DAWN Fridayfax 1998 #44

News from Tonga/Solomon Isles, Guatemala, Brazil, Indonesia

In this issue:
Tonga/Solomon Isles: Reconciliation starts unity movement
Guatemala: 2,000 take part in World Prayer Congress
Brazil: Prayer leads to church planting
Indonesia: Revival in the midst of collapse

Tonga/Solomon Isles: Reconciliation starts unity movement

Brian Mills, an English intercession leader currently on a reconciliation tour in the South Pacific, asked for forgiveness for how the English treated the inhabitants of the Solomon Islands in the previous century and early this century. Michael Maeliau represented the population in accepting the apology. In the subsequent time of prayer, leaders of various denominations and churches suddenly began publicly asking for forgiveness for their attitude up to that time. They all wanted to publicly declare their support for unity among Christians. A similar situation occurred on the island nation of Tonga. "God is doing something in the South Pacific," said the President of the Free Wesleyan Church in a live interview in television, "and Tonga must also take part." "Revival often starts with apology," say observers of the reconciliation tour. In Tonga, people who had split from existing churches asked for forgiveness and reconciliation, others asked for forgiveness for the way in which they had previously spoken and thought of other churches and people.

Source: Brian Mills and others.

Guatemala: 2,000 take part in World Prayer Congress

Over 2,000 participants from 120 nations attended a prayer and evangelisation congress held by the AD 2000 Movement in Guatemala City from 27-31 October 1998, hosted by the El Shaddai church's pastor Harold Caballeros. Even Guatemala's President and his wife came to open the event. The congress, held in the shadow of Hurricane Mitch, underlined the connection between prayer, spiritual warfare, evangelisation and mission.

The five sins of the Europeans

Roger Mitchell, an intercession leader from London, pointed out five 'specifically European' sins which have influenced the world, and which the 120 European participants confessed: anti-Semitism, denominational divisions, religious wars, humanism and the connected Enlightenment and independence from God, and the political imperialism which led to the two world wars. "In a moving moment," says one report, "Harold Caballeros called on Latin America's Christians to send 1,000 missionaries to Portugal and Spain in the next few years alone. The participants from the two countries wept."

Almolonga: when the gospel grips a whole town

25 years ago, the small town of Almolonga in western Guatemala was a depressing place, full of poverty, alcoholism, crime, witchcraft and unemployment. Today, 92% of the population are Christians! The number of bars has dropped from 36 to 4, all 4 brothels were closed and the police is hardly necessary. The productivity has increased 1,000%; Almolonga has become a wealthy region which now influences other areas.

Source: Brian Mills

Brazil: Prayer leads to church planting

The Brazilian town of Goiania is increasingly becoming a prayer center, report Brian Mills and Ueli Haldemann. A daily radio programme calling people to prayer has over 150,000 regular listeners. 25,000 Christians have joined the "National Net of Intercession", committing themselves to prayer in local "prayer houses", and 100 people are attending a 6-month prayer school. A number of churches have been planted as a result of the prayer initiative, and an intercession conference is planned for July 1999 in the stadium, which accommodates 50,000.

Source: Amaury Braga, Brian Mills, Ueli Haldemann

Indonesia: Revival in the midst of collapse

"Hundreds of businesspeople become believers daily. The churches are full, everyone wants to pray, hundreds of churches take part in food distribution programmes, the tension is high, thousands of Muslims find Jesus," reports South African Suzette Hattingh from an evangelistic event in Indonesia.

Reconciliation between pastors

The report continues "7,000 attended a prayer conference in Samarang with space for 4,000. It was almost unnecessary to preach about prayer here. The people are determined to bring their lives in order before God, many wept aloud, hundreds of pastors wept and reconciled their differences, concerned not with more personal blessing or finances but about the lost, people with broken hearts, and revival in the country. I was reminded of the words of Duncan Campbell, one of the leaders of the Hebridean revival, who said 'Show me a people which wants only to pray on its face before God, and I will show you a people ready for revival.'"

Palankaraya: a town dedicated to Satan hears the gospel

"120,000 people live in Palankaraya on Kalimantan. Statues of black birds and vases on every corner are permanent reminders of demonic presence. At its foundation in 1956, the town's governor dedicated it to the demons. Today, the population is mainly Muslim, with only a very small percentage of Christians, most of whom are nominal Christians who mix Christianity and witchcraft. Previously, the largest Christian event had been attended by 3,000 people. Now, though, the resonance exceeded all expectations: at 4am, 300 people arrived to pray, and some 60,000 - literally half the town - attended the evening evangelistic events. Thousands of people showed interest in following Jesus, and government officials also indicated their desire to follow Jesus in personal conversations."

Medically certified: healed of cancer

"Not all the sick, but many, were healed during the events. One woman testified publicly that she should have had an operation to heal her cancer, but refused, preferring to attend the event: 'I simply believed that God would touch me. Then I went back to the doctors and let them examine me - and this is the result' - she waved a medical certificate - 'no more cancer!' A young man with distinct scars on his body from many violent encounters said 'Four days ago, I was not even sure if Jesus even existed, but now I am free, healed and saved!'"

Source: Suzette Hattingh, Voice in the City; Tel. (+49) 6109-702950; fax 702958

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