Africa Testimony

I recently received an email from one of our National leaders in Africa testifying to what God is doing there through the work of our ECC church planting teams. I hope you find the following testimony encouraging.

*** All names and have been changed for security reasons.

July 2007

George, one of our church planter trainers, tells us how in preparation for the ministry in an area nearby, he prayed to find people of peace in that area. A month before he launched his ministry, an Imam named Joe, from a village in that area was suddenly struck ill while in the act of leading prayers in the Mosque. Joe was a young, strong, passionate follower of Mohammad. But that day He, without symptom or prior warning, collapsed unconscious on the floor of the mosque. He was taken from doctor to doctor, and from witch-doctor to witch-doctor for treatment, but instead grew progressively ill. Desperately ill and unable to sleep in peace he grew increasingly distraught by this strange undiagnosed illness. One day he heard a sermon over the radio where he was told that Jesus can heal the sick, and that if the listeners would turn in faith to Jesus the Son of God, they would find His healing touch. That evening he cried out to Jesus and asked him for healing. He was instantly healed. He was incredulous. Exhausted he realized he needed sleep. So he asked Jesus to let him sleep. Immediately he fell into a deep and peaceful sleep -- the first in a number of weeks.

Joe awoke with an intense desire to know more about the miraculous, prayer answering Jesus. He heard of a group of Christians that had begun meeting and studying in the area. This was George and his student church-planter-pastors. Joe approached them and told them what had happened to him and asked them if they could show him how he could become a follower of Jesus. George had been praying for a Person of Peace. God the Father, who is always at work had been preparing His laborer for the ministry in that village. Today Joe, the former Imam, is now enrolled as a student pastor in our church planting program, much to the consternation of the local Muslim community. These are early days in Joe’s walk with Jesus, and together we look forward expectantly to see what God will do through his ministry. Pray with us.