After 36 long hours (including 3 planes ✈️, 2 vans 🚐 and 2 nine-and-a-half hour layovers 🛄) of travel from Rajamahendravaram, Andhra Pradesh, India we finally arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia!!!
We were reunited with Bishop, Pastor Carl and Pastor Josh as we were welcomed by Pastor Ted then treated to a traditional Ethiopian meal with dancing! The meal consisted of platters of different traditional stews and vegetables piled high onto of injera, which we all shared and enjoyed. It was a great way to be welcomed to the country and cuisine!
Pastor Carl Story … the first day in Ethiopia at the aforementioned dinner, while we watched the cultural dancing, Pastor Carl narrated the whole thing and encouraged the dancers to ‘stomp on the devil’ 😂 funniest person I know!
While in Ethiopia, we experienced freedoms we did not have in India. This includes access to shops and restaurants and the biggest being the freedom of professing our faith in Jesus without the fear of it hindering a relationship with the other party. I made so many connections with people in restaurants (even with a language barrier). My favorite way to evangelize was outside of our designated evangelism times in taxis 🚖!
Some of my two favorite taxi interactions were Muneer and Tsebaot.
MUNEER
I met Muneer on the way back from church one Sunday as he drove my friends and I home. He has Ethiopian parents and was born in Dubai and spoke FIVE languages (Amharic, English, Arabic, and two others that I can’t remember lol). He moved to Ethiopia when he was young He’s practices Islam, but does not understand a lot of what his religion. I saw this because he was saying things like “Jesus is the Son of God.” Me and everyone in the car were able to explain the gospel to him. While he did not repent, we had 45 minutes to talk about the TRUTH of Jesus with him! After we got out the car, my friend Gabby said she believes that the Lord was showing her that He will save him!
TSEBAOT
I met Tsebaot on the way to an event we did with YWAM Ethiopia! There we did work with street kids, specifically, I helped with English lessons and dinner. We then joined then YWAM Ethiopia and Russia teams in a POWERFUL worship night!
ANYWAY Tsebaot was my driver on the way there and he was Orthodox. I was able to share the true gospel with him. How he needed no mediator (such as saints) because Jesus died to be His one mediator ONE time! In the end of the conversation we recommended scriptures for him to read that prove this to him (Galatians and John) and he even reached back out to confirm the scriptures! He was so open to the truth and I believe that the Lord can change his heart!
As a group we had so many testimonies of open doors. In prayer on day, I felt the Lord showing me a door that had already been opened and felt the invitation to walk through. As a group, that was definitely a prophetic reality for us. I have two testimonies of that!
MOVIES
On one of our evangelism days I was pared with Jess and Liza and we went to a mall in the area to try and meet people! At the mall there was a movie theater and the girl who worked there literally welcomed us in and walked us to the theater with a movie playing to show us the “premium ticket” experience. Which is crazy! That never happens!
After that Jess and Liza shared the gospel with the girl and I shared the gospel with another movie theater employee, Hamza. Both of who are muslim. Hamza is 18 and was so hungry for the truth. Although he can read the Quran and Arabic, he does not understand the language because he speaks Amharic so he doesn’t understand the religion he practices. He really wanted to know for what purpose he was created. And I bet you can guess my response 🥁 GOSPEL PRESENTATION ✨! As I shared the gospel with him, he listed amazed that God died for him (because at the beginning of our conversation he even agreed that Jesus was God based on the claims of Jesus! – which is HUGE for a Muslim)!
He did not repent in that moment because he didn’t want to take my word for it, which is highly respectable. But I believe the Lord will respond to His hunger because He was so willing to download and read the gospel.
HIGH SCHOOL
On our first day evangelizing we went into the city in groups of four attempting to go to the Addis Ababa University’s 4K & 6K campuses. Unfortunately my group was denied access at the gate… So much for open doors right…
Later, my group split into two. Jordan and I went together and we ended up getting walked around by police officers who showed us places to eat and then we got invited into a HIGH SCHOOL! We thought it was a museum and that when we found out it was a school that we would get kicked out. However, that was not the case!!! They welcomed us in and we were able to talk to students and teachers, which amazing! Then we ended up evangelizing to two girls outside of the school for 30 minutes. And explained the gospel to them (they were Orthodox believers).
Helen and her friend had such a love for their faith and Jesus, just the wrong gospel.
When sharing with Orthodox believers, please make sure you do not say negative things about Mary or the other Saints they worship. EMPHASIZE the truth and reality of what Jesus’ death did and how HE is the ONLY way! The ONLY mediator!
The thing that characterized Ethiopia the most was our times of worship and prayer. I felt like I was back home at a prayer meeting and the most amazing part is that I was across the world. With believers on the other side of the globe who love, worship and wholeheartedly praise the SAME God I do. Who have the SAME access! What a powerful and amazing God!
FUN FACTS !!!
- Addis has construction EVERYWHERE!
- I went to Merkato, the largest market in Africa!
- Liza, Jess and I got lost on the way back from evangelizing at the mall and found our way in a river front and in a zoo under construction
- Addis has the most consistently good bread I have ever had!
Please enjoy some pictures of Addis and some pictures with me and my friends!
WAYS TO PARTNER!!!
PRAY FOR EVERYONE WE ENCOUNTERED TO KNOW THE TRUE JESUS FOR THEMSELVES!
Missionary Nina Moore 
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