Revival With A Forest Tribe 4/5

Revival with the Forest Tribe   4 of 5

Last night we preached in a forest village, many salvations & healings. A lady in the crowd joined us in praying for the sick. The woman displayed great spiritual authority on her life. In conversation she told us this was not her village she actually lived in a community deeper into the forest and requested that we would come there the next morning. To which we agreed.

 

A night in kidnap country

The Lord is so good to us. We came to this place, again fully prepared for the four of us to spend the night in the car. Again, a door opened and we were invited to spend the night instead in a small community clinic way out in the middle of nowhere. It was this area just a few months ago that we could go nowhere unless we were in a convey rushing in or rushing out of the place. Now we will spend the night here in a clinic in the heart of kidnap country. Are we worried? No, we are led to be here, we have felt no leading of the Holy Spirit to avoid this location. There are lost here that need to hear the gospel.

The only thing we are warned is that most nights someone injured or someone about to give birth may show up at the door!!!  And because we were given the use of the place the resident midwife would go home for the evening. Fortunately, Jun who is one of the team is a trained nurse, and besides both Vennie & Jo have both experienced having their babies so at least I should sleep undisturbed on a plastic covered mattress that has witnessed I don’t know what over the last few years. We find out there is a bed short so I share my three foot mattress with Jo and thankfully not a single visitor all night long.

Early next morning after a fitful night we arise excited to begin the days outreach. Following devotions and intercession for the days success we enjoy a breakfast that’s just  as big as last night’s dinner, again with the usual rice and as much coconut juice as you can drink. Soon, we head out for the village deep in the forest.

What a magnificent journey, breath-taking in its beauty. The bright sunlight pierces the tall verdant canopy. Every fruit tree you can imagine, long dusty tracks, the occasional caribou drawn wooden carts, driven by young boys, slowly trundle down the almost deserted jungle paths.  We pitch down a steep embankment across a stony dried up river bed. A few more moments rocking and lurching later and we turn into a small thatched hut community. This time the locals are really wide eyed. A woman is taking a large pig for a walk and she stares in disbelief at a white four wheel drive trundling in to her place.  On first impression this is a dark and demonic village with much drunkenness and already clearly visible disease.

Men wept at the music

 



Virtually the entire community gathered from this village deep in the forest
Such darkness, many were weeping before we even spoke a word 



A woman rushes through the gathering crowd to meet us; we identify her as Wilma, the anointed woman we met at the previous evenings outreach. She’s openly excited to see us and directs us to an open space are at the end of the small village as the best location for the community to gather. The tall trees will offer some respite from the already blazing sun and a gazebo type hut provides a good platform for us to preach. Within a minute or so, I’m playing classical music loud enough for the entire village to hear. It doesn’t take long for around seventy souls plus children that make up this enclave to come to where we are stood greeting them as they arrive.

It’s interesting that different music styles are better suited at different locations. At some places, Christian worship music draws the crowds, others, disco music, here I very much feel classical and many stand and weep before we have even began to introduce ourselves.  The brokenness of their lives is evident. We expect a rich harvest today as they hear the good news of the gospel and the price Christ paid to make us His.

Jun begins and they appear to hang on every word. I follow and begin with the fact that I was a son of a wild drunkard. Which also seems to very much get their attention? Vennie interprets for me powerfully, and I observe as if at Wimbledon watching the tennis, they watch me, probably understanding little of what I say and then switch their gaze fast to Vennie, back and forth, back and forth. I feel to focus on my father’s pain and why he was a drunkard. Many men in the crowd bow their heads in pain and shame. We laugh together and cry together as we work through the mess and the hopeless of an alcoholic’s household. You can physically see them brighten when Jesus is introduced into the story, then watch as they learn that it was not only my father’s sin that crucified Christ. It was mine also, and theirs as well. The sense of relief is tangible when they learn that Christ is willing to forgive them there and then. What hope, you can begin your life again with God right now. I believe every hand went up to indicate their desire to repent and be saved.

 

 Let the miracles begin

Following the prayer the prayer of salvation, Jo testified of just a few of the many healings we had seen within the past 24 hours. This noticeably fuelled their faith as it confirmed the testimonies that Wilma had told them from the outreach night before.  In minutes, sixty or so people had formed themselves in to two raggedy lines. Men prayed with men and women with women. This is good as sometimes before when we just pray for anyone you may have to encounter some shocking conditions that is perhaps best reserved for someone of the same gender.

 

 

"something just pulled up from the inside"

 



First was a man that had experienced some kind of prolapse? I didn’t fully understand either the interpretation or the condition, but the man was suffering and by Gods grace He would heal it which He did. We prayed and the man jumped a little and began smiling. He spoke with the AOG pastor praying alongside me and testified to him that "something just pulled up from the inside" and he knows it’s fixed. He walked away a clearly happy man.

 

Something had collapsed internally affecting everything?
Jesus healed him in an instant



Three people with cataracts instantly healed

Since most of the men had now been prayed for and received from the Lord all manner of healings, as is our way we go to the next line to assist them. First was an older lady with cataracts – Instantly healed. Then another older woman, she was deaf and had cataracts – Hearing and seeing clearly within a minute in Jesus name. Jo told me later she also had a woman in her line healed of cataracts. A young lady with a migraine – It left straight away.


Cataracts instantly gone



Jesus healed cataracts & deafness 

 I have Leprosy

 

The next young woman obviously had a serious skin condition. I asked her what was wrong. She whispered something so low I couldn’t hear. I asked her again, she was very embarrassed as she looked pitifully at me and said in a slightly louder whisper “I have Leprosy”. I smiled a smile of acceptance and reassurance and reminded her that it was no problem for Jesus. We prayed, rebuking the condition. Hadn’t Jesus sent out his disciples in Matthew 10 commanding them among other things to “cleanse the lepers”.  We prayed fervently and intensely. She then told us that as we prayed she felt something cold go down inside her and she felt light. In our experience the people that say that have begun a recovery. Next time you seen them they’ll testify as to their healing shortly after the prayer time.

We head off with many sincere goodbyes and pleas for us to return again soon. This is always our concern the follow up. We leave this village in the capable hands of Wilma and another on fire sister that she has introduced us too.

We head to our next venue.