I just returned home from another eyeopening journey with Pastor Tommy Lilja. This time was a mega Gospel crusade in Antananarivo, the capitol of Madagascar. I flew there last week Tuesday and made it home safe this afternoon so it was a full week.
It is such a blessing to co-operate with Pastor Tommy and Tommy Lilja Ministries. Pastor Tommy has been an important part of my life since 2010 and we have cried and laughed together. He is one of my spiritual fathers, mentor, brother in the Lord and a very good friend.
To travel to the third world is never a holiday trip. What you get to witness breaks your heart. Poverty and people in need all over the place. Antananarivo a huge city with 3 million people in one of the poorest countries in the world tells quite much. The middle life length of a person in Madagascar is 56 years. It used to be a French colony and therefore you see mostly French cars. Most of the taxis are old Renaults from the 1960’s and 1970’s. The crime rate is high so the people need to be inside before it gets dark. Thats why the crusade meetings were held in the afternoon instead of at night. When you witness such poverty you return home grateful for what you have. What always breaks my heart are those little children on the streets from the age of only a few years old. Many of them have no home, they live on the streets.
The reason we were there was to establish the ministry there and hopefully crusades will take place in the rainforest in the different villages and smaller towns in the future. There are hidden tribes that are unreached and they have never heard about Jesus.
Again I got to witness thousands of people receive Christ into their lives. The follow up is taken care of by a large number of churches who stood behind the crusade and served during the crusade. It is now their work starts as they are taking care of the fruit.
When you see Jesus perform miracles with your own eyes you can not doubt. We saw blind eyes open, deaf ears open, lame people walk, cancer tumors disappear… the list can be made long. Where people have no other choice they open up their heart fully to Jesus and that is when He also comes and meet our needs. He sure changed Madagascar during these days and lives are transformed.
Fire Meet, Enköping
On Monday me and Sebastian are going over to Sweden for our Fire Meet that is held for the third time in Enköping, June 6th. Fire Meet will also be organised again during Power Meet and their 40th anniversary in Lidköping early July.
We are also happy to announce that we are going to celebrate 10 years together with Church on Wheels at Bjärka Säby in Sweden 30 June - July 2.
Happening year
June 12th I am flying back to Africa for another crusade with Pastor Tommy in Chingola, Zambia. Long flights long days but to be part of what God is doing in these countries means much to me personally.
End of July we are going to have some time off as in August we are returning to Germany. September we have meetings booked in Sweden. We return to the US mid October and this time we are starting up north in Ohio and Michigan before we do a week in Texas. From there we go ”home” to Florida for 3-4 weeks of ministry. To serve God is not a job. It is a calling and an important part of your life and I enjoy it even if it is hard at times.
Rockabilly Redneck
The Rockabilly Redneck album will be out and available for download and purchase within the month of June. It is quite interesting to do something different and I am still practicing my rockabilly licks. I want to thank Janne Hyöty for all is time, effort and great ideas into this project. It will be good!
This is something we do together
The truth is that without funds it is impossible for us to go anywhere. We have a handful of loyal partners that are partnering monthly but we are in desperate need of more monthly partners. If God lays it on your heart to support us monthly feel free to contact us. Our goal is to find 20 new monthly partners this summer that will donate a minimum of $20. This should be possible and if we manage to get more we can do even more. We do this with a pure heart for Jesus. He have been so good to us so this is the only thing we can do to show our love to Him; to be out there loving other people and reaching them with the message of Jesus Christ through our testimonies and music.
God Bless & Have a great start of the summer!
Pontus J Back
