God’s Call
“Verily I say unto you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.”
Luke 4:24
Getachew grew up in a small town in southern Ethiopia. In his area, families were subsistence farmers, and most had a small herd of cattle or goats. Rain was scarce. Crops often failed, and there was little food for their families or animals. There was plenty of idle time for teenage boys to get into mischief, and Getachew did his share.
Getachew’s town was Muslim. No one called themselves a Christian, and few had ever heard the good news of the Gospel. One day, a Christian evangelist came to town and began preaching about Jesus. Getachew was curious. He listened, asked questions, hungered for this Savior who forgives sin and promises everlasting life, and received Him into his heart.
In those first years of Getachew’s newfound faith, he lost all fear of sharing Christ with his family and friends and telling them that he had accepted Christ. Burdened for his neighbors, he felt God’s call to start a church in a mud-and-stick building in his front yard.
The Cost of Service
“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.”
John 15:18
His area had been Muslim for generations. Everyone followed Allah, and to most who knew him, Getachew was an oddity—an eccentric who promoted a deceptive lie for his own benefit.
Although he had just a few months’ training from the evangelist, Getachew’s Gospel messages began to penetrate hearts. It wasn’t long before nearly 100 people would come to hear him share God’s Word in the little stick building. Many of them also accepted Christ and began to grow in the Word.
At first, Getachew was tolerated by the devout Muslims. But their tolerance became annoyance, which grew into anger and intimidation. Some decided that Getachew needed to be convinced to stop preaching.
First, they began by destroying his garden. But Getachew ignored their warning.
Then, one day while walking to a member’s house, a group of teenagers cursed and beat him with sticks. But Getachew turned the other cheek.
Late one night, they burned the church building. But Getachew rebuilt it.
Then they killed one of his cattle. Still, Getachew did nothing.
While all these things were happening, Getachew continued preaching, and the church continued to grow. That increased the Muslims’ determination to break up the church even more.
Up to that point, they had focused their attacks on Getachew and his things. It became evident to them that, to get him to stop preaching, they had to harm something that was closer to his heart.
God’s Grace
“My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:9
One day, while Getachew was away visiting church members, a group of Muslims came to his house and beat his pregnant wife to unconsciousness. When Getachew returned home, he found a couple of neighboring women tending to her wounds.
No doctors lived in the area, and the only thing they could do was keep her comfortable and pray. His wife lay unconscious for three days. They prayed that she would not have lasting effects and that their unborn baby had suffered no harm.
God answered their prayer. After three days, Getachew’s wife awoke, and by God’s grace, a few months later, she gave birth to a healthy little girl.
These attacks galvanized the church. The church grew closer and became more determined to stay together with each episode.
Shortly thereafter, a severe drought hit the area. Everyone’s crops failed. There wasn’t any grass for the cattle, and the people had no food.
When the evangelist who had led Getachew to the Lord years before heard about the drought, he sent truckloads of corn to distribute to the church members. But the church decided that the corn should be shared by everyone in the village—to believers and unbelievers alike.
This act of generosity changed many hearts. The church gained acceptance in the community, and the church grew.
Sacrifices for God
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart…”
Psalm 51:17
Then, one day, Getachew’s teenage daughter walked to a nearby store but didn’t return home. As darkness fell, he and several church members began to search for her, but they found nothing and no one who knew of her whereabouts.
Days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, and still they heard nothing. They tearfully assumed she had been abducted or possibly killed.
Months later, Getachew was sitting in his yard when, in the distance, he saw a woman walking toward him carrying a child. As she came closer, he recognized her as his daughter!
The whole family gathered for a joyful reunion, but joy soon turned to anger as she explained her disappearance.
As she was walking home that fateful day, a truck pulled up beside her. It was the local sheriff, who asked if she needed a ride. Because she knew him, she accepted. But the sheriff abducted her and sold her to men who drove her far away and forced her into sex trafficking.
As months passed, she became pregnant. When she was no longer useful to them, they released her. She had the baby, and after gaining strength, she began her journey home.
Getachew also knew this sheriff was an unbeliever and a strict Muslim. Getachew was angry and confronted him about his daughter, asking why he would do such a thing.
The sheriff’s reply simply was, “She is a Christian. She is an infidel. She has no value to me or to (my) god.”
Hearing this, Getachew’s spirit was broken. He loved the Lord, and he loved the people of his village, but as much as he poured out his heart to them, that love was returned with hate.
With a broken heart, Getachew left the church and the ministry. Getachew needed time to heal.
The Fruit of Faithfulness
“Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with my free spirit.”
Psalm 51:12
But the church remained loyal and patient and poured out their love for Getachew and his family. Slowly, Getachew’s heart mended, and after a year, he developed a forgiving spirit and returned to the pastorate.
Today, several men from his church have surrendered to God’s call to ministry. Through them, many have accepted Christ, and five more churches have been planted in the area.
A Lesson for Us
Those we love the most may be those who hurt us the most. Our most lasting scars are those inflicted by those we love.
“Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.”
Romans 12:14
Editor’s note: Getachew was supported through the Timothy Project, and after his second stick building became too small, The Carpenters Project supplied the building materials for a block building. During the famine, TCP provided funds for corn to be distributed to the village. Today, TCP continues to be active, assisting these daughter churches through the Timothy Project and with their building needs.
