Ojulu Ochalla was a teacher in Ethiopia whose life was threatened by ethnic violence. He now lives and works in Rochester, Minnesota while awaiting the outcome of his asylum application.

This video is part of the “I Am Your Immigrant Neighbor” series, which reframes the immigration conversation with empathy and compassion. Individuals share their unique stories of how they came to the United States and the importance of showing God’s love to every neighbor.

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Video Transcript:

My name is Ojulu Ochalla, and I am an asylum seeker living in Rochester, Minnesota. I was born in Ethiopia, where I worked as a teacher for eight years before joining the Ethiopian foreign ministry. During my time in the ministry, there was a mass killing of my Anuak tribe, and my wife and one of my children were in the same town where the violence occurred. I lost contact with them for two weeks, which was terrifying.

To protect my family, I brought my wife and second son to Geneva, where I was working at the time. However, our safety remained a concern, so I decided to come to the U.S. Security issues are a common challenge in Africa, and it’s crucial to pray for those who face these dangers and lack the means to return to their home countries. We also need more lawyers to help with immigration issues and to share the personal stories of asylum seekers.

It’s important to share God’s Word in your own language and to connect with people by speaking in ways they understand. By doing so, we can share the differences and similarities in faith, and the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.