MISSION JOURNAL - FEBRUARY 2007

Thursday February 8, 2007

Today began the first day of both the Pastor's Conference and the Believers Conference. We have done a Pastor's Conference each time we have been here before, but this is the first Believers Conference we have had. Today the Pastors met in Manna's local church. Pastor Dave spoke twice today. The first session was on the life of Paul and the sacrifices he made for the church and how that relates to modern day pastors. The second sesson centered around the idea that we must be like children to enter the Kingdom of God and that pastors need to look at their congregation like children and nurture them in the faith and guide them as they grow in the Lord.

The Believers' Conference was held under a large tent at Manna's educational complex. Pastor Jeff spoke about Peter getting out of the boat and walking on water. It was a perfect topic to engage the audience that ranged in age from small children to elder grandparents. It was a wonderful time of teaching, music and fellowship. Tomorrow both the believers and the pastors will meet together under the tent for the rest of the week. Origionally the two were split because of the potential legal problem about open air preaching. Teaching the pastors in a church did not present a problem but the combined group was too large to be in the church. Since that issue has been resolved, they can be combined again under the tent.

The 12 acre education complex houses not only their bible college and a 600 child childrens home, it also has trade schools for carpentry, diesle mechanics, metal work and more. We also provided a feeding for program for the thousands of people who attended the conferences. Click Here to hear Dr. Pete describe the program that allowed us to feed people for just fifty cents per meal.

After a few hours of rest in the afternoon it was time to go back to the fairgrounds for the first night of our crusade or Redemption Festival as they call it. As we arrived, the people were already streaming in as the 300 member choir praised God from the stage. We probably had the biggest crowd for a first night we have had thus far. Bishop Ernest had met a gentleman from Sweden who headed a contemporary praise band. Two weeks before this festival they called him and asked if they could come in June and play a concert for the ministry. He said June was not a good month but if they could come in two weeks, he would love to feature them here... well they came and they were great! They charged up the congregation in preparation for Dr. Pete taking the pulpit.

After all the preliminaries were over, Dr. Pete began to speak on spiritual truths and the truth that we are sinners, and the one true God offers us salvation through his son Jesus Christ. It was a powerful message that yielded the desired results. Thousands came forward and professed their belief in Jesus and were saved.

Then Dr. Pete prayed for healing... healing for blind eyes, deaf ears, cancer, aids; what ever infirmity they had and God healed them in droves. From a young boy suffering pain in his lower abdomin, to a woman whose neck pain was dibilitating to a man who had an extremely painful festoring hole in his chest that miraculously closed up by the hand of the creator. We praise God for his mercy and goodness.

Well, I promised to introduce you yesterday to our latest addition to the team. I didn't... oops.... so now... Herrrrrrreeeee'sss Justin! Justin Schnichels (Big J Dog) - Minister with the team and security support: Justin and his wife Kelli are right in the middle of a move from Willmar Minnesota to Minneapolis. In fact currently the are currently living apart while they try to sell their home. They have 2 children, Sydney (girl, 2) Jack (5 months). Justin is a relationship manager/asst. VP for Wells Fargo Bank. His wife is Dr. Pete's wife's sister. He came on this trip because God called him to come. He has known the Lord for 9 years and has never stepped out of his comfort zone. This is his initiation. He hopes to gain a new appreciation for God's power and walking in spiritual awareness. He is already blown away watching God heal people right before his eyes. He too is an "overcomer". He is the one who had to camp out at the Indian Consulate in Chicago in order to get his visa. He made it to the airport the day after we left and joined us Tuesday at 2 AM in Hyderbahd.

 

Well that is it for today. Tomorrow more of the same... more teaching, more worship, more souls... ain't it great.

And if you didn't realize why we're here, it's really quite simple...