful to the ministry of the
gospel and to general hospitality. Thanks for
your prayers! God answered! God answers!
Here are some of the photos of the house!
DM

Quarterly: Doug & Mesi

Growing up fast

Well, Noah is burgeoning two year old with a lot

of energy. His daily schedule involves a lot of
time with Mesi. Breakfast with his family, Bible
book reading time and prayer, learning on his
Leap pad, kicking the soccer ball outside, naptime, talking and making noise, helping me with
outside work, and helping his mom with both
washing clothes and washing dishes are among
his daily routine of events. He is a fire of life
around here and keeps us on our toes!!!! DM

Encouraging Visit

LCM Director, Joe Spell, visited us for 10 days,

helping me cast vision for missions, taking part
in meetings with local evangelical leaders, and
equipping our ministry with faster technology
for communications. He also took us out to eat
a lot, something we dont get do as often. The
fellowship in the Lord was sweet. DM

ISSUE 16

Page 3

About LCM:

Last Call Ministries

Last Call Ministries is a 501c3

Organization which began in 1997.

LCM is

currently sponsoring Doug & Mesi, who are com-

To Support: PO Box 4203, Shreveport, LA 71134 missioned by their home church: Heritage Baptist
USA
Church in Shreveport, Louisiana. All monies re-

ceived are currently in the support of the budg-

To Contact: Phone: 318-458-9602

eted work underway in Mekele, Ethiopia.

Email: joespell@keptprivate.com (Joe Spell)

Proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, until

He returns, in word, letter and deed!!!

Correspond w/ Doug & Mesi: PO Box 1944,

Mekele, Tigray, Ethiopia;

Email: dglsmerrick@yahoo.com

Or go to: Douglas Merrick

(Add friend & then
Partnership-Doug & Mesi
message me to request the
Merrick-Last Call
Ministries Mission
Partnership Page for Doug &
Workers. . .
Mesi)

Were on Facebook! Go to:

LCM

Ethiopia Missions Council

Heritage Baptist Church Intern & Ethiopia

Missions Council Chairman, Joseph Hansen
and wife, Catey Hansen.

There have been a faithful circle

of likeminded pastors/ministers
of churches in my hometown
who have, over the years, stayed
faithful in partnership to us and
our ministry. Their correspondence, encouragement, their
support andmore than anythingprayers for us have upheld us and motivated our plodding on all these years. These
ministers (close friends, too)
have come together to form a
missions council for the purpose of strengthening their
prayers for and connection to
our lives and activities on the
field. Communication, intercession and encouragement have
increased on behalf of Gods

kingdom as we look to carrying

on the work of the gospel in
the region of Tigray. While
Stateside in 2015 I was greatly
challenged, sobered and bolstered in my faith as the work
took on this new layer of spiritual and missional infrastructure. Knowing that I have an
advisory board, spanning
across and representing different churches, which is taking
our concerns and efforts to the
throne of grace together is very
inspiring. May God increase
the insight and love of these
men and their churches as they
endeavor to fulfill the Great
Commission!