Page 152 - Unseen Hands by Nona Freeman

Unseen Hands
the shop that gave him credit.
With nine mouths to feed, from early morning until
the afternoon, Erkenesh desperately called on the Lord toprovide. Her sister Ayalesh, her husband, Bekele, and their daughter came to visit, bringing a gift of food. As she served them, Erkenesh told them, "You are God's ravens, an answer to my prayer." They had planned to shop for new clothes, but instead they went to town and made generous purchases to meet the needs of the
household.
One of the families that had rejected Tekle and
Erkenesh when theyfirst came to Addis were led astray by a family member who proclaimed, "The Apostolic church is dead. Return to the Orthodox church." Trou ble came; the mother of the family lost her mind. They contacted Tekle with an urgent plea, "Please come and pray." God restored her after three weeks and gave a true prophecy through her: "These things have come on us because we have forsaken the true church." They became Apostolics again and brought Tekle a gift of three hun
dred birr.
Tekle made the Lord a solemn promise never again
to waver in trusting Him, and he paid his overdue debt with an apology.
This proved to be the time for change. Scattered believers whom Tekle had brought to the Lord or bap tized came to stand with him again, and those who had feared to allow him and Erkenesh in their homes came repenting. Tekle only baptized seven souls in two years
in Addis, but now from their dark corners of discourage ment God gathered a small flock that needed a shepherd.
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