Ferenges at Ethiopia funeral - Monday Ethiopia update

What an incredible day.  This is the 1st day in the 2 week forecast where they did not have rain.  We were told last night there would be a funeral in the village that was the mission site & that I was to share the gospel during the funeral service.  Honestly, I was not real excited as starting the 2nd week of ministry my body is kind of run down & I wasn’t feeling the best plus my throat was sore & I woke up feeling like I was starting to get sick.  I prayed last night & this morning for God’s discernment on what to say at the funeral & I felt like he pointed me to Romans 3 & 4 & to talk on Abraham being justified by faith.  We got to the town (mission site) in the morning & our small team walked ot the funeral site.  I was shocked when I saw all the people waiting for the service.  Funerals are a community affair in Ethiopia so it seemed like EVERYONE in the town was there.  The Ethiopians estimated 3,000 were packed in for the service & I was shocked how crowded it was.  When it was my time to talk I started by sharing condolences for the family but also talking about how we do not grieve as those without hope.  I shared about we all were God’s children (American & Ethiopians) & that he created us in his image but that sin entered the world & corrupted it.  I talked about how sin separates us from God but that God sent his son Jesus to reconcile us to Him.  I started sharing from Romans 3 & 4 about how Abraham was justified by faith.  God answered my prayer about giving me the words to say as I realized that in the audience there were Christians, Ethiopian Orthodox & Muslims & we all considered Abraham our spiritual father.  I shared the story about Abraham being told to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac on the alter but that God ultimately provided the necessary sacrifice.  After sharing Ephesians 2:8-9 & focusing on grace as a “free gift” I asked the crowd to raise their hands if they believed the message was true.  Several hundred people raised their hands that they believed the message!  Praise the Lord!  Our Ethiopian partners estimated there were 1,500 muslims in the crowd that heard the gospel message this morning.  

Takeaways from this morning:

·      Crazy that we set the date of this trip 4 months ago but God knew it would correspond with the funeral far in advance 

·      The weather this morning was beautiful & sunny & the only day in the past 2 weeks where it has not raised.  Many people were outside during the service & rain would have definitely made it difficult 

·      God’s strength is made perfect in my weakness.  I really didn’t know exactly what I was going to say when I got up in front of the crowd & I just prayed that God would give me the words & everything seemed to flow 

·      1,500 muslims heard the gospel message this morning that would not have heard had there not been a funeral.  

 

Team 2 is doing well after our 1st full day of ministry.  We have a couple people who are feeling 50/50 & have some stomach discomfort so pray that God would give them strength.  

Please continue to pray for:

·      Open hearts among the muslims to the gospel of Jesus Christ 

·      Muslim people who heard the gospel on Monday would get visits from North Americans who can do more 1 on 1 evangelism 

·      Unity with our Ethiopian partners 

·      Continued good health for the North Americans 

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