Recently I met with all the Mars Hill Church Tacoma leaders and shared with them what I saw, experienced, and learned on my trip to Ethiopia. Here are five things from that meeting that I learned on the ground in Africa:
1. Jesus loves all people and is creating a family of God from every tribe, language, and people group (Rev. 7:9–10).
We heard testimonies from seven African evangelists (supported by Mars Hill) who have witnessed to thousands of people in the past year and seen hundreds of Africans saved by Jesus. Despite incredible hardships and much persecution, the church is thriving. There is an incredible explosion of the gospel happening in Ethiopia.
2. Jesus (the Word of God) brings the light of the gospel into the darkest of places (John 1:1–5).
Through the preaching of Jesus, many Muslims in villages all over Africa are being saved. There was an amazing story told of one woman who was Muslim and then became a Christian. Her Muslim husband continually beat her for being a Christian and forced her to go to the mosque with him. She went to the mosque but worshiped Jesus there, not Allah. After a year of her suffering and witnessing to her husband, he became a Christian. He is now serving Jesus and helping in the local church plant in their village.
3. Jesus gives salvation to his enemies (Rom. 5:10).
Jesus has saved several witch doctors who opposed the gospel and tried to kill the local Christians. One evangelist reported that the local witch doctor had tried to kill him, but then she became gravely ill. The people in the tribe told her to ask the Christian to pray for her in case his God would heal her. The evangelist prayed for her and Jesus healed her. She became a Christian and helped plant a church in her village.
4. Jesus is still healing people physically (Matt. 8:22–26).
An evangelist went to a village and found a blind man living there. He and the other Christians prayed for the blind man to be healed and Jesus healed him. After the blind man was given eyesight, he witnessed to his friends and family. Forty people became Christians because of this miracle.
5. Jesus’ people in Ethiopia are beautiful.
They love Jesus more than anything else. Their love for their savior is so real and passionate. They worship Jesus with all that they are and all that they have. They pray knowing prayer is powerful. They pray because it matters. Prayer is their battle cry. They pray trusting God to help. They hold the Bible and the preaching of God’s word sacred. They are very serious about planting churches. They count it joy to suffer for the gospel. Even though they are financially poor, they share what they have generously.
