God is Amazing!

The title says it all. I am in awe of God! I pray that the things that I'm experienced stay etched in my brain and heart of how God has been moving. I'm almost speechless. These last couple weeks have just been so fun to watch but also mind blowing at the things I've experienced and learning. This last week of outreaches have been awesome. We began doing the outreaches in the village of Wachange everyday last week beginning on tuesday and in four days not sure if this number is correct but close to about 25 people or more came to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior!

Many quite a few people these two women especially that i can think of were passing by the area while we were worshiping, i believer that it may have been a mother and daughter and as we were worshiping I was watching them and stopped and stayed for worship and ended up staying the whole time. I'm not to sure which one came first but they responded to gospel message and gave their lives to Jesus! One of them had constant bleeding for about a year every time she would go to the restroom. She gets prayed for and gets touched by God and she felt something cold in her stomach and she new right then she was healed! The other lady had pain in her foot and was healed! Come on Jesus!

See the people here believe in the Spirit realm very much so and the works of darkness are so tangible to them here and the devil keeps these people bound in much fear and are oppressed by him in so many ways. So for the these people if we just come with a pretty message but it doesn't do anything for them to get them out of the darkness they are in is useless to them. God desires to meet the needs of people but ultimately to get to their hearts. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 "My message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using cleaver and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God." I've seen many times God heal someone just so that it will open the way for Him to get to their heart. God is in love with people and desires to see them free from the lies and works of the devil. Most of all He wants the people he created to come to know the truth who He is and what Jesus did for them and it that set them free!

Its been such a learning process here of experiencing many things that in many ways I don't experience in America, but God is the same everywhere and His plan is the same its to set people free by giving them the truth of who God is so that He can set the people free. As we are faithful to minister the gospel, God will always back His word!

The first half of my time here we were only doing the outreach on Tuesdays in that village, and Pastor Lewison said to me that the people have come to him and said we love when you come, because every time you guys come the devil doesn't bother us. Now that we've been there every day either doing the out reach or cell group the devil is paralyzed from his work because people have been coming to the Lord! Amen!

I'm humbled and honored to be apart of what God is doing here. I'm believing God for a greater harvest of souls, because He died for each one of them. Sorry for no pictures this time cant find my cord for my camera, I will put some up shortly. Be blessed everyone!

Shift in the Program

On my last post I said that I felt a shift in my Spirit like God was going to change or do something different with me last part of this trip with me.So many things have been happening in such a short time since my last post, just over this last weekend.

Pastor Lewison told me he felt that for that last weeks of me being here, instead of leading the boys cell group on Wednesday's, i should go up with him to his cell group in the village of Wachange.This is where there has been alot demonic oppression through witch craft. Since I've been here we've either did house visits or outreach in that area. Pastor Lewsion's heart is to not let up in this area till he sees the breakthrough of the Kingdom of God, and  the kingdom of darkness grip broken off. We've been hitting this area pretty hard. Please partner with us in prayer to see this happen. Your partnership in prayer is the power behind the ministry here and everywhere else that my brothers and sisters are ministering. We cannot thank you enough for fighting along side and supporting us.

Friday in the late afternoon the youth were practicing to lead worship for Sunday service. Pastor Lewison said that afterward we were going to a cell group in Wachange. I was like,"Cool." We got there late at about 9pm or so, it was pitch black outside. We get to a house where everyone is waiting for the pastor to begin. We begin with prayer, then we get into worship. Let me tell you, it does not matter what time of day it is out here, these people WORSHIP! From old to the young. Most of the time its the little kids leading the worship, I'm telling you I feel the heavens open up when these kids worship. Then....all of a sudden, we began to pray and there was a shift in the atmosphere, from worship to ware fare. You started to hear everyone fighting in prayer and I felt the Lord just tell me,"Don't stop praying, keep going, pray through in the Spirit." So finally it finished and pastor called people up for prayer. Let me tell you this was probably one of the most powerful prayer meetings I've been to since I've been here. The Holy Spirit fell in the place so hard the power of God was just touching. Then all of a sudden the warfare began again. A lady that i encountered the first week here asked for prayer to get free from a stronghold in her life, the Lord touched her and the demon begins to show himself...Look, I know some people when they read this will question this and i understand because we don't see this often in the States but let me tell you this stuff is REAL. I'm getting this first hand. It felt like forever to cast this demon out but this lady is now free by the power of God!

Momma Stamp and John

Saturday I had the awesome privilege to walk down to a village called Njoro where most of our boys are from, but I went specifically to meet Johns family and Gilbert's mom. It was so awesome! First I met John's aunt Momma Stamp who just loved me to pieces as soon as I walked in the door, she was so great. She Had been complaining of high blood pressure, and pain in her body.The doctors also said that she could not work outside in the sun for very long. Well after we had some awesome tea and we prayed for her, and the SON healed her, We left the house and we went to do more visits. we came back through by Momma stamps house and shes outside helping some guys move dirt! Praise God

Gilbert and his Momma

 Next up was Momma Gilbert we reach her small house which is not even a half a block a way just to give you an idea of how close these families live from each other. Momma Gilbert is sitting in the front of her house in pain (in her left leg and hip)  Due to a  deep cut in the bottom of her foot that was not healing. It was causing pain every where else. We prayed for her a couple times and she said that the pain was not as bad as before, through this though we have been able to minister the gospel to her. Shes not a believer but we were able to explain that the Lord can heal you whenever He wants to, but more so hes wanting to get to the real issue which is the condition of her heart. Please be partner with us to see momma  Gilbert healed and saved in Jesus name! 

 

 

Sunday I had the privilege once again to bring the Word of God to the church. God is so good! Im spending alot of time with the Lord and reading the word alot. I was so trying to prepare to see what the Lord wanted me to speak on and my mind was going a crazy with so much till Sunday morning. I just told the Lord whatever is on your heart for the people just fill my mouth with it...and He did! I love it when the Lord does that because it keeps us humbled, knowing that none of it came from you. its simply just the work of the Spirit. The Spirit led to speak against fear that keeps many people bound, and also to speak on the kingdom of God and the power of the Holy Spirit that lives within them to trust God at His word.

Even though the Kingdom of Darkness looks like its in control and advancing God has it all under contro.l  Hes not worried because He already has the victory. God is on the move all over the world and is setting people free. I'm so glad to be apart of what He is doing! Its fun and exciting to see God breakthrough and bring Light where there is darkness. The Darkness has no choice but to flee when the Light enters the room.

Soldiers of Christ stand up!Lets fight this battle where ever God has you, he has you there for a reason and it's to advance His kingdom. There's heaven and there's hell and in between is You!!!  You get the opportunity to bring the Kingdom of God just like King Jesus did when He was on earth. Count it a privilege and an honor! Love my Kingdom family. Be blessed everyone in Jesus name!

So much to share so little time....

 

More to come stay tuned!

God is on the move!!

I know everyone is looking forward to some pictures of my Massai visit, I will I promise but within the last couple days God has been doing some amazing supernatural things that i wanted to share bofore anything else.

So for the last four weeks I really felt the Lord just wanting me to just to spend as much time with Him as I can. The majority of my mornings I've spent with Jesus reading and praying, and alot of times just sitting in His presence just being with Him. Oh how good it feels just to be with Him! So last week the youth lead sunday morning worship and during worship i felt a shift in my Spirit like the Lord was telling me things are going to change from here on as far as ministry here is concerned. I was wondering how but also I felt just a hunger and urgency in my Spirit to be led by God and to see what He's up to :) so fun!

So last friday we had an all night prayer meeting before we began the prayer meeting we watched the Jesus film then right after we began to pray and worship Jesus at about 4am or so the pastor called people up if they needed prayer and about 5 women came up and so i waited to see if other women would go up and pray for the other women and i felt the Lord prompt me to go and pray for one of the women. I apprached the women with one of my boys John who is also my translator and we asked her to what she needed prayer for and she replied " I want to recieve Jesus! So I went ahead and led her in a prayer of salvation. it was so awesome! On sunday she came to church and testified about it.

After church Lewison took a bunch of people home who live in wachange which is a small town and the lady that just got saved was one of the people he gave ride to. Myself and John and Gilbert another one of the boys waited for Lewision to pick us up so one of the leaders took us to eat at a small resturant, after we ate waiting for Lewison i kept watching our waiter for a while and I felt the Lord tell me "He has alot of plans for his future" I thought to myself why would I think that about someone I dont know and I quickly realized it was the Lord speaking to me about him. The waiter left for a while so I figured he went home so I told the Lord if it is you if he returns in 2 minutes then I will share it with him. Within seconds he walks back in and tell John to call him over cause I have word for the Lord for him. So John calls him over and I introduce myself to him and he tells me that his name is Joseph and I begin to tell him that I have a word from God for him. I told him that God told me that you have alot of plans for your future is that correct? and Joseph said yes and in my mind i was Like Yes! lol come on Jesus! and that just opened his heart t more of what God had to share with him and so I began to share the gospel with while Gilbert was translating for me. Josephs Roman catholic and so was Gilbert and so I asked Gilbert to share his testiony with him and to share what the difference is between being Catholic and Chrsitian and I had John also share his testiomy of him being Muslim and now a Chrsitian. These kids very rarly share anything if at all about their faith so it was a great door that God also openteach them how to hands on share their faith, it was awesome! So Joseph wanted to except Jesus but his work was keeping him from sitting down with us again so we gave him the address to the church so I believe I will see him again. the seed of Jesus love for him was planted!

Oh yes, so the reason why Lewison was running so late was because the lady that got saved at the prayer night asked him to pray for her because she felt something in her and she didn't feel right and at night whatever it was would mess with her at night so as Lewison began to pray for her and demons began to manifest and reveild themselves to Lewison one was trying to get her to divorce her husband and the other was alcoholism and in the name of Jesus she got delivered and set free from those strongholds the devil had on her. There is power in the name of Jesus!

Looking forward to more of what God is going to do this second half of this trip. I'm so excited and expectant! Walking with Jesus is so not boring! My sister Jen Carlson just shared this with me and really blessed me with this she said" We are jars of clay filled with His Glory!

Gods hearts desire is to set people free!! the power and love of Jesus!

Isaiah 61: 1-3

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
   because the LORD has anointed me
   to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
   to proclaim freedom for the captives
   and release from darkness for the prisoners,^[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
   and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
 ³ and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
   instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
   instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
   instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
   a planting of the LORD
   for the display of his splendor.

One Month Tomorrow!

 Wow! really how time really flies by. Tomorrow will make a month for me here in Moshi as well as for my other brothers and sisters on their internships who I miss very much but as I read their blogs I'm encouraged to see what God has truly has set us all up exactly where He wanted us to be. I've been meeting with my boys on a weekly basis and this past week the Holy Spirit really ministered to all of us by what was tought. I wasnt sure what God wanted me to teach on and as I began to teach God just filled my mouth and i began speak on Abraham and the testing of his faith in Gods command to sacrifice Isaac his only son. How much Abraham had to trust God to be able to go and obey but also Isaac in the same Issac was laid on the altar and there is no statement in the bible that shows that Isaac said anything of why he was being laid on the altar. Shows that it takes our trust in God that when He has us on the altar of testing to trust our Father in heaven so much that we do not reply in anger or in doubt but to be at the point where we stay silent because we trust our Father fully beleibing that He knows what Hes doing. God is so amazing! I wanted to share that cause it ministered to us so I pray that it does the same for you!

So my internship has been great I cant complain at all because I know God set me up on this one! I'm greatful. I've been able to spend most of my mornings spending time with the Lord if nothing is planned and really spending some much needed quality time with the Father. Please pray that I continue to capatalize on this precious time in the mornings with the Lord. I know a bog part of why He sent me here is because He can have me for the better parts of the day to Himself most of the time. I ask for that you would partner with me to just quality time and real depth intimacy with the Lord and out of that place I know for sure will come fruitful ministry.

God has really been opening doors to really connect more and more with the youth here. Just really loving on them, which is not hard at all. they've been spending nights at my place just hanging out. Also I'm building realtionships with the boys at the church that I've been helping with their English. As we werr just talking one of the boys asked about why Jesus got baptized. So I responded and it opened the door to share the gospel with them. it was awesome. Please pray fro more fruitful times like that.

Man the Lord really loves people and desires to set people free from the lies and bondages of the enemy. I really beleive that this second part of my trip the Lord is really wanting to meet peopls needs and for people to really encounter the love of Jesus. There is such a spirit of religion here. Pray that instead of people being trapped and stuck in religion that they would experience a real love encounter with the person Jesus Christ.

I love and miss you all!! Please check back shortly as I will update you more and I will post pictures of my Massai visit I had this past saturday and more pictures of the boys.

On with the mission!

Time is Flying By!

Hi everyone, man I can't believe that its going to be a month of me being in Tanzania already, this coming Tuesday. Great things have been taking place! For the last couple weeks I have been leading a cell group with the boys and God has been opening up doors to really build some relationships with them. Thes kids are so funny! :)

Another great thing that has begun the last couple weeks is there are some kids from the village where the church is located, about six of them who come to the church every night at about 8pm to study for school and so I told one of the boys Emmanuel who attends the church and also the study group that I would love to hang out with them and and if I can I will help them with English. So for the last two weeks I've been meeting with them once or twice a day because they also have other subjects to study as well and with me they just want to work on their English. God has been doing some good things there as well. Getting to know them and spend time with them is something they really appreciate. When you give of your time to them. they really apprecaite it. Most of these kids are not born again believers in Jesus so please be in prayer with me that the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ would pentrate their hearts. I meet with them tonight so i will try to take of picture of them.

Another awesome event that took place just early this week is the completion of the roof of the church. So here in Tanzania there is a long dry season which is the season which we are in now but is just about to end and go into a long rainy season. As you will see in the pictures below the front part of the church has roofing but the back half is covered by tarp. Then on Monday we were able to bless them with the finaces to help complete the roofing on the church. Here is what you all have been apart of.

 Thank you for all your prayers and support! It is going a long way. May you all be blessed! Stay tuned..

Faces of the ministry

Here are some more pictures of the faces of the ministry!

Here are Lewison and Jill's beautiful daughters Akaisha and Jillian          

 Here is one of the cell groups                 

  Here are some of the kids from church and the neighborhood. 

           

Here is the Temporary place for the Emmanuel Center that is being rented out for the boys  the boys to stay in.

Here is the future home of the Emmanuel Center for boys they are just at the foundation
Jill is the states with the girls dealing with a medical issue with Akaisha but also trying to raise funds for this project. 
Here's a little plug to help raise funds its 80 cents USD to by a brick. If interested in helping with this ministry please email me and I will give you more info on how to give. 

And....Here are some of the boys!!!
(Top left to right) Timothy, Emmanuel Elias, Gilbert
(Bottom left to right) Didas, Cleofus, John (my translator)
last but not least bottom center is Atanas!

 Please be in prayer for the boys and I, that the Lord would give me wisdom and clear direction as I continue to live my life around them and pour my life and what has given me into them, and that the transforming power of God would continue to change these boys and whats done here the last month in half of me being with them would be impactful for the rest of their lives and for eternity. All for the glory of God

                                              More to come soon. Stay Tuned   :)

Picture Time!!

Hey everyone I know everyone has been asking for pictures back home. I'm sorry for the delay I forgot my cable for the camera at home, but praise God one of the boys had sd card reader! yay!! I have so many pictures but here are some to get a glipse of where I am at. Miss everyone!!
                             
                                             Mount Kilimanjaro! About an hour away

                                               My Room

                                               Front of the guest house

                                             My Quiet place with the Lord

                                             Hi! My borrowed office

                                        Here is the church

My First Sunday here I had the privilege to preach my on Falling in love with Jesus!

So many more pictures to put up! the internet is slow here so please be patient i will try to post more later. I'm also creating a photo bucket account so everyone can see all the photos i have and not just some.

Be blessed everyone and don't hesitate or email me whenever you like. i would really love to hear from you all. Be blessed!

Tanzania! My New Home!

So I finally arrived in Tanzania on the 24th and now going on my third day here and it has been really great. Sorry that i didnt write when i got here my body is still trying to adjust from the jet lag but im doing alright in spite of that. the Omari family have been such great host to me and i am so blessed to be here. I'm really looking forward to what God has in store for whats to come. I'm really expectant and excited. So the Omaris introduced me to my living quarters which is a really great guest house to myself. really looking forward to some good quiet times with the Lord here. then i was introduced to their beautiful daughters jillian and Achaisha, her niece noelle and 5 of the 16 boys that i plan on spending much of my time with.

Went to a cell group Wednesday in the village and was really encouraged by the hearts of the people. Friday I went with Lewison to an all night prayer meeting from 9:30pm to 5am. it went really well all i can say is they love to dance and worship! its awesome I really enjoyed it in spite of night knowing most of what they were saying, here in Moshi they speak mostly Swahili. The people here are wonderfully merciful to Americans that don't know Swahili lol i told everyone that i met that they need to help me learn and i will teach them English. the good thing is that all the youth are being tought English in school so i can very easily speak with them.

After the prayer meeting on Friday Lewison asked me if i would like to preach on Sunday to the church and i gladly excepted the honors to do so. So I preached my first message in Africa encouraging the church to fall in love with Jesus. Above all else this is the focus of our lives and out of that comes everything else. Praise God I believe that they were encouraged. I was so excited for the opportunity.

After service I made great connections with some more of the boys from the center and am really looking forward to spending time with them and building relationships with them.

Well its only been four days and its already been exciting! I'm so looking forward to and really expectant in what is still to come. I've taken so many pictures already as soon as i can get them uploaded to my computer I will share them right away. :)

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. May the Lord bless you and keep you
Bwana Asifiwe (Praise the Lord)