This past Wednesday I taught my first large group session of Iris Harvest Mission School to the 120 or so students here. I spoke on evangelism as recruitment into the ministry of Jesus and invited people feeling called by Jesus to recruit others to come up for prayer. The whole group came forward-- which is not so surprising considering this is a highly motivated audience.
Right after the session Anna and I went out to Mieze, a village where there was a mobile health clinic day. There was a doctor and some nurses and lots of prayer people. Many people were helped and we saw lots of healing too. Physicians and prayer happening together. Then we returned and I gave a 7:00 talk to the students on my spiritual journey, ending with my own confession and repentance for judgments I had made against Pentecostals, Assembly of God, Four Square, Charismatics, right wing republicans, evangelicas, fundamentalists... I invited the Spirit to show people if they needed to confess their judgements against brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. Many people came to the mike and made public confessions and asked forgiveness. It was really powerful. Then I invited people to come up for fresh fire from the Spirit. Everyone seemed to come forward and the Holy Spirit was very strongly present. People were laid out all over the straw mats as the Spirit came stronger and stronger. Really amazing.
Yesterday Heidi Baker, Anna and I and some others went out to do an overnight outreach in the bush some 2-3 hours away. There was another group ahead of us showing the Jesus film, and several thousand were gathered watching when we arrived-- an amazing mass of impoverished humanity! We prayed with people for what seemed like hours after the film. Anna and I saw lots of healings-- backs, head aches, knees, shoulders. Then Anna got overwhelmed as we had the crowd pressing in on us. She got up on the flat bed with Heidi and I kept praying. I saw God really move to heal people-- even someone who was partially or totally blind get their sight back! Then when we returned from our praying to the land rover we found a window broken out and all Heidi and Anna and my most important bags were gone! In Heidis bag there were two I-phones, $2500 cash, camera, residency documents. In ours our digital camcorder, journals, bible, water purifier, $100 or so and other things. We were disappointed, but tried not to let it get us down after seeing God move so beautifully. A bunch of local pastors rallied together and spend the whole night trying to locate our stuff. They kept coming back to wake up Heidi (who was in a tent right next to us, so we woke up too) to tell us their progress. Finally at 5:00am they came back with all of our journals, bible, back packs and other non valuables-- which was great! We just returned feeling tired but full after lots of signs of Godś kingdom and great fellowship with Heidi and others.
Keep us in your prayers. I preach in Mieze, a nearby village from 8:30-1:00pm or so on Sunday. Then teach most of Monday and Tuesday. We fly out on Tuesday night to Maputo. Meet with a theologian from the mainline denominational seminary who is interested in talking on Wednesday morning. Then we fly out Wed afternoon for S. Africa, Paris and home!
Pray for safety, Gods ongoing presence and continual ministry through us and to us.
In Christ,
Bob
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