Tsehaye Beyene, who lives in Malden and comes from Ethiopia, is a pastor of a church in Boston. He serves about 200 people. He gives sermons at church and baptizes babies. He also helps people with their problems. He goes to their houses when somebody they love dies or gets sick and he figures out a way to make them as happy as possible. He also blesses their houses with holy water.
Even though he does all of this, Mr. Beyene is very humble.
“I’m saying the word of God or what God wants me to do or say,” he says. “Even if I say, ‘Bless the house,’ it won’t happen unless God says so.”
Find out what's happening in Maldenfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Mr. Beyene became a priest when he was 20 years old. When his son was two-and-a-half, he decided to leave the Ethiopian area called Raya and go to the city of Addis Abba. He went by himself, and his family joined him about a year later.
“I found lots of land and took as much as I wanted. I was lucky! I just took it because nothing was made on it, and for free. It could probably hold more than 5 buildings! I stayed in a friend’s house until I made my own that me and my family could live in. Then I built my own house and my family came to live a good life.”
Find out what's happening in Maldenfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In 2007, Mr. Beyene left his family again. This time, he went to the U.S.A. He was asked to go to the U.S.A because there was only one pastor in Boston, in his religion, in the church. He says he felt both happy and sad about this. He was happy about going to the U.S.A but sad to leave his family.
Mr. Beyene decided to go to the U.S.A because his boss said so and he didn’t want to refuse him. His family didn’t really like the idea of him leaving because in the past he had already been gone, and they missed him so much then. “Now, when he’s finally back with his family,” said his wife Zewdit, “Here comes the idea of him going to the U.S.A!” They felt sad and were crying when he went to the airport.
In Massachusetts, Mr. Beyene stayed with another pastor until he got his own house. He says that America looked beautiful when he first saw it.
“I chose Malden because I heard lots of people say it’s safe and good for kids to live,” he says.
When his wife and children arrived, he was bursting with happiness. With his family here, it made his life even better.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
