JEWISH COMMUNITY

Our interaction with the Ethiopian Jewish community may have been the most impacting part of the trip for me. Many of you know that I have long had heart for God's chosen people and the Messianic community. In Ethiopia, the Jewish people face difficult lives, full of discrimination as they wait to return to their Promised Land. We sat on the wooden benches of a tin roof and dirt floor synagogue, full of men and women who have yet to know the salvation of their Messiah. We were able to be involved in distributing aid to the Jewish people who are living in poverty as they wait to make aliyah and return to Israel. And we also had the beautiful privilege to worship with Jewish believers in Yeshua. As we worshipped, I was hit with the realization of where I was and what an honor to be worshipping with these brothers and sisters as the one new man ( Ephesians 2). We joined this believing community for the Biblical feast of Shavuot (Pentecost), to celebrate God's giving of His Word and the Holy Spirit. This was an anointed time! After a powerful word, preached by Jahi (the leader of Gateways' first year program) the Holy Spirit came and we saw people receive salvation, physical healing and deliverance from demonic oppression. God delights in meeting His children during His appointed times. And how pleasant it is when brothers dwell together in unity. We worshipped with them in English, Amharic and Hebrew and danced both Israeli and African dances. This Messianic congregation is on fire for the Lord, but it has come at a great cost. During our celebration in an open air compound, rocks began to fly over the wall and into the compound - hitting our team and the congregation members. This Jewish community on the outskirts of Addis Ababa is about 60,000 people and only a few hundred are believers in Jesus as the Messiah. The rock-throwers were infuriated with these precious believers, accusing them of witchcraft in the community, because of their faith in Christ. What started as several angry men, quickly turned into a riot. Signs and banners for the gathering were torn down, and the windshields of the cars belonging to the believers were smashed. Nobody was seriously injured, but it gives perspective of what these people go through everyday for the sake of following Jesus. We were also able to bless them by doing practical service in the compound where their congregation meets - gardening, cleaning, and electrical work. For many years, the believers in this community have stayed underground to forgo this kind of persecution, but we stand with them in their recent choice to openly worship Yeshua as the Messiah and shine like a city on a hill. Please join me in lifting up this community and the believers in it to the Lord.


Traditional Jewish dancing with the Messianic congregation on the feast of Shavuot


Our team with some of the congregational leaders in their compound on work day

MERCY

The team had the privilege to visit several orphanages in Ethiopia, where they poured out love on the precious children.  For many, this was their first experience in an orphanage, and already we have been deeply impacted for life. 

At Kechene Children’s Home (a place that has become very special in our hearts), we encountered a very understaffed and almost unsupervised group of teenagers and children roaming the neglected and overgrown property.  And what an amazing facility and property it was!  A few YEARS of work, and it could be a really nice place.  The group started with the area of greatest need: the yard and grounds.  They began to clean up the grounds making piles of things the children could sell (such as scrap metal, eucalyptus leaves, and wood) for bus fare and school supplies. Realizing that we were gathering resources for these children, motivated us greatly in our work.  The grounds were so extensive that even 4 days of work were not sufficient to complete the task!  Breaks were spent playing and giving love to neglected children starving for attention, as well as almost all of our girls getting their hair braided.  The children were beautiful and it was a joy to give them much needed love.  We toiled and waited.  Jesus said, “look to the fields, for they are white for harvest”.  Before the harvest, surely there was a process of toiling, planting, and watering.  And, for us, at Kechene, that is what we did for 4 days.  We toiled, planted, and watered in the spiritual as we toiled on the grounds in the physical.  And we waited for that open door.

Well, in the afternoon of our last day there, that opportunity came.  The kids were so touched by our love and affection that they began to ask questions.  We performed the drama and shared the gospel (in a government run orphanage!) and many were touched.  The kids sang some songs for us, and after we had a time of worship with them.  Many began to weep.  One girl shared how the kids felt about our coming-and it was so sweet.  They had never been loved like this before.  It was an unprecedented encounter for those kids.  When we ask, He will come-and shine His light on everyone! I made a special connection with a little boy named Hilu at this orphanage. He is ten years old and had only been at the orphanage two days when we arrived. Prior to that, he had been living on the street. Abba gave me a deep, deep love in my heart for this little boy. Over the course of our time there, we played and took pictures and every chance I had, I would use the little Amharic I knew to tell him that Jesus loved him. The last day we were there and we were worshipping, he finally broke and began to release the emotions he'd been internalizing for years. Through the tears, he prayed the sinners prayer raised his little hand when the invitation for salvation was given. When we left that day, my tears flowed as freely as his. I had such a burden on my heart for him to truly know the love of God. Then the Father came to me with His still, small voice and showed my heart, that if I have such a desire for this one little boy to know the Father's love, how much GREATER is the Father's desire to see all His children truly live in the spirit of adoption. As I went to bed that night, I prayed that Yeshua would touch Hilu's heart. And that night, I had a dream. In the dream, I met Hilu, five years in the future. He told me that ever since that day he prayed with us, his life was never the same. Jesus had come and revealed Himself face-to-face to him one night in his little room at the orphanage and he KNEW the love of God. He was following the Lord as a young man, and had a heart for evangelism. I woke up with such gratitude in my heart and tears in my eyes. Jesus, encouraged me that everyone we encounter is ultimately in His hands. Going to a third world country and seeing the great need, can be overwhelming if you try to carry the burden in the strength of your flesh. But, if we let Holy Spirit teach us how to appropriately carry a burden for these people in intercession, there is great joy! It's not about how much our team can do in one month, but the reality that Jesus can reveal His love to a child face to face in his room one night if He wants to. Thank you Abba.

The team also worked hard at Hope Enterprises Feeding Center several times during the trip, feeding and loving hundreds of children at the morning breakfast and over 1,000 adults at lunch. I had the honor of preaching the gospel at HOPE and it was amazing. The Spirit of God touched may hearts and dozens made a decision that day to reconcile their hearts to God. We served the poorest of society the one meal they would eat all day. Many on our team who had worked in restaurants, desired to serve these beautiful people better than the fanciest places they'd worked in. Despite the great poverty that defines their lives, these people's faces were full of life and joy. Smiles were seen everywhere. It challenged me so much! With all the gifts that Jesus has given me, I have no excuse for my countenance to ever be downcast! He truly does beautify the humble with salvation. As we go throughout our days, do we look like a people who have been given the gift of salvation? Do our faces show it, like these precious Ethiopians'?

Another favorite place to serve, was HOME (House of Mercy Ethiopia) Children’s Center, in their day program for mentally and physically disabled children. We sang, played games, shared Bible stories, and prayed for them.  So many beautiful faces and smiles that we will remember for a lifetime!




HOPE Feeding Center

ENCOURAGEMENT

In Africa, church is the most exciting part of the week. The whole team ministered in several church services over the course of our one month trip, and every time, we left as impacted as the congregation. We joined the believers there in powerful worship. I've never experienced anything like it. The intensity and passion with which they worship would shame the western church. If you looked around the congregation during the worship, you would see intense gratitude, inexpressible joy, and passionate love on the faces of the believers. We also had the opportunity to lead worship in both English and Amharic. We simply shined and poured out love for our King, encouraging others to do the same. We were also able to do the drama we prepared and students shared testimonies to encourage the Church. The Holy Spirit fell and we were all encouraged to witness the fire, anointing, and power of the Word being preached. Several were also able to deliver prophetic words of encouragement and healing words of knowledge to the believers we fellowshipped with. It was a powerful time of uniting the Body of Messiah. The whole team left beaming with joy.

EVANGELISM

Through out the trip, we sent several teams into the city of Addis Ababa to do street evangelism. We’d split up into groups of 3 or 4 people and go out to meet people and shine the light of Yeshua. For many students, this was their first experience evangelizing and praying for people on the streets. One group was in the city square when a young man found them whom they had shared with the week before. He was exuberant as he testified what the Lord had done: The week before, one of the evangelism teams had met two hungry young men-Michael and Lazarus. Michael had a lot of stress over his university studies and Lazaraus had a visible tumor on his throat. The team prayed for them and told the young men that they were confident that God was answering their prayers. A week later, Michael found them and joyfully shared with them how his studies had dramatically improved and how his friend Lazarus had been completely healed and now has no tumor! As he shared, a small crowd of people came in closer to find out what was going on. Just as someone had prophesied over him the week before, that God would use him to bring in people, he began to share with the crowd about the goodness of the Lord in his life!

We also took time to minister in prisons in Ethiopia. These times were incredibly powerful. Hundreds on inmates would gather in the hot sun to listen to us worship, share the drama we prepared, give our testimonies and preach the gospel. Dozens responded to the invitations for salvation and many were touched. When you're in that atmosphere, there can be a slight twinge of fear in your heart - there was in mine. You look around and the surroundings are pretty rough. But then the Holy Spirit came and gave me this perfect peace. He reminded me that I have the reality of Heaven living inside of me and not even the gates of Hell can prevail against it! It was a powerful time and even I, a white young woman from the other side of the world, was able to approach these convicts with the boldness of Christ and see Jesus touch their hearts. We were also able to meet with the believers who attend the small church in the prison compound. We had the opportunity to pray and prophesy over them - encouraging them to shine like lights in the darkness and show their fellow inmates how Jesus has changed their life.

Reflections of Africa

Teanastellen! (greeting meaning "may health be given to you" in Amharic)

It's been two weeks since our team returned from Ethiopia, but my mind and heart still haven't fully processed all God did during that time. Our one month outreach trip there was life changing, and I want to share as much as I can with all of you. Hopefully this summary will give you a taste of what God has done and is doing in the Land of Ethiopia...

For any Gateways Beyond outreach there are four areas of ministry which we focused on. First, evangelism by being bold messengers of the Good New on the streets, in prisons, and churches. Second, being an extension of God’s love and mercy to the poor and to orphans. Third, connecting with local believers to bring strength and encouragement to the body of Messiah. And fourth, to be a living witness to the Jewish community through acts of love and service. I want to use my next few posts to share about my experiences in these four areas, while in Ethiopa.

Thank you to all who sowed into this trip financially and prayerfully. God did great and wondrous things during our time their. The people we were able to minister the love of the Father to were greatly impacted, as were we. And please join me in praying for the nation of Ethiopia - that the unbelievers in the land would come to know salvation in Jesus - that God would show His great mercy to the poor and helpless - that He would come to His Bride in Ethiopia as she pours out her worship on Him - and that the Jewish Ethiopians would live in the eternal life of Yeshua the Messiah! I will try to keep you all posted and where God takes me next and what I'll be doing. Thank you for all your support! I have found no greater joy than following Jesus wherever He leads.

Xavier yebarkatchu! (God Bless you in Amharic)