From witchdoctor to worshipping the True God - Wednesday Update

Day Three! After two days of a later start to our ministry day than expected, we all thought today would be a long day of sharing the gospel, sharing our testimonies and really getting after it. This expectation quickly dissipated when all four vans, filled to the max with North Americans, Ethiopian translators and disciple makers, drove 2.5 hours away from our hotel. We were now in DEEP Ethiopia. So deep that the Ethiopian’s cell phones were spotty or not working at all. Many of us Ferenge (white people) were at least confused as to why we drove so far, and some were even disappointed at how this drive would cut into our time to evangelize. 

 

But as God has a tendency to do, He wrote this day perfectly for each and every one of us. 

 

While there were fewer conversations today, many conversations were much deeper than day one and two. We had Muslim men and Ethiopian Orthodox families asking very good and intentional questions, engaging with us and our disciple makers. We witnessed God move in the hearts of many Ethiopians with over a dozen confessions of faith today just in our small group. Additionally, the Holy Spirit was moving through our own American team as well. When your friend or family member gets back home and talks about how God spoke to them or mention what God taught them, they will almost certainly reference day 3 as that pinnacle moment. 

 

Having people come to Christ, hear the Gospel, and having the harvest workers experience the promised joy in the Lord is fantastic and reward enough. But God added a cherry on top of these experiences. Towards the end of the day we learned that the area we were working  was once the site of an infamous Ethiopian witchdoctor. The head church leader of the Hosana region explained that growing up as a child, he heard the name of this witchdoctor and knew of the power of his ministry. People would travel from all over Ethiopia to visit the witchdoctor. The site we were now walking was once an epicenter of demonic activity and evil. Christians in this area were heavily, heavily persecuted for decades while this witchdoctor was in practice. After the death of this witchdoctor, the church took a risk and acquired the land where the witchdoctor lived. Slowly, Christians started meeting here and the persecution lessened. God did not leave or forsake his remnant in this remote area of Ethiopia, and indeed set them free from the persecution and bondage they were experiencing. The change in this area in the last 10 years is no less than a miracle. However, to this day, many Christians in this area are hesitant to share their faith or invite their neighbors to church. I cannot accurately describe the joy we witnessed while encouraging Ethiopian Christians who have suffered for their faith. They were happy to meet us, grateful that we would come so far, and excited that we were sharing the Gospel with their Muslim and Orthodox neighbors. Many of these believers had walked with us as we traveled, and at one point we had about 100-150 people tailing behind. All of these believers saw examples of how to share Christ and felt empowered to continue these conversations as we left. 

 

Right before leaving the ministry site for the day, I encountered a community leader who proceeded to tell me the history of the witchdoctor and the region that we had just learned about an hour prior. He reminded the entire crowd that was with us to praise God for the freedom we now have, to praise His name for setting them free. I got to pray over him, our brothers/sisters and the land, asking God to use this land that was once a ripple for evil to now be a ripple for the gospel. We pray that these believers would be on fire for the Lord and lead the way of the Gospel spreading throughout Ethiopia. God-willing, this place will be somewhere that Ethiopians travel from all over, to see the joy of the Lord and to encounter the Holy Spirit. 

The North American team is doing well & is excited to see what God has planned for us tomorrow.  Please continue to pray for:

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


•      New believers would stand up strong under persecution 

•      Continued unity between the North Americans and Ethiopian partners

•      Continued good health for North Americans 

•      Safety & good health for North American family members at home