Author: e3opiamissions

by Roman S,

     I am so blessed to have been able to visit Ethiopia. The culture is so different and has it been truly eye opening to interact with people. This is my first time being out of North America, and my first on a country where I speak none of their language. It has been fun to learn little bits of Amharic from our translators out in the field. On our fourth day I got to go with my Dad, and we had finished first. So while we waited for the other groups to make their way back to our starting point, I helped some of the Aunties prepare coffee and a sort of corn based food. They were very sweet to me and laughed a lot at my English. I don’t think I will forget how kind they were to me for a long time. 

     I had a great time sharing the gospel this week. I went to 17 houses with 5 different partners and shared in many other places as well. One moment that really stood out to me was when I was out sharing the gospel in fields by a market. I was on a team with Nate, Evan, and Erin, however Erin was not with us because she was attending to another team member. As we left a field we passed someone who had accepted earlier that day, and wanted us to tell her friends. However her friend’s family were all drinking and said they did not want to hear us. We had our translator  triple check for us that we could not share because all 3 of us felt really pulled to share to them. As we walked away Evan and Nate lead a prayer over their whole house.

    Another cool experience I had while out in the field was at my first house, on the first day. Pastor Dan had shared the message and many seemed receptive.  Two boys and two women accepted Christ which was amazing. However after they were lead through the prayer of acceptance, the boys began having their beaded bracelets and necklaces cut off, which we learned were signs of following witchcraft. The cutting was a slow process because they didn’t have a real knife or scissors, and one of the boys was so excited to follow Christ he began ripping them off his body, beads flying everywhere. It was a really encouraging experience and I will never forget it.

     We have just a few days left on our trip, and many hours of travel. I am looking forward to the comforts of home, but I find myself thinking about all of the houses we pass by on our way to speak to one of one prepared houses, and I wish we could have shared to them all. I will miss Jinka very much, and hope I can come back someday.

by Jesse P,

Sengal, Ethiopia

Today was the unexpected in so many ways. We hopped in the van thinking we wouldn’t be in the van longer than 30 minutes or so like the other days. However, after we got well out of town, Dave gestured at a mountain in the distance and joking said, “We’re probably headed that far.” An hour later we had definitely passed the mountain he was referring to. I’ve been on many longer dirt roads in my life but this is the longest I’ve been on in a full 15 passenger van with bald tires, creaking axels, a sliding door that opens spontaneously, and windows that fall out when we hit heavy bumps. Traction was a problem when we approached sections with incline so at least 4 times we had to put rocks behind the back wheels to provide leverage to get the van through the fine dust. I’ll just say that this van performed way beyond its duty. At one point our driver looked at a very steep section of road and appeared to have conceded defeat. Based on the struggle our vehicle had encountered this far, the hill seemed impossible to climb. Just one minute later a medium sized bus carrying about 50 people with an announcement screen on the its front displaying just the word“Jesus” on its powered up that hill with no hesitation. It was one of the coolest displays of off road prowess that I’ve ever seen. This gave our driver hope and courage to pack us back in the van and attempt the hill. I didn’t see any hesitation from him during the rest of the trip.

Eventually we showed up in a beautiful little town called Senegal that sits 1500 ft above Jinka. As we piled out of the vehicles we were all instantly amazed by the change in temperature. This provincial town sits at 6500 ft above sea level and about 5 degrees north of the equator. This allows it to have a lush temperate climate in the tropics.

The hills were alive with fields of maize, potatoes, banana, cassava, and small eucalyptus forests for lumber. On the farms in Ethiopia, sustainability is not an ideal to aspire to like in the United States. Sustainability is essential to survival. One example I’ve seen is their use of coffee. We roast and brew the beans. They make tea out of the bean husks and some even make tea out of the coffee leaves missed with strong spices. The latter is one of the strongest drinks I’ve ever had in my life.

Every town we visit has its own personality. After visiting a few homes, we quickly learned that not all was well under the surface. I had been romanticized by the weather and the views but discovered that malaria had recently made its way through the whole village and affected nearly everyone in some way. Above that, Christians expressed many concerns about the politics and hypocrisy in the local church leadership. The church seemed to be a stumbling block for many believers.

My heart was broken in this town. The second house we visited was a mother who had given birth one month ago with complications that had led to sickness and left her bedridden since the baby’s arrival. Her husband recently left her for another woman and she was in the poorest of circumstances. Thankfully, the baby was healthy but she didn’t have the support or energy to have a clean living environment or to take proper care of herself. Beyond that, she said she had been asking for the pastor to come pray for her and had not received a visit. All she asked of us was a prayer of hope and healing for her and her children. We spent a few minutes just sitting with her and praying to God on her behalf.

Her gratitude for our visit and the kilo of coffee we gifted her was tangible. I told her I would pray for her everyday and ask everyone I know at home to pray for her. Her name is Amarish. Please pray for her, her new baby and her other kids that need her support.

The hills of Senegal

This woman requested her portrait be taken with her farm.

Erin in front of the church in Senegal

by Millie P,

So these past few days have been busy, but extremely fun. On day 1, I went out with Erin, and in the very first house there were 2 girls who were about my age. They kept smiling at me and laughing and talking to each other. It was hilarious. They invited me to go sit next to them on the mat, and I did. They felt my hair, and I laughed and they laughed. It was a great time. Then, on day 2 of sharing the gospel, everyone finished early, so Taylor, Evan, Roman and me played tons of games with the kids. They taught us their games and we taught them some of ours. I loved hanging out with the little girls because you don’t even need to speak their language, because a smile is their language. There was one little girl in particular that liked me the best. I don’t remember her name, but she was probably about 6 or 7. She was the one who kept teaching me games and urging me to play with them. She was so cute. Then, on day 3, I went out with Marie and met another little girl. She was in 4th grade. While we were talking, she kept winking at me. I thought it was so funny, so I winked back. She made me laugh and I made her laugh. I liked her too. Then, on day 4, there was a girl who was in 9th grade too, and she winked at me while we were at her house too. I wonder what it means. My favorite part of my trip so far is definitely all of the young girls. They’re the best.

by Les S,

Today our group shared the gospel with nearly 100 people, and not one person received the message, calling on the name of the Lord. We know seeds were planted and God will watch over them to accomplish his purpose in their lives.

But the highlight of the day was a man named Betsi who the Holy Spirit prompted last night to repent from his backsliding and recommit his life to Jesus Christ. Then today, God sovereignly prompted a friend of his to invite him to come to his house to hear from us as we brought the message of the gospel. Betsi was so blessed to be encouraged in his faith and to have the gospel message confirmed.

There are many variations of the gospel and even false gospels that are brought, and they were hugely blessed to hear us declaring the gospel as presented in the Bible.
Betsi told us that all of his children had gotten a rare form of malaria that is very devastating. When his kids got sick, the witch doctor came and pronounced a curse – saying that “these boys have been sold, one for 8000 Birr, the other for 12,000 Birr, and that they would surely die.” It is unknown who “bought” them, but that was the message the witch doctor and the false prophet brought.

So he asked for prayer for the two sickest boys. We laid hands on the boys and declared healing. We are trusting God to cause them to recover, and prove the which doctor in profit to be false, and lose respect in the community.

by Dave P,

Ethiopia is amazing! The people are very happy even though the economy is not strong. We are in a more mountainous village today and walking between home takes longer 😎. The major industry is farming and here is a picture of a plow we saw on the side of the road which is pretty basic.

We have been going village to village and entering homes to meet with families and their friends.

I’ve played with a bunch of kids, scared a few, and it seems we are making a difference in everyone’s lives by talking about the hope that comes from yoking ourselves with Christ.
I am sooo glad to have been able to go on this trip. It’s inspiring to be able to share about Jesus Christ and His amazing love as demonstrated by His sacrifice for us. And to see in the eyes of several who have a deep desire to follow Him

by Nate J,

Love, peace, joy, connection, and discernment. These are a couple things I’ve felt walking with God this trip.

The first day I went with Marie. We walked a long time in the heat but God sheltered us with shade and we rested on seats many times. In one of the homes a Christian woman said she had nightmares that her newly built house would be destroyed. She was told by witch doctors to destroy it as well. We went inside of the house and prayed away the demons from it.

The second day my mom and I only went to one house because tribal conflict caused last minute changes. Instead of leaving, God lead us to spontaneously share the Gospel along the road and brought The Good News to many. Many people accepted and many seeds were planted.

The third day I went with Roman, Evan, and my mom. After we shared the Gospel with two houses we went back to an Ethiopian church to find out that one of our groups was attacked by a bull. Their translator badly hurt his hand so we prayed over him. My mom stayed with him while Roman, Evan, our translators, and I set out to spread  the Gospel. We shared the Gospel at the market twice, at a house, and on the side of a path. Once, we came upon a house full of people who were drinking and we wanted to share The Gospel but they refused. As we left, we prayed that they could come to Christ.

Before this trip even started, I prayed that God would teach me something new. God has fully answered this prayer through learning more about Him, Ethiopian culture, people, myself, and more.

Praise God.

“After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.” Luke 8:1

by Mark S,

In Matthew 16:18 Jesus famously declares, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Some churches have gotten distracted about the method Jesus was going to use (built on the foundation of Peter or on Peter’s declaration of Jesus being the Messiah). But the real heart of this passage is found in Jesus’ declaration of His plan to build His world-wide church, a “church” that will last until His Return.

Today we got to experience a large taste of the fulfillment of this declaration as our team split into 4 groups to attend 4 churches with approx. 2,000 people in attendance.

We joined in passionate worship. Humble praise from all ages, including 30 children coming forward to the stage to kneel during a 10-minute prayer of blessing over them and the church.

It was a huge blessing and encouragement to witness so many people walking up to their church, carrying their Bibles and singing with passion and joy for the entire community to hear (my ears are still ringing).

My heart echoed King David’s when he declared in Psalm 122:1, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD!’”

I pray that our passion, that settles for far lesser things, would be re-directed to an even greater desire to meet with the people of God and be a part of the fulfillment ofJesus’ declaration that He will build His church in San Diego, at LifeBridge, in and through US!

by Marie VD,

For me, field day 2, on Saturday Feb 15, was about connecting with women and praying for them. After visiting our first home, we walked back to the church (1/2 block away) to wait for info about our next home. An hour later we learned that was the only home scheduled for us to visit. We decided to go walking around to see who God put in our path. We prayed and set out. 

Right across from the church some ladies sitting outside so we went up the path to talk with them. Askole was the woman of the house, her daughter in law was “T”, and their friend was “M”. They were all believers and all had bad marriages. Askole’s husband had a 2nd wife, “T’s” husband (also Askole’s son) was backslidden, and “M’s” husband was often drunk. 

We shared some Bible stores with them and asked to pray for them, including praying for Askole’s ankle as we had noticed something was wrong in the way she walked. Our interpreter Eyobe (for those who know Mesfin, they are brothers!) was touching Askole’s foot while I stood and prayed. Eyobe heard God say to him “I am the way to save her” and that He would heal her. It was a very special moment as I gave her coffee beans and hugged her after the prayer.

Dan and I had given Askole pictures of our families and the ladies held them up and with great enthusiasm prayed a blessing for our families. It was so touching.

Shortly after, Askole she was talking to Eyobe and began to cry. She said that when we came, God came to her house – she sensed God’s presence. When I understood why she was crying, I began to cry and gave her a big hug. It was soooo moving. The three ladies were crying, I was crying, and Eyobe was crying! 

That divine meeting will stay with me forever. 

Later, Eyobe and I took another walk and met some women selling bananas. We learned they are believers so gave them words of encouragement. As we walked away, one lady asked us to pray a prayer of blessing over her. 

On our way back to the church, I found a heart shaped rock, a beautiful reminder that God loves Jinka, and so do I!! 

Later in the afternoon as we drove away, Askole brought us bananas for our journey home. Oh how I love Ethiopian’s love and hospitality!

by Jesse P,

This morning was quieter than the first one here in Jinka. The 3:30am street chants were off in the distance and started much later. I left the room and took a walk around the premises of our hotel at about 6:30am and instantly smelled smoke. 3-4 blocks away there was a fountain of thick black smoke. Everyone in town was rushing to see what was happening. Many men were running, many were on motorcycles, and a few were on their donkey pulled carriages. The carriages are just flat surfaces on wheels and the driver rides standing up in a sort of surfing-like stance. I respect the skill it takes to navigate these vehicles through uneven roads with style and ease.

The fire actually burned the market in the center of the city. So sad for the people to temporarily lose an important area of commerce. I heard that no people were injured though so that is a blessing.

Today our house visits were in the town and the homes were more developed by modern economic standards. Contrasted with yesterday, we walked a fraction of the amount and we also had many appointments cancel. Our local disciple-makers are very conscious of our safety and recently decided that one of the villages we were going to serve was engaged in tribal conflict. Or plans were changed because of that. The fire this morning also had an effect on who was showing up to talk with us.

So far, the homes we’ve visited have been Christians inviting their family and friends to hear the gospel. In our first home there was a young pregnant woman in the corner sobbing. Through our translator we learned that the relationship between her husband and her was experiencing a very difficult time. We got to teach and pray with them. Evan gave a powerful message. He was instructed to be brief in his message but he taught with authority. At the beginning of the visit, they didn’t even look at each other but at the end they had committed to repentance and forgiveness and walked away laughing and walking together again.
They are now connected to a church community who can support them through their early marriage and beyond. I hope and pray these two can continue on the path of Christ together.

One of the unique aspects I’ve noticed about Ethiopian culture is the bridal wedding photos that are displayed on the living room wall. The bride gets her picture taken filling multiple coffee cups while dressed in gorgeous traditional clothes. I learned more about these pictures while on a lunch break. I was having a chat with a local Christian who had given Taylor a ride back to the church on his motor cycle. After becoming quick friends, he wanted me to meet his wife and kids close by. I hopped on his motorcycle and we drove a few blocks to his home. He explained to me that the bridal pictures showed the honor of serving and the pride of being Ethiopian. They call themselves the most beautiful people in the world. They are not wrong in this. Their incessant hospitality and communal way of life contribute to their beauty. This man’s wife brought Injira and banana to eat while we talked about his profession as a high school physics teacher and the economics of the area. The city of Jinka is so far away from the capital of Addis so supplies cannot be depended on. Things like gasoline take two days to get to Jinka from Addis. Any supply changes or delays due to road conditions can leave the town without consistent fuel. I think this is one reason that leads to there being very few cars in Jinka. Today there were hundreds of people waiting in line with their motorcycles outside the gas station. They were patiently waiting to fill their bikes with a slice of opportunity.

What an incredible trip this has been so far for all of us. We are consistently spiritually and culturally fed and so many people changing their lives for the better.

by Evan W,

It’s officically day 3 in Ethiopia! I’ve had an amazing time so far, and am enjoying the blessings of going out and sharing the Gospel, meeting new people, and experiencing a culture so different than that that I’m used to. I’ve seen God’s hand in every single moment of my time here; but yesterday I saw God work in ways I had never before seen or imagined! 

Yesterday was a field day, meaning one of the days where we go out in teams and spread the Gospel to families in villages. A team usually consists of: two Americans who share the good news, a translator who translates the message, and a guide/disciple maker, who leads the rest of the team to the houses where the Gospel message is to be shared, often coming back later to commune with the families that accept Christ.

After establishing my team of Jesse (my teammate), Isaac (our translator), and Sambol, I believe (our guide, whose name I think I spelt wrong), we set off and quickly came across a home in which a woman was crying.. When asked why she was crying, Isaac explained that she had been having issues in a very rocky relationship with her husband, who was also in the room. The owner of the house, a person of peace, had invited his struggling neighbors to hear the good news of the Gospel, hoping it would change their lives and mend their relationship. While me and Jesse introduced ourselves, the husband and wife did not even acknowledge each other at all. Sensing the tension between them, Isaac told me, “Present the Gospel briefly, as they are mad at each other.” 

Summarizing the Gospel message as much as I could without leaving any crucial information out, I watched as their faces changed and their glares softened; the wife stopped crying and the husband began smiling. Shortly after, they both accepted Christ and gave each other a reluctant hug. As I left the home, I saw them walk away smiling and laughing, and it was actually just so cool to see God mend their relationship in real time! 

Upon entering the second house, I was greeted with the kindest woman offering me sugarcane, mango, limes, and the purest hospitality for my team of random people the family had never met before. After sharing the Gospel, where two in the house came to Christ, the daughter of the household ran over a mile to bring us snacks and a bag we had left at our house; I knew God’s hand was over them purely because of their overwhelming care and hospitality.

Later, probably only a half hour later, we finished early, and had only preached at two houses; typically we do five, and I was really disappointed, wondering why the other families weren’t home waiting to hear the Gospel, and why God had allowed that. As I was wondering this, serting my backpack down at the church we were resting at, I saw a bunch of kids staring and giggling at me. As I raised my hand to say hi, they immediately ran straight to me and gave me probably the biggest hug ever. 

I knew right away how God wanted me to spend the rest of my previously useless four extra hours; loving the kids and having fun with them. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much joy and love in one place. Their hugs showed me that they were simply happy for my presence; I hadn’t even greeted them yet, and yet they were ready and waiting to love and welcome me. We spent the next four hours laughing, playing games, singing, hugging one another, and just enjoying each other’s company. 

Thinking back on my time with everyone I had met, I realized something extremely beautiful. The pure love, joy, and kindness of those we encountered really reminded me of what God has waiting for us in Heaven; if there can be this much joy, love, peace, and laughter on a broken and sinful earth, I can’t wait for what God has in store for us once we leave it.