Same region, Tanzania…

… they came with their vibrant and multi-colored cotton, scarf-wrapped dresses and head coverings, with their enormous ear lobes sagging to their shoulders, lined with earrings and beads of all sorts and the blackest skin I’ve ever seen. Some came drunk, some came hungry, some came just to hear the music and others came with a desire to have an encounter with the living God. The unreached people of the earth are truly breathtaking.

Last week teams from Mission SOS in Sweden, America and [we] Ethiopians.. gathered together for a Signs & Wonders Festival among the unreached deep within the mountains of Tanzania. What a stunning land. The sky is deep blue, the dirt bright red, the mountains shine vibrant greens below the lining of clouds that hide each peak and the atmosphere is purely tropical. What a contrast to my home of desserts and dust in Ethiopia. It’s always effortless to fall madly in love with Africa. And that I did… yet again…

The Festival grounds!

I spent each festival night in the “demon clinic”. Deliverance is the best thing I know! First it boasts of the power of the name and blood of Jesus, plus it brings the greatest gifts of salvation and Holy Spirit fire afterward. Hallelujah!

The first young woman to enter our tent this festival had short shaved hair like all the other Tanzanians, and a long skirt. She was flailing frantically and screaming with the most piercing of wails. The demon asked, “who are you?”.. that’s my favorite question.. “I COME IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, the name above every name, the risen, victorious name that came from the grave!” Then I spoke the BLOOD OF JESUS over the girl, binding the demons and commanding them to go with authority! Then Jesus’ sweet surpassing peace flooded us, she was free. What a beautiful moment. These kinds of stories followed each night...

“He will beautify the afflicted ones with salvation.” Psalm 149:4

During the entire week of outreaches and gatherings, about 3000 people received Jesus as their savior and 1000 were filled up in the baptism of Holy Spirit! YAY GOD! We also had some powerful healing testimonies… several young people who had been mute were speaking on our stage and a woman who was battling cancer was prayed for in faith, visited her doctor the next day and returned to us declaring that she was healed 100%! Praise Jesus!

Mohammed and Ashagre, our Ethiopian pastors, were with us too. It’s so fun to stand together in ministry with them! Last Saturday we led a pastor’s seminar for all of the local leaders in Same… Samuel started the meeting speaking about radical faith in church planting and pioneering, Ashagre followed with a Holy Spirit word about always staying humble and then Mohammed shocked the audience with the fiery testimony of his transformation as a muslim to a follower of Jesus! At first they didn’t believe it.. but before long they were screaming and jumping from their pews! Filip (one of our Ethiopian team members) and I sat back laughing and crying at the same time! We were so proud!

On Saturday night just 5 minutes before Johannes was to go up on the stage for another powerful night of preaching, he asked Samuel to do it! My hero preached his first festival!! This is our dream.. to give Jesus to the people who don't know him! Samuel, you are my pride and joy..

Samuel preaching with Pastor Abraham as his translator!

MISSION SOS is remarkable. What an honor it is to serve the world's heroes! Thanks Johannes and Maria for spending so much time with us in Africa.. you are such examples and parents for us!

The adventure continues... more blogs to come! Directly after the festival in Same, Sam and I were off to Zanzibar and now I sit typing in Stockholm... So much to fill you in on...