Gumuze City, Ethiopia

We worked in Gumuze City, Ethiopia and the surrounding villages. The trek to the Gumuze was a long one: 5-hours on a bus through lush and bumpy territory. I managed to take a whole bottle of dramamine by myself throughout the week. 

The plan for the first day was to set up the medical clinic in a government run compound. The majority of the team would run the clinic and four members of the team would go in to the villages. I was a part of the village team. Our goal was to visit eight families and bring them love gifts of clothing, salt and soap.

Our first morning we loaded up the bus with our team of 26 Americans and 15 Ethiopians. Half way through our 3-hour drive to the government clinic, we realized we'd forgotten the gifts for the village families. The eight bags were back at our hotel...

Rule number one of the mission field is to be flexible. We stopped the bus. One of our hard working Ethiopian church planters, T, jumped off of the bus, caught a small taxi and headed back to the hotel to get the gifts. 

We arrived at the government facility and there was already a line of patients waiting. While we waited on T to return from the hotel, the village team jumped in to help the medical team set up and facilitate. 

Several hours later, T arrived with the gifts. By this time it was too late for us to visit each of the eight families individually. We decided to walk to the first house and hope for the best. The trek was long and the sun was hot. Our translators told me and my two college students that we were 'strong women' to walk this road in the middle of the day. We smiled and laughed through the sweat. It's not fun unless you get sweaty and dusty right? 

When we arrived at the first home, we were greeted with smiling faces and generous hospitably. As we sat down to visit the first family, more and more people kept showing up. One of the translators leaned over to me and said, "We have all eight families here. Are you ready to go inside?" I was floored! We couldn't make it to all eight families so they all came to us!

We walked in and sat down on homemade chairs close to the hard dirt floor. Sixteen wide eyed adults sat in front of us. One of our goals in addition to sharing the gospel, is to educate the community on health issues. One of our students, Paula, shared with the families through a translator about malaria causes and prevention. I was able to share a piece of my testimony and Diane, our trip leader, shared the Gospel. 

As the story of the Gospel was translated, I focused on the families. One man to my right was rapt in attention. His eyes widen as Diane and the translators shared the story of Christ coming to earth and dying for our sins. 

After we shared, the translators, who are amazing and passionate church planters in the area, shared a little more. T, the man who had gone back to retrieved our gifts at the hotel, started to speak. He spoke with passion and authority as he explained the Gospel to his countrymen. I don't know what he was saying, but I know that T can preach the word! 

As T shared, more eyes lit up. Everyone in the room was interested in this man called Jesus.

We asked T what the families thought. He told us that everyone wanted to accept Christ: all eight families wanted to follow Jesus. 

My eyes filled with tears as he said the words. Praise the Lord for His plans are better than our own! 

We immediately asked the families if they would take the tools we'd used to share the gospel (small picture tracks) and share the gospel with each other! The man who's eyes lit up early in the conversation stood up. He said he would share with the group. It was an honor to see these new believers, men and women, learn to share what they just heard with others. 

So many times we make discipleship and telling others about Jesus difficult; but, in the New Testament we see over and over again, people hearing the Good News, being transformed and going out to their neighbors and friends and telling them about Jesus. Disciples making disciples making disciples. 

T and his friends will continue to meet with these families of new believers. They are committed to discipling and encouraging these families who are new in their faith. 

It was an honor to be a small part of their story. To share the Good News and the hope of Christ with brothers and sisters around the world...well there is nothing better than that.