Yosef

They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy) ….

Hebrews 11:37-38

Here is a couple of whom the world is not worthy: Yoseph and Rebecca Menna, our Ethiopian national program coordinators. I sat with them at lunch today and recorded a couple of their stories of God’s faithfulness. Here’s one.

Yoseph was in his seventh year of mission work in southwest Ethiopia. It was 1978 and the communists were in power. That year the communists told him to stop sharing the gospel, stop teaching and preaching Jesus, and to return to his home.

He continued anyway.

On a Tuesday shortly after the initial warning, he received a letter. In the letter, the communist government informed him that they had five witnesses that would testify that he was still sharing Christ. It said that if they found him preaching, they would kill him. And, finally, that he was to appear in their office at 9 a.m. on Thursday. He knew that was an appointment with his execution.

All the other missionaries he was working with had fled. He stayed, praying and patiently instructing his disciples how to move underground with the work. He also encouraged them to move on after he was killed. The government then sealed the town, trapping him from escape.

On Thursday morning he and Rebecca walked to the office, he had to tell his disciples to not follow him. He didn’t want them to become discouraged when they heard the shot that would kill him. One young man tried to follow him, but Yoseph sent him away.

When they arrived at the communist party office, Rebecca waited outside. They had heard that the men inside had killed an anti-communist earlier that day. He said that when he entered the men’s eyes were red, dark, and full of murder. The Lord removed any fear from him. He says he was ready to meet Jesus.

The communist leader stood and yelled. Shouting that they had told him to stop preaching, to acknowledge Mao, Lenin, and Marx, not Jesus. Then all the other joined in, shouting vigorously at him. He sat, silent. Finally, he said quietly and calmy, “I’m here. Do what you must. God has called me to this work. Communism came while I was doing my work. I can’t stop now.”

Outside, Rebecca made a request to the guards: She asked that if they killed her husband, for them to kill her too. The guards inside with Yoseph, after his statement, shouted more and more telling him to stop preaching, then to just go, go away. And he was released. They quickly gathered their things in suitcases. Loaded them on their donkey, yes their donkey, and walked three days to their home. I joked that they were imitating Joseph and Mary.

When they arrived at their home, a man—a communist—was living there. He knew they were ministers of the gospel and he immediately informed the communist officials in that town. They were apprehended and both thrown into prison for a few days, released and warned again to stop preaching; however, they simply continued to work in the underground church.

As I leaned back after listening to this, Yoseph told me a few interesting things. One is that this was one of several occasions of near death. Six children and a booming ministry later, he is happy and says every day is an extra blessing now. The second thing is that when persecution came, it strengthened the church. The real disciples went underground and continued to worship. The nominal Christians fled or agreed to become communists. Those real disciples formed a stubborn root that became extremely strong. Ethiopia appears to be reaping the harvest now of that faithfulness. Thousands of new churches are being planted every year—thousands! And Yoseph is a huge part of that.