Aman Kuli Ambo was born on April 24, 1990, in Qersa Village, located in the East Arsi Zone of the Oromia Region in Ethiopia. Raised in a devout Muslim family, Aman was one of many children—his father had three wives, resulting in Aman having 32 brothers and 4 sisters.

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At the age of 15, Aman married a 13-year-old Muslim girl, and together they had two children. From a young age, Aman was passionately devoted to Islam and became known in his community for his zealous defense of the Muslim faith and his persecution of Christians.

 

A Zealot's Mission to Disprove Christianity

Determined to refute Christianity, Aman purchased a Bible and read it thoroughly—four times from Genesis to Revelation. His intent was to use Scripture as a tool to discredit the Christian faith and reinforce Islamic teachings. During this time, he successfully converted 17 Christians to Islam through debates and discussions, relying heavily on his knowledge of the Bible.

 

Aman also compiled 720 challenging questions from the Bible to confront Christians. His boldness earned him great admiration from the Muslim community.

 

A Divine Encounter

One day, while riding on horseback with friends to attend a wedding, Aman fell off his horse. His leg got caught in the stirrup, and he was dragged for several minutes. In that terrifying moment, he saw the name “Jesus” written in the air—three times.

 

When the name appeared a third time, Aman felt a powerful force leave his body. In desperation, he cried out, “Jesus!” Instantly, the horse stopped, and Aman stood up completely unharmed. For the next two weeks, he was overwhelmed with thoughts of Jesus. The experience had left a mark on his soul.

 

A Stranger Sent by God

Two weeks later, Aman met a man named Endalkachew Worku, who had come from Awasa in southern Ethiopia. Aman overheard him saying to a shoe shiner, “God has sent me to this village.” Surprised, Aman confronted him, questioning how God could send someone without a holy book in hand, as Islamic tradition requires.

 

Despite his skepticism, Aman invited Endalkachew to his home, which was in the same compound as the village mosque. He asked him about the Jesus he had seen during the horse incident. Endalkachew began to teach him about the Gospel. Over six months, Aman received discipleship, which confirmed the Scriptures he had already studied.

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At the end of those six months, Aman made the life-changing decision to accept Jesus Christ as his personal Savior.

 

Planting Churches and Secret Evangelism

After Aman’s conversion, Endalkachew returned to Awasa. Later, Aman traveled to Awasa to find him and invited him back to Qersa. Together, they planted Qersa Mekane Yesus Church, purchasing land and constructing a building that still stands today.

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While still appearing to be a Muslim in public, Aman quietly helped plant two more churches in Aderie Ansha and Laqich with Endalkachew. During this time, he also initiated a contextualized evangelism program for Muslim high school students, sharing the Gospel in a culturally relevant way.

 

Aman organized 160 students to be disciple by Endalkachew. Of those, 120 remained and were taught the Gospel. The remaining 40 backed out, fearing the teaching was too convincing and might “bewitch” them.

 

Eventually, a pastor from Awasa Mekane Yesus Church came and baptized the 120 students. Aman was baptized on the same day.

 

Persecution and Loss

People were in disbelief when news of Aman’s conversion reached the mosque. Some came to the church to confirm it for themselves and found Aman boldly leading worship.

 

Soon, persecution followed. His immediate family and clan tried to bribe him with money and promises of a trip to Saudi Arabia if he returned to Islam. When he refused, they fired him from his job and forced him out of his home. The community turned against him, and his entire clan disowned him, declaring: “If he is killed, no one is to be held accountable. If anyone cooperates with him, let them also be excluded.”

 

Still, Aman remained unwavering in his faith. He declared: “You can cut me open if you like, but you will never take Jesus out of me. I would rather die than deny Him.”

 

His wife was pressured to leave him. She abandoned their two young children—a four-month-old and a two-year-old—and remarried just six months later. The pain of her departure caused Aman great emotional suffering, even driving him to a period of mental distress.