Saturday, June 13, 2009

The Great Gospel Crusade

(Apologies for the delays in getting this post up. I had to rush to England unexpectedly to attend my father-in-law's funeral. Many thanks to Brienne from the Colorado Team who sent me the photos and explanations via e-mail in England so we could post this update. Blessings, Vikki)




An opportunity came up suddenly for some of the Colorado Springs Discipleship Training Outreach team to join with members of Grace Pentecostal Church in Arua for a crusade in the town of Nyadri, in the West Nile district of Uganda.

Eric, one of our YWAM Arua staff members from Rwanda, heard about the crusade and organized
several of the Colorado team members for the journey to Nyadri to take part in the Great Gospel Crusade.


Brienne writes: "We became quite close with a number of the girls throughout the four days of the crusade. We were eating, ministering and sleeping along side them. Comfort, who is on the left of the man in the blue shirt, was paired with me for one of our days of house visits. It was awesome to be able to lift each other up as we shared God’s love with many people.

"The very last visit we made was to the gang of boys who gather at the edge of town to give Boda (bicycle) rides to people. It was an intimidating group of more than 20 young men. They sat down in the shade to hear what we had to say, maybe more curious what these two girls were doing sitting down with them than anything. As we shared we found that three of them were very interested in Jesus and were able to lead those three and many others to God. It was an exciting moment! We felt like God wants to use the three who were so eager to learn as teachers for the town. They now have Bibles of their own and have been sent out to grow and share what they are learning with those around them."



Throughout the Crusade, several of the team took turns preaching and sharing their testimonies.



Here is Carol sharing a testimony....



...and Britnee sharing a testimony.
















Worship was a key part of the Crusade.

"Joseph played guitar with the worship band during all of the crusades. Three days of crusade and three hours of worship an evening…his fingers were about to fall off. The people really appreciated him stepping in and enthusiastically filling a hole in their band. He was able to build strong friendships through this simple act."







Joao, Carol and Brienne lead worship on stage.












"We were so thankful to have Eric as our guide. He was my favorite person to look out and find as we were worshiping as he always had a smile on his lips and joy exuding from his body as he danced and sang to Jesus."












Carol dancing during worship










"The last day of the Crusades, we were in the back lifting up people right before the preacher began to preach. The entire week was bathed in a ton of prayer, it was the common thread in the middle of all the activities."







"Joao is holding a boy who we prayed for healing. He is four years old but looks like he is maybe 2. He was born with a condition where he just doesn’t grown up. He couldn’t sit up before we prayed for him, but the next day his mother brought him up to the front to say that she heard his back cracking in the night as he slept and when he woke up he was able to sit up with a straight back by himself."









"This young girl’s story was especially touching. Mandy looked like she was about four years old and was carried by her mother up to the front for prayer. Her arms and legs were like toothpicks and she didn’t speak a word. As we spoke with her mother, we were shocked to find out that the girl was almost 10 years old and had been like this since she was very small. The last day of the crusade, the pastor asked for testimonies, and the mother came up holding Mandy. She said that on the way home, after being prayed for, Mandy started to talk to her and asked her for bread and chai (tea)! They were blessed with a gift of money as they walked, and so she was able to buy bread for her daughter to eat. There was much rejoicing over everything that God was doing in that town."




"Milka is a girl from town who has some mental problems caused by malaria when she was about 7. She hugged and loved on us whenever we saw her. She was desperately sad when we had to leave and wanted to go with us. Her father is a pastor and we were told that she hasn’t allowed anyone to pray over her for the healing of her mind. Because of the relationship Britnee and I had built with Milka, we were able to spend some time in prayer with her. It was a blessing to us and I think encouraging to her family as well."


"We left tired, but so refreshed and encouraged, both by the people we were with as well as the miracles that we saw. The best part is that the whole ministry was planned by the churches here in Arua and we just came alongside them. It is beautiful to see the church functioning as it should, growing strong and then reaching their own people. "


YWAM Arua would like to say a big THANK YOU to the whole Colorado team for their hard work, commitment, and passion to share the love of God. We appreciate and love you all! Be blessed as you continue to follow God's leading.

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