It's been almost a week since the team has left, but I'm just getting these testimonies posted. It truly was an amazing time with these people. Chris Overstreet was our team leader and many were from Bethel Church in Redding, California, but there were people from all over the US and even two women from Austrailia. I've written out a couple of testimonies of what God did while they were here. And although it's a lot of reading, It's pretty amazing! I feel so grateful to have been a part of the beginnings of revival here in Kaliti. If you don't feel like reading--this is most often me ;)--a quick recap is that the Gospel was preached, and God showed up in power and love. We saw an unnumbered amount of people come to know Christ, and the local pastors are saying that Muslims in the town are saying that because Jesus was preached in a message of love they are now really thinking about whether or not to believe in this Jesus!
(1) WAKISO STREET OUTREACH
Our first official outreach with the team was in our district's center, Wakiso. We all split up into teams and just simply sought out what the Holy Spirit was up to. Here are a few of my favorite testimonies…
WOMAN LED TO CHRIST: One of the other interns, Ali, had had a vision of a woman in a red building during worship before we left. So during the outreach her eyes were looking for this woman. It didn't take long for her team to come across the building, a small red Airtel phone store. Ali shared what she had seen with them and they immediately decided they should go in. There was a muslim woman working at the counter. They prayed and prophesied over her. This went really well and Ali felt a connection with the woman, but after not having necessarily the best opportunity to share the gospel they left. As soon as they left Ali started to be convicted and she knew in her heart that if she shared to this woman the gospel, she would accept Christ. So she turned back around, went in there and ended up leading the woman to Christ. The woman was extremely excited to meet Jesus!
TOM'S TOMATOES: It's easy for me to believe for healing simply because it's part of the commission Jesus gave and I've seen it many times. So I felt extremely honored to see God work in a different way in outreach. My team spent a lot of time in the local market. I felt really drawn to these two men at the end of the row of stalls. After introducing ourselves, it turns out both of the men are born again and one of them, Tom, was trying to sell about 4 or 5 large crates of tomatoes--approximately 3'X2'X2'. The Holy Spirit started to pour his love out and I wanted this man to know that Jesus REALLY REALLY LOVED HIM! So before I know it the Holy Spirit in me is asking him if he was going to sell all these tomatoes today, it seemed like there were so many. He said there was no way they could all be sold by this point. It's after this I start to catch onto what the Holy Spirit is wanting to do and I get kind of giddy in a way. So I asked, "Do you think God could?" By this time people were starting to listen in, and the man with Tom was laughing. Tom responded in faith that God could. So I declare, "I think Jesus really wants to show you he loves you by selling all these tomatoes. If they don't all sell nothing is lost, because that's expected. But if they do sell you have to know that it's a I LOVE YOU from God." So we start praying! and we prayed silly things like "let everyone have a craving for tomatoes today" and stuff like that. We then turn and start yelling "Buy these yummy tomatoes today!" We then say our good-byes and leave expectant that there truly was reason for that madness. Ali and I went back exactly a week later and we all praised Jesus in the market when Tom told us "every single one" was sold that day. God's love is so good! And I feel like God gave me a new faith to bless people's businesses here in Uganda. Especially when so often we are looked to as white people for handouts. I don't have to feel bad when I point to the Savior for provision! I could've only bought a bushel of tomatoes…God sold them all!
(2) MENTAL HOSPITAL OUTREACH
This was probably one of the more difficult things that we did with the team. You definitely had to hold onto hope, and remember that God is so much greater. We did see the Holy Spirit move a lot, but we wanted to see everyone freed! Not just a few.
RADICAL DELIVERANCE: We moved from ward to ward at the hospital. The way the hospital was set up the new impatient ward and the more critical long term patients were across from each other. Each were fenced off with a road in between. As we were walking into the long term facility, there was a lot of commotion in the new patient ward. The gate was open, and we could see the guards had their hands full. One of the women sprinted through the gate and immediately dove into Karen's, one of the older women on the trip, arms. She started bawling and kept saying over and over, "I'm so glad you're here". Shortly after another woman tried to follow. The guard immediately grabbed her by the arm, jerked her back into the yard, and hit her closed fist across the head. We all stood shocked and I immediately felt overwhelmed by the reality of what had just happened. I expect bizarre behavior from those who are sick, but the behavior of the guard was not so easily shaken off. One of the girls immediately started worshipping. And my friend Ali had said it was that moment when she felt like she couldn't do this anymore and wanted to go wait in the van. It was then when she told God, "You've gotta be my strength. I can't do this Lord." It was in that moment that another woman came running towards her. A tall thin woman, that we'd find out later was Sudanese. She immediately got on her knees in front of Ali and raised her hands towards heaven saying, "Please, please! I want to be healed." Ali immediately started praying and it was as if the darkness left the woman's mind. She jumped up and started worshipping and praising Jesus. Other women in the ward started singing as well and the entire atmosphere changed. No longer was the ward consumed by fear! God was victorious!
CHARLIE SHARED TESTIMONY OF HIS SALVATION FROM THE DRUG DEALING DAYS--
While all this was going on the men of the group went to the drug addiction and children's ward. At the rehabilitation ward. Charlie preached the gospel and shared his testimony. He had been a drug dealer in the past and had a pretty radical salvation. After he finished speaking 9 of the men were born again and 5 of them started praising and praying in a heavenly language--or tongues. One of the men told Charlie that morning he had had a vision that he was going to meet a group of men that he had never seen before and they were going to reveal how to live! How cool is that? The Holy Spirit was already sharing the good news before we had even stepped foot on the premises. The men prayed and prophesied over him. It turns out that this man has a calling to preach. I'm hoping that after they left that this man got to lead more to salvation!
LITTLE GIRL WHO HAD SEEN SNAKES EVERY TIME SHE CLOSED HER EYES:
After that the men went to the children's ward. It was there that they met a little girl who was tormented and saw snakes whenever she closed her eyes. Our team leader, Chris, moved by this little girl began to ask her if she was born again. It turned out that she was not, but was eager to invite Jesus into her heart. When she accepted Jesus she began to worship God in tongues. Chris asked her if she still was seeing snakes, and when she said "yes," he commanded them to leave. When the girl closed her eyes this time all the snakes were gone. The little girl was ecstatic to finally be free from torment and to also know Jesus as her savior!!!
(3) EQUIPPING DAY FOR THE HOPE KIDS
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| I inherited this facial expression straight from my mother! Stephanie and I are talking with Esther and Unique. |
Show Mercy partners with Hope Children's Home in Nansana. This home has taken in about 100 orphans of all ages. One Saturday we had the older children come to have a time of equipping and encouragement. We had three men on the team share whatever it was that they had on their hearts to share, and then we set of multiple prophetic booths setup so that each child would have one on one time with a group of team members. As the men spoke, the meeting started to take on a different purpose. The Holy Spirit had something else planned. Each man ended up sharing their testimony of salvation and through that the gospel. Each of the men had had love encounters with the Holy Spirit that had radically changed them. In a heart beat, Chris was up front asking the orphans if they had ever encountered the powerful Holy Spirit in a tangible way. Only a couple raised their hand. He then asked who wanted to encounter the love of God that day, just like from the day of Pentecost. All of the children raised their hands! It was in that moment our faith as a team began to rise and moved by compassion we prayed over each kid, asking God to meet them right then. Before we knew it the children were getting wrecked by the Holy Spirit. They each started to respond to what God was doing in their hearts. Many wept, others shouted with joy, others just rested in his peace, and all but a few began to pray in tongues for the first time. I can't describe the emotions I felt at this moment. It seemed so Holy to me. I know what it is like to be taken over by the Spirit and have everything radically changed in just a few moments, and that is what I saw going on all around me! After awhile we began to prophesy for each child individually. Pouring into them their identity and destiny. It was evident that the Kingdom of Heaven was present that day!
(4) UGANDAN CHURCH SERVICE
On Sunday the team split up in groups of 5 or so and went to 5 different local churches. My group, headed by Charlie, went to Pastor Simon's church. The church was simply a wood framed structure that had a tin roof and sheets for the walls. There were about 40 or so people there, and they welcomed us warmly. After we worshiped they had us each share in front of the congregation. It was pretty neat to find out that all of us had felt the need to talk about similar things and by the end it was mainly about Isaiah 61 and how we have been set free and are unbound because of the blood of Jesus. I'm not gonna lie this was one of my favorite parts when the team was here. Something comes over me when it comes to talking in front of a crowd and I can't help but be excited. Haha, Pastor Simon even came up to me after and called me "a little fire ball," and then added he wished I could come back and do a crusade. Something I'm not opposed on doing, God willing! :) We prayed for people in the congregation after that. Two people had had back pain, and we checked to see if there legs were even. One of these persons was Pastor Simon. Both had their legs miraculously grow out when we prayed. The funny part was that the first time we prayed for Pastor Simon it grew too far! I don't know why He did it that way, but it was funny to watch the pastor think about whether or no he wanted to be the same height or taller. But luckily Holy Spirit evened them out after the second prayer.
(5) 127 YOUTH IN BAKKA CAME TO HEAR THE GOSPEL!
On our youth night in Bakka Village, a place where witch craft is still prominent, many heard the gospel for the first time. Jacob preached on the parable of the Prodigal Son and then tied that in with the Love of God shown in Christ. Many accepted Jesus into there hearts and many others seemed to open up to what we were preaching as they began to see Jesus heal their friends. It was pretty special to see the kids running to see the person get prayed for and then jump up and down when God would immediately answer our prayers. There is something about seeing someone you know get touched by the power of the Holy Spirit that allows you to move in faith that God is a God of love, and that he truly cares about us as individuals!
(6) SALVATION AT THE SORCERY TREE
A group of 8 of us crossed the valley that is at the back of Show Mercy's property to climb up to the well known sorcery tree. It was really out of curiosity and the desire for adventure for me. And some of the others wanted to go and pray or worship at the spot. When we were about 200 yards away we saw a man clothed in white by the tree. With such expectancy that God was up to something I was already saying, "Come on Jesus!" in my heart. When we get to the top after crawling through some crazy brush the man is still there. I can't remember his name, because it was extremely Ugandan. But he was very kind to us! and let us climb over the barb wire to the tree after we took off our shoes. They believe that god lives at this tree that is surrounded by spears, arrows, a fire pit, and bones. It didn't take us long to tell Him that God isn't only at this tree but also can live in our hearts if we know Jesus! He had come to the tree in order to ask God for help. We told him, God has heard his prayers and he sent us to tell him the good news! Charlie got a word of knowledge that something was wrong with his back and asked if we could pray for it. The man was eager for the prayer and immediately it became almost completely better. It was after this that he prayed to receive Jesus into his heart, and after that his back was completely healed! God is good!
(7) KAMPALA STREET OUTREACH
--I WASN'T THERE BUT A LIST OF SOME OF WHAT GOD DID--
JORDAN AND JENNIE PRAYED FOR A GUYS EYESIGHT WHO WAS IN A HURRY TO GET GOING AND HE WAS HEALED IN SECONDS. HE DECIDED TO STICK AROUND AFTER THAT TO HEAR WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY :).
JORDAN ASKED A GROUP OF THREE MUSLIM MEN IF HE COULD PRAY FOR THEM. THEY SAID ONLY IF THEY COULD PRAY FOR HIM TOO. ONE END UP GETTING MIRACULOUSLY HEALED WHEN JORDAN PRAYS--2 ENDED UP GETTING SAVED. AND THEY NEVER PRAYED FOR JORDAN :) HAHA.
11 WERE SAVED THAT DAY AND MANY BELIEVERS AND NONBELIEVERS WERE TOUCHED BY GOD. THE TEAM MEMBERS WHEN THEY CAME BACK WERE BEAMING IN A WAY THAT WAS PROBABLY MUCH LIKE THE DISCIPLES IN LUKE 10. IT SEEMED THAT EVERYONE THEY PRAYED FOR WAS HEALED, AND SO MANY WERE OPEN TO ACCEPTING CHRIST AS THEIR SAVIOR!
(8) WAKISO CLINIC OUTREACH
We had teams go to the clinic three or so times while they were here. Each time a group went there were testimonies of salvations and healings. When I led a group we got to see Douglas noticeably better from Malaria. He started out feverish and laying down in his bed and by the end was standing, laughing, and praising God. He was already a believer, but we got to see him encouraged as we prayed and prophesied over him.
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| Lori Salley Preaching at the Crusade |
(9) CRUSADE
The crusade was amazing!!! and I just today heard three new testimonies from some of our sponsored orphans. It lasted 3 days and about three thousand people came and God was there doing so much! Each night Chris and other team members preached the Gospel! It was all about letting these people know, many for the first time, that they are loved by God and he came Himself to die for their sins so that they could have eternal life. Honestly I can't even comprehend all that God did but I do know that testimony after testimony blew me away and that the Gospel came with power, and hundreds were saved. One really neat thing about the Crusade was that many of the pastors we have been working with in these small villages are really looked down upon by the "bigger" churches closer to the cities. The crusade was not put on Show Mercy, but by 40 different smaller churches in the surrounding area. We just partnered with them. So when the "big" churches saw how God was moving at the Crusade they started asking our local pastors if they could partner with them! There is so much division in the church here in Uganda, something I'm sad to say most likely came from us westerners. But God was building great unity last weekend!! Something that is very important to bring on revival. Here is a list of things God did.
VISION RESTORED--I personally saw a woman's vision be healed completely when my team prayed for her. This was definitely the first time I saw God do this.
A MUTE BOY SAYING THE NAME OF JESUS ON STAGE
LAME GIRL MIRACULOUSLY WALKING ON STAGE--Her twin sister came to testify that this truly was a miracle. Many of the villagers had known her, and after seeing her walk we know that some chose (I wouldn't be surprised if were more than some) to believe in Jesus.
CHILD WITH MALARIA AND FEVER MIRACULOUSLY HEALED--This was touching for me. Pastor Teddy brought our way a little boy shaking with fever and it turns out he had a severe case of milaria. Two other girls and I prayed for this boy for quite awhile and there seemed to be no change. I felt the Holy Spirit say that this boy really just needs to be loved. Jennie and I took him away from the crowd and I just sat and held him as she prayed. A good time after that he began to stop shaking and the fever left his body. The boy didn't seem to respond as if he was completely well and he still stayed nestled in my arms unsmiling. I asked three people to see if he was better in Lugandan. Each said that the boy was completely fine. I couldn't understand why he wasn't jumping up and running around with all the other kids. And then in my heart I knew that the Holy Spirit was right. Although I thought that I was simply praying for healing, what the boy needed even more was to be held and loved. So that's what I did. I just sat there and held him. Praising God for the love he had for this boy!
MANY WERE SAVED
REPENTANCE FROM WITCH CRAFT
CHURCHES UNIFIED
AMAZING WORSHIP
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| Lena with the Say No To Hunger Children |
