Just before lunch, Pastor Tesfaye, our national partner who had been translating the Amharic sermons into English for me, gave us all this analogy: “We have a show called Ethiopian Idol,” he said. “On this show young musicians, dancers, and artists get the chance to perform and be critiqued and coached by senior stars. In this way the young performers are being excellently trained and improve greatly. How much more should we be doing this in the church?” he asked. “And yet,” he lamented, “there is no one to sit in the back when you preach, take notes, and help you grow. Today,” he told the students, “you took part in something even better than Ethiopian Idol. What an opportunity. What a gift.”
