Chaplain Eddie Mekasha, who immigrated to the United States from Ethiopia 22 years ago, loves books and telling stories. “And my best story is the story of Jesus,” he says with a smile.
In 2007, Rev. Mekasha graduated from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, and ever since, he has looked for opportunities to share the Good News with the people around him. No one is a stranger for long, and Rev. Mekasha is quick to share the Good News, especially with people who (like him) don’t speak English as a first language.
“For me, America is like heaven in Revelation 7:9, with all its diversity,” he explained. “At the end of days, we will be in heaven with all people and all languages.”
In addition to working from St. Mark Lutheran Church in Omaha, Rev. Mekasha also works as a foster care supervisor with the Department of Human Services (DHS). Many of his clients come from homes where English is not their heart language.
“I feel a great burden for these children,” said Rev. Mekasha. “There are a lot of families who have children before knowing how to raise children. And so I am a kind of father.”
In his role, Rev. Mekasha often sees opportunities to share LHF’s children’s Bible books in languages like Spanish, Burmese and Swahili.
“Every situation is a good opportunity for us to proclaim the Gospel,” Rev. Mekasha reflected. “Every situation brings people to Jesus Christ.”
Due to DHS regulations, Rev. Mekasha is always very careful to seek out foster parents’ permission before giving LHF’s Bible books to the children. “It’s very painful for these kids to be away from their biological parents,” Rev. Mekasha concluded. “But I can point them to the Way, the Truth and the Life.”
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