Open air crusades in Juba and emphatic response in school.

Greetings From Juba, South Sudan.......Sunday was a good day at Gospel Harvest church as there was a very good response to the word of God. People received the word gladly and 3 people came forward and testified of healing at the end of the service after prayer for healing. We are also seeing people coming to the Lord in repentance and faith.......This is an unusual situation and the trials in Nairobi are making more sense as I see them as a preparation for what is happening here. I am learning to be more patient. It is more difficult here than in Kenya but it is worthwhile as we see God touching lives. People are very open to the word of God.......Monday was a big day as we visited a local school. The building was packed with over 200 students and I brought a word that I had prayed about some months ago. It is hard to tell how many responses are genuine conversions, only God knows that, but I shared the gospel as best I could and there was a sea of hands that went up and I had the chance to lead them in a group prayer. I also had the chance to share a prophecy I received some time ago that was for them.........That evening we began our series of open air meetings which are following the pattern of this mission so far of preaching Christ centred messages with an evangelistic emphasis.In two days now we have seen 8 people testify of immediate healing and 6 others answer the call of repentance and faith unto salvation. This church is growing rapidly and it committed to evangelism, discipleship and church planting. The building is already too small and people stand outside looking in through the windows and doors......There are a number of prayer needs. Two women came for prayer after hearing of how Jesus healed the woman with the issue of blood. They both said they had problems and pain during their period and requested prayer for healing. An elderly blind woman asked for prayer for sight and there are many, many other needs.......People here are very grateful to hear the preaching of the gospel of Jesus. They are very appreciative........We have visited a few people at their place of work and home but it is hotter than Mombasa here. By midday you have to stay out of the sun. You can lay down on your bed in the afternoon doing nothing and still end up soaking wet in perspiration so I have to limit what I can do.....I really think though that we need a breakthrough in the last two days of the open air meetings. I think many more can be saved and healed. I am looking forward to seeing what God will do......shalom...steve

First Night In Juba

It is now night time in the city of Juba, South Sudan and the sweltering temperature has dropped to a pleasant warm with a slight breeze. Juba at night is a unique experience.We are sitting outside a mud hut which is the pastors home and I am being well taken care of and well fed.......We are not far from a communications tower so I can use a laptop. Juba is almost pitch black at night with little electricity supply which means I can look up and see many many stars. I watched the last part of the sunset and then the moon as the now set sun made is presence felt along the edge of it creating a shape similar to the crescent seen on top of local Mosques. What I found particularly intriguing was how I could actually see the outline shrink more and more as the sun set further until the moon completely dissapeared in the space of around 90 seconds but 10 minutes later the crescent had returned.....On the outskirts of the city I can see a long line of lights where the United Nations camp is and dotted around the city are several hills, over one of which a storm is hovering. There is the occassional streak of lightning in the distance.....The people are very friendly and quite open and are happy enough to have their pictures taken. Nearby there is a neighbour who has their t.v outside on a table and around 12 children sat watching. {Some of the people are using generators for electricity supply}.......I am also getting used to the local washroom facilities which comprise a wooden and corrugated shed with a concrete floor where their is a small hole in the middle where you 'do your business'. The bathroom consists of a patchwork wooden screen with no roof so I washed under the stars.......I have a sense of sitting on this vast rock called earth and yet it feels very small when I look at the constellations many light years away.....A few stray dogs pass by as I sit here feeling pretty chilled out and looking forward to starting work tomorrow at a local church....I am also looking forward to visiting the local school they have invited me to on Monday morning. I have the chance to talk to around 500 children including many orphans....It should be a good week....Shalom...steve

3 days of heaven, 3 nights of hell & morning in Juba.

Greetings from the wonderfully chaotic and humid city of Juba! I arrived this morning and am looking forward to God doing great things.....It has been a very contrasting mission so far. 3 days of mission work followed by 3 days of waiting. 3 days of God moving and 3 days of everything going wrong but praise God, even amid the growing frustration God was teaching me to trust him. We have spent the last three days running around and getting nowhere. The level to which people can waste my time and fail to get even basic things done has amazed and frustrated me but I am learning to truth God even in this....On friday we went to the South Sudanese embassy to see if my incomplete application was accepted and miraculously it was without question. Hallelujah!....Now I am sitting in a mud hut with a laptop {surreal}. I am here until next friday. We will be preaching in churches and doing daily street crusades as well as visiting an orphanage where I will be giving out sweets donated by a friend of mine. I have other things I have brought as well........I am especially looking forward to visiting the orphanage because I felt very stirred to pray for this some months ago and have something on my heart I want to share with them......There are somethings to pray for here.......There is a lot of animism practiced in South Sudan so pray that these spirits would be defeated in Jesus name and they would be rendered useless.....There is much nominal Christianity here as well. Pray that they will know the true gospel which sets people free and brings them into a living relationship with Jesus....After 20 years of conflict with the North, many people wonder why God allowed the disasters and genocide of this generation to happen. Pray that the healing touch of God would be experienced in this damaged community......Pray also for the orphans that they would come to know God as a loving and ever present Father and pray for my meeting with them. I believe it is a divinely timed meeting.....Pray also for my safety in this area. South Sudan is a crazy place which has been likened to the wild west. {Even the president wears a cowboy hat! hehe.}....Also pray for good communication, there are a number of languages here. The main one is Arabic.{I will, of course, have a translator when I preach}.....Pray for door to door ministry. I felt such a favour of God in Nairobi when praying with people. It is a blessed ministry and people so appreciate a visitor coming into their homes.....Pray also for the street crusades. Believe God for many conversions and healings and maybe even deliverance from demon possession. Also pray that I may operate in spiritual gifts and particularly discernment......May God bless you as you pray....Steve

Updates.

Bwana Asifiwe! {praise the Lord!}........Firstly thankyou to Jason and Adrian for leaving messages. It is very encouraging to know that people are following events and praying. WE have had a very good start but are trying to sort out visa problems for South Sudan which means a delay for up to a few days. Nevertheless I intend to be in Juba on Friday or Saturday where we will have an initial service with the church before a day to day open air series of evangelistic meetings from the 9th to the 13th.....There seems to be an ever increasing list of problems to deal with but also an ever increasing sense of God's blessing and favour. WE had a very good meeting last night despite the power failures and many answered the call for prayer and were encouraged to stand for God knowing that he has shed his blood for them. {Adrian and Melissa will recall the sermon on 'the blood'}.....The plan for Bungoma has been altered as well. Pretty much the same things but another way around. I will give details of that later on......Pray that all things will work out and that God would continue to move in saving and healing power. ....Mungu akubariki sana {God bless you}

Crusade in Kariobangi, Nairobi

Bwana Asifiwe! {Praise the Lord}.......The first day of the mission in Nairobi went well. The morning church service started with a bible study and then the main service, both of which went very well. People were very much encouraged and received fresh vision and encouragement from the two sessions.....God's word made such a big impact on people....In the evening we went to some open ground in Kariobangi for an open air mission.....The praise and worship was excellent and the presence of God was there to minister.....I had the chance to preach to the many people who were sitting or standing nearby and at least 3 people gave their lives to Jesus and one person testified of total healing from numerous physical ailments.....We prayed for a number of others who did not have immediate symptoms but are believing God for their total healing..... Today we have been going door to door praying for people....God is good and is giving the right words to say in the right places....We believe God that these prayers will see changed lives and people set free in Jesus name....Tonight we have another revival service in the main church and tomorrow I will be trying to get my visa for South Sudan....There is a big problem with conflicting information.....I need to be in Juba on Wednesday but the application may take two days and the visa charge has gone up....Pray that all this can be worked out quickly so I can be in Juba for Wednesday.....Also on Tuesday I will be ministering in the evening in the 'Obama' district of Nairobi....A group of the pastors are starting to work together here and this is an exciting development....Pray that this unity may develop....This may be a platform for me to minister on in the future....My prayer was that contacts I had world start working with others....This is developing in Nairobi with yesterday's crusade and looks like bearing good fruit.......God bless you

At The Airport

Bwana Asifiwe! {The Lord be praised!}....At last the day has arrived....My last day at work before the mission seemed to drag on and on but at last I am at the airport....There has been a delay at the airport which means I am stuck here for an additional 6 hours but to be honest I am not that concerned....I feel relaxed and looking forward to meeting people and going to church in Dubai before I head off to Nairobi....My most recent prayers have been for the couple of days I will spend in the middle east....I want every part of this time to be marked by a sense of the presence of God....This makes all the difference....May God bless every one of you who are praying for me and may you also know His presence and inspiration...The estimated time of arrival in Dubai is 10am U.K time on Thursday and by 3:30pm U.K time I will be in church....I am really looking forward to a time of worshipping our God and hearing a good message from His word.....Please pray for travelling mercies and for God's leading....The steps of a righteous man are ordered of God....Also the Psalmist wrote...Commit your ways to the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart....Pray that this word would also come to pass....Mungu akubariki sana {God bless you}

Mission to East Africa 2013

Habari! At last it is time to return to Kenya. It has been a long wait but this trip is promising to be more than worth it. This trip will not only cover parts of Kenya but will see me going over the border to South Sudan. Here's a brief summary of what will be happening. Wednesday 28th August : Flying out to Dubai Saturday 31st : Landing in Nairobi Sunday to Tuesday : Working with pastor Simon Arunga and Gospel Fire church / Street crusades and revival meetings as well as door to door evangelism and prayer Wednesday 4th September to Thursday 12th : Ministry in Juba, South Sudan with pastor Charles Ragot / Street crusades, revival services and door to door evangelism as well as ministry in a local orphanage. Sunday 14th September to Tuesday 16th : Leaders conference in Bungoma, Kenya hosted by Moses Nyongesa and 'In Jesus Global Mission Church'. 3 day open air gospel crusade in Bungoma. Wednesday 17th to Friday 19th : Ministering in various rural churches Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st : Leaders conference in Kimantuni Monday and Tuesday : Leaders conference in Luyekhe. Wednesday : Bungoma leaders board meeting/ future mission plans? Thursday : Travel back to Dubai Sunday : Travel back to U.K We are looking for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit and an equipping of many ministers that will bring transformation to their churches and communities. I will endeavour to keep this blog updated every day or two with the lastest news on the mission front. We are believing God for great things. We are believing God for the establishing of Christ's rule and reign in many peoples lives and the expansion of the kingdom of God in significant and dramatic style. Many God bless you as you read. Steve Johnson