Our Third Trip

I just got back last night from Hosanna. This was a trip Randy and I both had planned on going on, but the uncertainty of our adoption had us planning and re-planing things daily. So at the last minute I realized I was going to Ethiopia 24 hours before I was to leave.  I was to meet up with John Bremmel and Larry Lotzer Police Officers and members of our church. Our Senior Pastor Bill Bohline had originally planned on going to speak at the Lutheran Leadership Conference held in Addis, and then on to Hosanna to speak at the church service on Sunday.  Unfortunately Pastor Bill's  father passed away so he was unable to go. It was an honor that Bill was asked and a sign to us of the relationship those in Hosanna already have with us.

Dr. Gemechis who went with us on our last trip to Ethiopia led the conference. Many Lutheran Pastors and leaders were represented from around the world. It was so powerful worshiping together, learning from each other and anticipating what is to come. John replaced Pastor Bill at the Leadership Conference and did a wonderful job representing our Church.

Besides the Leadership Conference the other main reason for this trip was to connect with the Police Department in Hosanna. As I shared earlier we had had a great connection with the Mayor and Cheif of Police in Hosanna. We knew right then that this was going to be a great avenue to strengthen relations in Hosanna and to build up the leaders as they spread it to the rest of the Nation. When we were in Hosanna in November and met and prayed for the Police, we knew John Bremmel was to be hooked up with these Police officers.

John has a ministry called Influence International in which he teaches ethics to police officers all over the United States and in Kenya and now Ethiopia. After Pastor Bill was unable to go, he asked Larry Lotzer to take his place. Larry is a retired Police Officer and has been on the board of Influence International with John helping teach the classes.

John and Larry did a great job teaching the Officers ethics and how to be honorable and respectful, and create an atmosphere of honor. It was very well received with enthusiasm and great fervor. There were over 400 Officers present from all over the Hosanna region. It was fun to hear the excitement and comments from the crowd. A lot of this were new concepts to them, and know they will be implemented and modeled as they desire for such things. It was obvious the impact the conference had on all the Police when they were told we were opening the end up for anyone who would like prayer. 95% of the officers we up front and on their knees. What a sight to see 400 Police Officers on their knees committing their life and work to the Lord.

The Cheif of Police was again very hospitable to us. He allowed us to tour the prison one morning. It was a wonderful opportunity as Larry spoke in the chapel service and I was able to pray a blessings and prayer over the several hundred inmates who attended chapel. Larry prayed a prayer as almost all of them raised their hands and repeated the prayer to follow Jesus. It was so awesome. They were very enthusiastic, and for a bunch of felons they were so soft and really desired Jesus. What a sight to walk around the 400-500 inmates. It was eye opening, yet wonderful to see how they are being reached out to through the Police. God is so good. We were also able to go into the women's prison. This was very sad to me, as there were women and their children all living within the prison. Definitely and area of ministry in the future.












We were also able to tour the Mekene Yesus Lutheran Churches Deaf School.I had known about the school, yet had not been able to visit it yet. To give you an idea of the effectiveness and largeness of the school. Larry told us that the Minnesota School for the deaf is known as being one of the largest in the country with 200 deaf students. This school has 180 students. They all are taught school, and several trades as so they are independant when they graduate. It was very impressive. Much I want to learn from here, and again a great avenue for ministry or just a great model for ministry.

We were also able to meet the many street women who have once worked the streets, but are now trusting in Jesus to meet their needs. It was a humbling experience as I was able to speak to these women and pray over them. They were all crammed in a tiny little room about 20 or so with all their children. Beautiful women each with a story they will take to heaven.

We were blessed with an unexpected blessing with Pastor Alam (on the far left) Dr. Gemechis asked if he would accompany us to Hosanna from the Leadership Conference. Even though it was not on his agenda he graciously accepted. It was wonderful to have him has he was helpful in translating and with the culture. He was very interesting as he was born in Ethiopia, grew up in Sweden and Pastors a Lutheran Church in St. Paul Mn. He was very well received as the pastors in Hosanna have asked him to come preach several times. This was his first time in Hosanna and proved to be a blessing for all. He took Pastor Bills place preaching in the Sunday morning service.

It was said one of the highlights of the trip was when we went to the orphanage to meet our little girl. Larry and John really wanted to come along. It was hard for me to see her and again say good bye, yet it was the most memorable time for me as she was so excited to see me. She was very affectionate, and we really bonded. We colored, giggled, kissed, and brought goodies to the workers. Priceless. I was truly thankful. The guys were touched by the sweet little children who were all taking a nap. What a sweet sight. Wish I could show you pictures... but soon!!! Keep praying as this process has been hard, and long.

I was blessed to connect again with the people and leaders of Hosanna. It was wonderful to hear many stories, and many different people stating the change in atmosphere and in the people since we were there last in November. Many times they thanked us for what we are doing and for the partnership we have with them. It is so beautiful to see what God is doing as we take one step at a time. I said when we were there that God does nothing small in Hosanna. It is so fun to be a part of.

The Story continued!

Since our hearts were in Africa, we decided we would research the possibility of doing the same there. When researching, we came upon a town called Hosanna. Our hearts were telling us something and we could not shake this feeling. We starting sharing what we felt God was saying to us about Hosanna, Ethiopia. While sharing this we discovered that little Teshome Eide was actually from the town of Hosanna, and the Eides had been there when bringing him home. Also sharing this with Jennifer Needham she shared that when she was holding little Teshome, she was looking into his eyes and had a sense that our church Hosanna somehow needed to be connected, but did not know how to go about it. So when I called Jennifer up the day I was researching the town, I called exclaiming, “I just found out that there is a town called Hosanna in Ethiopia!”  She was certainly not shocked and said “I know.” We laugh at this now as we see this was just the start of a continuation of confirmations and open doors that kept leading us to a deep knowledge and anticipation of more of God’s revelations. I knew that when I saw the name and town of Hosanna there was something about this place and I could not stop thinking about it. My heart yearned and there was a deep longing to seek God in what he was stirring inside of me about this town of Hosanna.

During this time of seeking and praying God continued to speak to others about Hosanna, Ethiopia through dreams and words. Many had dreams of Ethiopia like Caroline Hatt about JoAnn Palo being in Ethiopia. Paul Yado had prayed over Randy, Marybeth, Jennifer and Krista Gorman regarding Ethiopia and had very specific words for us regarding the orphans. We later find out, that it was at this very time that the Lord was also speaking in dreams and visions to the Pastors and lay people in Ethiopia about what he was preparing to do.

 God used these people to encourage us to know we were to keep pursuing this journey. Soon after, Tim Hatt received a phone call May of 2009 from a man named Alan Bachman. He had just recently returned from Hosanna, Ethiopia and felt the Lord telling him someone from Hosanna Lutheran Church needed to know about, Hosanna Ethiopia. Alan works for Children’s Home Society and knew Tim, but does not go to Hosanna. He asked if he could come to give us a presentation. He came in August of 2009, to share with Tim, Anna Mansfield, Jennifer Needham, Randy and Marybeth about the demographics, the needs, and the people of Hosanna. He had no agenda of what we suppose to do, but only knew he was just suppose to come and share with us about this city. This was another very big confirmation for us all. This was another very big confirmation for us all.

So with this much of God’s voice speaking to so many, and having the support and excitement coming from many avenues Randy and Marybeth felt God was calling them to go, see, sense and hear what God wanted to do. With Tim’s blessings and the support from many in the church Randy and Marybeth got tickets to go to Hosanna, Ethiopia in March to walk, pray and seek His voice.

We had no connections at this point except in November of  2009 Marybeth, along with the Malawi team met a man from Hosanna Ethiopia in a hotel in Nairobi on the way to Malawi. This was a fun connection and gave us a starting point to feel we had a “point man” to help us while there.

After the trip to Malawi, Marybeth had a strong sense she was to take the Perspectives Course in downtown Minneapolis in May of 2010. While taking the course, she met a man from Bethlehem Baptist, who had just returned from Bethlehem’s first Mission trip to Ethiopia. He said he felt I should call a lady by the name of Alemnesh who belongs to Bethlehem Baptist. She had led the team to Ethiopia as she is from there and has a huge heart to help orphans in her native country. Marybeth called her that night and told her we were planning on going to Ethiopia in a month. She asked what our interest was there and where we were going. As Marybeth was sharing her the story she could hear her weep on the other end of the phone. She then explained to Marybeth that she had just gotten a phone call form a friend who is a young Minister named Abinet two days prior. He had called and asked her to pray for the town Hosanna and that the Lord would send someone to help him with the plight of the orphans. He was asking for prayer as it was heavy on his heart after the Lord had given him a dream of two white people coming to Hosanna. Together Marybeth and Alemnesh cried on the phone. She is now a big part of our family, “our Ethiopian Grandma” as we now call her. 

Gods provisions for our first trip had just begun.

Our Trips

Our First Trip

Our first trip to Hosanna, was in April of 2010. We really had no idea what we were going to do and what we were going to see, but had an overwhelming sense of excitement and anticipation for what was to come.

Our whole week was orchestrated by God. We have never felt the Holy Spirit upon us more. It was one powerful encounter after another. Abinet met us at the airport and was with us the whole time. Instant friends, and lifelong partners. God made it clear to us, that this was a partnership not a mission agency helping people in need. God had bigger plans than that. We were able to meet many orphaned children who were not able to eat during the day, a beautiful woman named Fantu with a huge heart to help the hurting prostitutes, a couple who had a heart to reach the neighboring town of Muslims, and many leaders with a passion to be called further on into God’s plan for their lives for people such as these. This was all so compelling and simply overwhelming for us.

 We left knowing God was calling us to this place. What a feeling, as we have sought the Lord in this for over 16 years together! To see why we ached, why the restless nights, and why the hunger for what we did not know. God’s heart was finally revealed to us in this place, a town called Hosanna! We also knew that this was not just about our calling… it was bigger than that. It was a calling for our whole church to come alongside as fellow soldiers in fighting the good fight together, with our brothers and sister in Christ from a town called Hosanna.

As it was clear God was leading us back to Hosanna, we were very excited to share all God showed us. We did a power point presentation in May letting all know what we felt the Lord calling us to do. We were very blessed by the support and excitement we received. We shared how we felt our next steps were to go again and bring others on staff to get confirmation of what we were feeling. Our sense was to bring the leaders and pastors of the town of Hosanna together from the 26 local churches.

Pastor Tim agreed to go with us and suggested we contact Dr. Gemechis Buba since he had just spoke at our Faith Lift Conference. In a conference call with Pastor Gemechis he whole-heartedly agreed to go with us and described to us what he sensed God doing in the town of Hosanna. Unbeknownst to us, he had been to Hosanna before. What he sensed was a great confirmation to what we felt God doing in this town, “raising up leaders to go out and beyond the borders of Ethiopia”. This had been exactly our words and was exciting to hear God’s confirmations once again.

Second Trip

In November of 2010, we made our second trip to Ethiopia, this time with Pastor Tim, Pastor Gemechis, and JoAnn Palo. Words cannot describe our week in Hosanna, Ethiopia. Our trip was one confirmation after another of what God had laid on our heart during and following our first trip. We are eager and excited to partner with these beautiful people. What God is doing amongst them is such a parallel to what God is doing here!

The first part of the trip was spent in Addis Ababa. Here we were able to reconnect with the leaders and pastors of the Adis Kidan Baptist Church whom we will also be partnering with.

In Hosanna, we were scheduled to have a 3 day conference. The first day of the conference was for all the leaders and pastors of the surrounding churches in Hosanna. There were over 400 pastors and 26 churches represented. It was a great day as we worshiped and celebrated with these leaders. We told of how God led us to Hosanna and how he wanted to form a partnership with them to help in advancing His kingdom.  It was a powerful night as we spoke, sang, worshiped and prayed over all the pastors.

The main conference was way beyond what we had expected.  The participants were all so hungry for God. Pastor Tim described it as "riotous joy". It was a great description as they sang, danced and hungered for God. It was an amazing sight to see over 25,000 Ethiopians in the town of Hosanna seeking and desiring more of the Kingdom. Much different than many other African nations in that the overall need was not to help them, but just a need and deep hunger for more of Him. This hunger is why we believe God is starting this "new movement”. He is beginning a revival of sorts to build up, love on, and honor this town for the desires and love they have for the Kingdom. We believe God desires to do this so He can send them to the rest of the country and beyond. In Zachariah it says "Whole Nations will come to know the Lord" Amen! This is the beginning of God raising his faithful up to be strong, fruitful, and effective in changing the way Africa is to that which Africa is meant to be... a Nation belonging to God!

We have seen God move in mighty ways connecting us with leaders, pastors and city officials to bring us all together to bring about His purposes. We are excited, as He has made it very clear for us what His desires are for the town of Hosanna, and with our church, Hosanna! We see that this is not only ministry for us to go and help the people of Hosanna, but believe it is more of a partnership. There is much for us to take back and learn from the many leaders and pastors. They have lived lives of strength and a deep knowledge of the power and passion possessed by knowing God with little hindrances. We took away much as we sat with and listened to these honorable men and women. Hearts so pure, so devoted! This we see as the Lord calling us to “Build a Bridge” We see Him doing this in many realms and in many different nations. Here, it is “Hosanna! to Hosanna! God is bringing us together for a purpose far bigger than us, and beyond what we could see or imagine.

We have met many leaders and formed wonderful relationships with many influential people in the community. It is obvious that much can be done as we partner together. We are excited to get started on many of these areas.  Dr. Gemechis stated on his return home "The church was very, very grateful for this visit and one can never doubt that there is greater hunger for more of this empowering, edifying and leadership capacity building work for the sake of advancing God's Kingdom in these days." 

After the conference we were able to meet with the Chief of Police. The policemen hold a prayer meeting every morning for two hours before they start work. They are bringing Christ into the lives of the criminals and changing the town of Hosanna. We were able to pray for all of the police. It was amazing how God brought us together to witness what he is doing in and all throughout this town. We then met the Mayor of Hosanna. He assured us that we were to come back and see him every time we are in Hosanna. This means much favor and help when we start new ministries and organizations. God is so good as He is weaving the way for us to come in with such ease and favor. All we need to do is to continue and follow His leading.

        

                 

Since returning home we have been in contact with the church leaders, and it has been wonderful to hear how our time there has greatly impacted them. They stated that the Synod is in a time of real transformation since we left. They were greatly encouraged, and see God’s hand on the whole town of Hosanna, and look forward to a continued relationship.