I genuinely believe that everyone thinks his religion- be it Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, and so on, is the right one. Even atheists who don’t believe in the existence of God or those who never associated themselves with any form of religion or ideology believe that where they are right now is the most comfortable place to be or else they would have already made conversion. Of course, there are exceptional cases where some people in some parts of the world couldn’t make that conversion because of many external factors beyond their will. Except in the latter cases, the majority of us could convert to a religion which we think is right. I am privileged to have that choice in 1993 and again in 1999.

Though my parents were from Orthodox Christianity and I was taken to church once in awhile, throughout my child and boyhood, I was unable to take time and seek God by myself. I never read the Bible. I could say that, I didn’t have a religion of my choice. For that matter, I wasn’t exceptional- almost all of my peers and relatives where in the same boat- we weren’t acquainted to the Bible or God though we were classified by birth as Christians of a particular denomination. I presume that, this trend had been there for centuries and I am not here complaining and/or accusing any one in particular.

However, in one fateful day, I was introduced to a congregation that was a result of revival within the Orthodox Church. I am not sure the exact date or month but I assume that it was in 1993. For the first time, I came to know that there was the Son of God who came on earth and liberated us from Satan’s bondage. Without taking much time, I had shown such a great interest that I dropped other commitments to pursue God and His calling in my life. Looking back, I still wonder how that kind of revival was initiated and sustained within a very conservative denomination. I and many young guys formed a kind of youth fellowship in our village and carried out a revival of our own. It still surprises me to know that we were well taught about Jesus, healed sick, and casted out demons in His Name. Many idols of our parents’ were burned and we brought our own parents to the Bible, which they never had read before.

In the middle of this revival, I got a passing grade and should enroll at Addis Ababa University. A few of my friends tried to talk me out while some questioned whether I should leave that powerful revival since I was leader of the fellowship. Though I didn’t know whether the Holy Spirit resides within us when we accept Jesus as our savior, there was a voice that told me not to camp there. With lots of prayer and fasting, I moved on. It was hard to let go off such a successful movement and register to become a student but, looking back, it was one of the defining moments in my life.

Of course, there were many interesting stories and happenings around that time but I would like to share with you one feature of newly converts like me in those old days. When we were introduced to the Bible and Jesus, most of us abandoned what we were doing somewhere else. Some of the ‘A’ students started to score ‘C’ and even ‘F’. We almost thought that we should forsake everything we were doing including learning, following news, wearing good and stylish clothes and shoes, and so on. We thought we found our destination and tried to create radical and unique community of converts. That was why leaving to the capital city to pursue my education was perceived as a backsliding act and a disloyalty to the faith, and my peers.

With our little life experience and limited spiritual information, training, and mentoring, we shouldn’t be blamed for our short-sightedness and radical behaviors. Rather than seeking further wisdom, knowledge, and principles, we thought we figured it all and acted as if we knew it all. Of course, I later learned that many members of that group went to get diplomas and degrees. Still, some of them got converted into the Evangelical denomination, pursued theology, and are serving.

Remain tuned for Part II...