Visiting one of Harar Church of Joy's House Churches

Ethiopia, Saturday February 27th 2010

Finally we are there, slightly short breathed with muddy shoes and feet. We open the door to the small room that belongs to one of our current Bible School students, and sit down on the mattress on the floor. There is Ethiopian worship flowing from the loudspeakers of an old cassette recorder and the room is full of incense and the smell of freshly boiled tea.

Together with us is even the owner of the little house, 4 new saved and new baptized guys and a not yet saved young girl. Together we sit there, all eight of us on the floor and on the little bed in the room, laughing and mixing all kinds of languages. After having tea and something to eat, we praise Jesus and then our pastor and co-worker Ashagre shares the Word. After a while of teaching, we talk a little, share prayer subjects and then we start praying. The evening is drawing to its end and we finish the tea and the rest of the bread before we get up, hug everyone goodbye and everyone disappear in different directions into the dark African night.

It is in houses like these that we see new people bow their knees and say their first prayer to their creator. It's in houses like this one that we see people get baptized in the Holy Spirit, get their lives changed and experience the real love and peace given by Jesus. It's in houses like this that we see future Bible School students, missionaries and pastors being born.

There is no better place and there is nothing more beautiful than when you as a missionary get to sit there on the old mattress and see Mohammed sitting in the corner with his eyes closed, whispering together with his newfound Jesus.

This is life!

Maja Larsson
Mission SOS
Horn of Africa