Thank y
ou so much for your prayers and support as I went to Ethiopia. I wanted to take some time to just update you on some of the amazing things God did while we were there. It was such an amazing trip and I am still processing each day all that happened. I am so incredibly thankful for the opportunity to have gone.
I want to share with you two amazing stories (read one or read both!!) of what God allowed me to be a part of while I was there and also share some continued prayer requests for Ethiopia!
Story One
Each day that we were in Ethiopia we took a van out to the village that we were going to. Our team broke up into little sub-teams and paired up with in-country translators and disciple-makers who live in the villages that we worked in. Disciple makers are locals that we partnered with that follow up with those that decide to begin a relationship with Christ. They also begin planning churches.
On our second day with our team we headed to a small village directly where our disciple maker Solomon was from. Right when we got there, we began playing soccer and painting the woman and girls (and boys!!) finger nails! Soon after Tesime, a translator, and I gathered a group of woman and children together to begin sharing the story of the Paralyzed man which demonstrates just one of the many miracles that Jesus Christ performed. Directly after the story, we shared the Gospel and began asking if anyone wanted to make today the day that they would place their hope and faith in Jesus Christ. A woman from the back raised her hand. The translator and I thought she was ready to make a decision, but in reality she was already a Christian. She wanted us to go back to her home where her mother had just gone back to b/c she had been sitting in the crowd, heard the Gospel, and wanted to make a decision to trust in Christ in her own home!
We followed her back to her home, a beautiful clay hut with straw. As we were on our way there she shared that she was Solomon’s, the disciple maker, sister, and her mom was Solomon’s mom. Solomon had been praying for his mom for many years and today was the day!! As we got to her lawn, she greeted us with much kindness. We explained the Gospel again and she placed her faith in Jesus Christ. As soon as she did, she decided that we needed to go inside her home and tell many more of her family members the good news of the Gospel. We then shared the Gospel with one of her daughter who also placed her faith in Jesus—as soon as she did--- she told me that her husband would be home soon and that we should share with her husband and her dad. As we awaited their arrival they prepared coffee by fire in tiny china cups. They treated me with such love and compassion. As soon as the husband we shared Christ with them as well. The husband had many questions, but he also trusted in Christ that day. The father was not yet ready, but we are praying for him.
After the day was over, Solomon’s smile was so big b/c so many from his family came to faith that day and so many from his village also came to faith as others from my team were sharing the Gospel as well. I think the village went from 8 believers to 32 in 1 day!! We left that day praising God and still are!
Story Two
On our very last day in Ethiopia our entire team of 16 went to the same village b/c we only worked a half day b/c we began our travel home that day. We did not have as many translators with us that day and I think I went into that day with the thought that much was not going to happen. As we got to the village though, there were so many that came around us and that were ready to hear and I began praying and asking God to help us make an eternal impact with the rest of our time.
The very last person that I shared with that day was a young man who just finished serving in the military. He has been in service for 5 years. He is married and lives an hour’s walk
from where we were that day, but somehow ended up with us that day.
Five years ago, right before he went into the military, he heard of Jesus but he was going into the military so he pushed away any desire he had to pursue a relationship with Christ and just decided to follow his time in the military thinking it wasn’t possible to be in the military and follow Jesus as well.
Then when he got back from the Military he did not understand or know what it looked like to follow Jesus or how to gain access to him. The translator and I got to share the Gospel with him and answer all his questions about what the difference between religion and a relationship with Jesus Christ looks like. He prayed that day to trust in Christ, then he immediately began the walk home to his home to share the good news of the Gospel with his wife so she too could have a relationship with Jesus Christ.
How to Pray!
· Pray for those that make decisions to trust in Christ while we are there, that they will grow strong in their faith and share their faith
·Pray for the disciple makers as they build up these new believers and start new churches (home churches)
·Pray that the message of the Gospel would grow strong in Ethiopia. Many there have heard of Jesus- but grew up in a religion called Ethiopian Orthodox which is based on tradition and earning your salvation – and not a loving grace filled relationship with Jesus Christ. Also many are Muslim.
ou so much for your prayers and support as I went to Ethiopia. I wanted to take some time to just update you on some of the amazing things God did while we were there. It was such an amazing trip and I am still processing each day all that happened. I am so incredibly thankful for the opportunity to have gone.I want to share with you two amazing stories (read one or read both!!) of what God allowed me to be a part of while I was there and also share some continued prayer requests for Ethiopia!
Story One
Each day that we were in Ethiopia we took a van out to the village that we were going to. Our team broke up into little sub-teams and paired up with in-country translators and disciple-makers who live in the villages that we worked in. Disciple makers are locals that we partnered with that follow up with those that decide to begin a relationship with Christ. They also begin planning churches.
On our second day with our team we headed to a small village directly where our disciple maker Solomon was from. Right when we got there, we began playing soccer and painting the woman and girls (and boys!!) finger nails! Soon after Tesime, a translator, and I gathered a group of woman and children together to begin sharing the story of the Paralyzed man which demonstrates just one of the many miracles that Jesus Christ performed. Directly after the story, we shared the Gospel and began asking if anyone wanted to make today the day that they would place their hope and faith in Jesus Christ. A woman from the back raised her hand. The translator and I thought she was ready to make a decision, but in reality she was already a Christian. She wanted us to go back to her home where her mother had just gone back to b/c she had been sitting in the crowd, heard the Gospel, and wanted to make a decision to trust in Christ in her own home!
We followed her back to her home, a beautiful clay hut with straw. As we were on our way there she shared that she was Solomon’s, the disciple maker, sister, and her mom was Solomon’s mom. Solomon had been praying for his mom for many years and today was the day!! As we got to her lawn, she greeted us with much kindness. We explained the Gospel again and she placed her faith in Jesus Christ. As soon as she did, she decided that we needed to go inside her home and tell many more of her family members the good news of the Gospel. We then shared the Gospel with one of her daughter who also placed her faith in Jesus—as soon as she did--- she told me that her husband would be home soon and that we should share with her husband and her dad. As we awaited their arrival they prepared coffee by fire in tiny china cups. They treated me with such love and compassion. As soon as the husband we shared Christ with them as well. The husband had many questions, but he also trusted in Christ that day. The father was not yet ready, but we are praying for him.
After the day was over, Solomon’s smile was so big b/c so many from his family came to faith that day and so many from his village also came to faith as others from my team were sharing the Gospel as well. I think the village went from 8 believers to 32 in 1 day!! We left that day praising God and still are!
Story Two
On our very last day in Ethiopia our entire team of 16 went to the same village b/c we only worked a half day b/c we began our travel home that day. We did not have as many translators with us that day and I think I went into that day with the thought that much was not going to happen. As we got to the village though, there were so many that came around us and that were ready to hear and I began praying and asking God to help us make an eternal impact with the rest of our time.
The very last person that I shared with that day was a young man who just finished serving in the military. He has been in service for 5 years. He is married and lives an hour’s walk
from where we were that day, but somehow ended up with us that day.Five years ago, right before he went into the military, he heard of Jesus but he was going into the military so he pushed away any desire he had to pursue a relationship with Christ and just decided to follow his time in the military thinking it wasn’t possible to be in the military and follow Jesus as well.
Then when he got back from the Military he did not understand or know what it looked like to follow Jesus or how to gain access to him. The translator and I got to share the Gospel with him and answer all his questions about what the difference between religion and a relationship with Jesus Christ looks like. He prayed that day to trust in Christ, then he immediately began the walk home to his home to share the good news of the Gospel with his wife so she too could have a relationship with Jesus Christ.
How to Pray!
· Pray for those that make decisions to trust in Christ while we are there, that they will grow strong in their faith and share their faith
·Pray for the disciple makers as they build up these new believers and start new churches (home churches)
·Pray that the message of the Gospel would grow strong in Ethiopia. Many there have heard of Jesus- but grew up in a religion called Ethiopian Orthodox which is based on tradition and earning your salvation – and not a loving grace filled relationship with Jesus Christ. Also many are Muslim.
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