Along the Way

Yemane gazed at the patch of sky that was visible through the opening in the ground some six feet above his head. His arms were bound behind him, and his throat was parched after sustaining Eritrea’s stifling climate for hours without a drink of water. Once again, Yemane was in the hole because he could not keep his faith to himself. At age 35, Yemane was drafted into the African nation’s military. Yet, he remained a dedicated Christian, faithfully sharing the Gospel with other soldiers. He was often punished for this and had been sent to the hole five times before finally being imprisoned.

Despite terrible conditions, no beds and minimal bathroom breaks each day, Yemane continued to share the Gospel with his fellow inmates. “Whenever I preached,” he recounts of those difficult years, “the soldiers beat me. I thought of Jesus on the cross and did not feel the pain.”

Eventually, Yemane was placed in solitary confinement and suffered intense heat and dehydration, triggering a stroke which put him in a coma for 14 days. The authorities released him due to poor health, and Yemane was set free, though in a horrible state and disabled due to his stroke.

Thankfully, Yemane was able to seek medical treatment outside of Eritrea, and he now resides in an Ethiopian refugee camp. This long-suffering believer lives a very modest life, not having much but faithfully using what God provides to care for street children and support the local church in the camp.