Northside- An Amazing Journey!

Wow…what an amazing journey. On Monday we went to the Children’s Home with 90 plus children between the ages 3 to 12. They ran up to us, held us, loved us and wanted to spend every second with us. What an incredible feeling of love. It was unconditional and instant, something I have never felt so powerfully, so quick. I immediately wanted to be with them for as long as possible. I looked at their love and joy and wished the world could be just like this. Each day we have been able to be love to them as they have been so much love to us.

On Tuesday we met a missionary by the name of Ezekiel. He is from Kenya and he is here talking with Empowering Lives about a refugee camp in southern Sudan that they want to empower like what has been done here. It was overwhelming to see this Kenyan Missionary wanting to be a missionary to a place with 100’s of thousands of refugees desiring Christ and fighting against a Muslim force that is spreading fast. The Muslims have dedicated to turn Africa into an Islamic Continent and to do this they are really targeting Kenya right now. They just signed a treaty with Kenya’s president in which Lybia has agreed to supply Kenya with oil in exchange for the rights to build a mosque every 50 kilometers from Nairobi to Mombassa. We definitely need to be praying for this country. It was beautiful to see the full circle of a missionary program sending out people from the nation they are in to surrounding nations with the gospel. It is so tough to see the real battle going on between two religions with one side fully aware and sending mass amounts of money, energy, manpower and time to the battle while the Christians are sending little time, money, energy, and manpower to do the same. The Harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. The power of God uses our little bit to battle a huge enemy.

Today we went to the Medical Clinic and saw the new wing they have built. This is a diamond in the rough as the community looks to this clinic for medical, dental, and eye care, AIDS testing and treatment, and every other disease you can imagine. This beautiful dream is making a difference in this community and as we walk these dirt roads we talk to person after person whose life has been change by Empowering Lives’ dedication. This morning as I woke up at 4:30am for like the third day in a row I talked to the night watchman who had battled alcoholism his whole life until he met the Director David Taurus of Empowering Lives who showed him Jesus, walked with him for a year and then offered him a job. He spoke all morning about how many lives have been changed by Jesus in this place.

Tonight the youth begin to arrive (15-25 year olds) as we begin a youth camp. It is funny to me that I am leading a youth camp…you try to get out but they pull you back in…lol We are so excited to begin teaching, singing, playing and showing the love of Jesus for the next 5 days.

Continue to pray for us, it has been working. No one is sick, no one is complaining, we are seeing Jesus move and every hour that passes is more joyful than the one before. Thank you for your prayers.
-Hopper