MULU’S STORY
When her feet touched the land of her beautiful country of Ethiopia, she was filled with a mixture of feelings, bathed in tears with unspeakable joy and yet a sense of accountability for an unfinished purpose that she had given her life to accomplish. That underlying purpose of helping the poor was buried, but still very much alive in her broken heart for about 15 years. Mulu’s story is most unusual with three dramatic seasons of her life.
Season One
As a student she joined the students in the mountains who were organizing an army to overthrow the oppressive, military government that was stifling the life out of the country. She was an organizational and political leader in the mountains, a guerilla fighter and an atheist. In the mountains she married the inspirational, military leader of the army, Tamrat Layne. This young, devoted and well-trained army overthrew the most powerful military in Africa at the time.
Season Two
After 15 years of fighting in the mountains the young victors had to turn their attention to governing. Mulu transitioned from being a guerilla fighter and trainer in the mountains to one of the highest levels within the government—the wife of the Prime Minister. For five years Mulu and Tamrat enjoyed the position of government leadership and had the luxury of starting a family. They had two children during this time
Season Three
At the imprisonment of her husband, Tamrat, Mulu was forced to flee Ethiopia with her two young children. This was the most difficult transition of all, yet most transformational in Mulu’s life. Mulu and her small children settled into a refugee camp in Kenya for several years. Through a dramatic experience, Mulu became a follower of Jesus, at the very same time as Tamrat in prison.
Today, Mulu and Tamrat have come full circle. As guerilla fighters in the mountains, they had the dream of attending to the needs of the poor. But even as they were seated in the highest positions of power, they felt powerless to make any significant difference in the lives of those who had the greatest needs. Now, in the power and spirit of Jesus, they have the opportunity to truly serve the poor as they had originally dreamed. This is now a reality through Life Center Ethiopia.