by Pastor Jerry Theckston
On Sunday the 16th, we spent most of the day visiting my host Ahadu’s family! They were having a big reunion for folks who had come back from the U.S. for a wedding!
One of the things they do is to see if you will eat what they eat- and there is very little choice! But it was fun to see how the Lord was going to get me through some of the things you wouldn’t normally consider edible. Actually I am starting to enjoy some of these things and it means a lot to them!
Everybody at the reunion was family except me, and I was the only one born without any color! It was a little stiff at first but then one by one God opened up doors for conversation that always came back to the Lord!
Ahadu wanted me to talk to His father who is definitely not interested in religion, and I let him know I wasn’t either - which startled him. For most of the next two hours we talked about Jesus and it was an amazing experience that Ahadu called miraculous!
That happened in smaller conversations with person after person until we left late that night with long embraces, kind words and extending God’s blessings over each other!
Monday was my last day in Ethiopia and it was especially tender with everyone! My host Ahadu and I have had some tremendous times together going over the practical principles of Jesus in marriage, family, business and personal relationships, especially taking the next step in our intimacy with Jesus! That last morning I had an extraordinary time with Ahadu’s sweet wife who is all in with the Lord! Then we went from meeting to meeting! All of them had a time limit that didn’t matter!
We finally went to lunch and people kept joining us, and what was supposed to be an hour long lunch took 2 1/2 hours- talking about Jesus and His principles! Then coffee at another place for “15” minutes- which took another 2 1/2 hours as people kept coming and adding to our table. This included the owner who was just going to have a cup of coffee with us, but stayed for an hour and a half, listening and asking questions about the teachings of Jesus! People from other tables were listening in and the staff there as well!
We had a great time walking through the streets with kids who have no place to go but just wanted to go wherever we were going! After a couple errands we had our last family dinner with my host family at Pizza Hut! It was another tremendous time talking about the family, marriage and a wonderful event that was a miraculous breakthrough in this very family only the night before!
This kind of amazing stuff has happened constantly through the entire trip! I believe we have had more prayer coverage, fasting and interceding on this trip than I believe we have ever had before and the results are overwhelming!
We got home late that night and I had to be up to leave for the airport by 12:30 am! When I finally boarded my flight I sat next to a guy who seemed pretty grumpy and didn’t want to talk. I was So grateful, maybe I could just sleep! But as soon as I asked him how he was doing, he didn’t have an unspoken thought, but eventually Jesus became the center of attention and it was a meaningful experience for both of us!
The same thing happened on the next connecting flight to Germany. A retired engineer who was pretty sour on life the first three hours of the flight, then became my new ‘best friend’ and we had genuine experience with the Spirit of Jesus in the midst of our conversation - which also took place with the stewardess who was taking care of us throughout the flight! Amazing Grace!!
Now I am in Germany and we have been meeting with Ukrainian family members and friends but a lot of the focus has been around a young mom that had cancer throughout her body- breasts, lungs, liver, kidneys, intestines etc., and God healed her!
Some doctors want to do surgery, even though there is no evidence any cancer is there! But the most difficult part for her is a lack of connection with her husband through all of this! Tonight God miraculously turned their relationship around! Unbeknownst to me the Scripture God gave me to pass on to them was the central focus in their wedding book from 12 years ago! And tonight they made new commitments about their relationship with God and with each other! It is amazing how quickly most medical issues get cleared up when the relationship ones are no longer interfering!
Tonight is my last night in Düren and Taras Kushnir and I have been working on a PowerPoint around this mission trip for a presentation I have been asked to give at his school tomorrow! It is a great way to finish a long and spectacular journey with the Holy Spirit and the greatest partners in prayer I have ever known!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
May everything be for the glory and praise and worship of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ- who was and is and is to Come!!! Amen!
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