Pray for Ethiopia

Jamila recently became a member of a small church in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. She lives in a poor area of the city with her Muslim husband and two small children. Their home consists of one room without electricity or water. Jamila’s husband is unemployed and is often drunk and idle. The family constantly fights to survive. Since Jamila became a follower of Jesus, it has become harder. Her family, who had supported her financially now and then, stopped all contact because of her faith.

Jamila does her best to earn some money by doing laundry. Recently, she was invited by a neighbor to a church worship service. She had refused the invitation several times, but her neighbor told Jamila the story of how she had found Jesus and hope in Him, despite her difficult circumstances. So Jamila agreed to go with her to the meeting. She continued to go and after a few weeks, realised that she also wanted to follow Jesus.

Jamila says, “I want to be a good wife to my husband and a good mother for my children – an example. Jesus has changed me for good. I want my husband to realise this and keep praying that he too will follow Jesus.”

Jamila is Oromo, the people who are native to Ethiopia and form the largest ethnic group there. About 30 million Oromos live in Ethiopia and while some follow the traditional religion, about half are Sunni Muslim, and there is a growing Christian population.

How to Pray

• Pray for more Oromo people like Jamila to become followers of Jesus.
• Pray for the Church in Ethiopia to be a loving example of Christ’s message.
• Pray for Muslim families in Ethiopia to have opportunites for work, education, healthcare and peace.