Africa shall be saved

Yesterday I returned home from my first trip ever to Africa. This trip became something that made me think different. We should really be happy for what we have here where we live. The main reason for this trip was the PTL Crusade in Lusaka, Zambia. First of all I would like to thank Pastor Tommy Lilja for believing in me and for letting me be a tiny little part in the very important work he and his ministry is doing all over the world. PTL Crusades are organized ones a month around the world where there is a need of Jesus. This time it was time for Chawama in Lusaka, Zambia witch is the biggest slum in the area, most likely the biggest slum in Zambia.

We did some tours of the Chawama area during the day time and compared to the misery I seen at other places, even the ghettos in USA this was something totally different. I had never ever in my life could have imagined how bad the conditions are down there. I could never ever had imagined that people lives in that filth. It just made me realize that where I come from we have it way too good. That is also why we don't have the same need and hunger for God and most of us think we do not need God. 

It is hard for us in the western world to understand that thousands of children, many of them so small that they have just learned to walk, come to the meetings each night and experience apnd participate in the meeting in a way that you have to witness to truly be able to understand. They sing, lift their hands, close their eyes, open their mouths to receive the Holy Spirit. 

In the midst of this filth, misery and desperation for God, there are such enormous contrasts to most of our churches in Europe. When you see a five year old child from the slums, who only owns one tattered shirt and a single pair of pants that are too big, lifts his hands and with tears running down his cheeks calls out to Jesus you know it is real. When you see young children baptized in the Holy Spirit and starting to fall under the power of God and speaking in new tongues, you know it is real. Jesus is there, right in the midst of the dust, filth and misery, thousands of children get to experience the biggest things of all, Jesus touching them at the very deepest.

One miracle in particular that sticks out from this crusade happened to a you boy, around seven or eight years old. His legs were paralyzed and he could not walk. We were told he was going to have surgery that could have helped his problem and he was scheduled for this. During the meeting on Thursday night he got healed . On Friday they went to the doctor, who examined him and cancelled the surgery. The same evening as the doctor had cancelled the surgery the boy came together with his mother to testify about what Jesus had done. It was an awesome moment to see Pastor Tommy together with that little boy up there on the stage. The mothers feelings of thankfulness and greatness were all over the place. The following night I saw this little boy in the crowd together with his father. I took his hand and said hello. This time he was together with his father and I could see tears of thankfulness in his eyes, tears that ran down his cheeks.

The crusade were held for five nights in a row. I have not heard the last numbers yet. The decision cards for one night were counted to 2000 and the last night on Sunday when Pastor Tommy made an altar call and between six and eight thousand people came to receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Thousands of these were children and as I wrote earlier they were filled with a hunger and thirst for the most high, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords; Jesus Christ and many of them got baptized in the Holy Spirit. To stand next to Pastor Tommy on stage witnessing all this just ministered to me in a way that I can't find words for. Something happened in my heart and as this was my first trip ever to Africa I have to say that I love Africa and I am totally in agreement with Reverend Reinhard Bonnkes vision about Africa being saved. 

The last night was like an explosion of God's power over Chawama. Around 30 000 people came to the crusade ground and you could feel Him in the air. You could see Him touching people and you could see manifestations of demons and evil spirits leave people all over the crusade ground. Where Jesus is there can't be any darkness and it has to leave. It might have looked dramatic when people were manifesting because of being set free from the evil but when you know what it is about you just put a smile on your face and think: there you go Satam, Jesus is kicking you butt big time now!

One thing that I have had a struggle with reading news about thousands of people being saved at crusades is what happens with the harvest after the crusade. Today I know better or at least I know how it works here. During the crusades there are several local churches involved. During this crusade in Lusaka, Zambia there were 45-50 local churches involved and during Friday and Saturday there was a Pastors and Leaders seminar where Pastor Tommy spoke for the leaders, encouraged them with his teachings and made sure that they churches are doing the work after the crusade. 

Me and PTL Coordinator Bertil Dolfen visited one of these churches Sunday morning and it was such a blessing. A small church, not a nice building at all no fancy instruments but worship from the bottom of their hearts but the presence of Jesus was there. We got to share somethings about ourselves and Bertil brought the word of God this morning. After the service we got to pray for everyone and we had a great time. This church was on fire and ready to take care of the harvest and I can imagine that this crusade brought around 15 000 people to the Kingdom of God and therefore it is very important that there are plenty of workers to take care of the harvest and in this care there are plenty of workers who can take care of one soul at a time and bring him or her to the church and start the discipleship.

Since I checked in at our hotel in Lusaka, Zambia I have experienced something very special, actually something really funny. Where ever I was people was looking at me, especially when I was dressed as I use to. I asked the lady at the front desk at the hotel the second day why all people are laughing at me? She answered me very nicely and said that they are not laughing at me, they are surprised as they have only seen people like me on television. That made me laugh. 

While I was waling around the crusade ground taking pictures the children came around me and it was quite funny when one little girl took my hand and wanted to walk by my side, together with me. Around 15 to 20 other children run around me and after me and I could feel their hands in my ponytail. When I stopped they were all around me and they all wanted to touch my hair and my beard. Their eyes were big when they saw my tattooed hands sticking out the arms of the suit. I just got a passion for these children.

Also while me and PTL Coordinator Bertil Dolfen walked inside the mall close to the hotel we might have looked like Bertil being a business man with a body guard. We drew eyes towards us and it actually made sense as all those we spoke to got to hear why we where there and who we believe in; Jesus! Another funny story was one night when me and Bertil went to have some food. While waiting for the food there was a hole in the wall to the kitchen from where they deliver the food. I was sitting with a sleeveless shirt with my back towards this hole and Bertil started to laugh and I heard him say; - Come and have a closer look, he is not dangerous! The hole were filled with heads from the kitchen watching the white tattooed man with long blond hair and a beard. 

Me and Bertil flew from Lusaka to the capitol of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa after the crusade in Lusaka, Zambia. When we checked in at the hotel, the very same things happened; the women behind the counter started to look weird at me but with a smile in their faces. One of them said that I am Hulk Hogan, the wrestler and I said no. They were so funny so I gave them all a Jesus Loves You CD with some of my testimony and music.

The reason we were in Addis Ababa was our visit to the orphanage supported by PTL Ministries. We were picked up by them and while we drove to the place I got to see even more misery. So many children on the streets begging for money as they were hungry. So many poor and homeless people. These children touched my heart and I realized that many of the children in Chawama, Lusaka were street children. Before I only heard about street children and now I got to see them with my own eyes and that is not anything you really want to see. I could never have imagined how bad this world is, now I realize that this world is in the power of the devil and we are here for one thing, to go out to all the people, preach the gospel, baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and The Holy Spirit and make disciples.

We visited the orphanage and I remember the first time I saw one of Pastor Tommys videos about a young street girl coming to a crusade giving her life to Jesus. She was later found by the PTL team who took here to this orphanage. I remember the tears in her eyes from the video, I remember her cry out for Jesus and how this video touched my heart. Now I met this girl and what a wonderful thing it was to see her safe and happy. This is what it is about! Saving children from the streets and giving them a future. The orphanage PTL Ministries works with has 230 children and all of them are taken care of very good. They make sure they get the medication they need as many of them have HIV. They make sure they go to school and many of them graduate. They take care of these children until they ARE ready for a life outside the orphanage. It is so much more than only saving a child from the street, first of all it saves a life as the street children disappear in a very young age. They are used in the sex industry or then they die. Here the children they don't only get a place to stay, they get a future, they get a life.

The people from the orphanage took very good care of us and told us how they work. They have their center to where the children come during the day and after school. The children lives in houses in groups of eight to ten children and every house has a house mother. Where there are younger children, there they have two house mothers. We visited two of these houses and it is NOT what you think it is. It is dirty, filthy and miserable but still so much more better than being on the street. Every child has an own bed and they have clothes as well. They do not need to wear the same too big pants day after day or the same tattered shirt. They get food made in their own kitchen, they do not have to search for food among the rubbish on the streets. This work just touched my heart and wanted me to be part of what they do here. We had a chance to speak to many of these children and we also met the group of children that are supported by PTL Ministries Children Aid. The girl I told you about earlier is one of them.

Before we left the orphanage we were asked to pray for a young boy. He had been found on the street six months ago and he had not been saying anything, not a single word since he came to the orphanage. He had spots in his face that reminded me about cigarette burn marks. The staff at the orphanage said that most likely this boy had gone through some horrible things but they did not know anything about him since he did not speak. The boy was over active and first we had a hard time to pray for him as he walked away but when he got one of my cameras to play with we managed to lay hands on him and pray. After prayer he responded to the people for the first time and when we walked out the door he started to speak to the nurse who was left in the room together with him. Ones again we got to see a miracle and this was powerful.

Yesterday I arrived at home and to my surprise one of my daughters was at the airport waiting for me. I have now been home for a while and I can still see them, the street children in Africa. I can see the misery and the darkness and my mind is filled with thoughts and questions how I could help these children. I made up my mind and I am going to save money each month to support one child. All it takes is around 50 US dollars/month to give one of these children a life and a future. Now when I have seen how it works and when I know that the money I give truly will go to the right place and a child gets a future this is something I want to do. I really hope YOU would do the same! Imagine that for around 50 US dollars / month YOU can give one of these children a life and a future. YES, that is what it takes only 50 bucks per month and as for every new donator that gives 50 bucks a month the more children the orphanage can take care of. You can read more about PTL Children Aid at : www.ptlministries.org

Now it is time for a period of being home and I am thankful for that. I decided to cancel Spain this fall as I just got back home and the Bikers in Spain does it good without me. Of course it would have been nice with some sunshine but I have more important things to do: being a father and a husband, staying at home before it is time for my next longer trip; Mission America 2012 that starts end of October and ends early December. More about that later. I hope I have managed to describe what I have experienced to you in a way that also YOU can be thankful for what you have. There are children out there waiting for us to help them out and ones again I want to thank Pastor Tommy and PTL Ministries for letting me be a tiny little part of the wonderful work they do all over the world. Also I would like to thank Frank Mangs Center for all the support and my church and support group for standing behind me. It is all teamwork and without YOU I could not do what I am doing today.