Ethiopia Crusade!

Ethiopia Crusade

"And the multitude with one accord heeded the things spoken...hearing and seeing the miracles...and there was great joy in that city." Acts 8:7-8

Warmth, open arms, expectation, salvation, healing, and deliverance are all words that describe Gary's trip earlier this year to Ethiopia - to Chuko, a city of 30,000. Our good friend from Germany, Ekkehard Hornburg, sponsored this city's first-ever Gospel crusade and invited Gary to come minister with him. They saw many people give their lives to the Lord and there were testimonies of healing from deafness, paralysis, and other ailments. As the Bible verse above states, we witnessed "great joy in the city!"

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Watch video footage of the crusade! 

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Gary taught leadership principles to 200 church leaders and pastors from 11 churches who hosted the crusade in the city of Chuko.

These well-structured grass huts are scattered throughout the region.

Part of the crusade team enjoying the daily meal we had at the Green Restaurant. Mounds of local specialties are served on a large flat bread. Everyone eats with their right hand from the common platter, using pieces of the bread to pick up bits of entree or side dishes. Once the cafe staff found out Ekkehard and Gary also liked eggs, they served them platefuls of eggs every meal.

A local church choir leading worship. Unbridled excitement stirred the worshippers, who were jumping, praising, singing, and dancing. The first night we had 500 and by the end of the week the crowd had grown to over 10,000! At night the dust would be so thick from people jumping, you could hardly see. If you look closely at the photo on the right, you can see the amazingly sturdy platform the team had constructed from wood and woven tree branches.

This elderly man, who said he is over 100 years old, slowly walked barefoot with a cane to the crusade each day. On the ground are branches and leaves which attendees stripped from the trees each night to sit on, to avoid sitting on the dust.

Gary preached with two interpreters, one in Amharic and the other in a local dialect.

It became so unbearably hot during the day that the day services were moved to the nearby wooded area in order to have more shade. Several thousand were scattered throughout the woods, listening to the Bible message.

Our hearts were moved with compassion at the spiritual hunger and physical needs. After teaching, as we went to the car, people ran toward us wanting to be prayed for. We came to understand what it is to be thronged by people in need and reaching out for prayer. Medical attention is unaffordable for most and sickness and disease is common. But God heard their prayers and many were healed.

Multi-purpose use of umbrellas - protection from rain and sun and used to receive an offering!

Curious and attentive, the children crowded in to see and hear what the Lord was doing in their town.