My first crusade is over! And it was... fun! Three flat tires, a missed flight, rainy weather, traffic jams in Nairobi, and other minor setbacks didn't deter us from getting to Musanze, Rwanda where we partnered with around 30 local leaders plus a team of 12 leaders from visiting countries to put on an outdoor evangelistic crusade!
Before the crusade started we held a three day leadership conference at our host's church (Pastor Pacifique). Everyone was very encouraged and we all left very inspired with a fresh faith to believe God's promises for the African continent. Also, this event launched us into the crusade meetings.
The first night of the crusade I was slightly nervous because I didn't know exactly what I would preach. I have mostly preached in churches and this was a first for me preaching in a crusade setting. While praying in preparation I got a couple scriptures but didn't have a clue how they would come together. I wanted to preach the simple gospel. Before I knew it Weston Gitonga (my friend and host from Kenya) was calling me up to preach Jesus to our small crowd standing in the rain!
I stood up there and decided on the spot to preach from Romans 10:8-11. The Holy Spirit began to guide my words in a special way. It was so simple. But the beauty of the gospel came into focus. Ironically, most of the crowd that came that first night and stood in the rain were children. The gospel message is not complicated, even a child can comprehend it. In retrospect I think God may have held me back from preparing more content because He wanted it simple. I preached with all my heart the simple truths in this scripture. At the end I began to lead the small crowd in a prayer of salvation. The children responded in unison screaming the prayer after me. Some of these young children were weeping, others were on their knees crying out the words to invite this precious Jesus to fill their hearts. It was a beautiful sight.
My favorite part of our journey was seeing my friends. This was my fourth trip to Kenya and second to Rwanda. No matter where I go in the world the highlight is always the people. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in things that are not important in the end, but going to Africa ways reminds me of the true treasure we have here on earth, people. Kenyans and Rwandans have a high value for relationship. People are the treasure. They are the reason Jesus bled and died. Every person is significant to God.
We were so happy to see God draw between 2,000-3,000 precious people to our three day outdoor event. Many discovered a new life in Christ for the first time. Dozens experienced healing in their bodies. It was a joy to travel with my dear friend Zack Landess. We were constantly laughing and amazed by the many miracles we saw God do.