Ethiopia
Gospel Campaigns in Sodo and Hosanna
During our second week in Ethiopia, from 10 – 13 October, CfaN will be hosting Gospel Campaigns in the cities of Sodo and Hosanna. Evangelist Daniel Kolenda will share the preaching of the Gospel with Bootcamp graduates stationed in each city.
Day 4 – Ethiopia
Sodo and Hosanna on the final evening.
Day 4 – Hosanna
Standing Together
I finished the week here in Hosanna beneath a heavy, brooding sky. Cold, relentless rain soaked the earth, turning the field into thick, clinging mud. As we drove from the hotel to the site, I stared out at the streets – empty as a ghost town – everyone seeking shelter. I wondered if anyone would brave the elements to attend the open-air event. It seemed unlikely.
Day 4 – Hosanna
But when we arrived, the view stunned me. Thousands of colorful umbrellas crowded the entrance – and even more held up chairs or blankets for cover.
They were soaked to the bone, trembling, huddled together for warmth. But they stayed – waiting patiently for the service to start.
The platform was empty. Musical instruments lay silent under tarps, and still, the people stood. Some must have wondered if the preacher would even show or if their effort had been in vain.
Day 4 – Hosanna
I grabbed a raincoat and climbed onto the platform. Mic in hand, I looked over the drenched crowd and commended their faith.
“Heaven sees you,” I told them, “and more than just rain – showers of blessing – are coming.” Then, in one motion, I ripped off the raincoat, tearing it in two and tossing it to the wind.
Day 4 – Hosanna
“If you will stand in the rain,” I shouted, “I will stand with you!”
The crowd erupted, their cheer rolling like thunder over the field. In that moment, something shifted. An unspoken agreement settled over us all: rain or not, no one was leaving.
I dove straight into the gospel message, trimming it on the fly to be mindful of the conditions. A few minutes in, I glanced back and caught sight of the entire CfaN team – many dressed in suits and tie – standing at the back of the stage, fully exposed to the cold rain, without a single umbrella. They could have waited under cover, but instead, they chose to stand in the downpour as a silent declaration of solidarity. That image struck me deeply. Despite the freezing rain, a warmth spread through my heart – we were all in this together.
Day 4 – Hosanna
That sight made me think of you – our ministry partners – standing with us, whether here in Ethiopia or from afar.
Your prayers, giving, and encouragement are just as much a part of this mission as our feet in the mud. Together, we are advancing the Gospel, rain or shine. Every miracle, every salvation, every life transformed is a shared victory – a testimony to what God can do when we stand together in faith.
Day 4 – Sodo
Ev. Joe Turnbull preached the gospel and prayed for the sick.
The crowd tripled from the night before! God is moving mightily in that city. His hand is unmistakably at work, drawing people and transforming hearts.
Day 4 – Sodo
Two soldiers came forward to testify of miraculous healings.
One, named Ephrium, had been shot in the foot and endured constant pain, especially in cold weather. But after prayer, the pain vanished. To the crowd’s amazement, he sprinted across the stage, joyfully testing his restored foot.
Day 4 – Sodo
Another former soldier, Mamoosh, described how a tumor on his right hip, baffling doctors for years, vanished during prayer. He bent and stretched freely on stage, praising Jesus for his healing.
Day 4 – Sodo
Destiy carried a slip of paper with her father’s name – he was too sick to attend. But during prayer, the swelling under his arm disappeared, and he was healed at home.
Day 4 – Sodo
Adamado, who had struggled with blurry vision for a year, shared his testimony as well. After prayer, his sight was fully restored.
To prove it, he spotted someone in the crowd wearing a shirt with the number 26. Then, filled with clarity in more ways than one, Adamado knelt, sensing God’s call to become a mighty evangelist.
Day 4 – Sodo
As the night closed, we prayed a blessing over both cities: Evangelist David Rotärmel in Hosanna and Evangelist Joe Turnbull in Sodo. With hands raised high, the people eagerly received the blessing and a great eruption of joy followed.
Day 3 – Hosanna
Saturday nights are always special as we pray for many – especially new converts – to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.
It’s a moment only God can orchestrate. With no way to lay hands on everyone, we pray over the entire crowd, trusting Jesus, the Baptizer, to do the rest.
Day 3 – Hosanna
In Hosanna, as I prayed, the Holy Spirit swept through the field like a rushing wind.
The fire of God fell, and the crowd erupted in praise as people were immersed in the Spirit, speaking in new tongues, encountering Jesus in powerful ways. Before it was over, nearly every musician and pastor on the platform lay on the ground, under the power of God. Then, I began to pray for the sick.
Day 3 – Hosanna
In Hosanna, for some reason, testimonies had been slow throughout the week, but a breakthrough was near. As the Spirit moved, I noticed an older woman in the crowd pressing her hands to her ears, praying earnestly.
Instantly, she began waving her arms – something miraculous was unfolding. She pushed through the crowd toward the front. Taking her hand, I led her onto the platform and asked what happened. This woman lived on the outskirts of Hosanna and had traveled into town just for the campaign. Deaf in both ears for seven years, she said the moment I pointed at her, her ears popped open – she could hear! She danced and jumped across the platform, overcome with unrestrained joy.
Day 3 – Hosanna
This is Xermekum, a young man medically discharged from the military after losing hearing in both ears for two years.
He hadn’t planned to attend the campaign – he was in town from the countryside to handle banking, but nothing had gone as expected. Discouraged, he saw the event’s advertisements and decided to go. During the prayer, his ears suddenly popped open. Overwhelmed, he made his way to the platform, trembling and weeping. Falling to his knees, he clung to my legs, overcome with emotion. I gently helped him up, telling him it was Jesus, not me, who had healed him.
Day 3 – Sodo
Meanwhile In Sodo, as Joe Turnbull prayed for the Holy Spirit to move, a young boy near the front, crying out to the Lord, suddenly collapsed.
When he stood, the infected leg he had battled for two years was completely healed. Overwhelmed, he ran to the stage with his sister, both in awe of what the Lord had done.
Day 3 – Sodo
Nazareth, deaf in her right ear since age three, found her hearing restored. She covered her good ear, confirming she could now hear perfectly.
Day 3 – Sodo
Wubnesh, who had struggled to breathe because of a tumor in her throat, came forward too.
Her sister had been healed the night before, and with faith stirred, she prayed for herself. Tonight, she testified – the tumor was gone!
Day 2 – Sodo
Tonight, the city of Sodo echoed with the sound of the Gospel, carried on the wind and lifted by the hearts of the thousands who gathered.
With majestic mountains as a backdrop, Daniel Kolenda preached on the blood of Jesus and invited people to step out of darkness into the light where the blood of Jesus Christ would cleanse them from all sin. Hands shot up the moment the altar call was given.
Day 2 – Sodo
As the night unfolded, the time came to break the chains that had held this land captive.
Barrels filled with objects of witchcraft were set ablaze, and as the crowd counted – “1, 2, 3” – the flames leapt into the sky, symbolizing freedom. Joy erupted as the curse was lifted, and the air was filled with songs of praise.
Day 2 – Sodo
Admaso had been unable to move his wrist for 11 years after falling from a tree. After prayer, he waved his hands joyfully and even confirmed his healing by doing push-ups on stage.
Day 2 – Sodo
Twubech suffered for 5 months with pain and could not bend her back. She praised the Lord on stage, bending over and dancing.
Day 2 – Sodo
Emmanuel, who had injured his knee playing soccer and suffered pain for over a year, was healed. He jumped up and down on his healed knee, praising Jesus for his miracle.
Day 2 – Hosanna
The night began with a battle in the spirit.
At 5 a.m., the team gathered on the rooftop of the hotel to pray for breakthrough, sensing the grip of religion, pride, and compromise over the city. As they lifted their voices in prayer, God began to move. By the time the campaign field opened that evening, the crowd had tripled from the night before, and a spirit of expectancy filled the air.
Day 2 – Hosanna
Evangelist David Rotärmel preached powerfully, confronting the forces of deception and bondage.
As the altar call was given, the crowd responded with cries of repentance, calling upon Jesus to cleanse them completely. It was a moment of profound freedom, and even after the campaign ended, the streets of Hosanna echoed with songs about Jesus. From the hotel, the team could still hear the joyful singing of those who had encountered the Savior!
Day 2 – Hosanna
Sabiba, a mother from Hosanna, testified about her son Tesfahun, whose arm was severely injured in a motorcycle accident.
For three years, he couldn’t stretch it. But tonight, Jesus healed him, and he stretched his arm fully in front of the crowd, pain-free.
Day 1 – Sodo
Tonight marked the beginning of our second week here in Ethiopia, where we are holding two simultaneous campaigns in the cities of Sodo (where I am tonight) and Hosanna (where I will be this Saturday and Sunday).
Day 1 – Sodo
“Tonight, I witnessed something I’ve never experienced before.
As I preached, I spoke about the promise in Philippians 2:10 – that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Then, something remarkable happened. Without my prompting, the crowd began to kneel in the dirt, lifting their hands and spontaneously calling on the name of Jesus. I knelt with them, waiting for the moment to pass so I could continue, but they had no intention of stopping. Their cries to the Lord grew even more fervent, many of them weeping, pouring out their hearts in raw, genuine surrender. It was such a powerful moment that my own eyes filled with tears. Finally, with all of us still on our knees before the King of Kings, I led them in a prayer of salvation.”
Tag 1 – Sodo
Tamrat, who had been dealing with debilitating pain in his left arm for three years following a motorcycle accident, was healed and could lift his arm again!
Day 1 – Sodo
Martha, unable to move her right leg and suffering from kidney pain for five years, was healed and danced joyfully on stage.
Day 1 – Sodo
Impressions
Day 1 – Hosanna
In the city of Hosanna, the day began with heavy rain pouring down, driving away the crowd that had gathered.
As the rain continued, Evangelist David Rotärmel – the Bootcamp graduate who is stationed there – watched the people scatter, seeking shelter. Moved by the unfolding disaster, the Vice Chairman of the campaign began to weep, lifting up a heartfelt prayer for the rain to cease and for the people to return. Amazingly, the rain quickly stopped, and the people returned to the field – in even greater numbers than before!
Day 1 – Hosanna
David preached the Gospel with all his heart and then prayed for the sick. We saw tremendous miracles on this first night.
Day 1 – Hosanna
Taddeus, who had suffered from a severe headache linked to witchcraft since 1994, was set free and completely healed.
Sodo
Sodo, we have arrived, and every ear will hear, every eye will see that Jesus is the answer.
Sodo
Setting up the lighting, the stage, and the sound system in Sodo
Hosanna
Our second team in Hosanna is also on schedule and efficiently preparing everything for this week.
Sodo
Our first team is heading to Sodo
