Ethiopia Mission 2023 Testimony: Robert Dixon

This past summer, a bunch of The Wesley folks and I went on a month-long mission trip to Ethiopia. Not a single person in our group had ever been to Africa, so we were all stoked to get the chance to serve with our fellow brothers and sisters there. I would probably need an entire day to try and fill you in on the entire trip, but I can at least give you a glimpse here. 

The first thing I have to say is that Ethiopia is a beautiful country. It’s a mountainous country with multiple mountains over 14,000 feet high, yet it also has places not too much higher than Louisiana. We were able to witness some truly spectacular sights, including one of the largest waterfalls I have ever seen after an hour-long hike from the remote village we were staying in. While in the remote village, I prayed on top of a Land Rover and watched the sun rise and the fog settle over the river valley splitting the mountains in the distance from the ones we were sitting on. Now while those views and experiences were incredible, they were nothing compared to the hospitality, the kindness, and the love we were met with by the people there. 

When we first got to Ethiopia at around midnight, we met Travis and his brother Aaron, our missionary hosts who work with CMF. CMF stands for Christian Missionary Fellowship, and they are working in Ethiopia doing some church planting and training native Ethiopian pastors and better equipping them to share the gospel. The next day we got an introductory briefing and met our two future friends and translators Lalisa and Esse. 

They are both of the Oromo people, an ethnic group native to Ethiopia, and two of the best people there are. I didn’t know it at the time, but they were just the first of many amazing folks we’d meet. Esse is a fun-loving father of three who has worked with CMF for many years and is truly gifted for children’s ministry. We ran multiple VBS-like events where we played games and acted out Bible stories, and he would translate and get the kids’ attention with a song or a game. He could turn just about pure chaos into order in a heartbeat. Lalisa was our main translator and stayed with us the entire month we were in Ethiopia. We were the first people he spent an extended period of time with that spoke English, and he taught us a lot about the culture and the people. He taught us how to eat family style all from one plate, only using our right hand and being sure to ask the people around us if they wanted more. Being generous is a central aspect of Ethiopian culture, and so even if you tell someone you’re full, they’ll ask you if you’re sure two more times just to make sure you’ve had all the food you want.

The first time I felt like I saw God at work while in Ethiopia was when we were running games for some children at our first VBS. This one very small toddler, probably around 1.5 to 2 years old was sick and crying, and this other boy who looked to be around 7 was taking care of him. The older boy let the younger one cling to him like a backpack for most of the day and he sat out of all the games because if he left the younger boy for a moment he would start crying. At the end of the day we all got pieces of Ethiopian candy, and I gave the older boy mine. He immediately gave it to the younger boy who was riding on his back. Then when Esse, who was handing out the candy, came to him and gave him two pieces of candy, he handed one back, saying he had already gotten one from me. When Esse told him to keep the extra one, he bit it in half and gave half to the younger boy. Now this amazed me and made me feel a bit convicted. This boy was completely honest and selfless. At the end of the day, he was still smiling despite missing out on all the games. 

Our second week was when we went to the remote village in a place called Masha. Our welcome there was the most extravagant one I’ve ever witnessed. We were in the Land Rovers and couldn’t fit them through the gate to drive the last 50 yards to the church, so instead of us walking our luggage the short 50 yards, the people who had come to welcome us quickly started cutting down their fence until there was enough space for us to fit through. They then moved everything out of the way in the church so we could stay there, helped us unload our luggage, and fed us. It was a struggle to do just about anything for ourselves that entire week because the people were so generous and wanted to help. I found myself confused about who was helping and serving who, and I realized that I was surrounded by people who truly knew and served God. The church was mainly elderly people, and so we ran a VBS for the children while the adults had a revival program. It was a success, and there were a bunch of kids that came. One thing we did learn is that it’s a terrible idea to throw candy in the air if you’re surrounded by children. 

The most powerful moment I experienced while in Ethiopia was while running a massive children’s program in a Sudanese refugee camp in Ethiopia. The Sudanese refugee camps we went to had been around for over 20 years, so most of the children there had been born there. The first day we had around 200 children, and the second day that number more than doubled. It was incredible. We struggled to make room to play games or do crafts due to the sheer number of kids that came. We shared Bible stories, such as David and Goliath, Jonah and the Whale, and the Good Samaritan, and after that we played their version of Duck Duck Goose. There was an elderly lady who spoke pretty good English who would teach us about the games or tell us how to correct the children in case they got out of line when she wasn’t looking. The last day we were there everyone had tea or coffee, and I sat by her. She mentioned something to me, and I just remember being overcome with a sense of joy and sorrow. I was sitting in a refugee camp in Africa surrounded by children and sitting next to an incredibly faithful and kind woman, and I was overwhelmed by the sense that it was a gift, and that God loved me. It’s my hope that the woman beside me felt the same way.

Now to say there weren’t challenges would be inaccurate. I spent around half the trip some form of sick, and there were definitely some moments of discomfort, but I can say that I feel blessed that I got to go, and I can’t wait to go back this summer. 

Robert Dixon (pictured here with fiancée and former Intern Bekah Beck) is an Missionary Intern at The Wesley and someone dear to our hearts. He enjoys country music, playing guitar, fishing, hunting, and spending time in nature. We are grateful for his servant’s heart and look forward to his leadership on our second mission trip to Ethiopia this summer!