Jim Hathaway, British Columbia, Canada
Mission trip to the Philippines | November 2009
Regional Elijah Challenge Affiliates
Every infirm person attending the Crusades was healed
Missionary Jim Hathaway trained with The Elijah Challenge in Houston in February 2008
General Santos City (encircled) is in the deep south of the Philippines
As usual my arrival into General Santos airport was exciting as I was greeted with flowers and handmade presents in thanks for my coming. Pastor Tito Cacang and Pastor Elito, with family, did the greeting and then we headed off to the “Christ Ministries Samaritan Bible School” near the city of Alabel, the capital of Sarangani province, to begin 3 days of training. Due to the “level 3” status of danger I learned that we should not hold the 3 days of crusades which had been planned---orders from the mayor. This was somewhat frustrating but life goes on.
Climbing to Pastor Elito's house
Breakfast with the Elito family
Kitchen and bath house
At the school there were 20 students and about 10 pastors in attendance. The morning demonstration went well with a broken leg being healed, a gouter we witnessed shrink as I felt it pulse as I laid hands on it and another lady with chest/heart problems. This one took some time but after a second day we saw success. The students were ecstatic and went running to the director, Pastor Tito with the news.The next day was about the same with more excitement about the teachings and more healings. This time a lady who had hearing problems was healed as well as another with kidney and back pain. We were all getting excited but sad because the crusades had been cancelled. The idea came that maybe we could go door-to-door in this little village community and invite folks to come to a healing crusade. Now things began to move in textbook fashion. Teaching, demo healings, and a small night time crusade at no expense! The students were beside themselves with expectations!
Healing Crusade cancelled, then improvisedWe prepared the steps of the entrance to the school as the stage for speakers and 2 musicians with a song leader. Then the lights and power went out. We prayed and commanded the lights to come back on. All this was happening 1½ hours before our start time. Incidentally, there was a large population of practicing black magic witch doctors in the area. In fact, their ‘main man’ lives on the property next to the school.
At exactly 7 pm all the power came on….YES! We were in business. About 125 people came. We started our crusade. Two songs, an introduction and then my turn. The power went out. Quick rebuking. Lights come back on. Preached from Mark 2. Lights go out again. Quick rebuke. Invite folks to come forward for healing and lights go out again. Rebuked [the enemy] again and we were back in business and this time the lights stayed on. I did a demonstration of mass healing with great expectation!
Nothing happens; then explosion of miraclesNothing, not a sniff. I turned to the fluorescent light behind me [always the student] and quietly prayed to God saying, "Aw come on, this is too important a meeting to not see you move." I then invited only those with back trouble to come forward as these always seem easy to heal. One lady came on the steps. I commanded healing and as I did many in the crowd were healed too as the students laid hands on them. Now people were coming for healing. It was a matter of waves. Lay on hands, people healed, testimonies, and repeat. I was so busy trying to organize the activities I did not really remember who or what condition was being ministered to but the tremendous result was that I only ministered 4 or 5 people and the rest were healed by the Lord through the students. Again textbook results. The highlights were many backs and legs healed; and to my amazement, a blind lady and three deaf children were healed. There were a total of 21 healed and 41 new followers of Jesus.
During our post crusade sharing, I was told that the head of the ‘witches’ had come forward for healing. I vaguely remembered him, but I do know he had a sort of bone pushing out of his knee and that he had been drinking. He was also very tall. The director knew him and talked with him afterwards. He was truly healed and saved and said he was coming to the Sunday worship service at the school. Up until then there was no Sunday service. The next day we went to make a house call to meet and encourage our ex-witch. He was not home but his wife directed us to another fellow’s hut. It seems he was deaf and was also healed and he too had been practicing witchcraft. He was also coming to the next Sunday meeting.
Witchdoctors healed and repent and follow ChristWe walked down the road and met the first lady that was healed. She very excitedly invited us into her home and confessed she was a witch as well and was going to destroy all her “stuff” and come to church. Across from her house was another lady who had been healed and she too was in the group of witches. All four repented and were saved and expected to be at the service the next Sunday! THERE IS NOW A CHURCH PLANTED ON THE BIBLE SCHOOL PROPERTY WITH 41 CONVERTS!! Again, textbook Elijah Challenge.
The now born-again witches: the 2nd woman from the left attended the TEC Training; the tall gentleman is the leader of the other three and very influential in the area
There was a older grandpa who was healed during the back healings at the Bible School. He had been drinking but insisted on testifying as someone had laid hands on his stomach. His testimony was that his problem with flatulence was no more. We all howled with laughter and I am thinking this was only a temporary healing. But I may be wrong.
In the aftermath at the Bible SchoolDecember 17, 2009
"I write you to inform you of the result of the crusade you did here with us. I am happy to share that we have now at least ten families who are accepting regular Bible studies. Even those persons who practiced witchcraft are now accepting Bible studies also. This means that your unwavering labor in conducting the Crusades was fruitful---you were able to gather people who changed their outlook in life. This glorifies God's name and His ministry.
We are really expecting for your return here. We bring these things into prayer that God may open His doors for you to have another experience here with us."
Pastor Tito S. Cagang
Two more Crusades attended by powerful miraclesThe other two crusades were with Pastor Elito and help among the Blaan tribe in the villages of Malapatan and Landan. It was good to have trained pastors from last year helping out in this crusade. In Malapatan many backs and legs were healed. The highlights were the healings of a blind lady, of a lady who could not speak and of a paralyzed man who somehow made a 6-hour walk from the mountain area to be healed. The healing was very dramatic as we could feel the paralyzed muscles vibrate only when we ministerd to him. His hand also blossomed open as I gently slid my hand down his arm into his palm. I helped him come up the steps of the stage and together we did some impressive deep knee bends. It was spectacular!
Paralyzed man doing deep knee bends
Healings, salvations, baptismsThe lady that could not speak was funny. She was about 5 feet tall, maybe 50 years old and just kept looking at me with her big brown eyes. No one could understand what her challenge was. Finally, someone said that she could not speak---which of couse made sense. After I commanded the healing she began to walk away. We asked her several times if she was healed and after the 3rd time she declared in a loud voice “YES” and then left the stage. There were over 20 healed and 20 came forward for salvation. Nine people were baptized in the ocean the following day!
Baptism in the Celebes Sea
The last crusade meeting was in Landan which is a large village north of General Santos City where Dole Pineapple employees live. There are over 15,000 of them making $4 per day. There was a new church plant there which had started meeting about 6 months ago; we had come to help support the church. I did some Training to prepare the team how to command healing for those who would come forward.
Landan Crusade
The main highlight of the Crusade was that the healings took place in two waves. The first wave was for proving that Jesus is the same God who heals the sick, who forgives sin, and the second wave for those who wanted to be followers of Jesus to come forward. I was confused as I had thought Pastor Elito was leading them in a “sinners” prayer, but the church members were actually laying hands on the infirm again and God was healing again.There were ears opened on three occasions. A blind lady, a boy who could not speak and more legs, backs and even bunions healed. Nothing funny to report other than 35 people being packed into a jeepnee and traveling 4 hours on a tiny dusty road to this remote village. THAT WAS NOT FUNNY! But we enjoyed fresh, juicy and sweet pineapple when we arrived.
Sardine-like Jeepnee ride to the village of Landan
Every person at every crusade meeting who came forward for healing was in fact healed!This was my second time being with the Blaan tribe. Some of their people are sponsored by World Vision so you can understand their financial condition. This became very evident when I observed the pastor's son struggling with a toothache. He was about 19 years old or so, and the pain was so bad he was almost in tears. After three days of not really knowing what his pain was I had an opportunity to ask. I was told that he had a toothache. I asked if they would take him to a dentist. Of course, the answer was no because of the cost. So he would suffer as long as it would take to have the tooth rot out or whatever. This situation was common and I wondered how many people die because of infection.
Is there a dentist in the house (of the Lord?)The cost for dealing with the tooth was about US $12. But they could not afford to fix it. Of course I was able to make sure he was taken care of but this simple situation was out of reach financially for this family. I am wondering if someone knows a dentist who might like to come with me on my next visit and help these people?
Luke
10:9 "Heal the sick who are there and tell them,
'The kingdom
of God is near you.’"