“On that day I will purify the lips of all people, so that everyone will be able to worship the Lord together. My scattered people who live beyond the rivers of Ethiopia will come to present their offerings.” Zephaniah 3:9–10 (NLT)

Thus was the prophecy of Zephaniah regarding Ethiopia for these last days. From this land flowed the second branch of the river in the land of Eden (Genesis 2:13). From the same land, the queen of Sheba went to visit Solomon in Jerusalem to test him with riddles (2 Chronicles 9:1). Still more: from the same land, hailed Ebed-melech, the court official in the palace of King Zedekiah, the man who stood firm against the evil of throwing Jeremiah into the cistern, which eventually led to Jeremiah’s evacuation from there (Jeremiah 38:7–12).

Divided into nine administrative units known as provinces, Ethiopia has more than 300 tribes who speak a similar number of languages. Amharic, Oromic, and Tigri are the national languages, with English gaining ground slowly to become the official language.

It is the country in Africa that successfully resisted any attempt of colonization by the Italians, at the famous battle of Adowa. Since then it has been a land of work and fight, which has seen a change of regimes by a series of coups d’état starting with the overthrow of king Menelik II, who is believed to be the last ruler from the descent of the queen of Sheba. Thank God that Ethiopia is now a democratic republic that has offered her citizens freedom of worship, unlike in the past regimes.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is the officially recognized denomination, even though others also exercise freedom of worship. It is not easy to penetrate the Advent message to the northern part of the country, where almost everybody is Orthodox, without facing persecution from the fanatical wing of the established church. However, doors are open in the southern, western, and central part where we now have church members. The eastern part is easy to penetrate; the only hindrance to this is the lack of a sufficient number of well-trained Bible workers.

The Lord worked marvelously for the Ethiopian Union of the International Missionary Society Reform Movement Church (that is how the church is registered in that country), which is barely five years old, to have the first youth conference, which started on Wednesday, September 28th and ended on Sabbath October 1st, 2011. About three hundred youth attended this conference, with the main theme from the book of Lamentations 3:27, “It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.” Youth is an important time when one can work with valor for the Master, a time when talents are developed and furnished for the impending duties. “Our young men and women are to be put to work where their capabilities will be used to the best account.” –Medical Ministry, p. 307. “We have an army of youth today who can do much if they are properly directed and encouraged.” –Christian Service, p. 30

The meetings were blessed daily with wonderful songs of the Semitic style, with accompaniment of musical instruments played in a special manner. The meetings ended with the youth vowing to stand under the banner of Prince Michael, whether in a crisis or during peace.

Jesus Loves Me This I Know (in Amharic)

Yesus Yewodegnal Awekalo

Matsihafi Nagerognal

Tanashime benon yesunegni

Dakamanegne Esu geni

Biritu nawe

 

Refrain:

Awen! Yesus Yewodegnal

Awen! Yesus Yewodegnal

Awen ! Yesus Yewodegnal

Matsihafi Nagerognal.

 

Note: The above has been transliterated into the Latin alphabet from the Ethiopic script.

 

Fred Ayunga

[email protected]  (Kenyan Union)