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GAMBELLA, ETHIOPIA: "The Spirit Is Moving..." report Anglicans
... and we have the best seats in the house!"
From the Diocese of Egypt
http://dioceseofegypt.org/2015/02/spirit-moving/
February 24, 2015
Rev. Johann Vanderbijl shares from his newsletter about work in Gambella, Ethiopia, where God is working dramatically and mightily! Continue to pray for the Gambella Anglican Centre, the opening of St. Frumentius Anglican Theological College, and the work of Christ among numerous people groups in West Ethiopia.
My heart is so full. It has been said that life in Gambela is either very high or very low, but rarely in between. The stench of death, disease, and despair hangs in the air like a sulfurous fume from the pit and, if we are not careful, it can suck us in and rob us of the joy we have in Jesus. It is especially hard when those close to us are suffering...like when the teenage son of our Opo guard, Joseph, unexpectedly died of unknown causes recently.
But at the same time, the Lord is doing great things that we have, up until now, only read about in Acts and in books on revival. People regularly cry out in services, falling down on their knees weeping as the Holy Spirit touches their hearts. Demons too cry out, throwing their hosts to the ground, but they are dealt with swiftly in the Name of Jesus. The Anuak are using the Jesus Film in their revival meetings and evangelistic services to great effect.
The Spirit is moving and we have the best seats in the house!
We recently heard about a man in a nearby village who served as a "priest" of a familiar spirit by the name of Wiu. This spirit is well known in the Gambela People's Region as a powerful force for good (so-called) and for evil. The man has two wives, the youngest of whom is a Christian. His children too are Christians. In the past he was respected by many and feared by all, as he was very powerful. But bad things were beginning to happen to his family. From late 2014 to the recent present ten family members died of unnatural causes. So this past weekend, his children went to beg him to denounce the demon and to follow Jesus. At first the man resisted -- he too feared the power of this spirit -- but after being convinced of the truth of the Gospel and the power of Jesus, he rejected the demon and publicly burned all the fetishes, sacrificial spears, and cultic instruments in his possession. But not only was this one man set free from Satan's clutches, but many of those who feared and revered him also turned to Jesus, including his first wife!
This is just one story among many. The folks in the Anglican Church here are advancing into areas previously untouched by the Gospel. (There is so much work, especially to the south of us, but we do not have enough trained leaders!) Pray especially for the continuing outreach work among the Majenger and the Tamakoi people groups. Pray also for the many showings of the Jesus Film and pray for our church members, that they may grow to maturity in the faith.
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