Stories from Monrovia

In the last few days prior to leaving Monrovia, we met with some of the zonal counsellor co-ordinators to hear the stories of those they were now in the process of following up. Although time was short, the few interviews that we were able to fit in were tremendously encouraging, and opened up the human element to the thousands of response cards we had received. What was particularly touching was the fact that it would not have been easy for any of these people to share their new or rediscovered faith. Throughout the interviews we often had their peers standing by and watching, often laughing, but they continued unperturbed showing the genuineness of the change in their heart.

The first young girl we met was 13 years old. She had fled to Sierre Leone with her parents during the war and during that time had started going to a Christian church, despite her parents belonging to the Muslim faith. She continued going to church when they returned to Liberia, but said she didn’t really understand. A team of local and African Enterprise evangelists visited her church during the mission week, preaching the gospel and sharing how they had come to know the Lord themselves. She began to understand the relevance of Jesus Christ’s life giving work for her own life, and decided to give her life to Him as her Lord and Saviour. She was very positive when she spoke about her new life and relationship with Jesus, particularly considering her background. She prays now that she might be a good witness to her parents, and they might also come to know the Lord.

Another young man was born in Monrovia, Liberia and was gifted soccer player. During the war he fled to Ghana, then travelled onto Indonesia where he started going to church and committed his life to the Lord. He said however, that when he returned to Liberia he stopped going to church, and only read his bible occasionally. When the Christ Mission for Monrovia team started setting up their equipment in his neighbourhood he became very excited and welcomed them to the community. He danced along to the music and said he was so touched by the message preached that he recommitted his life to the Lord. He prays that now the Lord would strengthen him so that he could serve God, even as a footballer. He was very thankful to African Enterprise and his local pastor for helping him to overcome his lapse of faith.

Please continue to pray for these young believers, and the many others who turned to Jesus Christ during this time. Pray also that the Lord would guide and protect the local churches as they continue to followup and disciple these precious people.

Sad Farewells and Summary of the Monrovia Mission…

The departure of the AE team has been staggered throughout the week, starting with 29 evangelists flying out on Monday, 5 on Wednesday, and the last two will leave this Saturday. The end of the proclamation phase of the “Christ Mission for Monrovia”, and consequently the end of the wonderful international community and fellowship we enjoyed together, has been quite painful. Tears have been shed, both by the AE team and by local pastors as we farewell each other, not quite sure when we will have the pleasure of working alongside each other so directly again. We have all been amazed by the strong bond which has developed between the international and local team during the short time we were with each other. Despite this sadness, we are all very aware that our unity in Christ remains, and the fact that this evangelistic outreach is just the beginning of a vital and challenging process which will either consolidate the fruitfulness of our work or diminish it. As debriefing and reflecting continues throughout the week, the follow up process continues with over 7000 response cards of being handed over to the Discipleship committee. Counsellors are already meeting with new believers in their zones, and I (Vanessa) have been interviewing some of them in our last few days (testimonies will follow shortly).
The overarching features of the “Christ Mission for Monrovia” are summarised below:
AE Evangelists from Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, DRC, Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa (including Stephen Lungu) spoke in 155 formally programmed meetings, in addition to spontaneous “walk up” evangelism, and many other unscheduled meetings conducted by local Evangelists.

3 AE teams of 5 “Foxfire” young people from South Africa and Kenya gave musical performances, evangelistic talks, testimonies and children’s evangelistic talks. Local performers, musicians and pastors were integral to the fruitfulness of these meetings. The AE Teams were joined by 4 short term missionaries from Australia, 300 local Evangelists and 350 local Counsellors.
Over the past four weeks, AE Evangelists also preached 46 times in some 40 local churches. Meetings were also held in Monrovia’s Schools, Hospitals, Orphanages, Bus Stations, the Petrol Refinery, the University of Liberia, the City Prison, Office Buildings, Government Offices and Women’s Groups, with an additional focus on preaching in open air Markets and street junctions where many local people gather during the daytime (due to the high rate of unemployment in Monrovia).
The Opening and Closing Rallies were attended by the Vice President of Liberia, Government Ministers, representatives of NGOs such as Tearfund and Samaritan’s Purse, Representatives of Church Umbrella Organisations such as the Association of Evangelicals Liberia, the Council of Churches in Liberia, and the Full Gospel churches, in addition to hundreds of local Monrovians.
Three Youth Rallies were held on the last but one day of the mission in strategic locations around the city, with local Artists and Foxfires performing, along with an Evangelist preaching a message aimed at young people.
A “City Leadership” dinner was held mid-week, attended by a number of national leaders including the Religious Advisor to the President, the Minister for Information, the Deputy Minister for Commerce and other senior Government officials.
A ground breaking ceremony was held in the Buzzi Quarter, a ghetto of 10,000 in the middle of Monrovia, which is the location of the Water Sanitation Project. The ceremony made the front page of a local newspaper, and the Vice President later made a commitment to the Buzzi Residents to meet with them to address their living conditions. The Buzzi Residents were greatly appreciative, and welcomed the activities of the “Christ Mission for Monrovia” in their community through a traditional ceremony of presenting Stephen Lungu with a Chicken and some Kola nuts. A large number of Buzzi responded to the message both at the ground breaking ceremony, and at the Closing Ceremony.
Around 70 local churches of various denominations were involved in the mission, through the local church umbrella organisations. Training events such as the Healing and Reconciliation Consultation, and the Discipleship Training were held at the United Methodist Church, and Providence Baptist Church respectively.
Finally, over 7000 decision cards were returned to the mission office, containing the details of those who made first time commitments to the Lord, or rededicated their lives. Over 3700 of those surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ for the first time. There is much rejoicing in heaven!! We are still to interview people who made decisions, but we know that a number of Muslims made commitments to Christ, as well as Satanists, those involved in witchcraft, and mission vehicle Drivers.
We are all so thankful for the partnership of those who have been giving, praying and encouraging throughout this mission. We have certainly sensed the Lord’s strengthening and enabling, and praise God for you all. Please continue to pray for:

1. Those who gave or rededicated their lives to Christ
2. Local believers involved in the follow up process
3. Those who are still travelling or will travel soon
4. That the church in Monrovia will be strengthened and expanded through this mission, and that many more might be reached as a result.

A powerful partnership

Monrovia Mission, 15-22 November 2009

Yesterday the intense proclamation phase of the mission finished up with a closing ceremony. However, just as Songe Chibambo (Pan African Missions Director) said during his introductory remarks, this is just the beginning of process of discipleship within the city of Monrovia.

The ceremony was also a wonderful celebration of the unity and co-operation between local churches, as well as the strong partnership between the local church leaders, and African Enterprise. The Steering Committee Executive had provided impressive leadership to both the local and international team throughout the week, as teams spread around the city zones. Visiting AE evangelists were also struck by the reliability and enthusiasm of many of the local counsellors, evangelists, and musicians who would often commence, and then continue evangelistic meetings after the departure of the AE teams. It was truly a joint effort.

Celebrations started with the traditional fast Liberian worship music, and very quickly a conga line had formed, winding its way through the crowd. Musical performances and elated celebration continued with local musicians such as the Liberian Ambassador for Gospel music and her mass choir, “Miracle” and her electric dance group, and the engaging South African and Kenyan Foxfires.

Quite early in the program His Excellency Joseph Boakai, the Vice President of Liberia, arrived promptly in his motorcade with sirens blaring. After formerly welcoming the Vice President, the Buzzi Quarter Health and Sanitation program was explained, and the large contingent of Buzzi Quarter residents present were acknowledged. Buzzi Quarter Chairman, Mr Tarnue, ceremonially welcomed the work of Monrovian churches in partnership with AE in his community. He gave some Koro nuts and a chicken, on behalf of the Buzzi community, to representatives of the local churches and African Enterprise, symbolizing that they were considered as one people, and as welcomed members of the Buzzi Community. Buzzi Quarter, local church and African Enterprise leaders, as well as His Excellency the Vice President, bit off a small part of the nut, which is extremely bitter, cementing the agreement that they are all part of the one community.

Swallowing this bitter nut only delayed Stephen for a very short time before he spoke powerfully about how easy it is to miss heaven if we are putting our faith in anything other than Jesus, such as church or knowing Christian songs. He spelt out that it is only faith in Jesus through which we receive forgiveness of sins which renders us right before God. Many people indicated that they wanted to trust Jesus for the first time, including the Community Chairman of the Buzzi Quarter, who was one of the first to rise to his feet.

As those who responded to the message were quietly counseled, His Excellency, the Vice President, addressed the ceremony. He thanked the organisers of the mission for their efforts and stressed the importance of his people loving Jesus saying, “we can build all the roads, bridges and buildings we want but it will all be in vain without love for Jesus…. If Liberians can embrace God, we will become a great nation.  I believe God has his hand on Liberia.” His Excellency also expressed a desire to meet with the

Stephen Lungu, CEO African Enterprise with His Excellency, Joseph Boakai, Vice President of the Republic of Liberia (left)

 people of Buzzi Quarter to discuss how the government might be involved in changing their circumstances.  The residents of Buzzi, who were present, were especially delighted by this invitation.

The afternoon ended with more dancing and sad but excited farewells. The team of disciplers now face a great challenge… follow up. This week we hope to meet up with some of those who surrendered their lives to Christ to hear more about their life changing week.

Thank you so much for standing with us throughout this week. Please continue to pray for;

1. Those who have given their lives to the Lord, particularly those who will experience persecution from family and friends.
2. Local believers who will follow up those who have responded to the Lord
3. The AE team, the majority of whom departed from Monrovia today
4. The Pan African Mission team and Australian short term missionaries who will stay for another few days. We praise the Lord for the improvement in Songe’s shoulder – he reports he is now 98% better!!!
5. That the church will continue to actively reach out to their community
6. For peace and stability, as the run-off elections for a Senate candidate will be held tomorrow and campaigning has been quite intense

A.E. evangelists preach last sermon in Monrovia…

Monrovia Mission, 15-22 November 2009

This last day of the mission, evangelists were distributed around the city to preach for the last time in local churches.  Short term missionary Cathy Ahern describes her time at Dupont Road Baptist Church.

“After a very Pentecostal style church service last Sunday with Pastor James at Buzzi quarter, this week we went to a much more main line Baptist Church lead by Pastor Perrick. We asked him about his experience of the war as we have with most of the people we’ve met here. He stayed in Monrovia during the war and told us of weeks on end when they couldn’t leave the house because of the bullets flying around. The service ran from 11am – 1.30pm and was a fantastic time of praise and worship.

Pastor Perrick has a great heart for protecting his flock and making sure they are taught well. After meeting with the elders to pray, he took us aside and interviewed us for 10 minutes or so before the service just to satisfy himself that we were ‘okay’. It was wonderful to see the care he takes with his congregation. After a tremendous time of prayers (including for a couple who had been married for 29 years), singing, worship and notices, Adrian spoke on Ephesians 6 and the armour of God. It was well received and pastor seemed genuinely delighted. It is worth mentioning that this church is a mission church and has both planted another congregation in Monrovia and sent short term missions into the country side.”

There is still much to do for the evangelists who travel home tomorrow, so more detail about the fantastic closing ceremony will be posted tomorrow. Please continue to pray for those who came to know the Lord, and the vital discipleship processes that now need to be implemented. Please also pray for those who are travelling tomorrow.

Many thanks and much love from the team in Monrovia

“Let the young people come to Me…”

Monrovia Mission, 15-22 November 2009

With over 50% of Monrovia’s population aged under 18 years old, there is a great need for youth ministry. Many of these young people were born during the war which ended around 5 years ago, and have suffered much during their developmental years. Some were child soldiers.Many children continue to suffer greatly in Monrovia as poverty impacts their family life, education, health and future opportunities. In a desperate attempt to free themselves from the shackles of poverty, many young people turn to prostitution, sexual relationships, drugs, theft and violence.

The three Foxfire teams from Kenya and South Africa have been in hot demand throughout the week. Their energetic dances, beautiful singing and powerful testimonies have deeply impacted young and old Monrovians, so much so that the Mission Chairman announced tonight that he would like them to stay another week so that they can train key youth leaders in local churches.

The Foxfires have ventured into many schools in Monrovia, reaching hundreds of young students. Nonkululeko (South Africa) shared her testimony at one of these schools, describing how she was born out of wedlock to very young parents who were not ready to care for and love her. She shared how rejected she felt as a result, and the impact this had on her relationship with her mother and father. Her self image was destroyed and she tried to find fulfilment and her identity in destructive relationships and behaviours. At her lowest point the Lord spoke to her about who she is as His creation and daughter, and her life was transformed. The students’ were deeply touched by her testimony, and some of them visited her at the team base today. One of them wrote her a letter saying “your teaching has really done well for me. I just want to say thanks and I love you, thanks for changing my life…” Her team was also invited to speak during an one and a half hour youth program on a local radio station regarding youth culture and faith.

The week’s youth ministry culminated in three youth rallies which were held in accessible locations around the city. Although being advertised as youth rallies, these meetings also attracted people from a wide range of ages. The local performers sang and danced alongside the Foxfires, who also shared their stories, and the gospel was preached. I attended a rally in one of the busiest market districts in town. The music and dancing very soon drew large crowds. Many were young people who were passing by with all sorts of items for sale balanced on their heads, but who then paused to listen.

At the time an altar call was made, one of these young girls removed her wares from her head and asked one of the attending evangelists to look after it as she wanted to receive Jesus, but had not sold anything yet that day, and needed to do so before she went home. He agreed to, but was distracted and left her items unattended. Another evangelist observed that nearby people had started helping themselves, and went over, insisting that they pay for what they had consumed. The young girl returned to discover that some sales had been made, and went home saying “praise God, Jesus gave me money. I can go home now”.

 The response generally was enormous, with each counsellor surrounded by up to 20 people, all earnestly wanting their details recorded for follow-up. The youth rallies at other venues were just as successful, with many young people coming to the Lord. It was a fantastic finale to the youth ministry, and a good precursor to the closing rally tomorrow.

Earlier this morning, we officially opened the Health and Sanitation project at the Buzzi Quarter with a “ground breaking ceremony”. The gathering of people was made up of Buzzi residents, local Christians, representatives from the Association of Evangelicals and other church umbrella organisations, and a large contingent from African Enterprise. Local Buzzi pastors led us in a time of worship, as bricklayers who were laying the foundations of the toilet block danced in the mud. The ceremony was held in a particularly smelly part of the community, at the bottom of the hill adjacent to the waterway flowing with rubbish and grey water, and next to the small UNICEF toilet block. It was another hot day, but it was a joy to be with this community, and to share with them God’s love in word and deed.

Stephen spoke about how Jesus stopped for people who others had ignored or oppressed, and explained God’s heart for the people of Buzzi who have been so overlooked for so long. At the end of his message he made an altar call, and over 30 people came forward to receive Jesus as their personal Saviour. As these people were counselled, representatives from Monrovian churches, African Enterprise, and Buzzi community leaders “broke” the ground, officially opening the process of development in the Buzzi Quarter and putting the community’s needs on the agenda of the local authorities.

Tomorrow, evangelists will be preaching in over 20 local churches before the Closing Ceremony commences at 2:30pm. We have been assured that the Vice President, and possibly the President herself, will be attending. We are excited but sad that the proclamation phase of the mission will be finishing up – there are still so many, many open doors for the gospel here, and so many hungry people who are willing to listen and need to know new life in the Lord.

Thank you again for persevering with us in prayer. We are again in awe of our great God whose wisdom and power is beyond anyone and anything we can imagine. Please continue to pray for:

1. Stephen as he preaches tomorrow at the Closing ceremony. Pray particularly for special guests such as the Vice President, and other city leaders who contribute to the leadership of this nation.
2. The evangelists as they preach in churches around the city
3. Songe’s shoulder – we can praise God that Songe was strong enough to join us for a short time at the groundbreaking ceremony in Buzzi Quarter, and then in the evening for devotions. Pray that the Lord might continue to strengthen and heal him.
4. That the Lord would protect all those who have turned to the Lord this week, and that they would find a bible believing church near their home
5. That the Lord would strengthen local counsellors and disciplers as they implement follow up programs, and disciple new believers.
6. For safety and health as the AE team winds up and travels home

Dancing in the streets…

Monrovia Mission, 15-22 November 2009

We praise the Lord for His goodness and demonstrations of power in so many lives. The last two days have been packed full of very fruitful outreach events reaching a range of different people, and there is great celebration amongst the local evangelists, counsellors and set up team as they publicly worship their Creator on the city streets.

A small group went to Monrovia Central Prison yesterday, a dusty, grey high-walled facility which currently accommodates three times as many prisoners as it was designed to accommodate. As we passed the large contingent of UN soldiers, who are currently charged with ensuring security, prisoners peered through iron bars and goats wandered around the small yard. We were later told the cells were so over-crowded that prisoners sleep sitting or standing up.  We were ushered into the small chapel which was crowded with men and a small group of  women. The volume of their singing surprised me; they sang with great gusto. But as we have learnt many times over, singing and clapping to choruses does not necessary indicate a living faith in Jesus.

Grace (Tanzania) encouraged the prisoners to see this time as a testimony in the making, as God leads them into His plan for their lives. Stephen (Intl CEO) shared much of his testimony then Dino (South Africa) preached powerfully about the power of God to transform empty, broken lives. Out of 200 men, over 100 stood indicating they wanted to give their whole lives to Jesus, as well as more than half of the group of women. It was a moving experience, and tomorrow another team will visit again, hopefully also ministering to the juvenile section.

Meetings took place throughout the day in many locations around the city. During one of them Enoch (Malawi) preached on corner surrounded by small businesses and a taxi/motorcycle rank. He shared how many people and powers in this world call us to come to them, but they offer disappointment and shame. He explained that Jesus calls us to Him, and he offers to take our heavy burden, giving us rest. Over 30 people responded, appearing from nearby shops and taxis.

The city leaders dinner was a little like parable where the rich man’s banquet is snubbed by his friends who make excuses.

Stephen Lungu (CEO) with Prophetess Esther Nyemah, Religious Advisor to the President of Liberia, Mdm Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

 However, a committed group of high profile leaders did come, including the Religious Advisor to President, and one of the City Mayors of Monrovia. The Deputy Minister for Commerce also attended, remarking publicly after the proceedings that he was very grateful for our work in the Buzzi Quarter, which is located within his constituency. He hopes to attend the “ground breaking” ceremony tomorrow, to officially launch the project. The Special Assistant to the Minister of Immigration also attended, recalling how the Lord had prompted him to help us to obtain the visas for our Malawian team members in record time.

Today, ministry continued in market places, schools, businesses and busy junctions. Team members arrive back to our base very tired but excited about what the Lord has been doing in our midst. They reported that a number of people were delivered from evil spirits, a lady deaf in one ear regained her hearing, and a number of people who formerly followed another faith decided to follow the Lord who has worked so powerfully in our lives and deals with our sin once and for all.

One meeting was held in the Liberian Petroleum Refinery Corporation, a large industrial site where the petrol fumes were inescapable. Staff gathered to hear Leonard (DRC) speak about the destructiveness of “toothless” Christianity, particularly mentioning his angst that although 90% of the population of his homeland claim to be Christian, the rate of corruption was one of the highest in the world. He spoke convincingly about the necessity for individuals to stop blaming governments, structures or life circumstances for the compromises they make in their own daily lives. It was a convicting message, and many of those present were clearly deeply touched, praying for forgiveness, and a number surrendering their lives to the Lord.

Tomorrow three youth rallies will be held in strategic locations around the city, as well as other meetings in market places, football fields and even some schools. The “ground breaking” ceremony for the Sanitation project in the Buzzi Quarter will take place in the morning. The team are quite tired, but joyful, and are quite disappointed that there is so little left of this week.

Thank you so much for your prayers. We praise the Lord for safety, energy, opportunities, and the local churches who have been so creative and committed. Please continue to pray:

1. That many would attend the youth rallies which will be held in three locations in the city tomorrow. Please pray particularly for the Foxfires who have worked extremely hard this week, and will be ministering to the many youth.
2. That the final preparations for the Closing ceremony would go smoothly, and that it would be a great finale to the mission week
3. For protection and guidance for the local believers who have worked so hard this week
4. That the Lord will protect and strengthen the many who have responded to Him, particularly those who will encounter difficulties from their families.
5. That the follow up procedures would be well organised and that people would be welcomed into churches.
6. Songe continues to experience significant pain, and today received a steroid injection to relieve his discomfort. He is barely able to sleep, and has been forced to rest for the past day.
7. A couple of team members have stomach upsets, and have had either to rest or return early from preaching engagements.

The momentum builds…

Monrovia Mission, 15-22 November 2009

We can say that “things are moving!”, as is often said over here in Africa. The hiccups and logistical challenges which we encountered during our first two days of stratified evangelism seem to have been ironed out, and momentum is building. We are so thankful to the Lord for answering our prayers regarding the weather, as we have not had any showers which have affected our outreach meetings. We didn’t realise though that the lack of rain would result in searing heat! It is extremely hot and humid during the day, and most of our meetings involving standing, preaching or dancing (in the case of the Foxfires) in the scorching sunlight. This is starting to take its toll on team members energy levels, though has certainly not quenched their enthusiasm.

We had a busy and fruitful day today, with meetings taking place in the five zones around the city. Some groups started off before 8am devotions to minister to children at school assemblies, whilst others travelled early to cover long distances before the traffic clogged the roads. I joined the group at the Ministry of Information, a building which had been gutted in many places by the rebels during Charles Taylors’ war for leadership. Grace Masalakulangwa (Tanzania) encouraged the staff fellowship group as they interceded for their city, and was very well received, so much so that they requested a group photo.

Grace later spoke evangelistically at the University of Liberia in a “palava” house – a round hut which traditionally was used for discussion and conflict resolution. Her vocal cords were tested as she competed with the very loud political meetings which were taking place in nearby palava houses, in preparation for the upcoming run-off Senate elections. One young man we spoke to afterwards shared with us how he had backslidden from his Christian faith when he started university, but after being reminded that focussing on Jesus is the only way to pursue our true purpose in life, he was convicted and wished to recommit his life to Jesus.

At another meeting conducted by a different group, a man who had grown up following another faith was struck by the grace of God which extends to him the gift of forgiveness, and he gave his life to the Lord. Although his new found faith will cause a deep rift in his family and with believers of his previous belief, his main concern was how he could continue to preach the gospel to others.

In the afternoon, another group started sharing outside a gas station. Their team leader was concerned that it may not be a place where people would gather, but after the performance of a local gospel singer, and a team of South African Foxfires, a crowd of around 80 people had surrounded us. David Chigamba (Malawi) stood up to preach, assuring people that he would not be long, as sometimes the crowd disperses after the “entertainment” is over. However, by the end of his message a greater number of people had gathered, some nodding earnestly as he talked about the destruction which the “storms” of sin, sickness, bad relationships, drugs and prostitution cause in our lives. As he was encouraging people to turn to Jesus in the midst of their storms, just as the disciples turned to Jesus in the middle of a life threatening storm, I noticed a man with both hands raised, looking to the sky. He was already praying to the Lord. He looked as though he didn’t need to hear anymore and just couldn’t wait to give his life to the Lord who cares for us. When David eventually made the altar call, we noticed that instead of a crowd of children rushing forward as is usual, a number of grown men came over with their hands raised. David was soon completely swamped by young men who had realised their need to turn to the Lord.

There are many other testimonies which could be shared if we had the space. Enoch (Malawi) reported that at one market place women were running over to join in the singing and dancing. Local evangelists started personal evangelism and were praying with people even before the preaching started. Counsellors have been reliably and quickly assisting those who respond to the message. At another venue, policemen who had initially objected to a meeting being held, were saved. At least one of our drivers have given their lives to the Lord, or been renewed in their Christian walk. Overall, we can confidently say that hundreds of people are being saved each day, and we are continually overwhelmed by the piles of decision cards which are returned to the mission office . 

Thank you so much for your prayers and support. Please praise the Lord for His continued grace and anointing as we move around the city safely, enjoying the privilege of being His hands, feet and mouth.

Please continue to pray for:

1. Those who have committed their lives to the Lord – that the enemy would not snatch the seed, and that the Word that was sown would grow deeply into their hearts producing a fruitful harvest.
2. Meetings tomorrow taking place in various areas throughout the city, including “red light” (very busy market), the Central Prison, schools, busy junctions, the National Museum, and sports fields
3. the city leadership dinner which takes place tomorrow night. Pray for those who are speaking, and pray the Lord will draw many people to Himself
4. for the youth rallies on saturday
5. those involved in the counselling and follow up programs – for commitment and wisdom.
6. Songe Chibambo’s shoulder continues to cause him pain – please pray the Lord would give him relief from this ongoing problem. A number of other team members are struggling with headaches, asthma, and tiredness generally.
7. Stephen Lungu was forced to rest today due to a serious stomach bug. Please pray the Lord would heal and strengthen him for ministry at the prison tomorrow

Day Three, Monrovia, Liberia Mission

  15-22 November 2009

The battle for the city of Monrovia continued today. We have had a day of wonderful ministry in some zones, so much so that teams returned home exhausted from meetings, and yet in other zones, miscommunications and other hiccups have been very disruptive. For instance, we were sadly not able to make it into the prison today, and pray that we will be able to minister there on Thursday. We continue to sense the Lord’s enabling through the sapping heat, traffic and delays, as teams continue to travel around with excitement and joy. We have also been reminded how important continued prayer for the Lord’s protection and anointing is, as we seek to make the most of the fantastic opportunities which have opened up for the church here.

A number of team members share some of their thoughts and experiences below…

Lazaro Mulhui, our Mozambican brother, met with Ms Etmisnia David Tarpeh, the Minister of Youth and Sport. He spoke at the daily devotional meeting for Ministry staff yesterday, and today was invited back to speak further with the Minister. He writes “I was received at her office and experienced her gratitude and appreciation for ministering to them. She thanked the African Enterprise gesture and she praised the initiative of evangelising the city of Monrovia, saying that “the church in Monrovia needs much support and help in order to progress the gospel of Jesus Christ”, and wished us a very successful mission in Monrovia.

Adrian Ahern, Australian Short Term Missioner, says “Our first meeting started slowly, as the heavy peak hour traffic held up the public address system. We waited at a market area in Westpoint, a slum area housing fishermen and their families. It was a fly-ridden area next to a dock for fishing boats on the sea. There were no toilet facilities available and children were openly relieving themselves in the public area. The children were excited to see us, and were curiously touching the Caucasian team members’ skin, having never been in contact with white foreigners. Dino Naidoo decided to start the meeting without amplification, and a crowd gathered.

He was filled with the Spirit as he gave his powerful testimony and spoke to the crowd about how Jesus had turned his life around, from crime and other activities to a life of meaning and purpose. Many in the crowd were clearly affected by what Dino said, in particular the emptiness of his former life. In each place about 25 people came forward, including a 19 year old boy named Jebediah who said he had been involved in criminal activity and now wanted to give his life to the Lord.
Notwithstanding the challenges of the morning, the delays, the heat, flies and smell, it was a great morning for the Lord in each market place.”

Local journalist for the national radio station, Liberian Broadcasting Service, Necus Andrews also reports that at his first meeting “29 young people confessed their past wrong doing…that have kept them from God. The youths commended African Enterprise for organising the city wide crusade, and called on their peers to put their trust in God because he is the only one who gives us hope for a productive life…” In an interview at a subsequent venue, with one of the sixty new believers, he was told that “their lives have been through hell, but with God they can make it.” The National television station also covered an event conducted in a very large marketplace, interviewing two of our team members.

Please pray!

1)      Praise the Lord for the many who have been saved, and pray the Lord would protect and grow them as His disciples. Pray for tomorrow’s meetings, which will take place in schools, market places, sports fields, the Information Ministry, the Forest Development Authority, a coconut plantation, a gas station, and a special event for children.
2)      that the enemies schemes would be thwarted, especially those which are aimed at causing confusion and discouragement.
3)      for our leaders, Stephen Lungu and Songe Chibambo, that the Lord would give them great discernment and strength as they lead the team in such a complicated context.
4)      that relationships would remain strong and uplifting.
5)      That many would come to a deep understanding of what the Lord has done for them in Jesus, and give their whole heart to Him.

Monrovia Mission, 15 – 22 November 2009

The team reached the end of their first day of “stratified evangelism” with increased enthusiasm and vigour to take the gospel to the unreached, unchurched of Monrovia. The day started with a team devotion, a wonderful time of fellowship, questions, prayer and anticipation before vehicles were loaded with groups of evangelists who were allocated one of five zones throughout out the city. I accompanied Enoch Phiri (Malawi), William Muchiri (Kenya), Jean Kalenzi (Rwanda) and five South African Foxfires to the “Buzzi Quarter”, the location of our Health and Sanitation project. Our first meeting was similar to the experiences of a number of other groups in the city. The concept of “stratified evangelism” – taking the gospel to the people, takes a little getting used to. We found ourselves in a church, ministering to local Buzzi Christians. Although the team was aching to make contact with the many people lining the narrow walkways, it was still a fruitful meeting, with Enoch and William strengthening and encouraging local Christians to reach out with boldness to those around them who need Jesus.

We then moved onto the local primary school, a small, unpowered building in the heart of the ghetto. Initially there was a little confusion as the students were writing exams, but the Vice Principal arranged for the ministry to take place during the study break. Hundreds of students gathered around the AE team, peering in curious to see why these “foreigners” (as we are known here) were in their playground. Despite the searing heat and stink from the nearby waterway, students eagerly listened to the Foxfires sing, and share a testimony of the importance of making the choice to follow the Lord whilst young. Jean preached an evangelistic message and a sea of hands shot up as the children were invited to indicate whether they wanted to be children of God. A young Foxfire lady sternly warned them that this was a serious decision and explained the implications, but the response didn’t change. I started wondering whether, as is the case in some places, these kids had ever heard the gospel clearly explained to them before, despite their Christian heritage.

I attended an afternoon rally in a large market compound with Mel Mesfin (Ethiopia), John Shikuku (Kenya), Emmanuel Kwizera (Rwanda), and the other team of South Africa Foxfires. A crowd was drawn by the spectacle of the Foxfire members dancing to local Liberian music, and then inviting children to join them. Adults also took to the dance floor to everyone’s amusement, and was a great start to a penetrating message from Emmanuel who shared his experiences of loss and grief after the Rwandan genocide, and his hope for the future in Jesus. A large group of adults and children responded to his invitation to become new creations in Jesus, and were counselled by the group of counsellors on duty.

Aussie Short term member Cath Ahern writes below about some of her experiences… “Today I went for the first time to do market place evangelism and I am in awe of my brothers James Kiyimba (Uganda) and Leonard Kiswangi (DRC). We travelled a really long way through the dreadful Monrovian traffic to get to a place called Duala. The local guys set up their gear in the middle of a market place and after much very loud Liberian worship a small crowd had gathered around us. After introductions from Leonard Kiswangi (DRC) and a quick testimony from my Aussie buddy Sally and I, our speaker James Kiyimba got up to speak. And wow how the Lord empowered his words. His passion for Jesus and his heart for the people of Monrovia and in particular the people of that space and time were palpable. As a result most of the gathered crowd came forward to commit their lives to Christ. It was so exciting.
While the adults were giving the local leaders some details, Sal and I got to hang with the local kids. We gave out stickers and you would have thought we gave them gold bars. All I could say to them was that Jesus loves them or God bless you. We danced and we hugged and we shook hands with probably a hundred children maybe more. They are in such a bad state but those smiles are spectacular. I pray that they will get to know Jesus very soon because their life, as it is, offers so little.
You should know that I consider myself a bit of a weak link in this team. It has taken a lot of prayer to get me to Monrovia and today, working with my brothers and sister, could only be described as exhilarating. I can never imagine this sort of preaching being done in Australia – there would be too much heckling from the crowd. The need in this crowd was so immediate and Jesus met them there. God is good.”

After reports from the rest of the team, it is apparent that about 500 people indicated that they wanted to surrender their lives to Jesus, despite the teething problems that were experienced, as usual, on the first day of the mission.

Tomorrow there will be a number of meetings taking place in schools, marketplaces and other large outdoor public venues. We will also visit the local prison for the first time, and Stephen Lungu is leading this team for ministry.

Please continue to pray for:
1) the Lord to lead us to those who are lost and in bondage to sin and guilt and that they would turn to Jesus
2) that His words would be in our mouths and hearts
3) for the local believers involved in organisations
4) for safety and good health

The Opening Ceremony

Monrovia Mission, 15-22 November 2009

We started the mission with a flurry of activity! After preaching and sharing in 19 churches around the city, the team were deployed to the site of the Opening Ceremony, where the large stage was dressed in blue, red and white, and numerous monster speakers were booming out music proclaiming the goodness of God.

The ever faithful prayer committee were singing and interceding behind the stage as the final set up arrangements were made. They then spread strategically out around the venue, continuing to pray for those who were to hear the word of God that day. It was an incredibly hot day, and thankfully, although black clouds loomed ominously above us, it never rained.

The officiates opened the ceremony and guests were welcomed. Attendance seemed slow at first. Then the “Philadelphia Mass Choir” started singing – a collection of

Sister Marron Cassell, Liberian Ambassador for Gospel Music

singers from various church choirs around the city. The Liberian Ambassador for Gospel Music, Sister Marron Cassell, led the choir, with her deep, beautiful, powerful voice. This not only drew more into the crowd, but also got people dancing. Soon a congo line had formed, a mixture of choir members, visiting evangelists and onlookers and circled the dancing crowd. Officials on stage also started dancing, and the ceremony took an air of great celebration.

The very energetic South African and Kenyan Foxfires exploded onto the scene with their lively performances,

The Foxfires' high energy dance

 providing a great example to the many young Monrovians watching that it is possible to enjoy life and love God, and provoking big smiles from the crowd.

We found out that at this point, that the Lord had answered our prayers, and the Vice President, His Excellency Joseph Boakai, was due to arrive to open the ceremony. There was a little confusion as the program was reshuffled to make allowance for a delay caused by his previous program.

The crowd paid close attention to Stephen's address

 Stephen started the main address, sharing a little about his childhood, and the rejection he experienced from his parents. There were a number of young men standing around the fringes who were clearly listening very carefully to Stephen describe how the Lord had taken him from a life of destitution and violence, to a life of fullness and reconciliation with God and man.

When the Vice President eventually arrived, no one really welcomed the interruption, being so caught up in what Stephen was sharing. Stephen stopped his message whilst the Vice President was manoeuvred through the crowd by the UN and his security force and seated on stage. After a quick welcome, Stephen continued for a short time then told those listening to raise their hands if they wanted to be reconciled to God through Jesus.

I had started thinking at this point that perhaps the arrival of the Vice President would distract people from what they had been hearing, and surely it would distract them from responding. In addition, the ceremony had been so delayed, that darkness had fallen – another very tangible distraction which potentially might prompt people to just go home before it became dangerous or difficult to travel.

Vice President, His Excellency Joseph Boakai

However this was certainly not the case, as over one hundred people indicated they wanted to turn to Jesus, and came forward to receive prayer and counselling. Our team of reporters, photographers and cameramen, many from Liberian newspaper, radio and a TV stations scrambled for position, struggling with the low light. Little mobile phone lit meetings glowed amongst the crowd who had gathered in front of the stage, as the counsellors assisted those who had responded.  As a result, many of those at the venue didn’t notice that the Vice President was speaking to them from the podium – something highly unusual for a nation which so reveres its’ leaders.

Many people responded to the message despite the distractions

He thanked all those involved in the mission in the coming week and noted the importance of the mission to the people of Liberia, especially the youth. He spoke about the importance of believing in the word of God and how belief can ensure peace in Liberia.  He referred to James 1:5 and spoke about the importance of a relationship with God, from which flows wisdom. He also apologised for his lateness.

Even as the Vice President was whisked away in his long convoy of flashing cars, many didn’t notice he was leaving. Someone else even more important than their Vice President had graced the occasion… the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

We would be so grateful if you could pray for the program this week as we are still putting together the preaching schedule. Tomorrow’s events include

• ministry to the youth and school in Buzzi Quarter,
• Market places,
• the Battery Factory,
• Sports Fields, and
• certain busy street junctions
• orphanages