Pastor Mesfin Shamebo knew the truth, but lacked the courage to follow it. Then God sent a visitor at midnight.

Mesfin Shamebo served as an evangelist for Word of Life, a Sunday keeping church, from 2012 until 2021. During the same time, he met a Seventh-day Adventist evangelist named Eyob Wallebo. For nine years, they studied the Word of God together, and Mesfin knew all about the Sabbath. At last, in August 2020, he accepted the truth—but he was too afraid to actually join the Seventh-day Adventist Church in his area. Week after week, the Holy Spirit kept bringing 2 Timothy 1:7 into his mind: “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Mesfin wavered for months. Then, on May 2, 2021, he called Eyob and invited him to come over. “I have a story to tell you,” Mesfin said.

When Eyob arrived, Mesfin opened up his heart. “I have been studying God’s Word for many years, but I have been hesitant to join your church for fear of my people, the ones I have been serving for so long.” He looked down, then continued with new resolve. “Last night at midnight God sent an angel to me! The angel asked, ‘Why are you worrying and delaying when you know the truth? Do you not want to come out of Babylon?’” 

Mesfin took in a deep breath. “It is past time for me to make my choice known. Whatever comes, I will leave my church to join the Seventh-day Adventist Church. But first, I must share the truth with my church members.”

The very next Sunday, with fear and trepidation, Mesfin stood in front of his congregation and explained what he had learned about the Ten Commandments and the Sabbath. “I have determined to join the Seventh-day Adventist Church, because I have learned from Revelation 12:17 that it is God’s remnant church. I am sad to leave this church body, but I must follow what the Bible teaches and not man’s teachings.” The next week, he and his family joined the local Seventh-day Adventist Church. 

As he expected, some of Mesfin’s former church members have been harassing him, telling him that he is being unfaithful to the church members for leaving them alone without a shepherd. Some of the leaders have even maligned his character because of his choice to join a new denomination. Yet, Mesfin’s decision has inspired many of his former church members to ask questions. Which day is the Sabbath day, really? Why did their pastor leave them? Other Word of Life pastors have come and tried to give them answers, but the people’s minds have remained unsettled. In hopes of gaining real answers, the congregation has set a day to discuss Sabbath observance from the Scriptures. They will have a Word of Life pastor there to speak on their behalf, and the Seventh-day Adventist minister will be there to join the Bible debate as well. Please pray that something extraordinary will happen during the discussion! 

The Holy Spirit has been working in peculiar ways to bring Ethiopians to the truth—even sending angel visitors. Please pray for Mesfin and for evangelist Eyob, and please give to the work here, even if you can give only a little. Thank you for being part of God’s great work in this end time!  

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Location
Ethiopia

Author
Tesfaye Tadese Hailegnaw coordinates the Bible worker program in southern Ethiopia.

How You Can Help
Pray for Mesfin to remain faithful to his convictions of truth despite all the attacks of the enemy. 

Pray for the 31 Ethiopian Bible workers that your gifts support as they carry the message from village to village!

Give. To help reach souls in Ethiopia, send your donations marked “Ethiopia Churches” or “Ethiopia Evangelism” to: 

Mission Projects International 
PO Box 151 
Inchelium, WA 99138

To give securely online, visit: www.missionspro.org/donate 

Translated by Daniel Shamebo Sabore, coordinator of Mission Projects International’s Ethiopian projects. He can be reached at 253-835-0107 or info@advancedtranslationservices.com.