My Ebola Story

Dear beloved:  I want to share a story about my own bout with sickness and how the Ebola virus is causing ramifications for travel throughout Africa.  My prayers go out to anyone suffering from the virus, and to the families in Africa and other countries around the world who have suffered loss of loved ones or even dislocation from quarantine due to this sickness.
 Our team was coming out of Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, after a successful week of ministry in church meetings and the outdoor crusade.  We were headed to Kigale, Rwanda, to get on the plane and head back to Nairobi for a few days before departure to America.  There  were 7 of us on a small bus, winding across the mountains of western Rwanda, taking in the beauty of the countryside, the tea fields and fresh vegetable gardens.  As we had been traveling for about 3 hours, we decided to stop at a roadside village and get something to drink and a bite to eat.  At a roadside eatery we purchased a bag of somosas, a pastry filled with a meat filling similar to a bierock, and a soda for everyone and then headed down the road for the last hour of the trip.  By the time we got to the Kigale airport, I was starting to feel a bit rough, and by the time we were ready to board the plane, I was starting to have serious stomach cramping and feeling nauseous.
All the airports in Africa are screening by laser sensor for fever in boarding passengers, so we were screened at Kigale and I passed through as expected.  There has been reported cases of Ebola outbreak in Northwest Congo, but we were on the eastern side of Congo, over a thousand miles from where the outbreaks were in the west. By the time we got in the air I was full blown sick and spent about half the time of the flight visiting the lavatory, and by the time we got to Nairobi, I was a bit feverish and ready to collapse into the nearest hotel bed. Unfortunately, the plane was delayed over an hour because of landing gear difficulties in the plane ahead of us, then we were delayed again sitting at the boarding gate, so it was now three hours plus into a two hour flight.  As we went into customs at the Nairobi airport, I had to go through one more temperature scan before I could get into the line (another one hour wait) to get my Kenya visa.  I knew I was feverish, so I just prayed, "Lord, let me go through this line and not have to be quarantined for 21 days.  Lord, you know how I need a good night's rest, please make a way for your servant to go through."  When I got to the lady who was scanning, I could barely stand, but miraculously she scanned me and motioned me on to the Kenya visa line.  Praise God for small miracles!  By the time we got our visas, a taxi lined up to take us to the hotel, and then on up to our rooms, it was nearing midnight from a flight that had left Kigale at 6.30.  Needless to say I collapsed into the bed and slept until about 10 am the next morning. I had serious stomach and diahrrea issues for about 2 days, then started to recouperate and get back to normal.
I have since been feeling much better, starting to get back to normal digestion, but I am monitoring my temperature every day at the request of the local hospital here in Norton. Thankfully, all appears to be normal. and I thank God for protecting me and all of the team throughout our travels in Africa.  Beloved, pray for the people of West Africa as this virus is wrecking havoc on the economies and lives of millions of people, and pray for wisdom for our elected leaders here in America as they implement strategies for dealing with the spread of Ebola.  Thank you for your prayers, blessings, Jim

Pictures from Africa Mission 2014

Some Pictures from the recently completed Africa Mission 2014.  First picture, down on our knees at KIHBIT University in Nairobi. 2. Kabarak University  3. KIHBIT UniversityKIHBIT University, Nairobi 
KIHBIT University
Uhuru Park, NairobiObanda Farm, Mumias, Kenyachurch preschool with Robby, MumiasMalaba, Kenya CrusadePastor Electin Amoya, Malaba Harvest Churchmeal at Pastor Electin homeRoger Fothergill at Malaba CrusadeMalaba, Kenya on the Uganda borderRoger at Church Preschool in Mumias Cap Kivu Hotel, Goma, DROCongoMeeting with the mayor of GomaProphetess Deborah, GomaRobby at hotelDeliverance Church of Pastor Joel, GomaGoma CrusadeGoma Crusade

The Story of Prophetess Deborah

1.Prophetess Deborah with Roger, 2. Prophetess Deborah,3. below scenes from Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo










Dear beloved:  I have a very interesting story to tell about a lady from Goma, DROC, whom the Lord brought into my life to bless me and the crusade there, and we in turn blessed her as well.   I tell this story as an inspiration to all about the power of the gospel to transform lives, no matter how difficult you believe the situation may be.  Romans 1:16 (Paul) For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (muslim) v17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "But the righteous man shall live by faith."
When we first got to Goma, Congo, we were requested to stop by a church to speak for just a few minutes and invite them to attend the pastor trainings and crusade. The church was pastored by a lady who is a phophetess and calls herself Deborah; but the interesting thing is that she was saved out of the muslim faith and is now pastoring her own church.  Even more amazing is that her husband is still a practicing muslim and a leader in one of the Goma mosques, but he has given her freedom to pursue her Christian faith, and also to raise their six children as Christian. The two pictures taken at the top are of Prophetess Deborah as we were preparing to go into the prison in Goma, where we ministered to hundreds of inmates.  While at her church, she spoke that the Lord had told her a year and half ago that 3 Wazungas (white men) would come to Goma at this time to bring the good news of the gospel, and to give the people encouragement to strengthen their walk with the Lord.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end. I had been reading through the bible front to back for the second time this year, and on Monday after the crusade I read the story from Judges Chapter 4 and 5, the story of Deborah the Prophetess, who was raised up by the Lord to judge Israel.  On that same Monday, I received a call from Deborah asking if she could come to the hotel to have me pray for her, so I agreed and she came with her associate pastor and her oldest son. We went up to my hotel room, and as she knelt before me for prayer, I was struck by the amazing timing of the Lord, in that very day I had read the story of Deborah and how she had delivered Israel from the hand of the enemy Sisera; Jael the wife of Heber had taken a hammer and driven a tent peg through the temple of Sisera as he lay sleeping in her tent.
Because of her radical salvation and boldness in proclaiming the gospel, I believe the Lord has raised up Deborah for a time such as this.  I prayed for her and prophesied over her that her husband would also have a radical transforming experience and that he, too, would come to serve the One and only truly God, Jehovah and His son Jesus Christ.  I prayed also that God would expand Deborah's territory and that her authority in the kingdom would increase, that all Goma would be blessed as her ministry is blessed.   The song of Deborah and Barak,  Judges 5:31" Thus let all thine enemies perish, O Lord; But let those who love Him be like the rising of the sun in its might."  And the land was undisturbed for forty years.
 As I finished praying for her, I prophesied that the Congo was going to be undisturbed for forty years, that Deborah was a harbinger of the peace and prosperity and stability that God is ushering onto the land.  It will be unprecedented for the Congo to have stability and not live in fear of kidnaps, rapes, and lawless rebel uprising.
Beloved, pray for Goma and for North Kivu in the Congo, that this time of peace is here, that they will indeed have 40 years of undisturbed time to develop their country. God is using Gather the Outcasts Ministry to help change the destiny of nations.  Thank you for your part in moving the kingdom forward in these far off lands.  in Christ, Jim