For several years, Callie and I (Keir) have been doing what I call a “Tri-Nation Tour”: Poland, UK and Germany. This year we’d like to invite others to join us. These are such open nations for the gospel, and they are in desperate need for faithful workers of Jesus to come in, strengthen them, and encourage them.
We completed our last Tri-Nations Tour towards the end of last year, and what we’ve seen happening there has been absolutely amazing. Miracles, the strengthening of faith, encouraged leaders, church plants, and more.
It was our 14th year of going into our beloved Poland. We visited the villages of Cieszyn, Siedilce, Biala Podlaski, and others. They are such a compassionate people – so hospitable and desperate for the real things of God. One girl who had a blood disease fell under God’s power and, after getting up, told us: “I know I am healed! I felt fire all over me and I still feel it! I saw an amazing light covering this whole room!” Later on in our travels we heard that a medical examination declared she was, indeed, healed! We saw many people come off the streets at our meetings, not knowing Jesus, and in his mercy he healed so many of them. A little toddler, who had a deformed foot and leg, had his leg and foot grow to match the other one. When he walked around, healed, he was so excited with what he could now do! His mother, who was an unbeliever, now believes. At that same meeting a young man with a muscle problem in his foot could suddenly move it. His immediate family also became believers. The elders there who invited us told us, “this is truly amazing, something has changed.” They are so, so encouraged.
We saw God’s presence in such a big way. Sometimes, our interpreter was even in tears! Many, many people gave their lives to the Lord. One was so excited that her work colleagues had come to hear the gospel. One of the ladies’ sons had such a bad swollen foot that literally went down before her eyes. The boy was amazed…we all were. God loves these poor folk who have been battered and bruised by the past. So many are fatherless, without the love and security of family. In one situation, we were invited into a woman’s house to pray for her as she was bed-ridden from a stroke. It was a fatherless household, but in chatting to the grandson we shared with him the story of the Prodigal Son. He prayed asking God the Father to accept him. What a wonderful God we serve.
The worship at the churches we visited were so passionate and powerful. Three worship team musicians told us that they heard angels singing! One church has two hour-long prayer meetings, with most people in the church attending. People are moving back from other cities to be where this church is. We heard people at bus stops and in shops talking about God. It was amazing to see what God is doing in a village!
We concluded our trip of having done 3 conferences in Poland, and ministering to many churches.
From Poland we moved to Georgia. This was the first time we have ever been there. Our Polish friends asked us to come into the nation and speak about the Holy Spirit. This is working with friends into nations. In Georgia, the airport welcome was: “Tbilisi loves you”. The hospitality is what they are really proud of and they go out of their way to please. As they say, ‘The Georgian dinner table is their academy’ – where real socialising takes place. The churches work together and they arrange many events together. They do church planting with signs and wonders. We visited a church every day the week. Due to the high rate of unemployment (70 percent unemployment!) people were always coming. the churches were full. Churches ranged from 50 to 1200 in number. There were so, so many healed by the word of God and our “team gift-mix” to the churches was powerful.
It was humbling when they told us they don’t want us to leave. They clung to us when we prayed for them, some weeping and hugging in desperation and hope of a better life. Their grasp and response to the gospel was instant. For us it was heart-gripping, realising how the political issues between Russia and Georgia have so affected the people. This is a nation open to the gospel and they want us to help.
Germany: we ministered into a couple of churches and were part of a regional equip in the north. Our worship times with the churches there were fantastic: healings, prophetic times, refreshings, and more. The response to God’s goodness has been fantastic and we saw such good fruit.
It’s such a joy to preach and demonstrate God’s mercy and compassion to the nations. Advancing the apostolic call into the nations with friends is such a privilege. Thank you for praying for us.
So what about 2016? There are several trips we’re doing and we would love to invite others along:
RSA: many opportunities.
Mexico: 9-16 May
Mozambique: Xai-Xai Leadership Conference 1-8 August
Poland: 7-20 September
Brazil: 10-25 October
Greece (Athens): 1-7 November
Keen to come along? Get hold of me through keir@handinhand.co.za.