Ethiopia Feb. 2023 – Learning About a Beautiful People

Written by: Jody Reifenberger

After a more restful night of sleep we started out our day with breakfast and then our team meeting and devotional time. Rick reminded us to be seeds planted in fertile soil and not be among the thorns. Erin shared a verse from Psalm 118 This is a Day the Lord has Made. This helped us prepare our hearts and minds for all that God would have in store for us today.

Our first stop after leaving the hotel was to go to Dan’s school. Dan is Mesfin’s son and has been such a valuable resource to the team translating and answering our million questions. He needed to ask permission from his director in order to be allowed to miss school to join us. While Erin went inside with Mesfin and Dan, we stayed back in the van to pray. Praise God our prayers were answered and Dan was given permission and BONUS we were invited into the school for a tour. It was a vibrant atmosphere and we all so enjoyed getting an “inside view” of another aspect of Ethiopian culture.

Next up we went to visit Women At Risk Ministries and got to hear from from both their former director, Cherry and their new director, Ababa about their ministry to help women leave a life of prostitution. Cherry’s story is truly an inspiration of how God can use our lives when we seek His will and trust him.

Our final cultural stops today were at the National Museum of Ethiopia and Unity Park.

Our time so far has been focused on learning and understanding more about Ethiopian culture so that our time of active ministry may be more impactful.

Please pray that God would continue to prepare our hearts and minds as we get ready to go out “on assignment” in the villages.

Lastly, we were invited to Mesfin and Tigist’s home for dinner tonight. It was a special time for our team to share a meal with our Ethiopian brothers and sisters in Christ. I love how God knits together families even across the globe through our faith in Him.