The following report is from Rev. Fred Hartley, III after his recent trip to Senegal. Images are altered to protect identities.
Last week I had the privilege of serving alongside Pastor Gabriel S., our Regional Director for West & North Africa. I was part of a small team that included Bill Hyer and Suno Justus, and we were there to serve North African believers. We helped Pastor Gabriel facilitate a two day College of Prayer Module at his Regional Campus, teaching our Year 2 curriculum “Lord, as Families, Teach us to Pray.” Immediately following that, we helped Pastor Gabriel facilitate 2 days of establishing his Hub Campus (which mentors College of Prayer Campus leaders). God came at both gatherings. Allow me to share a few short stories.
1. One man who had come to Christ from another religious background a year ago, had been rejected by his wife and son. The man continued to love his wife and son, remain loyal to them, and send the majority of his limited income to help with their support. After much prayer, his wife responded to the love of Christ as demonstrated through her husband. After the first night of our meeting, she repented, asked his forgiveness, and professed faith in Jesus. Praise the Lord!
2. The foundational teaching of our Year 2 curriculum challenged the cultural standards and led the group in repentance. Husbands repented of treating their wives as less-than-human, and women seemed to blossom like flowers before our eyes. It was transformational and historic.
3. Perhaps the highlight of the entire trip were reports that were shared from virtually every country represented. Over the past 2 years, we have trained most of these same leaders to go home and establish upper rooms of prayer where they would receive the manifest presence of Christ and minister to His presence. Virtually every leader gave dramatic reports that since they began their upper room, God has radically changed the spiritual atmosphere in their region. Now, there are people coming to faith in Christ from the dominant religion in virtually every country and every region within the country where upper rooms have been built.
4. Many shared painful experiences of being persecuted for their faith. At the same time, they shared dramatic miracles of God’s intervention.
Last week I had the privilege of serving alongside Pastor Gabriel S., our Regional Director for West & North Africa. I was part of a small team that included Bill Hyer and Suno Justus, and we were there to serve North African believers. We helped Pastor Gabriel facilitate a two day College of Prayer Module at his Regional Campus, teaching our Year 2 curriculum “Lord, as Families, Teach us to Pray.” Immediately following that, we helped Pastor Gabriel facilitate 2 days of establishing his Hub Campus (which mentors College of Prayer Campus leaders). God came at both gatherings. Allow me to share a few short stories.
1. One man who had come to Christ from another religious background a year ago, had been rejected by his wife and son. The man continued to love his wife and son, remain loyal to them, and send the majority of his limited income to help with their support. After much prayer, his wife responded to the love of Christ as demonstrated through her husband. After the first night of our meeting, she repented, asked his forgiveness, and professed faith in Jesus. Praise the Lord!
2. The foundational teaching of our Year 2 curriculum challenged the cultural standards and led the group in repentance. Husbands repented of treating their wives as less-than-human, and women seemed to blossom like flowers before our eyes. It was transformational and historic.
3. Perhaps the highlight of the entire trip were reports that were shared from virtually every country represented. Over the past 2 years, we have trained most of these same leaders to go home and establish upper rooms of prayer where they would receive the manifest presence of Christ and minister to His presence. Virtually every leader gave dramatic reports that since they began their upper room, God has radically changed the spiritual atmosphere in their region. Now, there are people coming to faith in Christ from the dominant religion in virtually every country and every region within the country where upper rooms have been built.
4. Many shared painful experiences of being persecuted for their faith. At the same time, they shared dramatic miracles of God’s intervention.
- - One boy who came to Christ was threatened to be killed by his father. His dad went out to recruit his friends from the dominant religion to come and kill him. While he waited, locked in his room, he found himself instantly and miraculously transported to another location. Everyone knew immediately, including his own father, that God had worked a miracle to protect him.
- - One man was praying with his wife and family in their upper room when people from the dominant religion broke in and beat him mercilessly. They cracked open his skull. Blood was everywhere. He responded by praising the Lord and forgiving those who beat him. Within days, the atmosphere changed. Since then, many people from the dominant religion have come to faith in Jesus Christ. He has since had the privilege of baptizing many of them.
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