Journey to Sodo
The long ride from Addis Ababa to Sodo (a city of about 55,000 people in the southern part of Ethiopia) allowed ample time to enjoy the scenery. Cattle and goats occupied the roads rather than cars and trucks. The luggage on the roof had to frequently be retied as a result of the rough roads and pothole dodging. Watching the winnowing of grain (just like in Bible times) in the farmyards alongside the road was fascinating. Some places were dry, but fertile farmlands. Other areas were more tropical with banana and mango patches. Since the elevation was above 5,000 feet in all of our travels, the temperature stayed about 70 degrees, and there were no mosquitoes!

We had hoped it would be a four hour trip from Addis to Sodo. But the roads were so rough that eight hours elapsed before we reached the city of Hosanna where we dropped off two speakers. By then, it was too late to continue the journey to Sodo. Darkness was falling and bandits were reportedly in control of the roads after sunset, so we spent the night at the hotel where the Hosanna teams were staying.

Early the next morning we continued the journey. About an hour from Sodo, we stopped again to secure the luggage. We noted that a tire was failing. Not being near a garage, we pressed on. Upon our arrival in Soto, we saw the inner tube bulging through the tire tread. The angels must have supported the front of the vehicle for the last hour!

The evangelism experience
At the opening meeting the saints greeted us warmly. They provided flowers, sashes, and lots of smiles. The attendance was about 500 people, and 400 of them were not church members. They were thrilled with the messages from the word of God beautifully illustrated with slides and video clips. When we were unable to get the video on the life of Jesus to play, we bought a DVD player at the local market. It was only $55 and worth every penny since the people loved the movie about Jesus! We were also able to show the Final Events DVD from Amazing Facts which had been translated into Amharic, the primary language of Ethiopia.

As the meetings continued, a snake would occasionally cause people to scatter. It only took a few minutes for the local people to kill the snake so everyone could return to their seats. Then we were able to point out that the serpent called the devil and Satan was trying to keep them from hearing the truths from the Bible that expose his lies. People were very faithful in attendance and brought friends.

Thunderstorms also provided excitement. Fortunately, the church building was nearby, so on rainy nights we moved all the equipment inside and squeezed hundreds of people into the church. The Lord blessed so everyone could hear, even those who had to stand at the windows.

Nathel was teaching hundreds of children every night. They surrounded her like bees around a flower. They loved the stories, the games, and the gifts (crayons, balloons, etc.) from America.

Deciding to follow Jesus
Of course, the baptisms were the highlight of the series. The first few invitations to follow Christ met with no response. We had expected everyone to come forward. When no one did, we were surprised. It was like evangelism in America! But the local leaders explained that Ethiopia is a hard field. The people here are very resistant to change.

But we continued to preach and pray and God gave the increase. On one night, the Holy Spirit impressed me to kneel and pray in the midst of the congregation while the local pastor made another appeal. Most of the congregation finally moved out of their pews to join me kneeling in prayer.

On another night, the Holy Spirit impressed me to tell the people that Jesus invited people one at a time to follow Him. So I said that I would come to invite them personally while the local pastor continued the appeal. As I went from row to row inviting people to come forward, no one moved. Then at last one person came. As I escorted him to the front, dozens of people began to move. The result? Sixty-eight people were baptized on the last Sabbath morning! By that time, the attendance had reached some 900, with about 150 Adventist members. Praise the Lord! The message of God’s love and truth will not be forgotten by those who came!

The people loved us and were there to help us with our needs throughout the entire sixteen days. We visited in some of their homes. We ate with them and shopped with them in the local markets. We felt their love, and gave ours. It was hard to say “Farewell until we meet again” to our new friends, our brothers and sisters in Christ. But we agreed to meet in Heaven. We rejoice in having new prayer partners in Africa. As we wait for Jesus to come, we will pray for that day when we will be together forever.