Dear ETC Friends and Partners:
Greetings from the Evangelical Theological College!
We at ETC praise God for the kind of students He calls to study with us. We have been given another privilege to enroll new set of students for the academic year 2019/2020. It is always a blessing and an exciting opportunity to see the new batch of students that the Lord brings to our doorstep.
This fall, we are blessed with a student who is an Ethiopian soccer coach. Being the Youngest child in the family and watching her older brothers and their friends play soccer, Jerry, whose actual name is Eyersualem fell in love with the ball and the soccer game.
Jerry spent most of her free time practicing soccer but her family was not happy. She was told that soccer is not a game for girls but a man’s game. She was scolded to do household chores instead of wasting time playing soccer. Jerry, in frustration, started acting like a boy. She cut her hair and started wearing boy’s clothes. She even started walking like boys. She was sure if she behaved and clothed herself that way, she could get away as a boy and no one will bother her anymore.
One day, Jerry was invited to a Christian wedding. She was excited and what she witnessed there changed her life forever.The radiant love and affection shared among the bride and the groom and those who were gathered in the wedding captured her heart to the extent of giving her life to Jesus. The demonstration of Christ’s love was so evident it drew her to seek what they have. The week after, she accepted Christ.
She was excited with her new life in the Lord but kept it a secret from her parents. She was sure they will not approve or allow her to change her religion which is the perception of many Orthodox believers when a person comes to the knowledge of Jesus Christ and becomes a believer.
Jerry usually hides her Bible when she goes to church. One day her dad noticed that, stopped her and found that she has hidden a Bible. He forbade her from reading the Bible and going to church. Jerry then, stopped reading her Bible and going to church.
The women soccer team that she joined passed the African championship for the first time in the Ethiopian women soccer history. It was an unprecedented win. She then became the captain of the team at age 17. Suddenly she became a famous figure and a celebrity. As she was basking in all the fame and playing she suddenly hit a rock and broke her ankle. She was hospitalized and bedridden. This was devastating for her. All the followers and all that glory vanished. Jerry said she was left was the TV and tape recorder she had bought at the time of fame.
Jerry was devastated and desperate. It was at this time her sister who was a secret believer confided in her about her life as a believer and shared the love of Christ with Jerry. That fire of love she saw in the Christian wedding ignited again and Jerry cried out to the Lord and rededicated her life to Jesus. She started going to church and grew in her life with the Lord.
Jerry met her husband Tewodros and he helped her grow in her Christian life. Jerry is now a healthy mother of two beautiful children. She has joined ETC to equip herself and minister to young Ethiopian women.
Dear Friends and partners of ETC, seizing this opportunity, we want to thank the Lord and bless you for your willingness to partner with us in equipping students like Jerry who impact the lives of many many in the Kingdom of God.
To find out how you can help, please visit our How You Can Help page.