First trip to Africa
Jun 17, 2009 18:18:38 GMT -5
Post by huntingmike on Jun 17, 2009 18:18:38 GMT -5
My first trip to Africa was in November 2001. I was invited to go with some of the people from Restoration Church located in Athens Tn. There had been a large group going but the attack on 911 just prior to us leaving had the world in an uproar. We had a special meeting the first of October to pray and only those who felt they were called to go would go. Five of us believed we were called to go.
The week before we were to leave the world news reported that a village in Nigeria to the North of where we were to be staying; 300 Christians were killed by Muslims in retaliation of the bombing of Afghanistan. We knew our lives could be in jeopardy.
The first Wednesday of November 2001 less than two months after 911 we five men boarded a plane at the Knoxville airport flew to JFK from JFK to Amsterdam Holland from Amsterdam to Lagos Nigeria from Lagos to
Port Harcourt Nigeria and then a bus ride for several hours. After five planes with lay overs for connections and one old bus ride we finally reached our destination in 47 hours!
Nigeria is on the Atlantic coast and the equator extending South. We were in a village called Osaquato. No electricity except for a generator only for one hour at night for one light bulb where we stayed. No running water. We had to boil water to bathe from a bucket. We had to take our own food and bottled water to drink.
Pastor Johny's mission team had been to this area once before so we knew what to expect and we were prepared with our necessities. I was not prepared for the total poverty of the area.
When you see images on TV about the conditions in Africa you think you know what your going to see but it can not compare to being there.
It had been announced for months our team was coming to the area to have a three day pastor's conference, five night crusade and a day to feed the widows. (The widows are the poorest of the poor in Osaquato.)
We stayed in a compound called the Century hotel. It was a dilapidated two story block building with an adjoining meeting hall able to seat about 400. It had a wall around the whole compound with guards. The first morning of the pastor's conference I was awakened at daybreak by the sound of over 300 pastors with some of their wives singing and praising God. It was just after 5:00 a.m. their time. It was awesome. They continued all morning long until 9:00 a.m. At which time the conference started. I was about to burst! I was ready to go to the conference but my aid told me it was not time for us to go yet. They would call for us about 11:00 a.m. I could hardly contain my emotions. Here I was hearing the worship and praise of pastors from all over Africa. Baptist, Pentecostals, Catholics, Episcopalians, Methodist, Church of Christ, Jesus only, Nazarene just to name a few. There were many more even some we would call cults here in America.
I had never been apart of any thing like it. I was wanting to preach so bad I could have exploded. Finally at 11:00 a.m. we went to the conference and we had more singing, praying, and worship. I found out I would be the third speaker of the day. Scotty B.... went first. Then pastor Johny H...went second. At
2:00 p.m. I was called on to preach and preach I did under the unction of The Holy Spirit. I gave my personal testimony how that God was using me with signs and wonders following. I explained to them how the Holy Ghost had fallen on me and changed my life. I told them it was available to all who would ask for it. At the conclusion of the message I asked if any would believe my report. I asked if they wanted to receive the power of God. And those who did to stand. ( I was going to lay hands on them individually but approximately 200 stood.) I remember saying to the Lord there are so many what shall I do? He replied, "Say what I tell you to say" and I did.
The Lord said, "Raise your hands and say. I receive the Baptism Of The Holy Ghost. It is my right as a child of the living God. I receive it now in the Name Of Jesus." When they repeated what I had said exactly as The Lord had given it to me. There was a mighty roar as a rushing wind. It pressed against you with force hard to describe. It did not just press in one direction but all around you. No one moved for over ten minutes just the roar of the wind and the roar of those men who received of The power of God and who were speaking in a heavenly language. It was glorious glorious glorious!!! This was the first day.
In the late afternoon while I was in my room on the second floor looking over the grass that was at least ten foot high. Wondering where we were to have the crusade a large group of men with machetes began cutting the grass. They cut a place out at least 300 yards square. They also brought some lumber and began to build a platform in a back corner facing the opening. At sundown a bell began to ring and people came from all directions walking to the new cut field. I could not have imagined the amount of people coming out of that tall grass that reached up into the trees. Some one fired up a generator and turned on a few shop lights and the music and worship began. Two hours later they escorted us to the platform.
The first night of the crusade pastor Johny H... preached to about 2500 people and 250 came for salvation. At the end of the service he had me begin to minister and I prayed for a few crippled men and God healed them and I told the crowd to bring their sick with them and I would pray for them the next night. The crowd was excited to say the least.
This being a large post I will stop here for now. I know how I have been received so far but this is my testimony. If you do not believe it do not judge me. This board says, I can give my testimony. I risked my life to live it and I will tell it. The Lord sent me and I obeyed. I have risked my life to help others to know Jesus and I have gladly done it many times.
A servant,
Rev. Mike
The week before we were to leave the world news reported that a village in Nigeria to the North of where we were to be staying; 300 Christians were killed by Muslims in retaliation of the bombing of Afghanistan. We knew our lives could be in jeopardy.
The first Wednesday of November 2001 less than two months after 911 we five men boarded a plane at the Knoxville airport flew to JFK from JFK to Amsterdam Holland from Amsterdam to Lagos Nigeria from Lagos to
Port Harcourt Nigeria and then a bus ride for several hours. After five planes with lay overs for connections and one old bus ride we finally reached our destination in 47 hours!
Nigeria is on the Atlantic coast and the equator extending South. We were in a village called Osaquato. No electricity except for a generator only for one hour at night for one light bulb where we stayed. No running water. We had to boil water to bathe from a bucket. We had to take our own food and bottled water to drink.
Pastor Johny's mission team had been to this area once before so we knew what to expect and we were prepared with our necessities. I was not prepared for the total poverty of the area.
When you see images on TV about the conditions in Africa you think you know what your going to see but it can not compare to being there.
It had been announced for months our team was coming to the area to have a three day pastor's conference, five night crusade and a day to feed the widows. (The widows are the poorest of the poor in Osaquato.)
We stayed in a compound called the Century hotel. It was a dilapidated two story block building with an adjoining meeting hall able to seat about 400. It had a wall around the whole compound with guards. The first morning of the pastor's conference I was awakened at daybreak by the sound of over 300 pastors with some of their wives singing and praising God. It was just after 5:00 a.m. their time. It was awesome. They continued all morning long until 9:00 a.m. At which time the conference started. I was about to burst! I was ready to go to the conference but my aid told me it was not time for us to go yet. They would call for us about 11:00 a.m. I could hardly contain my emotions. Here I was hearing the worship and praise of pastors from all over Africa. Baptist, Pentecostals, Catholics, Episcopalians, Methodist, Church of Christ, Jesus only, Nazarene just to name a few. There were many more even some we would call cults here in America.
I had never been apart of any thing like it. I was wanting to preach so bad I could have exploded. Finally at 11:00 a.m. we went to the conference and we had more singing, praying, and worship. I found out I would be the third speaker of the day. Scotty B.... went first. Then pastor Johny H...went second. At
2:00 p.m. I was called on to preach and preach I did under the unction of The Holy Spirit. I gave my personal testimony how that God was using me with signs and wonders following. I explained to them how the Holy Ghost had fallen on me and changed my life. I told them it was available to all who would ask for it. At the conclusion of the message I asked if any would believe my report. I asked if they wanted to receive the power of God. And those who did to stand. ( I was going to lay hands on them individually but approximately 200 stood.) I remember saying to the Lord there are so many what shall I do? He replied, "Say what I tell you to say" and I did.
The Lord said, "Raise your hands and say. I receive the Baptism Of The Holy Ghost. It is my right as a child of the living God. I receive it now in the Name Of Jesus." When they repeated what I had said exactly as The Lord had given it to me. There was a mighty roar as a rushing wind. It pressed against you with force hard to describe. It did not just press in one direction but all around you. No one moved for over ten minutes just the roar of the wind and the roar of those men who received of The power of God and who were speaking in a heavenly language. It was glorious glorious glorious!!! This was the first day.
In the late afternoon while I was in my room on the second floor looking over the grass that was at least ten foot high. Wondering where we were to have the crusade a large group of men with machetes began cutting the grass. They cut a place out at least 300 yards square. They also brought some lumber and began to build a platform in a back corner facing the opening. At sundown a bell began to ring and people came from all directions walking to the new cut field. I could not have imagined the amount of people coming out of that tall grass that reached up into the trees. Some one fired up a generator and turned on a few shop lights and the music and worship began. Two hours later they escorted us to the platform.
The first night of the crusade pastor Johny H... preached to about 2500 people and 250 came for salvation. At the end of the service he had me begin to minister and I prayed for a few crippled men and God healed them and I told the crowd to bring their sick with them and I would pray for them the next night. The crowd was excited to say the least.
This being a large post I will stop here for now. I know how I have been received so far but this is my testimony. If you do not believe it do not judge me. This board says, I can give my testimony. I risked my life to live it and I will tell it. The Lord sent me and I obeyed. I have risked my life to help others to know Jesus and I have gladly done it many times.
A servant,
Rev. Mike