Ethiopia x's 2 + You
by Nicolas Ochoa 100 Lives Impacted Assela, Oromia, Ethiopia
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1st Journey to Ethiopia Posted about ago
Nicolas Ochoa Ethiopia Recap - 9/14/2014
Meet the Team
As I mentioned in my letter, there were twenty-five other young adults that partook on this
adventure with me. These men & women were absolutely solid & it was a
blessing to be refreshed, rejuvenated, and sharpened daily by them (1
Timothy 4:12, Proverbs 27:17). At the beginning of the trip, I wouldn’t have
been able to name half of their names, however by the end of it all, we were a
tight knit family.
Trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
It was a long, twenty-hour trip from Dallas to Ethiopia, but we were happily
greeted by the faithful Ethiopia Team led by Demeke and Tyrekwa. This
lovely couple leads the Ethiopian E3 Staff & warmly greeted us with hugs,
kisses, and even signs!
Hands down, Demeke and Tyrekwa are the most loving, compassionate,
tenderhearted couple I’ve ever seen. Each morning they would greet every team
member with a big bear hug & ask how we slept. They are seasoned with
humility, hospitality, and by being around them for less than a minute, it’s evident
that this couple loves the Lord, loves each other, and loves you in spite of you.
On that same token, they had a fiery zeal to them that was authoritative,
intentional, and grounded in their theology. Scripture would describe it as
‘steadfast, immovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing
that in the Lord your labor is not in vain’ (1 Corinthians 15:58). All in all, it was a
blessing to be a part of, and I learned a vast amount about the selflessness,
delicacy, and oneness of marriage. A sweet image of the relationship I hope to
lead one day.
Trip to Nazret, Ethiopia
It was a muggy Ethiopian Sunday morning in Addis Ababa as all of us ecstatically
piled in the vans on our way to Nazret. This is where we would be staying the
next five nights, traveling to small, unreached farming villages on the outskirts of
Nazret. Our mission was simple enough- to love on the men, women, and
children of Arsi Oromo, learn about their culture, and share a message with them
that has changed our life- the love and name of Jesus Christ.
The trip to Nazret was bumpy, rocky, and filled with countless detours. About 10-
20 minutes in, the rain started coming down as the vans splashed through the
muddy streets, dodging people, animals, and other vans. Despite all the
obstacles, we kept strong after our destination, blowing by small villages, men,
women, and children. In this moment, I couldn’t help but think what a depiction of
my day-to-day: deadlines, projects, errands, and events. Always rushing,
running five minutes behind, steadfast thru all the terrain without taking a second
to stop. Go, go, go & how often do I plow through it all looking over people,
relationships, and conversations? My heart for this mission trip was to be able to
stop, linger, and get my eyes fixed on something other than myself, eyes focused
on Him. The Lord was kind to show me how important it is to focus in on the
present, instead of chasing after the future or dwelling on the past. This is my
challenge to you as well. The present is the one thing we can affect; the day-today
interactions, relationships with family & friends, and opportunity to love on
others. To live and be concerned with the present alone, because there and
there alone, all duty, all grace, all knowledge, and all pleasure dwell. These are
moments we have been fortunate enough to be given & to enjoy. Praise God for
the breath in our lungs today, for the beat in our hearts today.
As we continued the journey to Nazret, a sense of peace & comfort set in. We
were able to witness the Ethiopian countryside: acres and acres of hills,
mountains, and beautiful greenery. I hope to be able illustrate some of that
splendor in the next few stories. God’s at work all over the world & I’m humbled
to be able to boast in His mighty work.
Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for
to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.’ – Mathew 19:14
Our first stop in Nazret was our Evangelical Church home in the middle of town.
As we approached the church doors, we could hear the glorious sound of hymns
and hums. As we cracked open the old wooden doors, we could see out of the
corner of our eyes a flock of children cloaked in yellow & and orange robes
singing beautiful Ethiopian melodies over our arrival. They even created a tunnel
for us. The kids continued to sing over us as we sat down. As soon as they
finished, we were able to greet them with our rendition of a few Ethiopian songs
we had learned. It was a truly joyous occasion, and our hearts were stirred,
moved, and overcome with emotions & affections. What an act of pure love from
two people groups that hadn’t even met yet! It was an unbelievable start to the
week and the first of countless occurrences that the Ethiopians went above &
beyond to out-serve, out-love, out-care, and even out-serenade us. However, we
soon realized that this wasn’t a moment of enhanced gratitude & appreciation,
but their lifestyle. Their hearts for people is something to be awed and rivaled at.
It’s not about them nor will it ever be (Matthew 20:28). The afternoon ended with
praise, worship, and prayer as we met the folks we would be tracking with for the
next few days.
‘For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.’
- Psalm 84:10a
Our first ministry day started with our team breakfast, and then we shared what
we’re learning in the Bible for encouragement. Afterwards, we headed out to our
ministry sites with our small team comprised of three people groups- ferenge
(translation: white people/Americans in Aramaic), translators, and disciplemakers
(people who lived in the villages we went to). Our site was about 45
minutes outside the town in a rural village that was located on a dirt road. The
majority of the people in this village worked in the farm fields. As soon as we got
out of the van, people were crowding around us with curious and playful
expressions on their faces. Fortunately, the disciple-makers with us knew the
area well. They took us to the market area where we came upon large groups of
people. An older man approached our translator, Abdisa, and our group and
asked about my friend, Justin’s, beard. Then, he touched the beard and laughed.
Justin exchanged the expression of friendship by touching his goatee. We began
to have a conversation with him and many people gathered around. He was 99
years old and the eldest person in the village! He did not have a faith and didn’t
know what would happen if he died. He said, “Only God knows.” Justin asked if
he would like to know how he could be sure. We shared the gospel with him
using one of our evangecubes (a cube that tells a picture story of the Bible), and
emotionally asked to receive the gift of salvation through Jesus Christ! We
prayed with him and introduced him to a disciple-maker that would follow up &
disciple him after we leave. Later at lunch, some of our team members had run
into him when they were inside of a villager’s home, and they said he was
beaming with joy and telling the story to anyone who would listen! All glory to
God!
‘For we are God’s Handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works,
which God prepared in advance for us to do.’ - Ephesians 2:10
Day two started off with breakfast and devotional time. It was apparent how
invaluable this time was. Whether teams had a good or bad day prior, the
anxieties, worries, wonders just melted away. It served as a rejuvenation to get
our hearts ready for the day. Once we arrived at our mission sight, our team
started up a steep mountain covered in greenery. There was a small village that
resided in a narrow valley on the backside of the mountain. Within minutes of
arrival, the valley was crowded with men, women, and children. We did our best
to lead with love by playing with the kids. It was important to build those
relationships first, so soccer, bubbles, and nail polish filled the morning. The
dynamic between the children and parents is quite different than America. We
had numerous parents ask why we were playing with their kids & why we would
spend time with them? This gave a fantastic opportunity to share that we love
because we were first loved (1 John 4:19). Furthermore, we were able to field
quite a few questions from villagers on the idea of sin & how a person who had
sinned against God could get in to heaven. It served as a great opportunity to
share with them the love of Christ, and that if you trust in Jesus with your sins;
you are offered the free gift of forgiveness and salvation – not by works, but by
His grace alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). We finished the conversations by praying
over their village and a sweet Ethiopian woman prayed over us. This served as
another great moment that depicted two different people groups coming together
to love and encourage one another. As we headed back to the village church,
we had a swarm of children following us.
That afternoon we were able to go to another village & support, love, and
encourage the people. A good portion of the individuals we spoke to that were
already believers had been persecuted for most of their life. It broke our heart,
because we don’t really see that as often in America, but it was also an amazing
avenue to pour into the people & attest to how The Lord is moving in Ethiopia. I
received the opportunity to partner with one of the translators, Aman, to share my
testimony & the Gospel to the village. After we finished up, I was able to get to
know Aman on a more personal level. He grew up in a Muslim family and
accepted Christ as a teenager, and afterwards his parents shunned him and
kicked him out of their house. He has been on his own for the last few years, but
has an incredible community of believers that surround & encourage him daily.
As we kept talking, we were notified that a young teenager named Lemme who
was in the crowd had accepted Christ as his Savior. It’s quite difficult to explain
the joy that we felt afterwards, it consisted of a lot of hugs and laughter. Just to
think that The Lord would ever consider using us in any fashion is hard to
believe. God’s provision rang true & I was humbled to witness His power at
work.
‘And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to
completion at the day of Jesus Christ.’ – Philippians 1:6
Some of the highlights from the last few days in the field were getting to play with
the children, various discussions with non-believers, encouraging Christian
believers that had been persecuted including two 70+ year old men, and getting
to meet Lemme. However, the most impactful moment was getting to hear our
disciple-makers testimonies.
Dadi, who was one of our disciple-makers, grew up in a Traditionalist family,
which means they worshipped creation rather than the creator. Examples would
be worshiping rain, water, trees, etc. Dadi lived an ordinary life until the age of
five, when he lost all feeling in his legs. From five years old until nine years old,
he was limited to crawling around the village in which he lived. At the age of
nine, he heard about Christ from his distant relatives and accepted Christ in his
life. After this moment, his legs began to be strengthened, as his faith grew
stronger. He said one of the turning moments in his life was one day in school
when he was being persecuted for his disability and faith. His teacher spoke up
for him and said that one day he would be a church leader. He now walks
around with two crutches, and serves the Christian Church in the village he grew
up in. His goal is to continue to grow in his faith and one day walk without any
help.
The encouragement that came from the disciple-makers stories was abounding.
It was so beautiful to see how God had moved in their life and brought them to a
saving grace. The fact that they were still in the village where they had grown up
in, and sharing this message with anyone who would listen depicted true
faithfulness with what they were given. These are people who have nothing, but
are more in love with God than I could ever imagine. I marvel at the persecution
they’ve faced, the adversity they’ve overcome, and I pray for similar resilience to
be embedded in my own walk.
‘The Lord directs the steps of the Godly. He delights in every detail of their
lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for The Lord holds them
by the hand.’ – Psalm 37:23-24
The last story I’ll leave you with is my favorite. From day one, there was a little 3-
4 year old boy that followed me everywhere I went. For four days, he followed
my every step. Everywhere I went, he was there, grabbing for my hand. He just
wanted to hold it. As I spoke to others, he would step in front of me and grab my
wrist to put it around his neck as if I were hugging him. Every time he saw me,
he would wave to me with two hands & call to me, ‘Hey You!’ then smile and
show me his toothless grin. I remember when we arrived to the village on the
second day, I could see him looking for me through the van window. He was
going from van to van peeking inside to try and find me. Then his face lit up like
a Christmas tree when he finally saw me. As I left him for the final time, I couldn’t
help but come to a realization… This is what our Heavenly Father does. He just
wants us to be by His side, He’s reaching for our hand, and lingering on every
word we say to Him. He is seeking for us to come home. He loves us
exponentially and He is always there. He’s never leaving our side, it’s His
promise to us. He loves us so much that He sent His own son to die for us, so
that we could once again have a relationship with Him. He waits for us. He
delights in every detail of our lives. He is on an immeasurable pursuit for our
heart. He’s just wants His children to come home.
With Much Love,
Nic
Scripture Reference
The Great Commission:
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed
them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came
and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded
you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” - Mathew 28:16-20
Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in
conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. - 1 Timothy 4:12
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. - Proverbs 27:17
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work
of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
- 1 Corinthians 15:58
Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as
ransom for many - Mathew 20:28
We love because he first loved us - 1 John 4:19
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the
gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast
- Ephesians 2:8-9
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