How can I even begin to thank all of you who made it possible for me to go on this trip to Africa? You will never be able to truly know how much your generosity means to me and the impact that your gift has made on my life and all the lives of those people I came into contact with in Africa. A most precious thank you too for all of you who kept me covered in prayer - it was needed and it was felt!!
I have always known how great God is but when you see the blind receiving sight, deaf hearing, cripples walking, AIDS healed, and demoniacs set free, all at the name of Jesus it wrecks you for forever in a good way!! I certainly came home a changed woman in so many ways and it is all good and glorious and it would not have been possible without all of your support!!
So much happened on this trip that I could write a small book I’m sure, but I am just going to share some of the highlights of the miracles that we saw God do during the 14 days we were in Africa:
· Over 10,000 responded to the call for salvation (the new converts at the crusades will be followed up by the local pastors in the area)
· Thousands received the baptism of the Holy Spirit
· Tens of thousands were fed (Fresh Fire Ministries and Iris Ministries provided multiple truckloads of corn and beans that we delivered and distributed to the poor and needy)
· 124 blind people received their sight
· Over 120 deaf and mute people were healed
· 11 people who had tumors were healed as the tumors shrunk and disappeared completely before our very eyes
· 52 people reported that they were healed of tuberculosis
· 18 people reported that they were healed of HIV (one man with AIDS has the doctor’s report documenting that he is now HIV-negative after receiving prayer from the team)
· 61 people reported that they were healed of malaria
· There were so many other miracles including multiple people who were lame and crippled were walking (and dancing); asthma, arthritis, epilepsy was healed many times over; and the demon-possessed were set free.
If I ever had any doubts as to the power of God before, I certainly don’t anymore. To witness all this with my very eyes was amazing and overwhelming!!
To arrive in Africa just warmed my heart. I am very grateful for those who prepared me so well for what to expect when I arrived.
During the day, our 92-member team would be out by 8:30 a.m. ministering to thousands in orphanages, refugee camps, villages, hospitals and the streets. We would lay hands on and pray for the sick, preach the gospel, and distribute food to the poor for hours until about 4:30 p.m. everyday. We’d make a quick change and head straight to the crusade meetings in the evening where thousands would come hungry for the living gospel. We’d return to the hotel around 10:00 p.m. very tired, very dirty, very hungry and above all, VERY EXCITED about what God was doing in our midst!
Some of the highlights for me started on the first outreach I went on to Bottom Hill Hospital. The hospital doesn’t even come close to what we are used to for hospitals in North America. The smell of sickness and disease was very strong but once you start to mingle with the patients there you don’t even notice it because it is just such a joy to meet and pray for those who have been anticipating our arrival. The buildings were simple open rooms that were filled with rows of beds - each one of them full, some with more than one person on them.
One of the biggest things that impacted me at this hospital was the children. The children had a huge impact on all of us wherever we went but at the hospital it was incredible and made me so thankful for what we do have here at home. I went with 2 other ladies into a room where there were some mentally handicapped children that the mothers wanted us to pray for. I asked the nurse there why the children were handicapped and why some were deformed. She said it was simply because of difficult deliveries. I had no idea that could happen to a baby because of a difficult birth. We have no idea how fortunate we are.
I also prayed for several people who had pain in their bodies (necks, backs, knees) and after prayer every single one of them no longer had any pain. What a joy to watch God do His work.
At one of the villages we went to, again I encountered several people with pain in their bodies and saw God heal them before my eyes. One lady brought her grandson to me who had epilepsy. He would not look in my face and would hardly talk to the interpreter. Dawn and I prayed over this young man, with the help of our interpreter, but we were seeing no results. After asking a few questions we learned that he had been to the witchdoctor to seek a healing to no avail. After leading him in a prayer of repentance for his involvement in the witchcraft we prayed for healing for him again and God touched him and healed him. He would look at our faces and smile the smile of an angel.
One night I was praying and just said “God as we head out it’s great that people are being saved, healed and delivered but Lord, bring in the leaders! If the leaders will turn to you then the people will follow them!” Well God is so faithful! That day at the village 28 of the 30 tribe leaders received Jesus as their personal Saviour!!!!
The evening crusades were a real joy to see as well. The first night was bit disappointing as there was not the turnout that we had expected but then we found out that it was still a bigger turnout than what the local pastors expected to see. Malawi has a very heavy influence of witchcraft in it and a large Muslim population. Our crusades were being broadcast live over the radio and the weeks before our arrival other groups were declaring over the airwaves discouraging people from attending the crusade. Well as God moved in miracles and healings and as more people heard the testimonies of these miracles the crowds got progressively bigger each night!!
Each night as our vans pulled up to the stadium the children would come running full speed towards us from every direction and just surround us and want to touch us. It was something to see. The third evening, there were probably a hundred or more children jumping up and down shouting “JE-JE-JE-JESUS!!!” with more enthusiasm than I’ve ever seen at any church meeting back at home. It was like a big God ordained mosh pit!!!
Other miracles included reports of people being healed of AIDS. One young man was listening on the radio and when Todd said he was going to pray a general prayer for healing and asked those who wanted a healing to lay their hands on the radio and believe for it. This man put his hands on the radio and felt a surge of power flow through his body. The next day he went to the doctor who tested him and wrote him a note stating that he no longer had AIDS! There were several of these miracles! There could be no doubt the power of God was moving in Africa.
A baby that was born with water on his brain and whose head was the size of a basketball was prayed for and his head shrunk to normal size!! I know for many of you reading this that this may seem REALLY far fetched but our God is the same today as he was yesterday and as he was 2000 years ago. It was caught on video! Fresh Fire Ministries had a staff member along who was videotaping the trip and once the final video is made we will all be getting copies – I can’t wait as some of the miracles that were reported I never saw due to being in the crowd praying for people, I could hear the excitement in the voice of Todd as they happened though!!
At one altar call a witchdoctor came to know Jesus and repented of all his dealings in the occult. What a miracle that was! He witnessed the healing power of Jesus and had never seen such miracles in all the years he was practicing his craft.
On the final night of the crusade in Malawi, we were all completely flabbergasted by what God was doing that night. Our leader, Todd Bentley, called everyone who had been involved in witchcraft and wanted to repent to come forward and over 400 people responded. As Todd led them in a prayer of repentance and renunciation, several people were demonically manifesting…some were writhing like snakes on the ground. Todd said, “I want all the demonized people brought up on the stage and my team will pray for them!” I took a deep breath, prayed a quick “HELP ME, GOD!” prayer and went for it. The demonized were passed over people’s heads and thrown onto the stage by the crowd. God set them free one by one as we prayed over them! I had opportunity to pray for one young woman at this time and as soon as the demon left her the peace that came over her and the smile on her face was simply angelic!!
Everywhere we went people wanted us to pray for them. At the airports, in the hotels, on the streets, children, teenagers, adults and seniors all wanting God!! At one hotel we were praying in a group and 5 staff members were lined up waiting for us to finish so we could pray for them. I have never seen such a hunger for God in people as I did in Africa.
There was so much more that occurred on this trip I wish I could share it all but if I try to write it all down you may never get this letter!
When I arrived home I had 2 girlfriends ask me about a particular point in my trip that they felt very strongly led to pray for me and it was the same time that I was going through a real struggle. One even said she woke up in the middle of the night and saw me standing at the end of her bed talking to her. She doesn’t know what I said all she knew was to get up and pray! I am so grateful for the prayers of everyone!
Again I thank each and every one of you from the very bottom of my heart for making this possible for me – to realize I DO love Africa as much as I thought I would! I am already making plans to return to Mozambique next year under IRIS Ministries.
To witness all I did really confirmed how much we put God in a box – He is so much bigger and more real than we can imagine.
2 Chronicles 7:13-14
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