Christian woman murdered in Ethiopia; Tragedy inspires her 2 sons to follow Jesus Christ
A Christian woman who lived in a predominantly Muslim community in Ethiopia's Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region (SNNPR) was killed last month after sustaining injuries from her neighbors' beatings. It turned out she did not die in vain, as the tragedy inspired two of her sons to follow Christ as well.
Workitu, a woman in her fifties and a mother of three, surrendered her life to Christ in August 2015. After that time, her husband beat her regularly and her neighbors constantly threatened her for leaving Islam.
She was advised by her church leaders to report her husband's abuse to the authorities, which she did in February. However, the police did not accommodate her request for help.
One day, Workitu's husband and a neighbor pressured her to sell the drought relief aid that she had kept for her children. Workitu refused, and for that her husband and neighbor attacked her until she fell unconscious, according to a report from nonprofit organization Open Doors USA.
She was then rushed to a clinic in a neighboring town, but the clinic recommended that she be moved to a hospital four days later. She died while she was being transferred to the health facility.
However, her death bore fruit when two of her sons gave their lives to Christ, saying they wanted to embrace the God whom their mother chose to follow and dedicated her life to. One of her friends from the village also made the decision to surrender to Jesus.
Workitu's killers have since been caught and charged with murder. Although she had died, her life served as a powerful witness to her sons and friends.
A church member said, "I know she would have been extremely delighted had she witnessed her sons' decision to follow Christ."
Christians in Ethiopia face persecution from some of the followers of Islam. Some members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church have also labeled Christians as "false prophets" and "deniers of Virgin Mary and the saints," according to Open Doors.
