In a heartfelt conversation with Chryandra Brunson, Brhan Worku invites us to reflect on the power of faith during challenging times. Drawing lessons from her personal experiences and biblical stories, she encourages listeners to face fears with courage by taking incremental steps toward fulfilling their divine purpose. Against the backdrop of recent events in Israel, Brhan’s insights on resilience, unity, and hope remind us to appreciate the small blessings in life and nurture compassion.
Welcome, everyone, to The Calling’s radio show to all the dreamers. I’m your radio host, Dr. Chrysandra Brunson, founder and CEO of The Calling. It is such an honor to be with all of you today. You know, at The Calling, we have realized that so many people are afraid to go after the dreams that God has put inside each one of our hearts. because they are afraid to fail. And that is just plain wrong because if God has given us a dream and we’re not living it out, we are wasting it and we do not want to die with regret. That’s why we love to inspire, empower, and equip people to after God’s calling on their lives to reap the best kind of eternal legacy possible to have immediate impact on ourselves and our families. And we love to do this through so many different avenues, through global conferences, workshops, seminars, but especially through this radio show where we bring on world-renowned guests to be able to share how they’re going after their God-given dreams and how you can do the same. You guys, you asked for it, and she is back, the one and only, Brhann, Worku. And Brhann, we’re so honored to have you back tuning in all the way from Israel. You were just one of our absolute favorites. And we caught up. We got, you know, the time went by way too fast last time. So we’re honored that you can make it today. But welcome to the show.
BRHAN MORKU :
Hello, Chrysandra. Thank you for having me back. I’m excited. I really want to thank you for the first podcast together and now I’m ready for the second. And how are you?
CHRYSANDRA :
I do it doing rate you and you’ve made my day. And I know that we were about a nine hour difference. So I just applaud you, Brian, that you are being able to tune in with us in the middle of the night. I just we all have to applaud that. And in here, you say, l’chaim which means cheers so i got my coffee with me to wake up and i’m here so l’chaim yes l’chaim i think we’re all you know i have my coffee with me i’m doing a cheers if you guys are driving in the car or if you’re at home get your coffee join in you don’t want to miss a second of brhan’s incredible wisdom brhan can you just share a For those that maybe didn’t catch your first time with us, will you be able to share about just your background and a little bit about the history of being an Ethiopian Jew?
BRHAN MORKU :
Yeah, sure. So my name is Brhan and I’m 28 years old who lives in Israel. I’m Ethiopian Jew. And I’m an activist and a speaker for Ethiopian Jews on social media and also in the speaks that I give. And the story of Ethiopian Jews comes with a lot of heritage and legacy that comes from the Ethiopian Jewish life back then in Ethiopia that was preserved as the most as the origin practices that were doing in the times of the of the biblical times. And I’m here to share this story, to share this heritage and to let the world know that there are black Jews, that we have history. And also among the Israelis, among the Jews, Jews here in Israel, Jews outside Israel, non-Jews. And this is what I love to do. And I’m passionate about it.
CHRYSANDRA :
We love it so much and I think that it’s a it’s a realm from that we all need to be more educated on and it really does I you know and just viewing this whole scenario it’s almost this treasure chest that we’ve all had before us but we’ve never opened up to. truly learn and to know that uh you know this is perhaps one of the most sacred um pieces of history that we could take to really utilize and fuel our faith for today what do you think just um would be like the most biblical some of the top biblical practices that maybe aren’t seen in our everyday lives that we could start implementing due to this incredible history
BRHAN MORKU :
Wow. We have this tradition that we are blessing before we’re eating. And before we drink coffee, before we drink water, every time in the day, before we eat breakfast, before we eat lunch, dinner, every time we’re blessing. If I’m going to eat an apple, I’m blessing. And if I’m going to eat vegetable, I’m blessing. And I love this because it brings me to the moment of presence that God created this apple for me. God created this sandwich for me. And I’m here to thank him and to uplift energetically the apple or the sandwich that I’m eating and to uplift the water and to give it a good because water has memory and everything is an energy, right? So if I’m blessing it, And I’m blessing God for having this water. I’m uplifting the energy of the water. And I’m drinking something that is more with high consciousness, higher consciousness. And that’s what I think that also non-Jews should do. Just to be aware of what you’re doing. Sometimes you just eat and give snacks and drink without even thinking. But just a moment to stop and to appreciate what I have in front of me.
CHRYSANDRA :
not take it for granted even the smallest almond or right date like just to appreciate that i think that is that i mean that’s something that we can start implementing right this moment as we hear that when you from when you say bless it what can you articulate what that looks like for you of how simple or profound that can be
BRHAN MORKU :
Yes. So before I’m drinking, for example, this coffee, I’m saying, I’m blessing God that everything was created in his word. And then I’m drinking it. But if it’s like an apple, I’m saying, Thank you, God, that you created this fruit from the tree. And I know there’s more and more and more blessings when you go into deep to that. But I think for the beginning, just to watch what you eat before or look at what you drink and just say, thank you, God.
CHRYSANDRA :
Yeah. Thank you. Well, I think, you know, so many people, you know, kind of this new age realm that some people like to speak on that everyone can kind of relate to it because it really does this. There’s biblical truth to being grateful to blessing what we put inside of our bodies, blessing the area, the people that we interact with. And to see that that is part of your everyday life, Brhan, is just amazing. it’s i mean i think it’s life-changing and it’s something that we all need to start really enriching in our hearts so i’m not sure if your books are ready or not brhan but we need to know that we need to have it all written down for us to see those practices will you share with us uh just on this journey of going after what god’s called you to There’s so many times where we pray for miracles, but we don’t want to be in a particular moment needed for one. Can you tell us a time where you had no idea how you were going to get through a situation while you were being a speaker, while you were being able to really share you out and live out your calling? How did you, what was that miracle and how did you see it come to be?
BRHAN MORKU :
Wow. I have a story in my mind. I was, I feel like sometimes when you don’t know what really to do, It’s or that you’re releasing and you say, okay, God, I trust you, Hashem. I don’t know what to do, but I trust you. Or there’s one specific mission that you don’t want to do. And no matter what, you’re going to end up and do it. And after that, suddenly things open up. Suddenly, like, something, it’s, like, flowing. But you have to do that. Sometimes, I don’t know, you have to be in that job. You have to put these boundaries to your colleague. You have to give that good word to your neighbor. Like, something… For me, it was… I was doing… i was i was participating in an article about ethiopian jews and the protest that they had back then i think in 2018 and i didn’t want to engage with that because it it brought me a lot of pain and i didn’t know what to to do and i was driving with a friend and we were lost it was in the state actually in pennsylvania And we didn’t know it was late at night. And I was like, why can’t you drive to the place that we need? And she said, I don’t know, suddenly my Google Maps is not working. And I felt like God wanted me to finish that article and to say what I want to say, really. And after I finished that and I said, OK, let me focus on that. Suddenly, the Google Maps started to work, and she found our way back with her car. And for me, it was really like, I didn’t know what to do, but sometimes you know what to do. You just want to avoid it. It’s like Jonah that prophesied that he didn’t want to do his mission, and God said, no, you… You need to do what you came to do in this world. And if you’re not going to do this, you’re going to come here again. And if you’re not going to do this, bad things are going to happen to you because you need to align with the gift that Hashem, God gave to you. That was for me at this moment. What was for you?
CHRYSANDRA :
Oh, well, I will have to, there’s been so many times, Rhonda, I’ve just needed miracles, but you’re a miracle to me and being able to meet you. And, you know, I just think I love that story of Jonah in the Bible and in Hafa in Israel, you know, that’s where that whole scene happened. Yeah. What would you say, can you just describe Hoffa in particular, Brhan, with the story of Jonah?
BRHAN MORKU :
I’ll share with you what I remember. God asked Jonah to give a criticism for a certain city, which I don’t remember, but he didn’t want to do that. Right. I think so. He said, I want the city to be destroyed. They don’t deserve to do a tshuva. This is how we call it in Hebrew when you’re regretting on your sins and you’re coming back with a full regret and you’re being a better person. And he just ran away. He got into a ship. And suddenly there was a crazy storm in the middle of the sea. And they were, the guys in the ship were throwing all the buckets and all the things that they had, but it still didn’t work. And they were like praying to their God and it still didn’t work. And they understood maybe it’s someone from the ship that is causing these things. And, and, Eventually, they were needed to throw away Jonah, and suddenly everything stops, and he was blown by a whale.
CHRYSANDRA :
I’m going to pause you right there. We have to go to a short break, but we’re going to finish this story, the Jonah whale story that is one of the most notorious ones in all the world. We’ll be right back. Twist and shout with Lee and Co. They are the premier oldies band delivering the rock and roll vibes you’ve been missing. Great songs, great memories. Book them at LeeandCo.com. Hi guys, this is Chrysandra Brunson, host of To All The Dreamers. I am so happy to introduce personal training, nutritional guidance, and behavioral change coaching. Healthy, happy, and heavenly for your wellness, spirit, soul, and body. Contact Mimi Kroger at healthyhappyandheavenly.com. Continue to grow in the calling God has for you through ORU online. You can earn your degree without changing your busy schedule. 100% online and 100% on your time. Learn more today, oru.edu slash calling. At Ignite Brilliance Coaching, you will get 34 years of science teaching, a decade of university level instruction, and over 10 years of instructional coaching to empower educators with the tools, mindset, and confidence to thrive. Contact Ignite Brilliance Coaching on Facebook. This is The Calling on Crawford Broadcasting, the show where marketplace leaders share their stories of faith, bridging the gap between your career and your God-given calling. Listen every weekday or become a sponsor and help other people live out their God-given calling. We are back. Thank you for listening to All the Dreamers radio show. We have the one and only Brhan Worku. And Brhan, we paused you right in the middle of the story. But, you know, we were asking about… The story of Jonah, because you were just sharing about you being able to pray for a miracle, see a miracle in your life. And you reminded us of Jonah and how he was trying to run away from what his calling was. And he didn’t want to see the miracle for his life. But you were talking about Hoffa, and that’s in the region of Israel that I think is one of the most beautiful places near Tel Aviv. But you’re right at where the whale was.
BRHAN MORKU :
And he was blown by the whale. And then he started to talk with God, with Hashem, HaKadosh Baruch Hu, we say in Hebrew. And he said, like, why is this all happening to me? And he understood that he needed to go back to Jaffa and to that city and to do his mission. And he couldn’t run away from this. And I think that’s the message that we have also as people. It doesn’t have to be big. It can be with your family. It can be the way you behave as a parent. It can be the way you behave as a friend. Can you do that better that you know that you can do that better? Can you align to your true happiness with things that you have instead of wanting more and more and more? It’s a simple inner work. It doesn’t have to be fancy and big. Of course, it can be. But you can start with simple things.
CHRYSANDRA :
right right i think that that is such a profound um example and your story as well as just bringing in uh one of my most favorite stories of jonah in the whale so thank you thank you for reminding us of that at the beginning of um or you know in the middle of the other show we were learning about the atrocities that happened on October 7th. And, you know, all of us just tuning in from around the world, but not in Israel, physically facing it personally. Can you just tell us what that day was like on the day and where you’re at now as a nation at this moment?
BRHAN MORKU :
Wow. So on that day, it was Saturday. As a kid and as children living in the south of Israel, where I was raised there and grew up there, I used to run to bomb shelters. I used to missiles because that was approximately like every two years or every four years we had that. So for me to run to the bomb shelter, it wasn’t that special. So it was 630 in the morning, we are running to the bomb shelter, but we don’t understand what’s happened, what’s really happening. And me and my family are not using our phones on Shabbat. Because it’s like a lot. It’s a certain observance that some Jews took upon themselves just to disconnect us from everything and to be with the family. And our neighbors who are not religious said to us, listen, there are terrorists in Israel who are kidnapping people. And I was like, what? No way. Yeah. No way. That sounds ridiculous. And then suddenly the commander of my brother calls him on Saturday on Shabbat. And it’s like, you got to come to the base. Something really bad happened. And when I understood that, I was like, okay, something is really happening. I still didn’t turn on the TV, didn’t turn on my phone. And all the Shabbat, I remember that I was reading Psalms in Tehillim to keep the nation of Israel safe and to keep my brothers and sisters safe. And when Shabbat went out, we saw everything. And then you see on people’s stories, this person disappeared, this person died, and you see the numbers goes and on and on and on. And I felt like the world is coming to an end. And yeah, and to see like a friend that you worked with, suddenly, He passed away. And to see another friend that you grew up together, you see he’s passed away. So it’s like, what is going on? And funeral after funeral. And as I told you, I went to people that I don’t know. And for me, it was really reshaping my identity of enjoying life and appreciating everything that I have in my life. and to pray for my brothers and sisters and for the hostages that, thank God, all of them came to Israel and all of them with their families. Of course, we need more prayers for them for healing their soul and the body, full healing, namash, all their aura and energy. Please pray for them. And for all who were injured in that process, I feel today, I like I saw so many people that willing to sacrifice their life to people that they don’t know. If it’s Arab, Israeli Arabs, if it’s Orthodox Jews, if it’s Christians, we’re sacrificing their life just for other people here in Israel so they can live. And it doesn’t matter if they were religious, not religious, whether it was a political opinion. And today we kind of like came back to like, hey, what are you doing? And we came back to the criticism a little bit. But every time I’m talking about myself, sometimes I’m like angry on someone on the street. I’m like, hey, what are you doing? And then I’m like, okay, Bran, chill. He’s a person, he’s a creation of God. Eventually after the two years, I want to be like more, with compassion to people. I don’t know who was in front of me. If he lost his kid in the war, if he has like, his mom passed away. I don’t know. We need to be more sensitive. We need to be more compassionate. So I felt that’s the change that I got through. I’ve been more, more gentle and, and passion to, to get to know my emotions and to heal wounds that were opened. since October 7th.
CHRYSANDRA :
Right well I think Brhan that we’re just sitting in that moment and to be able to have that for you to remind us of where to see people and you never know what they’re going through but especially from October 7th and witnessing all of these people around you going through very similar trauma seasons and just the waves of grief are so hard and different for everyone. So we just really honor how you guys have been able to walk through this with such resiliency and hope you know that America stands with Israel and leaders all around the world stand with Israel. God stands with Israel. And so that’s why we all stand with Israel too. It hit all of our hearts. It was a piece of history that should have never had to happen. Ron, we’re coming towards the end of our show again, but we would love to have you back. We’re just honored to have you as just such a dear friend and sister and in the faith and this role model and example for the Esthers of the world. We love it. And We want to know, Brhan, that there’s people tuning in and they’re afraid to go after, like they know what they’re called to, but they don’t know how to take that next step. What would be your piece of wisdom today for them to be able to live it out?
BRHAN MORKU :
To try to start with a small step, which means you don’t have to quit your job to… um leave everything behind sometimes you just can start with the small things and dedicate to this like two hours a day three hours a day like we don’t start that the fear is like oh my gosh i need to leave everything behind me no you can start little by little but what comes to that is that you can do also the inner work of detachment of your old version Right. To understand that you’re going to be different and something is going to be completely new for you. And you need to be more gentle to yourself because if it’s not new for me, it means that I’ll have mistakes. It will not be perfect, but that’s the beginning. Right. This is what I wish to people that just try baby steps at the beginning. And know that God is with you. Amen. That’s so good.
CHRYSANDRA :
Thank you so much. Oh my gosh. Well, people want to come alongside. They want to be able to follow you, be part of this movement, come visit you in Israel and also invite you to speak. How can they get in touch with you?
BRHAN MORKU :
You can go to my social media accounts, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok. My name is Berhan Worku. You can find me. I have a green profile and I have also email there so you can email me. and i’m really looking forward for your messages to start a discussion if you have questions if you have some insights you want to share with me i’m here for you guys and thank you chrysanthra i wish you that you will continue what to do and even bigger and bigger to influence good souls to do good things because that’s when it that’s what we need in this world
CHRYSANDRA :
Thank you so much, Brhan. We’re just so honored to have you a part of our calling family, to be part of our, we’re just family. We might be a little, have a little pond in the middle, but you’re in spirit and the best is yet to come. You guys go follow Brhan right now. You’ll see her on our social media. If you’re tuning in on radio, you’ll be able to find her connected and Get plugged in, invite her to your upcoming conference, your school, your next outing. She will bless you tremendously. And we have so much more wisdom to learn from this incredible woman of God. Remember that in Ephesians 4, 1, Paul says, as a prisoner of the Lord, then I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Till next time, dreamers, keep dreaming big.
