Mission Accomplished. Many new men have come to the Lord, at least over twenty I sense completely reborn. The light is on behind their smiles and sparkling eyes. Such a privilege to witness such. For the others much of the seed has gone in. Including powerful testimonies, and 15 sermons in ten days! The discipleship program at House of Hope is impressive, there is no other words to describe it. This morning during my breakfast I watched all the little tots (3-5 year olds) that come here daily to be taught English and the Bible by a bunch of ex addicts. They run around in joy. Each year a complete graduation ceremony is held completewith gowns and certificates. The following year a new batch of preschoolers are herded from surrounding villages. Where else on earth but in a Godly Rehab centre would this occur? The men know it is God. The children dont see ex drug addicts. They dont judge. God is wise, God is good. I read once that children and gardening are good for depressed people. Both of these are part of the ministry here. Out the back is a vegetable garden called the Garden of Hope. I have learned a lot in my second trip to House of Hope. This time from the perspective of being the Pastor and Director. For the last ten days I suppose I have taken this role. The Director taking a backseat. It is by no means an easy task to look after fifty men. Without God it would be a mess. As many secular rehabs tend to be.
Many wonderful things have happened including a challenging confrontation on Saturday night. One resident was ready to quit and leave. He was sure his wife was being unfaithful. He was shouting at her angrily and visibly upset, as to was she. Prayer and counselling (4 hours worth) kept him here. We knew Satan was attacking his mind. Amazingly that day I gave a sermon. I displayed a picture on the screen of the Spartans from the 300 movie. Their shields interlocked awaiting their foe. I explained how Satan comes over and attacks the left flank, singles out one and then puts in his mind something like "Someone is sleeping with my wife". And thus rips off the soldier's shield and pulls him from the platoon. Three hours later that is EXACTY what occurred! It was surreal to be honest. My mind was whizzing. He is ok now - thank God. However, you realise in this ministry your guard can never be let down. If you do then their fate may well be the same as Amy Whitehouse. They all knew the song - "They want me to go to rehab but I say, no, no, no". Today I told them she is dead. At 27. A sombre warning for leaving the program before you are strong enough to face the real enemy. A sombre warning to the entire earth.
To conclude on an uplifting note... One of the resident's family visited. All Catholic (as he once was also). He remembered my message of Romans "I Am not Ashamed of the Gospel for it is the power of salvation etc". He asked his whole family - wife, brother, sister and mother and father. "How do you get saved?" He told us in church the response was stereotypical of many Catholics. A wide range of 'works' to be carried out including church attendance. With a beaming smile he explained to them Grace, God's gift, God's righteousness, God's work on the cross and our belief (faith) in such to then produce the good works born of a new heart full of the Spirit. He literally nailed it! They all thanked him for telling them the - "TRUTH". As he told the brothers his smile was so infectious. "I am not ashamed of the Gospel" And now His whole family knew the Gospel, - Thanks to House of Hope and God's hand. I thank the Lord for Romans. Not only had it yielded fruit, but already the seed was spreading!
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