Bruce McDonald, David Whitaker, and I arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Tuesday, October 26th. On Wednesday we travelled to Durame where we settled into our rustic hotel accommodations. It was definitely a “missionary mode” experience. We all brought our own food and hydrated it with bottled water during the duration of our time in Durame.
On Thursday, October 28th we began our leaders meeting at 10 am. There were approximately 200 in attendance. The meeting started with some spirited Ethiopian praise and worship. Then David Whitaker ministered first on the importance of prayer. Bruce then spoke about how the presence of God will affect your personal life and ministry. After lunch I ministered the entire afternoon session and shared with the leaders 3 ingredients for a fresh move of God in your church which are 1) hunger 2) heartfelt worship and 3) united praying. The meetings were uplifting and helpful to the leaders and church folk present.
On Friday, we were supposed to have evangelistic meetings, but we found that most of the several hundred present were believers from the surrounding villages that attended our Victory Churches. So we changed our messages and ministered to the believers in open air meetings. After some powerful praise and worship (Ethiopian style), David Whitaker ministered on the benefits of righteousness. In the second morning session, I began a question and answer session that continued after the lunch break into the entire afternoon session.
Bruce and I answered questions as the eager and attentive audience asked them on a variety of topics including marriage, sexuality, dating, the rapture, Satan and his final end, the new heavens and new earth mention in Revelation 21 as well as some specific scripture references.
On Saturday, the outdoor meetings continued in the morning at 10 am. Saturday is “market day” in Durame, and many people take their crops and handmade items to sell at the market. In spite of the market day we had a good crowd attend the meetings.
David spoke first after the worship time on the sacrifice of Jesus and what it accomplished for us. I spoke in the second session before lunch on the three kinds of death mentioned in the Bible: spiritual death, physical death, and the second death. This message had an evangelistic appeal, and we had 10 or so that came forward to be born again! Our hired driver from Addis also came forward as I gave the altar call and was born again!
A huge time of worship broke out after the meetings and just before lunch. The crowd sang a song that basically said: Satan is under our feet, and when we pray to God He gives us victory. It was quite a moving time in the presence of God!
After lunch I spoke on the authority of the believer. I urged the believers to walk in the light of their authority that was given to them in Christ over Satan and all his works. As I concluded, Bruce came and ministered to the sick. Many were healed as prayer was offered for them.
On Sunday, we packed for our trip to Addis and then went to the meeting at 10 am. I spoke from Galatians 3:13-14 on our redemption from the curse of the law, and how God in Christ has blessed us with the same blessings that He promised Abraham. Then we went verse by verse through Deuteronomy 28:1-14, and details what we are to expect as believers as we are blessed with Abraham’s blessing. The meeting ended with an extended time of confession of our faith as we proclaimed the blessings of Abraham on each believer presence. It was a powerful time!
Here are some of the pictures from these meetings:
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