A Time for War and a Time for Peace
Release No: 09-23
By Tyler Yeargain
Mar. 20— ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia: There are often situations in life where a profession can be a hindrance to one's faith. For Tesfahun Woldie, that hindrance was being a soldier in the Ethiopian armed forces. And so, after nine years of trying to faithfully serve both God and his country, Tesfahun ended his military career.
While serving under an army commander who was often at odds with his Christian beliefs, Tesfahun found subversive ways to remain strong in his faith. In opposition to the directives of his commanding officer, Tesfahun would sneak off to services at Mekane Yesus Church during his time off. He would slip Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) Bible Correspondence Courses (BCC) into his pack and use them to study when it was safe to do so. But despite his efforts, the stress was too much for Tesfahun and he left the army.
Following an honorable discharge, Tesfahun moved back to his home town of Hosanna, where his father is the full-time pastor of Hosanna Kale Heywot Church. (Church of Christ at Hosanna) Within the church, Tesfahun wanted to serve God through praises and songs and so he joined the choir, and emerged as a gifted soloist with a powerful voice. He recently visited the LHM-Ethiopia ministry center to get more BCC materials and thank them for providing such an invaluable resource while he was a soldier.
Bible Correspondence Courses allow people of all ages, faith, and education to explore Christianity. These themed studies not only educate people about God, but also offer a foundation on which their faith can grow.
Tesfahun often thanks God for bringing him through his tour of duty unharmed. He has no regrets about his decision to leave the army. While there were certain social advantages to being in the armed forces that he forfeited by leaving, Tesfahun feels that he has gained much more in the way of eternal life. Please pray for Tasfahun, his congregation in Hosanna, and the staff and volunteers of LHM-Ethiopia.
Your continued prayers and support for LHM allow outreach programs to have an impact all around the world. We ask that you prayerfully consider a gift to our International Ministries today.
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