Bethlehem M. Araya

Bethlehem also known as Betty in the Habesha community and Beth in the non Habesha community was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 7 November 1972. She is the oldest of the three children of Dr. Mesfin and Amrote Araya. She attended her early education at Sandford English Community School and Nazareth Schools in Addis Ababa. Shortly after her graduation from high school Bethlehem moved with her family to Nairobi, Kenya, where the family prepared to immigrate to USA. Betty also attended the United States International University (USIU) during their brief stay in Nairobi.

In November 1990, Bethlehem and her family started a new life in Dayton, Ohio. She continued her education at Sinclair Community College and completed an Engineering Science degree. Beth had a passion for missionary work, so she moved to Tulsa and received her certification at Domata School of Missions, her mission training, and she went on to do missionary work in Jamaica, New Mexico, Florida, Guatemala, and Mexico.

In 2006, Bethlehem moved to Missoula Montana to work for a Satellite Provider where she progressed into middle management, where she got the opportunity to lead the customer call center operations there. In 2015, Bethlehem decided to move back to Tulsa and complete training at Rhema Bible Training College in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. In 2018, Beth started working for a private Information Technology company in Tulsa, where she excelled as a Program (Project) Manager. Bethlehem was allowed to work from home. "Beth was an incredibly talented, organized, hardworking individual who thirsted for learning and improving our customers' experience. Her drive for perfection was outweighed by her kind heart and giving nature" Pat CEO.

Bethlehem was a person of faith and liked to be actively involved in the youth department of her Church. She was very committed to her faith. Beth was very jovial, always laughing, and lived a simple life. She was resilient, devoted, hardworking, and productive. She always said she doesn't work for the money but for God, as she is passionate about God's cause.

Bethlehem passed away at the Saint Francis Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the morning of April 28, 2023. She is survived by her mother and her two brothers, Ermias and Emmanuel. She will be dearly missed by all of us who loved her and were loved by her.

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