"I Have A Word For You...."

Six simple words that have a profound impact.  In fact, a much larger impact than I could have ever imagined.

 

I was led to minister to the children of Kebron and the community of Modjo, Ethiopia two years ago.  My last visit however, I received an unexpected gift.

We were visiting Kebron for our second day.  Many of the children were in school so it gave us a great opportunity to visit with some of the kids individually and to explore the property a little better.  Yewbi originally started Kebron on the land her father owned and where she grew up.  She has since bought the land directly behind Kebron and across the street.

Since we had the time to explore, I asked Yewbi to show us the land across the street, which I hadn’t seen yet. She and I left the gates of Kebron and headed out to the dusty road with my friend Carol, who had joined me on the trip.  Carol was carrying a precious little 3 year old girl whose dad, Derebe, was a caretaker for the property.

As we were walking across the street, the little girl spotted her dad and was waving to him.  We introduced ourselves and began walking toward the gate of the property.  Carol was standing to my left and I saw someone coming up behind her out of the corner of my eye.  As I turned to look, the woman who had walked up behind Carol reached out and suddenly grabbed a handful of hair on the back of Carol’s head and pulled it.  She then began angrily speaking at us in Amharic.

Yewbi and Derebe had walked ahead of us and quickly turned to see what was happening.  They began to try to speak with the woman but she would have none of it.  Of course we couldn’t understand anything that was being said but the woman was obviously very angry.  She did speak in some broken English but all we could clearly understand was her swearing at us.  Derebe and Yewbi redirected her away and we continued through the gate on to the property.  She stood outside the gate and continued to yell and swear at us. 

Once inside, we began to walk around the property.  Besides having a large open field area where corn had been planted, there was a small church there where the kids go for discipleship training every week.  We went to take a quick peek in the church and after walking out, we turned the corner to see two gentlemen standing and speaking with Derebe.  They were introduced to us and I assumed that they were friends of Yewbi.  One of them was wearing a suit and tie.  We were told he was a pastor.

While we were talking, the local woman came back to the gate and began yelling again.  Derebe opened the gate and she pushed her way in.  She was yelling and swearing again and even began spitting at us.  The man who had come with the pastor led her back out of the gate and off the property.  Carol and I weren’t quite sure what to make of her.

We soon began to start back across the street to Kebron.  As the gate opened, I surveyed the area to see if she was still around.  She was nowhere to be seen.  I remember thinking as we crossed the street that this woman was being used.  I felt Satan was trying to make us be fearful or doubt and distract us from our purpose in being there.  I truly didn’t fear this woman, I just wanted to know what she was so upset about or what she thought we had done.

Once we were back at Kebron, the pastor asked if he could share with us.  He said, “I have a word for you.”  Still thinking this was a friend of Yewbi’s, we made our way to the main room to hear from him.  There were several adults and a few of the children.  He pulled out his bible with the worn cover and wrinkled pages in preparing to speak.

He said that he was a pastor headed to Awaasa from Addis.  This is a long journey of several hours.  While on the bus, God had given him a message to deliver to us.  When the bus stopped in Modjo, he got off.  He somehow found Yewbi’s friend who brought him to Kebron. 

Turns out that he did not know anyone and was only there to deliver a message that God had given him.  He began speaking and referencing from 2 Corinthians.  Yewbi translated his message to us as he spoke. 

After a few minutes, Yewbi became very emotional and was no longer able to translate.  Alex, the staff person from Children’s HopeChest, began to translate.  Even though I couldn’t understand the words the words the pastor was speaking, I was drawn to his passion in delivering his message.  I could tell what he was saying was important.  I could feel God’s very presence in that room.  Every eye was on him and there was no other sound than the rhythmic speaking of his voice.

He spoke for only 15 or 20 minutes even though time truly seemed to stand still in the moment.  Once he was finished, he quietly closed his bible and walked out of the room.  As suddenly as the pastor had appeared, he was gone.  He was heading back to the bus station to continue his long journey to Awaasa.

It wasn’t until later that evening when I had the chance to speak with Yewbi that I actually understood what had fully happened.

Of course I wanted every detail of what had been said by the local woman as well as the pastor.  Who was this woman and why was she so angry? Yewbi said she was a local woman whom they knew.  While the woman had seemed confused before, they had never seen her behave in this way.  Yewbi said she was yelling, “It’s your fault!” at us as well as cursing us.  She apparently kept saying this over and over.

Yewbi then explained that she had never seen or spoken to the pastor before. She met him for the first time that day.  He had told her that God had given him four specific messages to deliver while he was on that bus headed to Awaasa.  He didn’t know any of us or even where to find us but was obedient to God’s prompting.

The first message was to Yewbi.  She had a potentially life threatening illness many years ago and admittedly lives in fear of it returning.  She has visions of so many things to do at Kebron to help the children there and in the community and fears she may not live to see them all through.  The message to her was that she would be okay.  Her health would be okay and that God had many more things for her to accomplish at Kebron and in Modjo.

The second message was for the director at Kebron.  He is an elder at his church and had been questioning whether he should continue doing this.  The message for him was that he needs to stay where he is and that his church needs to hear truth.

The third message was for Alex.  He had been exploring options to pursue a higher degree.  He wasn’t sure where or when to go to university. His message was that now was not the time for him to move.  He needs to stay where he is and God would tell him when it was time.

The fourth message was for Carol, Dalton and me. He said that we are to be the light for Kebron and Modjo.  We are to go back home and to tell others. We are to return and bring others with us.  We are to share His glory.

As Modjo has become a more Muslim influenced community, the pastor concluded with saying that God’s message was, “He would be their God again.”

Wow!

I believe there are spiritual battles that take place around us all the time.  I also believe we aren’t even aware of many of them.  I have no doubt that this was a tangible, spiritual battle played out before our very eyes.  I believe that Satan had a word for us through the local woman who was angrily confronting us and swearing at us.  He tried to strike fear and doubt in us through her.  I am in awe that God swooped right in at the exact same moment with a powerful word of encouragement and commission for us through the humble pastor.  They literally crossed paths right in front of us.

Kebron had 11 children when HopeChest partnered with them two years ago.  Wonderful things were happening for those children.  Last summer we added 35 additional children.  Only 15 children total are able to stay at Kebron full time.  The rest of the children come in for clothes, meals, discipleship training, etc and then go back in to the community.  Modjo is being impacted.  These children are hearing truth and growing in their relationships with God and they are spreading that good news.

I believe that we are beginning to see the ripple effects of the impact that Kebron is having in the lives of the children and in the community.  To say I am overwhelmed with humility at the calling and commission God has given me is an understatement.  But I know I trust Him completely and that scripture is full of broken people like me who just had a heart for their God and He used them in mighty ways.  I have no pride here.  This is His story. 

  

It brings to mind the words of Mordecai to Queen Esther:  “Who knows, whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”  Esther 4:14