Into the Lions' Den
On the last episode of Travel the Road, "Into the Lion's Den":
A Breakthrough in Prayer
Tim, Will and Joe departed Addis Ababa east on a 26-hour bus ride to Harar. The missionaries encountered harassment and cursing on the streets of Harar. The anger and despair among the people were evident as Will sarcastically quipped, "Lots of love here". It was evident they were not welcome in Harar, a 1,000 year old Muslim city. As they traveled north to Dire Dawa, Tim and Will experienced a breakthrough in prayer. Tim recalled this powerful time with the Lord, "We just had a huge breakthrough tonight. We held so much bitterness in our hearts towards the people of Harar. We had been cursed on the streets, yelled at on the buses, and told to move far from the area or die". Could this be a small taste of the persecutions the Lord Himself encountered during his 33 years on earth? Tim continued, "But it wasn't their words that hurt, it was our response to the persecution that yielded our strong conviction. We had come to Ethiopia to be vessels of light, but we failed in our anger. It was our own iniquity that held us back". As they confessed their sins unto the Lord, they felt the power of the Holy Spirit anoint their lives and realized, as they huddled in prayer, that a new journey was about to begin.
See a clip from the show: "A Breakthrough in Prayer"
Into the Lion's Den
Fresh off their breakthrough in prayer and feeling adventurous, the missionaries took a 10-hour ride to the Awash National Park to experience the Africa they had always dreamed of. Upon arriving, Tim said somewhat prophetically, "We're on the way to our camp site where lions stalk the tents at night. We're hoping to see some wildlife tonight". They would later realize the old adage is true - be careful what you wish for, because it may come true. Once in the African bush, Tim questioned their decision saying, "I can't say it was the brightest decision to start walking through the bush after we heard the bellows of a lion, but I guess we were curious." Once settled in for the night, their dream soon became a nightmare as their camp site was stalked by ferocious lions. For several hours of the night, they heard the panting and roars of lions just outside their tent. Tim later recalled what got them through the night, "We prayed and God sent angels and protected us and everything was good. But that will be the last time we'll be camping in the Awash National Park". The next morning, sunlight never looked so good as they gazed upon the massive footprints just meters from their tent.
See a clip from the show: "Into the Lion's Den."
Goodbye to a Dear Friend
After their near death experience in the Awash National Park, the missionaries traveled on, eventually returning to Addis Ababa, where Joe decided it was time to return to the United States after four life-changing months. Tim and Will prayed blessings and a safe return home over Joe. For Tim and Will it seemed a little strange and lonely without Joe, but they realized they had to press on "looking for a place to preach the Gospel".
See a clip from the show: "Goodbye to a Dear Friend"
A New Beginning
Tim and Will continued east from Addis Ababa to the town of Gambela near the Sudan border. There they found a Christian church where the people loved the Lord and welcomed them with open arms, a stark contrast to what they had experienced in other regions of Ethiopia. Gambela represented the harsh, physical realities of traveling the road, as they stayed in a 35-cents-per-night hotel. Roosters crowed outside keeping them up most of the night and the outhouse behind the building crawled with maggots. The only provision they had for survival was Ambo bottled water, a far better alternative than the polluted river water the locals drank, but still burned the throat going down. While the lack of physical amenities were obvious, Tim and Will were blessed to see the great things God was doing in the hearts of the Gambela people. For the two missionaries, Gambela refreshed their spirits and made them see more clearly the path the Lord had placed before them.