Power Encounter

The following is a team summary of the events of our Sunday night service in Ouagadougou at a Pentecostal Church.

"And the whole city was gathered together at the door. Then he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons... " Mark 1:34

Before our arrival, Joanna, ACTS Executive Director in Burkina Faso, had a significant decision to make regarding our first venue. Since she knew part of our anointing was to the marketplace, she wondered if she should arrange a hotel as a neutral environment as an outreach. As God would have it, he started first in His body, the church. A precious prayer warrior spoke to her pastor and he agreed to host us in his lovely, hospitable church in town. What a time we had under this pastor that is so supportive of women!! Our male covering would have been so happy to meet him and personally thank him for the security that first experience gave us in this nation. The house was overflowing and people gathered at the door. There were many widows, young mothers and others.

After joining the women in their jubilant dancing around the church for worship, the Pastor turned the evening over to Sharyl and Joanna and their new friends from Kenya and BCF. Joanna told us they are too consumed by looking at their problems instead of looking to God. We were there to help them see God. And see God they did! We were on a FREEDOM MISSION, to preach the Kingdom news to the poor and set the captives free. In her gentle, disarming way, Sharyl introduced us to the church and her view of what we carried. The anointing fell according to the words spoken by Joanna and Sharyl and the many words and prayers spoken over us by our church body. After introductions, Erma opened up with the Word God had given her from Genesis and spoke it over the place just in case there were any enemy remnants hanging about! As an example of the saying "Preach the Gospel and only if necessary use words, Heidi danced one of the most beautiful worship dances any of us had ever seen, using her body as her investment into the Kingdom. Even though the crowd may not have had much in the way of finances, they all had bodies.

The foundation for freedom was laid. Gail was told by the Lord to invite three widows up and act out the parable of the talents. Angie handed the "talents" to each one. One young widow left with what to these precious people was a small fortune. Even though we felt very bad for the one who was left with nothing (Ok, we slipped something into her hand just for participating), she gave a powerful testimony on how the Lord had been dealing with her regarding her calling and she had been afraid. Now she was more afraid NOT to walk out in it!! Praise be to God! The other two also gave powerful testimonies regarding the barriers to getting there that night that they had overcome! What a prophetic picture of what the remainder of the week would be like.

Regina brought forth her encouragement for them to overcome the mental lies of the enemy that they are not good enough or valuable as she had to do. Angie encouraged the widows and all of the listeners with her message as the vessel of the comforting overcomer that she is. We all shared our testimonies on how we travelled from darkness to light.

Then, God dropped the final bomb onto that church, Susan Onguko. With her story of the rejection of her father, the death of her only friend, her mother, when she was still a child, the rescue of Derrick Prince, and her ultimate authority in Christ as a Bishop's wife with a calling over all of Africa, she set the captives free! Our ministry of prayer then broke out that none of us will ever forget. Every person in the church came for prayer. As Erma said, she has never seen such a "wall of people" like that before. This was after the authority and glory of the Lord burst on the scene as Susan walked around the breadth and the width of the church with the microphone in her hand taking authority over the sin, the demonic, and any barriers those present were feeling. The three pastors jumped off the platform and were following her, interpreting for her and agreeing with her in unison. Erma said it is a picture she will never forget as long as she lives and I am sure the people won't either. The broken hearted were healed, the captives were set free, the sick were healed, and demons fled long held territory. The people were released into the city to be fruitful and fruitful they will be! Glory be to God!