God’s Timing ≠ My Timing

Waiting is hard. In the waiting time, it is easy to question God’s faithfulness. One thing that has been made abundantly clear over the last year of my life is that my timing does not equal God’s timing. Of course, I’ve always had an awareness of this fact.  But, painfully, this maxim has incarnated itself in my life. I continue to wait on the Lord for the next call. My family anxiously waits to move out of a season of transition (2 years of transition) into the next chapter of setting down roots. We are ready. But, the Lord has been patiently plotting and scheming. His ways are higher than my ways. His timing is better than mine. But, from my vantage point right now, it sure doesn’t feel like it.

Have you been there? Stuck in a wilderness and wondering around which corner you will finally glimpse the Promised Land. Waiting is not my thing. And so, I lean into the promise of the Lord shared from the mouth of Isaiah.

So is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Isaiah 55:11

It is in the midst of this season when I’m getting closer and closer to fed up that I share the story of Onesimus Nesib. Because God’s supremacy is consistent—even when it runs in the background. Even when we don’t see Him working—He is. And here is a powerful story of that reminder.

The Saint of Translation for Ethiopia

Onesimus Nesib is likely not a name that you have heard. His story is one that will inspire you, however. He was born in the Oromo region of Ethiopia. The Oromo people are the largest tribe in Ethiopia and their language is one of the most widely spoken languages in all of Africa. Yet, despite their size, in number and geography, their tribe’s story is one of oppression and struggle. Onesimus’ father was killed and he was stolen from his mother at the young age of 4. He was sold into slavery 4 different times before having his freedom purchased by Swedish Missionaries. Onesimus had an unquenchable thirst for learning. He was also introduced to Jesus and became a devout follower. After being educated in Sweden, Onesimus journeyed back with a heart for being a missionary to his homeland. He wanted to share the gospel with the people of Oromia.

It took Onesimus and his companions 3 different expeditions to get back to the heart of Oromia. Each of these journeys, as you might imagine, were met with trial, challenge, unequaled danger, sickness, political unrest, and even death. If you are interested, I encourage you to read more of his story here. His heart longed for the people of his tribe to come to know Jesus and trust in Him the way that He did. He was resolved to do whatever it took to fulfill the mission that the Lord had laid on his heart.

It was after the third expedition failed that Onesimus shifted his focus. It was still his desire to return to his homeland region. But he wanted to continue what he had begun on a previous journey: write and translate books into the language of Oromia. He authored his own book, “100 songs and psalms.” And he translated Martin Luther’s Small Catechism into Oromo as well. In this spirit, Onesimus set out to translate the Bible into the language of his people. However, one of the big problems was, due to his long time spent away from home, he did not have a mastery of the Oromo language. Aster Ganno came to his aide. Although she is not given credit in any of the work, this faithful servant was invaluable to the translation process. She helped Onesimus by writing a dictionary of idiom phrases and other expressions to help in the translation process. Perhaps not unique to this situation–denying the contributions of a woman during this time period, but in all of my conversations regarding Onesimus as well as my readings, Aster is mentioned as an invaluable asset who never got credit. I appreciate that history continues to remember her and give her credit today.

And so, Onesimus, with Aster’s help, took 11 years to translate the entire bible, and many other texts. The bible was finished in June of 1897 and Onesimus traveled to St. Chrischona to oversee its printing.

The Best and the Worst in Humanity

Religion and politics are two topics you are not supposed to speak of when you have company. So, adding the two together is like adding more accelerant. The religious and political forces that raised roadblocks for Onesimus’ expeditions did not improve once the Bible translation was finished. In fact, the objections only intensified. The Ethiopian Orthodox Christians claim lineage all the way back to the Ethiopian Eunuch of Acts 8. This was, and in some way still is, the church of power in Ethiopia. They did not like Onesimus translating the Word into the language of the people and they rejected some of the teachings of his Lutheran faith. He got in hot water a number of times and, under the pressure of Coptic church leaders, the government confiscated as many of Onesimus’ bibles as they could find. That’s right. It was illegal to own a copy of the Bible that Onesimus translated into Oromo.

The story of the Oromo people remains one of persecution and hardship in many ways. While the restriction on the Oromo Bible was lifted in the years following, the people of Oromia have suffered under corrupt leadership for decades. The communist reign of 1977-1991 certainly did not benefit the region of Oromia, and this tribe has not experienced abundance in the aftermath either. And yet God continues to work. All of Ethiopia, but certainly anchored by the Oromo people, are experiencing a profound movement of the Holy Spirit. The Lutheran church in Ethiopia is already the largest Lutheran church in the world. It is also the fastest growing. Each year there are hundreds of thousands who are coming to faith and being baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Let me be clear. It is the work of the Holy Spirit that is doing amazing things in this country. However, it was the work of the Holy Spirit through a saint named Onesimus Nesib (and Aster Ganno) that laid the foundation for the Spirit to be unleashed today. Millions of people know Jesus because of the faithful work of these two servants. Indeed, the Lord’s Word does not return empty. Sometimes its return seems slow to my calendar. But the Lord’s timing is always perfect. If only I could get my head to trust this truth all the time.

Lasting Impact

In January I had the honor of visiting Onesimus’ grave. It is in the heart of the Oromo region–the place he longed to live and share the Good News of Jesus as a missionary to his own people. His grave is the most holy place in all of Oromia. A crowd gathered around us as we laid flowers at his headstone. Next to the grave plot is a small and humble church building. It is packed to the brim each Sunday for worship. In fact, this standing room only house of worship spills out into the courtyard–almost to the street. After a time of prayer and singing praise, our group was given a tour of the new church building that is being constructed immediately next to the humble church building. It is a magnificent, open air, three story sanctuary looking out over the beauty of God’s creation. When completed, thousands will gather in this space to sing and praise the Name that is above every name.

God is on the move in Oromia and all across Ethiopia. Africa too, for that matter. 120 years ago the landscape was different. A man was willing to be obedient in the face of impossible odds. Maybe 20 people would show up for Bible study and worship. Today, God’s Word is full. It has returned. And the time is ripe for the Western world to lend an ear to what the Spirit of God is doing in Africa. In Ethiopia, And in Oromia.

One final piece of the story. In several sudden, recent, and surprising events, the government of Ethiopia endured a quick transition of power. Today there is a new Prime Minister in charge of Ethiopia, Dr. Abiy Ahmed. He is a faithful man who earnestly prays to Jesus–I’ve had the privilege of praying with him and I invite you to join me in praying for him. As such, it is fitting, with the fullness of God’s Word, that the Bible that was translated by Onesimus and was outlawed by the government, now sits on the desk of the highest office in the land. Indeed, God has a longitudinal approach to His work.