Report on Ethiopia and Kenya Trip, 2011

Leaving church after preaching in Ethiopia

Seventeen days, 20,000 miles, ten flights, countless miles

on the road, and one long succession of blessings and
providences – this is my trip to Kenya and Ethiopia. The
primary purpose of my trip was to observe second
generation training in Ethiopia, so I will begin by talking
about that.

For those who are not up to speed with what we are doing
in Ethiopia, we have entered into a partnership with Leadership Resources International to help provide
Hermeneutical training to pastors and leaders in two locations in Ethiopia: Addis Ababa (the capitol)
and Asela. All the participants in these trainings (around 60 in all) have committed to take what they
learn, gather other pastors and leaders, and teach them. The goal is that this training will be multiplied
in multiple succeeding generations of pastors and leaders. But will it? Will the men we train actually
train others?

Last year we conducted two trainings (one in the Spring and one in the Fall) of the total of eight; so we
are one fourth of the way through the program. We have already had some very encouraging reports of
multiplication, but I wanted to see for myself.

The first venue where we I observed Second Generation training was Harar, a predominantly Islamic city
in Eastern Ethiopia. The training was conducted by Eshete and Gizachew, two of the participants in our
Addis training group. Harar is a true “front line” gospel outpost with a long history of ethnic and
religious conflict. It is not far from the Somali border. 24 people received training in Harar. This training
was conducted entirely by Eshete and Gizachew, other than that I gave a short devotional each morning.
Of the 24 participants, nine were specifically selected by Eshete’s ministry, Great Commission Ethiopia,
to be sent out in teams of three to conduct Third Generation training with a goal of a minimum of 25
trainees for each group of three.

Eshete plans to train 28 such groups of 3 men (a total of 81 3rd Generation Trainers) to be deployed in
every region of Ethiopia. The goal of this plan is especially to serve pastors in the rural regions, most of
whom have not received any formal pastoral training.

The training conducted by Eshete and Gizachew (in the book of Jonah) was exceptional in many ways.
These men were thoroughly prepared (including carefully constructed Power Point visuals and a
complete set of notes for each participant). The demonstration messages they preached were models
of careful biblical exposition. The training was done with authority, humility, and confidence.

Over the course of the four day training the participants grew in their understanding of how to approach
the Bible. As one participant shared, “I see now I have always approached the Bible asking what I can
say about the passage of Scripture. Now I am understanding I have to approach the Bible by asking,
What does the Bible actually say?”

At the end of the training there was a lengthy time of reflection. Here are just a few highlights from this
sweet, honest time:

 “Before we preach to others, we must be willing to apply the words to ourselves first.”
 “God has given me a new perspective from the book of Jonah. He has already changed my
prayer life.”
 “God will not leave us alone. He will pursue me until I have His heart for the lost.”
 “I have read Jonah many times and even preached it, but this time was different.”
 “Through studying Jonah God has shown me myself – that I am the one who is lost, but now I
rejoice that I am found!”
 “When this training began I was unhappy. This was not what I expected. I thought we would
receive practical training on Missionary techniques, not instructions about how to study the
Bible. But now I must repent of my attitude. I see we cannot go and do missionary work unless
we really understand the Word of God first.”

Perhaps the highlight of the training was the testimony of one young
man. This young man had been angry with God for some time, due to
some tragic circumstances in his life. Through the teaching on Jonah he
repented in a very broken way and regained his sense of fellowship with
God and peace.

The response of this young man is typical of the humility and receptivity Young man is freed from
of most of the Ethiopian pastors and evangelists we train. They are quick bitterness by the Word of God
to confess their sins and they come with a readiness to apply the Word.

While in Harar we were able to visit a courageous church planter who has been laboring faithfully in an
outpost among fiercely Islamic peoples. We also did a bit of sightseeing, including visiting the world-
famous “Hyena Man” who feeds hyenas from his mouth. He even calls them by name. I was able to
feed the Hyenas myself using a short stick with meat hanging on it.

Hyenas were among many forms of wildlife I was able to see on this trip, including hundreds of camels,
troops of baboons, several oryx, tiny miniature deer, and more.

The second venue in which we observed Second Generation Training was in Asela, about four hours
Southeast of Addis. Here we observed four different trainings which varied considerably. In one
training, two men and a lady we trained last year gathered the entire staff of their church, including
their senior pastor. The men conducted the actual training. The lady contributed by singing an original
song recounting the entire story of Jonah chapter one. The trainers had prepared well-drawn colorful
visual aids to use, and they were already into the fourth training event for the church staff. The
discussion was animated.
Another, very different, Second Generation training was being conducted by two young men we had
trained in a small room in their church. Each of these young men had found 5-6 other young men in
their church who have aspirations of missionary work. They meet with their training groups on different
nights, with the one who is not training coming along to help out the one who is. As we chatted with
the young men they were full of enthusiasm and excitement. One said, “We were taught to preach with
another approach, but this training has completely changed the way we come to the Scriptures and we
are excited about the Bible.” Sometime later, the other trainer said, “We have been asked by so many
people in our church why they cannot be part of the training. We tell them, ‘just wait. After we have
trained these eleven guys they will train you.”

We have been confronted with many opportunities and requests to expand the training program over
this entire region of Ethiopia: one which is comprised of thousands of churches. We have also been
able to speak with pastors who are working “on the Front Lines.” The church in Ethiopia continues to
expand at a rate that is greater than almost anywhere on earth. Working with very scarce resources the
church is moving forward courageously, and at great personal sacrifice.

Here are a few snapshots of what we witnessed:

 During just the time we were in Ethiopia, 46 churches were burnt to the ground in the Western
region of Jimma. Islam is rising up in a powerful and violent backlash due to the fact that
hundreds of Moslems are being converted every day in this region. Entire Mosques have been
converted to houses of worship to Jesus.
 We were able to visit a village in Central Ethiopia that, less
than five years ago, was 100% Moslem. We met two young
men, brothers, who were converted and subsequently
endured persecution and beating from their own father. In
time the father, a sheik of the village, came to Jesus. He
then donated the land and money to build a church. We
worshiped with 30 believers, including the father and the
Converted Sheik (far right)
sons in that little church; and we saw the father singing and worships Jesus with his sons
dancing for joy because of the salvation he has received
through Jesus.
 We visited another church in the Ziway region – land of the Hippos. Here we met a man who
was a famous fortune teller in the district – one who channeled evil spirits. This man came to
Jesus through reading a Bible he borrowed from a friend. In time, his wife and entire family
came to Christ. Now all five of his sons are serving the Lord. One
of his sons pastors the church in which we met with over 100
joyful believers. This church has planted four other churches in
the last five years, even though they have almost zero Bibles in
their own language.
 In Harar we met a man whose vision is to plant a gospel witness
in every one of the 10,000 villages surrounding his city. We sat in
his tiny apartment and his wife made us coffee in the Ethiopian

Mekonnen, Harar Ministry Leader

 style. This man has already deployed nine missionaries in the region, as well as a number of
campus workers. He is a dynamo of spiritual vision and selfless sacrifice.

I could go on, and on, and on. The work of God in Ethiopia is one of the great miracles of our time. And
the best part is that this work is being carried out By Ethiopians To Ethiopians. As one leader said to us
moments before we left, “We thank God for the persecution he has sent to Jimma. We do not want to
lose our first love. The kingdom of Islam in Ethiopia is shaking and we want to push even harder to
reach every part of our country for the Lord.”

It is the greatest privilege I have had in ministry to be able to serve these courageous, gifted brothers.

All this…and I haven’t even spoken of Kenya – of an incredible new

opportunity to bring biblical training to a region that has never had it in
history, to partner with brothers in Mumbasa – the frontline of Islam in
Kenya, of dynamic leaders God is raising up who have an insatiable
passion to see sound biblical exposition spread across the land.

Pastors from Mumbasa Young man (far right)

with massive potential
in Northern Kenya –
possible future Bible
School student?

Our God is Great. May He teach us the true meaning

of “partnership” as we seek to serve His church.

Thank you for praying!

In Jesus Mighty Name, Allan

Gizachew (far right):

one of the Ethiopia
men we trained who
is now himself
involved in training
other pastors in five
different regions of
Ethiopia.
“In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair,
against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.” Bobby Kennedy quotes AESCHYLUS
(Agamemnon 179-183):