A Snapshot of Clinics

4/4
One had been saved a few days before as the team did home visits. His name is Abata. He now lives in Addis, but his family lives down country. I asked why and he said he came here to see his brother. Then he said he got his blood tested and found he was hiv+. He was ashamed and did not want to go back and tell his family. I told him he needed to go back, but then he said his wife had remarried. This really shocked me because he obviously had lived here in Addis for a long time with so much fear and guilt and now has lost his family. I gave him advice, prayed for him, and gave him a Bible encouraging him to actually read it.

Demisay had a four-year-old girl and both were positive. He is a guard and doesn't make much money. He was very open about wanting to know how to enter the kingdom of God. So, as I did with everyone who let me that day, I walked through John 11 and explained the gospel through Jesus being the resurrection and the life. I prayed for him and gave him a bible as well.

Aynalem had a painful cough that the doctors examined. She has five kids and her husband died four years ago. She said we came at the right time in her life because she literally has nothing and needs help with money etc.

4/9
Birtukan sat down with me a told me of her leg pain. She has a cane to help her walk. Her hip has bothered her for at least six years. During that time, she has walked awkwardly which has caused nerve damage and back problems according to one of our doctors. I asked about her family and she said her mother was dead and her father had been in prison for political reasons for fifteen years. She has one child, but had to give her first child away because she could not provide. At this point she started crying. She said she feels like her life is going bad.

We were low on translators, so our staff member, Girma, was translating. He had not done spiritual counseling before and was greatly shaken when Birtukan mentioned giving away one of her kids. His lips began to tremble and hands shake as we both tried to comfort and encourage Birtukan. I shared from John 11: 25-26 and prayed with Birtukan. She was very appreciative of our listening and encouraging words.

Afterwards, Girma asked me about what I had shared and I realized he had never read the Bible for himself. He is Orthodox, and most congregants only listen to what the priest says. They are not encouraged to read for themselves. I gave him an Amharic Bible and Eyob, another Ethiopian staff member, explained to Girma where the different books were in the Bible. Girma had heard of some of them through listening to the priests, but did not know some or where they were. It was incredible to see his spiritual eyes slowly opening.

Over the next few days, we had other clinics and different sites. In our Bole project, a lot of spiritual progress was made with many of our new beneficiaries. Some came to Christ and many others at least heard the gospel as they were cared for physically and emotionally. A lot of them did not want to be prayed for or to talk about spiritual issues, but at least the opportunity was there. The foundation was laid for further work in the near future with support groups forming and a weekly bible study starting soon.