Wednesday update- Unity with Ethiopian believers

We continue to see the Lord move during our time in Ethiopia!

                      

When we first arrived to our small team site for the day, we immediately got the opportunity to talk to the leader of the village. As we dialogued with him, we were confronted with a large amount of verbal opposition from others in the village. We soon encountered an Ethiopian Christian on the side of the road, and were told that this entire village only had four families who were following Jesus.

 

Realizing that this village would be uniquely challenging for us to spread the Gospel, our Ethiopian partners directed us to the only local church so we could cry out to Jesus and ask for His help and protection. In this small 12’x12’ church, we started with time for individual prayers for us, the translators, and the disciplemakers, before moving onto communal, verbal prayers from our team and our Ethiopian partners. 

 

As one of our disciple-makers began to pray in Amharic, I was struck by how tangibly and deeply I felt the Holy Spirit stir inside of me; though I couldn’t understand the language, I understood this disciplemaker’s deep passion for our Savior as he fervently cried out to Jesus. I felt tears well up in my eyes and stream down my face as he continued to pray over the Ethiopian Christians in the community – that current believers would be protected and that the Gospel would grow and spread rapidly in predominantly Muslim that community. 

 

I looked up when we finished praying and saw tears in the eyes of each one of my American teammates. There is no doubt that the time in that small, simple church will mark our relationships with Jesus for the rest of our lives. Praise God for the chance to partner with our Christian brothers and sisters, even when we don’t share a language.

 

The North American team is tired but healthy.  The elevation (8600’ above sea level) and the emotionally and spiritually taxing conversations wear you down.  We’re excited to see what God has been doing in the hearts of Ethiopians and in our hearts.  Tomorrow (Thursday) will be our final ministry day as Friday we start the long journey back to Addis Ababa.  Friday evening we will spend time training for the trip home & have a good dinner. 

Please continue to pray for:

•      Ethiopian hearts would be receptive to the message of the Gospel


•      Unity between the North Americans and Ethiopian partners

•      Continued good health for North Americans 

•      New believers would stand strong under persecution

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