6.15.2010
They were wild
“They were wild, roaming the jungle destroying many lives and you have given them hope, healing and forgiveness.”
The last night of our Festival in Kakata was unusual in many ways. Many local Muslims were gathered near the site listening to the message. Previously, the Muslims had tried to keep people from attending. A heavy tropical rain had poured down all over Kakata and yet the Festival ground was completely dry. Various large flying bugs and bats that had swarmed over the site and stage and into the light and sound equipment the previous two nights were not as noticeable. The music and testimonies the last night were powerful about God alone as the one who can heal and provide hope and forgiveness. When team member, Julie Wright of OrphanAge and Grace Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota shared her testimony everyone in attendance was listening with rapt attention. Many of the people have known Julie from her several previous visits to Kakata.
As I finished my message I expected mostly woman and children to come forward based on the evening’s emphasis. Instead, something I have never witnessed before happened – mostly late teenage boys and men in their early twenties responded to the Gospel. Pastor Singbe, one of the lead pastors for the festival, shared that many of these young men had been child soldiers. He then said “they were wild, roaming the jungle destroying many lives and you have given them hope, healing, and forgiveness.”
Watching the counselors begin to minister to and pray for these young men, I found myself very quiet pondering what the Lord had just done. These young men come from very broken lives. They were used by adults to rape, burn, kill, smash babies and destroy. They had been forcibly drugged and pushed toward the evils of bush magic (traditional West African religion and demon worship). Many had never been to school and had no employment. Yet, here they stood, almost 70 of them, confessing, responding to Christ and the Holy Spirit, broken and yet being healed. And, more importantly, the local churches were engaged with them. So many of these young men were now about to receive love, forgiveness, counsel and help to move forward with their lives. Pastor Coastboy told them that they could “now be a part of helping heal their broken nation and have lives of meaning and productivity.” God is amazing!
"Lord, where are you?"
“Lord, where are you? These orphans need food and they are your children.”
One repeat ministry from last year was to visit three orphanages that OrphanAge works with to provide food, medical exams and medicine. One of the orphanages is run by Peter and Marta Seclan. During the war, they began to collect children who had lost their parents and found them hiding in the jungle. Over time, the number of children grew to over 100. As the war in Liberia ravaged the country, Peter and Marta eventually found a nice area of land outside of Kakata to safely settle with the children. They have worked hard to farm for food and provide education for the children.
Our team arrived with a truck load of food, medicine, and soccer balls. Marta came up to greet us, excited to see us return for the third time in the past couple years. She was so excited to see the food and began to tell an amazing story. The children were hungry. They were between harvests and had run out of food and money. While hoeing the farm she began to desperately cry out to God saying “Lord where are you? These orphans need food, they are hungry and they are your children.” She then told us she felt the Lord tell them they should fast and pray with the children. Then God sent them an amazing sign!
Marta, the staff, and children began a three day fast and prayer vigil that the Lord would provide food for them. At the end of the vigil, Marta, several children and staff saw in the sky the words written “I love you and I love the children.” With great excitement they felt that God had heard their desperate pleas for food – especially for dried fish. So, they then held an all night praise and thanksgiving time trusting that God had given them an amazing sign that he heard their cries and would provide food. Just a few short weeks later our truck arrived with a three month supply of rice, cooking oil, and amazingly, dried fish. It was a privilege to be a part of an answer to prayer. In fact, my daughters’ school, Sisters Christian Academy, was used by the Lord to provide the food. The children in the school spent six months raising funds for the orphans. The Lord is good and he does hear the cries of the orphans!
"Can God forgive me?"
As we entered into the men’s prison in Kakata, we could hear the men shouting at each other for a variety of reasons. Two local pastors that represent the local chapter of Prison Fellowship had arranged with the warden for ANM Board Chairman, DC Lundy, and me to speak to the prisoners and provide practical aid.
As we entered into the cell holding area, we were struck by the absence of any provisions for the men. They were living in a 20’ by 20’ cell with 25 men to a cell. They had no beds, mattresses, blankets nor even a toilet or water to meet basic needs. We were allowed to speak to the men through the cell door to each cell. DC, a Liberian pastor named Coastboy, and I each took a cell to speak to the men. As we began to ask questions and listen, one man cried out “can God forgive me?” What had been a very noisy prison just minutes earlier had become very quiet. The men in each cell crowded around the cell door and sat down to listen to the reply to the desperate plea of one inmate.
We began to share with the men how God can forgive them and how He can restore them and give them a sense of nobility and dignity. It was amazing to see their responses – from tears, to joy, to a profound sense of need for Jesus as Savior and Lord of their lives. When we gave the men a chance to pray to repent and believe in Jesus Christ we witnessed a mighty move of the Holy Spirit – 95 of 99 men wanted to trust in Christ.
Later that night, as we reflected on the day and the experience at the prison we spent time thanking God. We thanked Him that Prison Fellowship will care for these men. We thanked him that so many wanted a new life. We also were greatly moved that for the first time in prison, these men had blankets to cover themselves and sleep on. The men had no idea we had a truck full of practical material aid prior to our speaking with them. Each man received soap, toothbrush and toothpaste, socks, a blanket and the Gospel of John. They are now eagerly reading John and discussing what they read.
6.03.2010
Rejoice Liberia Video Link
Here is a link to the new DVD for ANM created from Mike's March trip to Liberia. It is a great example of the work ANM is doing currently. If you would like a copy of the DVD, please contact us and we would be happy to send you one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfOo5YPzTLY
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