Hope and Light in Ethiopia

Day 3: Hope and Light in Ethiopia

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Over 30 million Oromos live in Ethiopia. Today, most are Muslim, while about 3% still practice Waaqeffanna, an ancient Cushitic monotheistic faith. Among the Oromos, a growing number are becoming followers of Christ.

Jameelah, an Oromo woman, is one of them. She lives in a poor neighborhood of Addis Ababa with her Muslim husband and their two young children. Their home is a single, bare room without electricity or running water. Her husband is unemployed, often drunk, and idle. Daily survival is a struggle, and Jameelah does what she can to provide for her family by washing clothes.

For a long time, she refused her neighbor’s invitations to attend a Christian service. But one day, her neighbor shared her own story—how she had found Jesus and discovered hope in Him even through hardship. Moved, Jameelah agreed to go with her.

She kept returning, and after a few weeks, she realized she, too, wanted to follow Jesus. Jameelah shares, “I want to be a good wife to my husband and a good mother to my children—an example. Jesus has changed me for good. I want my husband to see this change, and I continue to pray that he, too, will follow Jesus.”

But her decision has come at a cost. Since turning to Christ, Jameelah’s extended family—who occasionally helped her financially—has cut off all contact. Yet in her trials, she clings to the hope and transformation she has found in Jesus.

HOW WE CAN PRAY

• Salvation and faith: Pray that many Oromos would encounter Jesus, experience His love, and come to follow Him, both those still following Islam and those following Waaqeffanna.
• Strength for believers:Pray for courage, wisdom, and perseverance for Oromo Christians like Jameelah who face opposition, discrimination, or isolation because of their faith.
  Family and community transformation: Pray that entire families and communities would experience healing, reconciliation, and transformation through Christ.
• Provision and protection: Pray for basic needs such as food, shelter, clean water, and safety, especially for vulnerable families in poverty-stricken areas.
• Church growth and leadership: Pray for new house churches and Christian leaders among the Oromo people to grow strong, healthy, and spiritually mature.