BONOSHA Gospel Crusade, Ethiopia, DAY 1:
We are on the go in the farming community of Bonosha! Less than 30% of its inhabitants are born again and the churches here and in the greater area frequently suffer persecution, their buildings even being burned to the ground from time to time. The Vice President of the Evangelical Fellowship of Ethiopia has joined us for this crusade and he is thrilled that we are labouring in this particular mission field, as challenging as it may be.
Tonight, we got off to a terrific start. We are at the tail-end of the rainy season and the rains have clearly not yet finished with
Bonosha. Our starting time was delayed by two hours or so, a downpour unleashing itself upon our crusade field with enthusiasm. Yet, the eagerness that the people here have for the things of God soon became apparent, thousands still flocking to the field as soon as the rain dissipated.
I preached from Isaiah 61, explaining how the Gospel gives us a solution for the sin problem—the blood of Jesus having the power to wash it all away! Young and old called on the name of the Lord and became blood-washed children of God. It was spectacular. We prayed for the sick and Jesus took that same blood and applied it to ailing bodies. Due to the lateness of the hour, we will hear testimonies tomorrow and I look forward to sharing them with you.
We will hold both morning and evening services over the next three days, so great is the hunger here. Thank you for your continued prayers for these meetings. Pray specifically for them to be rain-free. This will help both our team and those attending. Bonosha for Jesus!
BONOSHA Gospel Crusade, Ethiopia, DAY 2:
We have had a spectacular day, holding both morning and evening services. This morning, Ev. Samuel Murrombe preached on John 3 and the necessity of being born again. Come evening, I ministered from John 5 and how only Dr Jesus can heal our spirits from the sickness of sin. In both services, thousands confessed Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Our ushers worked to distribute follow-up material and prayer cards.
Weather-wise, we had sunshine for our early service. The rain spotted and spitted sporadically throughout the later meeting, although the people did not seem to mind. They listened to the Gospel with great attention and sang and danced during praise and worship with splendid enthusiasm. After we had prayed for the sick and were about to hear testimonies, the clouds emptied themselves upon us with such reckless abandon, that even the most devoted attendee scrambled for shelter! While this delayed our hearing of testimonies for yet another day, the timing was terrific. The lost had been saved and broken bodies healed. In short, the job had been done! Thank you for your prayers in this regards. We have two more full days of ministry ahead of us and trust the Lord to continue working the rain—forecast to fall throughout the weekend—around our services.
We are staying in a small town, around 30km away from Bonosha, due to there being no suitable accommodation in Bonosha itself. Our journey from guesthouse to crusade ground takes about 40 minutes, meandering through rural villages and farmland. We love crusading in these remote places. We love moving away from the cities and urban hubs, into the neediest of areas. Thank you for sending us. Together with you, the Gospel is going forth and the captives are being set free!
BONOSHA Gospel Crusade, Ethiopia, DAY 3:
Our Jesus is working wonders! Ev. Samuel Murrombe preached the Gospel this morning, explaining how mankind was originally made in the image of God and Jesus came to restore this image in us. I ministered in our afternoon service, preaching from Luke 15 and the stories of the lost sheep, coin and son, explaining the key lesson that each story teaches. Together, those lessons bring us to the foot of the cross. In both services, thousands were catapulted from the kingdom of darkness into the embrace of Jesus Christ. Heartfelt thanks to those who have been praying for good weather. We experienced a few mid-service sprinkles but no heavy showers fell until after the conclusion of our second service—we even had time to take testimonies. This is a miracle, considering that heavy rain was forecast to fall all day, throughout the day. Let us continue bringing this matter before the Lord so that our services tomorrow can also continue uninterrupted.
We heard several remarkable testimonies today, including these that follow.
Lamtire is an elderly widow. Three years ago, her one leg became increasingly painful, until she could no longer walk on it. This September, she traveled to one of the local hospitals for an operation, the doctors promising her that the procedure would solve the problem. It did not. Rather, the pain grew worse. Following prayer on Thursday night, her leg began improving dramatically. Today, Lamtire came forward to boldly testify that she can now walk on her leg without any pain or instability. “I am completely free! I thank God!” she confessed.
Deselech is a 40-year-old mother of ten. Since her own childhood, she had suffered from several ailments that were unrelenting. Her ears ached constantly. Her head throbbed without ceasing. Her eyes smarted and she struggled to see clearly. She had been from doctor to doctor over the past decades but found no relief—until this crusade! Dr Jesus has done a thorough work in her, vanquishing all pains and restoring her sight. Rejoicing, Deselech leaped and danced on stage, praising the Lord.
Beyana is a 50-year-old farmer. Around five years old, severe arthritis began plaguing him. “Every joint in my body hurt,” he explained. “I could not sleep at night.” The physical labour that his work required also became impossible to endure. Sore, sleep-deprived and unable to provide for his family, Beyana had lost all hope. Yesterday however, this dear gentleman attended our services and the Lord intervened, touching his joints. “All pain is gone!” he expressed. “Last night, I slept soundly for the first time in years! I am full of so much joy!” Amen and amen. We thank the Lord!
Tomorrow, we will hold a mass church service in the morning, all churches in Bonosha to close their doors and gather on the crusade field. Naturally, non-church goers will join out of curiosity and hear the Gospel message. The churches here are few in number and small in size. However, this will change following the crusade. We believe the Lord for an explosion of growth as the pastors follow up the new converts. Then, come afternoon, we will hold our final crusade meeting. All for His glory!
P.S. Go Bokke (South Africans will understand)
BONOSHA Gospel Crusade, Ethiopia, FINAL DAY:
Today was jam-packed with the goodness of God from morning to evening. The rain stayed away in a miraculous fashion, despite a bleak weather forecast and the odd looming storm cloud. When umbrellas went up, it was to protect from the heat of the sun, which was a welcome change. Heartfelt thanks for your prayers in this regard! We began with a mass church service this morning, which was not only attended by the congregation members of the few churches here but thousands of unbelievers. Ev. Samuel Murrombe preached the Gospel, sharing how Jesus is the sign from heaven who leads us to heaven. The response was tremendous and he led those in attendance in the prayer of salvation. I followed with a teaching on the Holy Spirit baptism and how to partner with Him to win the lost and heal the sick. We then prayed for everyone to be filled from on High. It was glorious! We handed out Certificates of Appreciation to the pastors and volunteers, as well as one hundred copies of the Amharic version of my book, “Spirit of Fire”. In the afternoon, I preached from John 4, sharing the story of the Samaritan woman and explaining how to receive the gift of God, before leading the crowd in a prayer to receive this priceless present. We prayed over all the prayer requests that had been submitted during the crusade period, as well as over the town of Bonosha and the nation of Ethiopia. Stunning testimonies were heard from those who had received their healing, including these few.
Geto is 70 years old. Several years ago, her joints began hurting severely. A business owner, she struggled to continue working due to the pain and six months ago, she had to stop entirely. Providing for herself was a problem. She relied upon the generosity of others. Since she started attending our crusade, the pain has stopped completely. She rejoiced on stage, pointing out the various joints that had ailed her—knees, hips, elbows and wrists—and bending and flexing them with unrestrained glee.
Ergage is a 55-year-old mother of six children. Four years ago, she began suffering from serious stomach issues and a constant headache. “I could not eat and I could not work,” she expressed. A nearby clinic diagnosed her with typhoid fever but no treatment helped and the symptoms persisted. The Lord touched her mightily during our crusade. Both her stomach and head are now pain-free and she can eat without any issues. Jubilant, Ergage glorified her Maker, raising her hands to heaven.
Mitike is a middle-aged mother of two who has been tired and weak for so many years, she has forgotten how many. “It has been a long, long time,” she voiced. “I could not even eat injera.” Since injera is the staple diet of Ethiopians, a confession of this nature testifies to an exceedingly woeful condition. Whatever was the root of that condition, the Lord dealt with it. “I have so much energy!” she declared, bouncing on stage. “I feel so well!”
Workinesh is 45 years old and mother to thirteen children. “I have been depressed for a long time,” she shared. “I had no joy, no hope.” Since our crusade, all this has changed. That dark cloud of hopelessness has lifted off Workinesh and the peace of God has flooded her heart and mind. Smiling from ear to ear, this dear lady proclaimed the greatness of God.
Please keep the pastors of Bonosha in your prayers and the new converts themselves, as the follow-up process starts. Let us pray that every church explodes with growth and each fledgling believer becomes an oak of righteousness, planted in the courts of their God. Let us also pray that every believer in Bonosha becomes a dynamic soul-winner, sharing the Gospel with boldness wherever they may go. Thank you for your ongoing support. Bonosha has been hugely impacted through your prayers and giving!
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