NEWSLETTERS

Advancing the Gospel in Ethiopia!

Wheels for God’s Word and Word on Wheels was invited by Pastor Hiruy Tsige (the national leader of the Church of God in Ethiopia) to conduct a training conference for pastors and evangelists in Awassa (also known as Hawassa and Awasa), a few hundred kilometers south of Addis Ababa. To our surprize, 96 pastors and evangelists attended the two day conference. 80 large Heart of Man charts and 80 pocket-size Heart of Man charts were distributed to the pastors and evangelists. 450 Heart of Man booklets were distributed, which consisted of the following languages: Amharic, Sidamigna, Oromo and English. Also, 96 Bibles in the Amharic language were made available to pastors and evangelists.

Wheels for God’s Word was able to distribute 59 bicycles to needy pastors and evangelists, some of whom travelled more than 200 km to attend the conference and receive material and bicycles.

What made a very deep impression on me was not only the humility of these servants of God but the exuberant joy that they express in living out their Christian life. It is amazing to see how these believers express their joy in worshiping God, despite very difficult circumstances. They live out a true testimony that, if you have Jesus in your life and He is the center of your life, you can live a joyful and blessed life in Him. This was my first-hand experience with these Ethiopian believers.

The pastors and evangelists who were trained work mostly among the Oromo tribe, where currently many people are being led to Christ. On the second day of the conference we had a practical training session in the morning, during which these men went out – two by two – on a four hour journey to evangelize, using the Heart of Man chart, bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of the surrounding area. Hundreds of people were directly confronted with the Gospel of Jesus Christ during the time of this practical outreach and many responded by confessing their sins and accepting Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour. One of the things that came to the fore when pastors gave testimony about what happened during the presentation of the Gospel to people was the overwhelming sense in the hearts of people regarding the sins in their lives, many of whom truly confessed their sins, as the Holy Spirit convicted them.

It was with a grateful heart that I left Awassa and returned to Addis Ababa, and from there returned to Cape Town, South Africa, knowing that God has truly done an amazing work in His ministers’ hearts to help them take the Gospel to the Oromo people. I truly look forward in the time to come to receive testimonies from brother Tsige concerning the lasting impact of this conference for the evangelization of the Oromo people.

The Missionary and the Witch Doctors
An Inspiring Testimony from Francois Rauch

When I think back, it already started the night before. Friday evening. A terrible smell filled the air around our house in the bush that night. It was 22:00 when I was on my way to lead a late night prayer meeting in the bush. Suddenly we heard noises on the roof. As I ventured into the dark night, flash light in hand, to investigate what was going on, I saw snakes on the roof. On my way back to the house to ask my wife to keep the windows closed so that the snakes cannot enter it, I realized with a shock that someone had smeared blood over our outside doors. I am living deep in the bushes of Mozambique and have scarcely been in the bush as a full-time missionary for a few months. I immediately realized that this had to be the work of witch doctors. I was shocked and said nothing to my wife about the blood on the doors.

The prayer meeting went ahead and with what had just transpired, I asked the local church leaders to pray for me.

I got up early on the Saturday morning to clean the doors – I wanted to prevent my wife from seeing what had happened. I was busy when my translator called me, looking very surprized. He informed me that there were four witch doctors who had come to see me.

The witch doctors were clad in their traditional attire – something which was in itself an awful sight. They motioned me to come closer. When I was approximately 3 meters away from them, one of them who was clad somewhat differently – more feathers and more paint than the others – loudly uttered some strange, awful words and threw his dolosse and bones my way. He constantly made strange noises en blew black smoke in my direction. For the first time I felt alone, uncertain and afraid. I was afraid for the safety of my wife and myself. My translator stood at the back of me, scared and wide-eyed.

The three other witch doctors agreed with the main witch doctor by softly echoing his chants and speaking in a strange way. I realized that the head witch doctor most likely specialized in black magic, since his curses were aggressive. I realized that I had to do or say something but was too shocked to speak. All words that I managed to get over my dry lips (without looking the witch doctor in the eye) was: “Do you know that God loves you?” He must have seen it coming – after all, I represented the church – he laughed aloud. The witch doctors with him spurred him on by joining him in laughing loudly. My translator spoke softly behind me: “He says that he does not believe there is a God.” Now I was powerless. According to my translator, the witch doctor’s curses were that I would suffer a death sentence and curse in my life. The blood on the door was a testimony to that – my death was announced. My wife’s death was also proclaimed and sicknesses were proclaimed over the rest of my family, far away.

I was petrified by fear. I could hardly pray or remember all my Bible verses, studies, seminars or Sunday school texts. Pure fear. In this condition of helplessness, a thought suddenly flashed through my mind. God had to help me. There was no flash of lightning or thunder or even an angel to help me – just a silent word – a thought that penetrated my heart. “Tell this person his name is written in the Bible!” The thought was so strange that I did not want to utter it. I mean – I did not know his name. The thought kept on churning in my mind and finally I decided to say it. As I was taking out my pocket Bible, I said to the witch doctor: “God told me that your name is in this Book.” He suddenly laughed out loud and gave a few steps closer. He was so full of confidence that I suddenly realized his name clearly does not appear in the Bible. Thoughts of death flew through my mind. This was my end.

“Do you know what is my name?” I stood petrified – I felt like I had betrayed God by ignorantly saying something that I believed had been from God. Did I not know the voice of God? My translator was gray overwhelmed by fear. He knew this was the end and that he would affected by the curse as well. “My name is Alfonso,” he laughed with his big black eyes giving me a fiery gaze.

In my state of fear, even I, with my limited knowledge, realized that the name “Alfonso” does not appear in the Bible. But in milli-seconds my thoughts raced from Genesis to Revelation. There was no prophet or sinner in the Bible with the name “Alfonso.” I feel nauseous. And suddenly – another word in my heart. “Tell him his name is written in Psalm 14:1!” I did not want to say it – I had already been wrong. And I don’t know Psalm 14:1. And I don’t believe there is an “Alfonso” in the Psalms. Asaph, David – Moses there were a few who had written the Psalms, but I am unaware of an Alfonso. “There is no God,” I heard him say again.

In my inability to communicate – paralyzed with anxiety and fear (where is God?) – I addressed the witch doctor in a rather pathetic way. “God just said your name is in the Bible in Psalm 14:1.” I ask if I may read it. My translator gets his Bible and with trembling hands opens the Bible at Psalm 14:1. I also read it. Psalm 14:1: “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’”

When I read it, I realized it was God speaking. We read it twice and from nowhere there suddenly came a power (like the wind) empowering me inside. Incredible courage and power vivified my body. The witch doctor frowned when I read the verse with my translator. “So where is my name?” he asked arrogantly. “There,” I showed him – now full of courage. “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” You are a fool! “Do you call me a fool?” he protested. “No,” I answered, “My God says so,” I now proclaimed with pride and my words filled with the power of the King. I felt it and realized it! The witch doctor and his entourage stood there dumbstruck. The black magic witch doctor stood back – speechless. And suddenly – all the verses that had evaded me, now returned. I now spoke boldly. The witch doctor grabbed his bones and walked away with his entourage, cursing. While they were walking away and I was still busy quoting John 3:16, one of the other witch doctors turned around and walked back. She is a woman. She shyly came closer. “What is this power and with what power did you speak that our leader had no words?” I share the Gospel with her in a simple way.

She knelt in the dirt without shame and I prayed for her. She gave her heart to God and invited me to burn all her witchcraft materials. We did so a few days later and placed her in a new congregation that we had planted. She is still serving God. All glory to God alone!