Two years ago I received the chance of a lifetime. I was invited to go to Wolayta, Ethiopia and speak at a church conference. I've spoken at churches before, but nothing was as humbling as this conference. There were thousands upon thousands of people sitting on the ground after walking for at least a day to come celebrate the Lord together. It was so powerful to hear them worshiping. I don't know the language (they were singing in Wolaytan and I only know English) but you could feel the power in that place.
After speaking at the conference I was given the opportunity to go and meet all of the pastors from this denomination. some of them had been imprisoned during the Communist rule in Ethiopia. Others walked for four hours between the two churches they serve. All of them are lacking salary and resources but are overwhelmed with faith. I will never forget hearing their stories and praying with them.
When I was in Ethiopia this month I got the chance to see Pastor Zekarias again. He is the pastor in charge of the whole denomination. He has given his entire life to proclaiming the Good News to all who will hear. When I met with him he asked about what we were working on in Ethiopia, and I told him all about Eyes That See. He was excited to hear about it, but sadness came over his face. He began to explain what he was seeing in Ethiopia.
Zekarias told me that there were so many development projects that were operating in Ethiopia. In his opinion they are needed, but there is something lacking. His eyes filled with tears as he talked about the pastors that I had met. He told me they have the heart, but no training, no resources, and too often no salary. They spend their days encouraging others with a hope that doesn't die, yet they are running on fumes. He asked me to be praying with him for his dream to be fulfilled. His dream is quite simple: He dreams of seeing the church be resourced with funding and education like other areas within Ethiopia. Zekarias dreams of his pastors receiving education and resources to truly help the people that they love so dearly. As he spoke with such conviction and emotion I couldn't help but dream of the same thing.
I told my friend that I would continue to pray for him. Along with prayers, I told him I would tell his dream to those who will hear it. Maybe God wants to encourage this church through you. If you want more information, please email me at matt@eyesthatsee.org and I will put you in contact with Pastor Zekarias. I cannot wait to see this dream come true.
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