| Bujumbura Evangelistic Rallies—Day 2 | 13-Jul-2007 | Event: Bujumbura - Evangelistic Rally
The second day of the evangelistic rallies in Bujumbura was sunny and hot. Several choirs ministered between 2:00PM and 3:00PM to the people gathering on the field. One of the choirs was a prison choir wearing white robes that sang some beautiful worship songs. Pastor Leopold, the main pastor we have been working with in Burundi, opened the rally, and then the Times Square Church ensemble led the worship in Kirundi. After a few songs, they sang the worship song our Music Director described as our anthem on these international outreaches: “The Lord is High Above the Heavens.” The people learned to respond “Halle, halle, halle, halleluyah” with us.
Greetings
Before giving his message, Pastor Carter greeted all the people listening to the rally on the radio in Burundi, Rwanda, Congo and Tanzania. He also greeted the members of the government that were attending the rally, including the first lady of Burundi, the first vice president, and his wife, and the mayor of Bujumbura.
The Power of Unity
Pastor Carter based his message on the Old Testament account of Elijah and the 850 prophets of Baal. He did not refer to the scripture but told the story of how Israel was going through a severe drought. The country was divided. People were living in disunity and there was a lot of religion. The word given by the 850 prophets of Baal had no power to break the drought. They build their altars but they did not have the truth and they were divided. God, he told the people, does not answer division. “The moment when the Hutu, Tutsi and the Twa join hands, God will come. He will answer when we walk in unity, when we forgive, when our hearts our clean.”
In the midst of all this religion, God sent Elijah to challenge their religion. Elijah built an altar with 12 stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel. He prays to God and God answers with a consuming fire. “Burundi needs the fire of the Holy Spirit. God’s power will heal your nation, your children, and will cause the ground to yield fruit.” To have the power of God, he explained, we must have the heart of God. “We cannot claim to know God if we do not have mercy.”
“Men who don’t know God will divide the people,” he added, “but men who know God bring unity. Your president is a man who knows God…I am speaking as a prophet to you now, he is going to bring the people together…Wicked men on the radio divided the people. Things that should not be done were done…some even in the name of God. But these men don’t know God. They don’t speak for God.”
”Where God is, there is unity, he repeated four times. When there is unity Jesus Christ comes. “God is building a new altar in Burundi…an altar of unity. The fire of God is coming. Fight against disunity. Turn away from every voice that tells you to hate your brother.” “The reign of the devil is over. God has sent me to tell you a reign of peace has come.”
Pastor Carter encouraged the people that God will give them the power to love their enemies if they are willing to agree with God. He began to pray for them, for unity and forgiveness. When he finished, he asked the people to pray for themselves and for fifteen minutes the only sound that could be heard on the vast field was the muffled sound of people praying and crying. The presence of God was palpable. The Holy Spirit was at work and the people had finally broken through!
When it was over, Pastor Carter returned to the podium and prayed for the sick. As he prayed he asked God to fulfill the promise he had spoken to him that there would be miraculous healings, and he prayed that God would heal people with AIDS, with cancer, with broken bones; that new limbs would grow where there were none; that the blind would receive sight and the deaf would hear.
The Times Square Church ensemble sang a worship song and then the First Vice President of Burundi spoke saying he did not have the words. He referred to the Times Square Church team saying, “Look at how they look, how joyful,” adding “now you look joyful too!” “We are in unity,” he shouted. “If you are depressed and oppressed you must receive Jesus, you need Jesus.” “All the plans I had for tomorrow I give them up. I will be here tomorrow, with you.” Then the vice president asked for a song because the people needed to dance! As the ensemble sang “Ntanumwe yosa na Yesu” (“There’s no one Like Jesus”), the crowd erupted in song and dance! There was unspeakable joy! We all joined in, Pastor Carter danced and raised his chair over his head just as the people were doing. We praised the Lord with Burundi, for He had powerfully visited them. As the dust finally settled, we returned to the hotel knowing in our hearts that even with the awesome manifestation of God tonight, the best is yet to come. |
| For the sake of Christ | 13-Jul-2007 | Team: Medical - Ngozi
The medical team in Ngozi ministered in two orphanages. In one of the orphanages where there were mainly young boys, they met a boy whose hands were so burnt they had been rendered useless. At first they thought he was a leper. They befriended the boy and learned that he had been a Muslim who became born again. When his family found out he had become a Christian, they burnt both his hands to get him to give up his new found faith. He did not, and is still serving the Lord with joy in spite of the persecution he experienced! |
| Jesus is real! | 13-Jul-2007 | | The photographer who accompanied the Times Square Church team to all the events and outreaches held in Burundi shared at dinner tonight. As the photographer for the team he was able to travel with the outreach teams and cover all the events held here. “If you knew everything that God is doing here you would be blown away,” he told us. He also shared that he often wished he were a part of an outreach team so he would have the opportunity to minister to the people. On this trip he was able to do just that. He accompanied one of the pastors on the organizing committee to a ministry he founded to reach thieves, drug addicts and rapists. As someone whom the Lord brought out of drug addiction, the photographer felt a particular affinity with the men. The outreach teams leader preached the Gospel to them and many hands went up to receive Christ. The photographer had the privilege of praying for some of the drug addicts. The Lord put in his heart to just intercede, look them in the eyes and tell them: “Jesus is real!” |
| A living, breathing church | 13-Jul-2007 | Team: Prison Ministry
The prison team has been visiting prisons in all three cities since they arrived, ministering the Word of God and encouraging the prisoners to trust God for all their needs. In Bujumbura, they visited a prison which held 2,000 men as well as women and small children. While in most prisons the team has visited it is extremely depressing to see the spiritual and physical condition of the prisoners, in this prison there was a living, breathing church and as a result there was a divine order and peace among the prisoners that they had not seen before. The team worshiped with them, and then shared the word and a few of their testimonies. When they finished they were blessed to see how joyful the prisoners were as they sang and danced in praise. Where Jesus is, there is joy! |
| Woman give me your hand! | 13-Jul-2007 | Team: Ngozi A
One of the outreach teams went on a street outreach at a local church. Once there, they worshiped and prayed with the people. The pastor asked if anyone needed prayer and a woman came to one of the outreach team members and dropped to the ground. She was completely still. The team member became concerned and started to pray. He prayed: “God you promised us in your Word that we would perform miracles in your name. What you did for Peter and John at the gate Beautiful for that lame man, I ask you to do for me now.” After he prayed, he bent down and told the woman: “Woman, give me your hand!” The woman got up and stood straight. The Lord had completely healed her! Later she sang and dance with everyone in the church praising the Lord who had healed her. |
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