VICTORY

We had such a huge victory for the Kingdom of God Saturday! This village and the next village are held captive by the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church gained power over the local, public cemetery about ten years ago. The reason why they did that was because U-Turn came here and planted a church that was preaching the Gospel and tons of people were leaving the Catholic Church. So the priest took control, no doubt with money and corrupt politicians, and went door to door threatening the people that if they continue to be involved with U-Turn or any other Christian organisation that they would not be able to burry there dead in the local cemetery. This is a huge issue here! Most people can't afford to bury the dead in the other cemetery, which is 20min away. They can't afford the coast of travel or burial fee's. It is the custom here to visit the grave every week and this is a deep rooted tradition. This tradition of visiting the grave helps the people who lose loved ones cope with the loss and heal. When the people are buried near the families, in the local cemetery, they feel close to the ones they lost and can visit them weekly.

When the priests did this, the people stopped coming to the U-Turn church and would not affiliate with any Christian organisation, because they fear the priests. It has been 10Years since that happened and things here are still the same

However, we won a huge victory that needs to be celebrated! We had over three hundred people come to U-Turn for Christ School of Ministry for a raffle and food. It was amazing! I saw people that had never before set foot on the property of U-Turn coming and helping. As they gathered I gave a Gospel message and told them about the freedom that is available in Christ. I told them that what they have heard was wrong and that no one is good enough to go to heaven, confession to a priest and purgatory are no help. I could see that they were touched and faith grew as they heard the Good News of Jesus. It was thought that the only way to fix the problem here was to get a cemetery of our own. This would be helpful, but we proved that it is not the only solution. After two and a half years of praying for the village and reaching out every day, helping those in great need, raising up generations of kids and the radical transformation of people like Hubert and Jr has made many people come to the point of saying, 'we don't care anymore.' It has been the Lord's work, we pray for an opportunity to help, the Lord gives the opportunity and the provision. On Saturday the village was empty, a goest town, because over three hundred people were at a forbidden place hearing the Gospel!

It does not stop there, our main work here is the U-Turn for Christ School of ministry and now we have four people from the village coming to school and growing tremendously in the Lord. This absolutely in-rages the Catholic Church and they fear that the people will see what the Bible says and expose the priests. So we raise up those that accept Jesus, we teach them how to properly study the Bible and how to keep Jesus at the center of everything they do. Then they are fully equipped to go out and preach the Gospel and make disciples themselves. This is loosening the grip of Satan and the Catholic Church and radically changing an entire village.

With that being said, I have to thank Mrs. Olver and all of her 4th grade classes over the last three years. The boxes of toys and candy have been a powerful tool in reaching and gaining the trust of the people here. Every year the boxes help touch more lives eternally and help advance the Kingdom. I am so thankful to the Lord for His support through Kings Schools and Mrs. Olver and her fourth grade classes. Also, to those who help with financial support to the ministry here, we were able to feed over three hundred people and give support to a blind widow who has to take care of her two blind sons. This women is blind and a widow with three sons, two of whom are blind as well. The Lord used the financial support to buy food for that family. When we went there she said they had no food and would not be eating three meals that day. So helpless, but the Lord has provided generously to the work here and they will not go without food and other needs will be taken care of as well. When we visited her last I watched one of her blind sons play a mini four string guitar and praise the Lord in song. I watched a hungry blind widow and her blind sons singing and praising the Lord despite their circumstances. There are many other amazing things going on here, but this blog is to long already :D

Thank you to everyone who is involved in the Lord's work here. I am sure that the Lord's work here will continue with or without us because the Lord does not need us, but what a privilege it is to serve our Lord here with you all!