Tomorrow morning we're leaving on an 8-day adventure, going to
Sévaré, Dogonland and Timbuktu. The Lord has already
warned us of dangers and challenges ahead, as we're venturing into
the enemy's territory, so please take extra time this week to lift
us up in prayer. As for me, my health is still not restored, and
I'm asking God constantly to enable me to make it through these
next 8 days of traveling, ministering and interpreting.
One of the team members wrote the following report about the last
few days:
Greetings from the team in Mali. Ala ka duba aw ye (Malian for
God Bless You). The pastors conference has ended, the crusade (campaign
as they put it here) has come to a close but the work God is doing
has only begun. We feel He is opening up the heavens over Mali.
Pastors in the conference have told us that God has begun to open
up doors that have long been shut.
The conference has had an explosive potential in the lives of some
of the pastors and YWAM evangelism students. Our prayer is that
they will go back to their churches and cities never to be the same
again. The teachings have shown them new revelation from the bible,
confirmation of what God has been talking to them about.
Our principle themes have been first - that through Jesus, God
draws near to His people. He is not far as He is to the Muslim and
the Ancestral religions. Jesus said He was the way to the Father
and that no man comes to the Father except through Him. Therefore,
the way to the Father has been restored and God can walk among His
people. God is near.
Secondly, the people are being defiled by making sacrifices to
spirits for fertility, protection and health as well as many others.
God desires that we put our full trust in Him and Him alone. For
a person to say they believe in One God, then put their trust in
the intermediary spirits becomes a contradiction, for their true
trust is in the spirits and not in God. This is big for the Muslim,
but unfortunately has contributed to the powerlessness of the church.
Finally, when the Glory of God is seen in the people of God, then
the land will be healed. This is a land that was once fertile but
increasingly is not. The desert advances each year, cooking with
charcoal has deforested the land, and increasingly the top soil
is blown or washed off of the land. With no vision for the land,
the land is dying and the people say Allah has cursed the land.
Our God, however, says He will heal the land if the people of God
would turn from their wicked ways.
We had a wonderful time each night of the crusade ministering the
Word of God to the thirsty souls and being the vessels to pour out
the Love of God as he healed their bodies, souls, spirits and emotions.
The crowds grew every night with around 500 people attending on
Saturday night. They were many salvations every night - we are waiting
for the official counts from Pastor Abel which we will have tonight.
The final night, Cliff called for people who would want the empowerment
of the Holy Spirit, not for themselves but to become an effective
witness. Over 300 came forward. We first prayed each person would
be released from every covenant vows and promises the people had
made to the gods of their ancestors, then asked for God to send
the fire, that His Glory would come down. When we ask, we receive
and it was tremendous.
The people were in rows and approximately 20 local pastors, Cliff,
Brad and myself went up and down the rows laying hands of the people
many times to receive more. Alex Achuti from Kenya was continually
encouraging the people from the stage to ask for more. As they lingered,
the people received more and more. As we encouraged them, they opened
their hearts.
It was such a beautiful thing watching the majority of the people
assembled there begin to feel Holy Spirit with many in tears crying
out for more. God moved in such a powerful way with a sweet sweet
presence that brought a holy hush across the corwd. God met each
one in His own personal way. For approximately 30 minutes, nobody
wanted that moment to end. This is exceedingly rare for the Malian
church.
The team then prayed for over 100 for healing of their bodies.
There has been a very difficult problem with the language barrier
as even some of the most simple requests cannot be understood. The
major languages are French and Bambara. Very little English is understood
by most. This has made it difficult to take testimonies or to ask
the simplest questions.
In spite of this difficulty we have had confirmation of blind eyes
opened for a man who can now see, emotions healed, and people walking
who could do so only with great difficulty before they received
the touch of the master. There were so many immediate recoveries
for stomach and headache pain that we could not keep up with the
counting of them. Malians seem to suffer from these things on a
daily basis.
We are so honored to have been part of His Majestic Plan.
Randy Krueger
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