1st day of week 2

We couldn’t be more grateful for how the Lord has provided for us and our team and has gone before us and answered many, many prayers already! We will try and summarize a few:

- For protection and team unity. Praise God that our entire 2nd team and those that stayed from the 1st team are all free from illness. Yesterday we split up into four teams of five people each, and partnered up with two Christian Ethiopian translators and two Ethiopian Disciple Makers, who will follow up and visit with those that want to know more about Jesus Christ and His Word once we leave Friday. Yesterday and this morning we worshipped all together, Americans and Ethiopians, praising God for His love and asking Him to move the hearts of the people of Ethiopia. We sang all together, first in Amharic song, “Del-bah-del, en-nah ned-da-len…” then an American song, “You are Lord of Lords, you are King of Kings, You are Mighty God, Lord of everything…” Praise God for the oneness He has allowed to form so quickly!

- For God to prepare the hearts of those we will meet. Prepare the hearts of the people in first house, the young man Debale who came to know the Lord today. Debale possesses many leadership qualities and can be a great influence for many others. We are going back to the people of this first house as well as to see Debale and the people he wants us to meet. Gamarehu had a dream the night before that God was sending white people to come visit him! At this house were immediately received with great kindness. We were invited into the home of the community leader chief’s house and were served spicy hot bread which had been prepared for a celebration that happens every 8th year. As we left the house the Lord stirred many people to continue to follow us to which we were able to share the Good News to which it was received.

- For God’s mercy to help them hear His call on their life (Romans 11:29). After lunch we went to a second house which we were able to have the opportunity to share our faith with a young man and his sister and brother Birkay and Tesfah, whose names mean “wonderful” and “hope” in English. Four people in this house prayed to receive Jesus Christ as their savior.

- For God to send someone to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light. At our third and final house for the day our team shared the gospel and numerous stories from God’s word with a women whose husband is a witch doctor. By the end of this meeting, she said that the house that was formally used for the worship of snakes and other things would be used to worship Jesus.

The Lord continues to amaze us with how He can use sinful people l to bring people to know the Creator of the Universe. Today was truly a humbling experience, but one that does not surprise us. God can move mountains, He can soften hearts in a matter of seconds with a simple smile and break chains of bondage in an instant as the Word is proclaimed.

One of the most powerful moments of the day was listening to our Christian Ethiopian brother, our translator Demeka, pray over a house that was very demonic (the witch doctor’s). Demeka comes to the Lord with boldness we have never heard. He truly beckoned and confidently pleaded with the Lord to destroy the strongholds of this household. Woe to us for our weak prayers. May we be challenged to ask God to truly unleash His power. Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

WHAT A 2ND ANNIVERSARY, AMEN!
Elizabeth and Andrew Johnson

PRAYER REQUESTS
• Continued good health for North Americans & Ethiopian team members
• Good weather that will allow us to maximize our time here
• Open hearts to the Gospel of Jesus Christ