The Burning Bush Vol 9 No 2.pmd - Far Eastern Bible College

126
The Burning Bush 9/2 (July 2003)
From Height of Success into Valley of Distress
The second turning point occurred between March and May of 1991.
This was the period when civil war in Ethiopia reached its climax. The
Minister of Defence made a proclamation which was binding on all
students in the various colleges and universities. The institutions were
shut down, and we were taken to a military training base. Thus, I found
myself sliding down the ladder of life from the height of success into the
valley of distress. My situation changed from that of a promising
university student into a somewhat desperate soldier. My dreams turned
into a nightmare. Worse of all, by the end of two months’ training, the
rebels had won the battle, and our lives were at stake. There was no
choice but to run for our lives. I fled to Kenya on May 28, 1991 for
refuge. I was in the company of thousands of soldiers, students, and
civilians. If it were not for God’s sustaining grace, I would not have been
able to bear that pain. In Kenya, there was no proper camp
accommodation for all the refugees who flooded into that land. We were
kept in a bush, as a temporary refugee camp, where there was no water,
food, or shelter. The only water we could find was from a stream into
which the sewage of a certain town was disposed. The water was stinky
and bitter. But that was the only water we had for the next two months.
We used it for drinking, bathing, washing clothes, and cooking food. We
should all have been dead through plague or disease. But the sovereign
hand of God blessed and sanctified the water for us. Later, we were
moved to a slightly better place. However, the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees decided to reduce the number of refugees in
the camp. Through indirect means, they forced our repatriation by
depriving us of shelter and food, or by feeding us with expired foodstuff.
We were treated as mere animals with no human value. Yet, the good
hand of God was upon me to protect, comfort and give me grace to
persevere.
From a Labourer of Mammon to a Fisher of Men
After the rebels had established their government, they called all
refugee students to return and continue with their studies. That was really
great news! Most of my friends returned home and resumed their studies.
I was, however, deprived of that privilege. But this was by God’s higher
hand. At that time, I was facing a great trial. My heart was overwhelmed
with fear for my aging mother and younger brother. My father had passed