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| War Zone hears about Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace | ||
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t was a miracle that we were able to hold our latest crusade in Eastern
Congo . Since December 1999 a fierce ethnic battle has been waging
between two tribal groups the Hema and the Lendu. More than 50,000 have
been slaughtered in this small Ituri province of Eastern Congo . In
Bunia alone 20,000 have been killed since the beginning of the year. Our
preparation team with Shireen spent 3 weeks in Bunia to prepare for the
crusade. Night after night UN tanks rolled past the house where they
were staying, machine gunfire was heard overhead. On every corner were
sandbagged lookout points with UN peacekeepers on constant alert. They
had been attack a few days before our arrival by a militia group and a
fierce gun battle had raged for 5 hours. The RFM team were embedded with
the UN peacekeepers but for a different battle. Now it was a battle for
the souls of men and woman. Shireen’s first official meeting was to
visit the Governor. He was cautious about whether the crusade could take
place due to the security but told us to continue with the program. Our
prep team held more than 50 meetings teaching and preparing the ground
for the crusade. Many people we had met in our last crusades in Congo
were praying for us and as the days passed it continued to look
positive. Our equipment and vehicle was airlifted in on an old Russian Antanov plane from Entebbe not without a few challenges from a rather crooked bunch of mafia type business men who controlled the airspace over Congo . Roger and Paul Wakely flew in on MAF. Paul is a pastor from the UK and God used him wonderfully to bring a message of healing and forgiveness to the people of Bunia. We held a Pastors Banquet with 150 church and civic leaders enjoying a delicious meal. Then on the Tuesday the morning seminars began and the crusade in the afternoon. The Mayor of the city and the Governor opened the crusade. The Governor told the people “God is our only hope. All else has failed we have only God to turn to.” Throughout the 6 days of the crusade God blessed in a mighty way. Waves of salvation rolled over the crowd every night. The people of Bunia cried out to God to heal their land and peace flooded their hearts from heaven. Praise and worship rang up to heaven where weeks before there had been crying and untold suffering. Jesus came as the healer of broken hearts and one woman on the last day stood in front of the 20,000 crowd and declared that she had forgiven those ones who killed her husband and eaten his heart in front of her. Stories that could never be repeated have been told to us over the weeks. Shireen’s interpreter had 11 of his family members murdered 3 months ago. Their pain was so deep yet Jesus reached down from heaven and touched them in a way that only his love and power can do to restore and bring dignity back to this hurting community. One young 17 year old girl had been unable to talk for 6 months. On the Friday afternoon the power of God touched her and she spoke again freely. Our crusade chairman was her Pastor and it was a great sign and wonder to all who knew her. Another lady was healed of a lump in her breast and said as she laid her hand on the sick part of her body and the prayer for the sick was made instantly it disappeared. Daily the crusade ground was surrounded by UN peacekeepers. These men were mostly from Nepal Bangladesh and Pakistan . On the final day the head of the UN peacekeepers a Pakistani officer came and sat on the stage with his bodyguards. They heard the entire message on “you must be born again” and at the end we prayed a special blessing to be on the UN troops that had come from foreign lands to the Congo and that they would find the God of Africa Jesus Christ. I believe with all my heart that the Lord had a very special reason for us to go to Bunia to proclaim his word. I believe something has happened in Bunia and that peace is now going to come to that troubled land. I believe that because on the final day of our morning seminars when Paul Wakely had finished his message on forgiveness they came to us and said a commandant from one of the militia groups is here and wants you to pray for him. He stepped quietly to the front of the congregation and we laid hands on him. His tormented face was a reflection of his tormented soul but as we prayed I felt the Holy Spirit say to me I have forgiven him he is truly sorry. He is a first fruits of a healing work that is going to continue in the hearts of men and woman in Bunia. We held the crusade on blood stained land but the power of the blood of Jesus washes away every sin and cleanses us from all unrighteousness and that is the glorious message that we preach. |
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