30 hours by canoe to hear the Gospel! – Mongu, Zambia
30 hours by canoe to hear the Gospel!
Can you imagine being so hungry for the Gospel that you would travel THIRTY HOURS to get to a crusade meeting?! Today I want to tell you about the miracle of Mongu, one of the 11 crusades we just conducted in Zambia. It began when Jana Bielava (one of our Decapolis directors) was doing a radio interview in Zambia…
“During the last Decapolis, in September 2022, I was interviewed at a local radio station. While I was in the waiting room at the studio, I examined a map of Zambia and prayed about it. While I was praying, God drew my attention to Mongu, the most western town in the country, situated as far as you can get from Lusaka (the capital).
Jana Bielava with the Mongu organizational team
When it was time for my interview, I sat down in the chair, and right in front of my eyes was a sticker that said “Mongu”. This was the second time God had drawn my attention to Mongu, so I began to wonder what was happening there. After the interview there were dial-ins, with people asking for prayers, and a caller asked, “When are you coming to Mongu?” I was immediately interested, as God had brought Mongu to my attention three times in a single hour. So a few months later, we sent a scouting team to Mongu. They came back and reported that that city hadn’t had a crusade since 1994. I said, “Praise God! Let’s go!”
The rest is history. It was one of the biggest crusades we had this last Decapolis. It was absolutely phenomenal! Evangelists Gary Smith and Alejandro were stationed there for the five nights, with Evangelist Daniel Kolenda joining them on the third day of the crusade.
Left to Right: Evangelists Gary Smith, Daniel Kolenda and Alejandro Escobar
When I flew in to see the crusade, we walked into the ground around noon and it was packed with hundreds of people, sitting on their mats under the trees. We started talking to them. Most of them were suffering from all kinds of ailments, and Evangelist Gary Smith and I started praying over them.
I said to one woman, “Mama. Tell me what’s wrong with you?” She answered, “I have problems with my legs.” I asked, “Where did you come from?” She named a village in the middle of nowhere, and I asked, “How far is that? How long did it take you to get here?” She explained that it took thirty hours to get there. Thirty hours! So I asked, “How did you get here? Did you take a bus? Did you walk?” She answered, “No, I came here by canoe - it took me thirty hours by canoe.” She explained that she had heard about the crusade on the radio: “I heard the announcement and I knew I had to come and get healed.”
Hundreds of people were camped in the grounds, stretched out on their mats, cooking their nshima (corn meal) under the trees. It was absolutely amazing. And Mongu turned out to be an extraordinary crusade. The people were so keen, so desperate to meet God, so ready to receive Him. I’m so glad He told me, three times in one hour, to go to that place. It really was the appointed time for Mongu.”
- Jana Bielava (Decapolis Director)
TESTIMONIES
There were so many miracle testimonies recorded! This 23-year-old man, Humphrey Style, was in constant back pain, could not walk properly, and certainly not work out. God healed him while he was on his way to the crusade! Overflowing with joy, he did push-ups onstage to show his newfound strength and freedom.
Emanuel had been in pain for a year and had to use crutches for two months. But during the prayer for the sick, he “felt something go through his feet”. Suddenly all pain was gone!
This young man lost his sight at a young age and couldn’t see for 21 years. Jesus healed him and he could see how many fingers the evangelist was holding up. He declared that Jesus is the healer!
More testimonies, photos and videos here!
Thank you for standing with us so that people so hungry for God could encounter the living Jesus!
Together with you for the Gospel,
Evangelist Daniel Kolenda
(here with the worldwide CfaN Team)
SIX witchdoctors meet Jesus! – Chingola, Zambia
Over the next couple months, I’ll be sharing more of the wonderful testimonies and reports pouring in from each of the locations where we just completed ELEVEN 5-night crusades in Zambia. Can you imagine what a tsunami of glorious stories of God’s power that has unleashed? We’re starting with Chingola, where Evangelists Randy Roberts and Lukas Repert (both Bootcamp graduates who were trained by me) were stationed.
Evangelist Randy Roberts shares:
Typically, on Friday night we preach a message on the power of the blood of Jesus and we burn the barrels for the first time. These are 55-gallon drums with holes bored in the sides that we have people put “juju” into. This includes any kind of witchcraft items — idols, talismans, potions, powders and so on. On Thursday night, I encouraged people to bring any of these things and added that they should invite all the witchdoctors they knew of so we could see who was truly God.
Little did I know that many of the local pastors and bishops felt a bit nervous because of my invitation. You see, the field we were on in Chingola had a history of which I was unaware. The field, Kaunda Square, was known for witchcraft.
There had been ritualistic killings performed there for many years, and where two live trees and an old tree stump stood, people worshipped false gods and hanged themselves as a form of self-sacrifice.
Our crusade director, Brady Liette, had a major battle with the city over cutting these trees down. They were terrified that the people would be furious and cause chaos. Fortunately, one of the leading local bishops, who was our crusade chairman, is good friends with the President of Zambia. He instructed the mayor to allow us to cut the trees down. When they did so, the top witchdoctor, also known as a stone dealer, went crazy with grief and then disappeared... for a while.
Fast forward to Friday night of the crusade. That same stone dealer, whose name is Datsun, heard the invitation, came to the crusade with some of his juju, and put it in the barrels! Unfortunately, he didn’t put it all in and had not yet received Jesus, so he was demonically tormented all night when he went home. On Saturday, he brought the rest. We helped him take it off his body and burn it. Then were able to preach the Gospel to him, and he got saved.
We rejoiced over what Jesus had done in his life and asked him to go up on stage and share his testimony. Then my friend, Evangelist Lukas Repert, laid hands on him and he was slain in the spirit. Hallelujah!
Shortly after that someone came from the side of the stage to tell me that there were five more witch doctors who had heard Datsun give his testimony. They wanted to talk to me and also give their lives to Jesus! So I went and preached the Gospel to them, led them in the salvation prayer, and then handed them over to the bishops who had been dubious about my initial invitation. Needless to say, they had a whole new, positive attitude toward the situation!
Evangelist Lukas Repert shares:
To me, the most amazing thing by far that God did was to heal a two-year-old child who had a tumor the size of an apple on the outside of his head.This visibly melted back to a few centimeters during the healing prayer!The mother came to us in tears and reported what had happened.
On the second night, Daniel Kolenda preached. I love it when the Holy Spirit’s leading is suddenly made visible. Daniel Kolenda's topic was Zacchaeus and while he was talking about Zacchaeus being too short to see Jesus and having to climb a tree to do so, everyone on the field suddenly noticed that there were about 20 children sitting in a tree next to the stage! It was a perfect illustration of the message.
After that, Randy Roberts prayed for all the sick, and mighty signs and wonders happened.God showed so many people at once how much he loves them!At one moment I saw four wheelchairs in the field at the same time, which were no longer needed.
A young girl whose side was covered with scars from failed surgeries was able to raise her arm for the first time, and will now be able to care for herself without help.
Thank you, with all my heart, to every partner who has brought us this far. Isn’t it incredible that we have been able to do eleven crusades for practically the same cost as a single crusade in the past? Your donations are truly being multiplied!
Keep an eye out for the second praise report from another five-night campaign in Zambia, coming your way next week…
Together with you for the Gospel,
Evangelist Daniel Kolenda
(here with the worldwide CfaN Team)
Christ for all Nations Sets New Historic Benchmark in Global Evangelism
We have just completed a landmark campaign, making history in mass evangelism. For the first time ever, CfaN conducted 11 mass evangelistic campaigns in 11 different cities and districts across the nation of Zambia simultaneously! These campaigns lasted 5 nights in each city for a total of 55 nights of massive evangelistic meetings in just two-weeks! That’s 55 powerful meetings in 14 glory-filled days. During the initiative, which included a “Gospel Invasion” (in which evangelists trained by CfaN, flooded the streets and schools) the ministry recorded over 2.6 million in attendance and 1,040,720 documented conversions.
To put these amazing metrics into perspective, consider the fact that in the past, we normally conducted 6 or 7 campaigns in a whole year, and our previous record was 9 crusades in one year. Now, the incredible CfaN team has managed to conduct 11 full crusades in just two weeks. What’s more, over the last 38 months we have conducted 38 mass evangelistic campaigns, bringing the total number of conversions, documented since 1987, close to the remarkable 90-million mark!
This initiative in Zambia has set a new high-water mark for our ministry. Crowds in some cities were so large and dense that on occasions, barriers had to be removed for safety. The masses were spilling out into busy highways; people were sitting on top of walls and on top of buildings, even filling the branches of trees in the vicinity of the crusade fields! Some people reported traveling for over thirty hours. Others made the journey by boat. Attendees were sleeping on the meeting grounds overnight because they had traveled from other towns and villages with no place to spend the night. People were desperate for a touch from God!
The astonishing results in Zambia are part of a vision we have been describing for years: the “Decade of Double Harvest” in which we are working to see 150-million people come to Christ by 2030. To achieve this vision, we have been training a veritable army of evangelists, organizers, and technicians to multiply our reach many times over. Nearly 200 graduates of the Christ for all Nations Bootcamp were on the ground in Zambia, some for weeks or even for months, working alongside of our CfaN staff to prepare these crusades. The graduates are the organizers, the directors, and the laborers carrying the lion’s share of the work in our global crusades. These graduates were also the evangelists working alongside Daniel Kolenda to reap the massive harvest in Zambia. In fact, this partnership is the only way such astounding results have been possible.
Each of the 11 cities had a pair of Evangelists ministering in most of the meetings. These evangelists were graduates of the CfaN Evangelism Bootcamp. Daniel Kolenda traveled to a new city each day and preached one night. This strategy allowed us to get many times the “bang” for every “buck.” All of our efforts (church mobilization, printing, advertising, transportation, technical support, etc.) were leveraged to benefit all 11 cities allowing us to conduct 11 crusades for nearly the same amount of money and time we used to invest into just a single crusade! Another wonderful benefit is that many other evangelists are getting invaluable experience in organizing, conducting, and ministering in mass gospel crusades. This is true multiplication on every level! The operation we just completed in Zambia is proof that this concept works—and even more wonderfully than we could have anticipated.
Many years ago, Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke had a dream about being the forerunner for a new generation of Holy Spirit Empowered Evangelists. That dream is being fulfilled right before our eyes. In addition to the nearly 200 Bootcamp graduates organizing and leading these 11 crusades, there were 19 evangelists tasked with ministering to the massive crowds in each city (their names are listed at the end of this report). Daniel wrote daily reports filled with testimonies of remarkable miracles demonstrating the power of God from the cities where he was ministering each night.
Among the accounts, a young girl with previously crippled legs took her first steps across the stage after prayer. A stroke survivor previously bound to a wheelchair experienced an astonishing healing, regaining the ability to walk unaided. A woman blind for nearly a decade was granted the gift of sight, awakening a sense of wonder and restoring her connection with the world. A 17-year-old named Miriam, deaf since childhood, had her life transformed as her hearing was miraculously restored, eliciting a sense of awe among those in attendance. A woman plagued by a lump in her chest, impairing her breathing, experienced the miraculous disappearance of the lump and the restoration of her respiration after fervent prayer. These are just a few of the hundreds of healings witnessed by the crowds across Zambia during the two weeks of meetings.
Even after more than a million documented conversions and numerous reported miracles, the good news keeps coming in. For example, we have received reports of witchdoctors becoming Christians and drug addicts surrendering their drugs and paraphernalia. Zambian pastors have also reported large numbers of new converts attending their churches.
Daniel Kolenda expressed his profound gratitude for the remarkable team that has worked for many years to make this historic multi-city event possible and the partners who sowed into this historic event. Among those highlighted were Peter Vandenberg, who was the Vice President of the ministry and the right-hand man to Bonnke for nearly 40 years. Instrumental leaders Bret and Silva Sipek and Jana Bielava and Vojtech Trcka were the main developers and organizers of what we call the “Operation Decapolis” strategy. Hundreds of CfaN team members and Bootcamp graduates and more than 97,000 Zambian volunteers worked side by side to make the event possible—a true testament to the power of unity.
This most recent initiative exemplifies Christ for all Nations’ unwavering commitment to sharing the gospel in Africa and multiplying laborers for the sake of a global harvest. By equipping and releasing a new generation of evangelists through initiatives like the CfaN Evangelism Bootcamp, Christ for all Nations is laboring to ensure that the transformative message of Jesus Christ reaches every corner of the globe.
Special thanks and recognition to the following evangelists for their outstanding ministry in Zambia:
David Clementi Emmanuel & Deborah Cohen Jacob Ebersole Alejandro Escobar Richard Fullwood Gabriel Garcia Jared Horton Michael Job Daniel Kobida Brady Liette Levi Lutz Lukas Repert Randy Roberts David Rotarmel Brittany Sanderlin Evelina Smane Gary Smith Joe Turnbull
History Has Been Made! - Lusaka, Zambia (Hero Stadium) - Day 10
Dear Mission Partners,
Tonight, was the last night of our two-week campaign here in Zambia. For me the 11 city tour peaked in Lusaka—the capital—at “Hero Stadium.” Once again, the field was packed and the reception to the gospel was amazing. As I reflect on the journey that brought us to this point, it’s overwhelming and mind-boggling.
It was in 2017 that we first discussed the vision for multiplication as a team. Imagine being asked to scale up from 6 or 7 crusades PER YEAR to 10 or 11 over a TWO WEEK period! That’s what I asked them to do. It was an impossible dream, yet, the amazing Christ for all Nations team rose to the challenge. They reimagined and re-engineered our entire technical operation. They built 10 separate sound systems, platforms and lighting grids along with the big rigs to transport them all. We started the Christ for all Nations Evangelism Bootcamp to train an army of evangelists and organizers. Bret and Silva Sipek (who were leading our Eastern European operation at the time) along with their amazingly talented daughter Jana Bielava and colleague Vojtech Trcka stepped in to develop the “Operation Decapolis” strategy, train new crusade directors and then lead the organizing.
Hundreds of people brought their gifts, talents and experience to the table and worked for years to make this a reality. Also, YOU sowed into this with your prayers and finances sacrificially, making the impossible possible.
For the first time, we have been able to successfully conduct 11 full gospel crusades (lasting 5 days each) in 11 different cities over a two week period. That’s 55 nights of crusade meetings in all! Millions of people heard the gospel. We documented hundreds of thousands of decisions to follow Christ. Amazing miracles, signs, and wonders took place in each city and a nation has been shaken by the gospel! By God’s grace, history has been made here in Zambia over the last two weeks and we are all reeling from what we have experienced.
As amazing as it is, even this is still just the very beginning—the early days of what I believe will be the greatest evangelistic movement in history!
Last night, at Hero Stadium, I preached in the final meeting.
The prayer for the sick, testimonies, and prayer of blessing were conducted by the team stationed here: Evangelist Joe Turnbull, Evangelist Evelina Smane, and Evangelist Daniel Kobida. And boy, did we witness some amazing miracles!
For example, a woman named Grace had severe pain in her left leg for the past seven years, but after prayer, she was healed! She could even jump and run without any pain.
Luckford, a young man who was shortsighted, could only see clearly from the stage to the cameraman, which is about six meters. But after prayer, his vision became completely clear and he could see into the distance without any issues.
Philip had strong pain in his right shoulder and couldn't lift his arm, but after prayer, he felt all the pain leave and was able to move his shoulder perfectly. He even did ten pushups on stage!
And then there was a woman who had a lump in her chest and could not breathe well for two weeks, but after prayer, the lump disappeared and her breathing became perfect.
These are just a few examples of the miracles we witnessed tonight.
Tomorrow, we'll begin our journey home. But before we do, we want to thank you for praying for us and the entire team here in Zambia. It has been a couple of weeks to remember, and we thank the Lord for every salvation and miracle. Stay tuned for more reports to come!
Yours in the Harvest,
Daniel Kolenda and the whole CfaN team
She Felt a Surge of Power! - Lusaka (Chawama), Zambia - Day 9
Dear Mission Partners,
Today, Peter Vandenberg, my 14-year-old son, London and I hopped on a plane and made our way back to Lusaka, buzzing with anticipation. Our destination? The region of Chawama, where I preached tonight.
The dynamic duo leading the charge in this crusade are Evangelist Levi Lutz, (who leads the CfaN Evangelism Bootcamp), and Evangelist Brittany Sanderlin.
After I preached the Gospel, Brittany fervently prayed for the crowd to experience the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. And then came David Mziga, (another graduate of the CfaN Bootcamp), who stepped up to pray for the sick.
Now, let me share some of the mind-blowing testimonies we heard tonight:
Picture this: For a year and a half, Diana had to walk with a cane. Her legs had forgotten the joy of walking, and she was too weak to handle heavy stuff or even bend over. But guess what? Jesus stepped in, and the impossible became possible! As we started praying, she felt a surge of power coursing through her body. She took her first steps across the stage, and the crowd erupted in cheers. When asked who healed her, she let out a resounding "JESUSSSS!" The crowd caught on, chanting "JESUSSSS!" in unison. We jubilantly tossed away her cane, and her face was beaming with happiness!
Then we have Jane, carrying the weight of pain on one side of her body for a whopping nine years, keeping her from walking. But again, Jesus showed up and the pain vanished. Jane strolled confidently across the stage, waving her hands in victory and praise. She couldn't contain her joy and exclaimed, "GOD IS GREAT!!!!" Oh, she was on cloud nine!
Last but not least, there was Priska. Can you imagine not being able to do the simplest tasks for five long years? That was her reality, paralyzed from the waist down. Every attempt to use her legs ended in a painful tumble. But Jesus healed her tonight! Suddenly, she could bend down and move around the stage with ease. When she tested her newfound strength, tears welled up in her eyes, and she raised her hands high in the air. She was bursting with excitement. She even walked back and forth, just to celebrate her victory. Hallelujah!
Tomorrow morning, I'll gather with the team in Lusaka for a devotion session. And tomorrow night is the grand finale! Please pray for the churches that will embrace the multitudes of new converts. And please keep us in your prayers too as we gear up for one last night of epic harvest.
Yours in the Gospel,
Daniel Kolenda
Together with the CfaN team
Hungry People...and Insects! - Mongu, Zambia - Day 8
Dear Mission Partners,
Today we made the rather long trip to the city of Mongu where I preached tonight. This seems to be one of the largest of the crusades happening this week, which is especially interesting given the fact that it is such a relatively remote region. But I’m hearing reports of people traveling for over thirty hours, some making the journey by boat. People are sleeping on the crusade ground overnight because they have come from other towns and villages and have no other place to stay. The hunger, the faith, and the expectation is really something remarkable.
Not only are the people hungry—so are the bugs! There was such a cloud of flying insects swirling around the platform, it was quite distracting. Bugs were flying in my mouth. Some were crawling down my shirt. Many people in the front of the crowd were also obviously being quite harassed. At one point, in the middle of my sermon, we had to shut the stage lights off just to get some relief. But the people never left and they stayed attentive and responsive throughout. What a joy to preach the gospel in a place like this.
I preached tonight on the blood of Jesus. Tens of thousands responded to the gospel. Afterwards Evangelist Gary Smith (who is carrying the crusade here in Mongu together with Evangelist Alejandro Escobar) prayed for the sick.
Here are some of the wonderful testimonies.
One woman had been suffering with terribly painful fibroids since 2000. On Thursday, during the prayer for the sick, she said she felt something coming out of her stomach and she noticed that the pain was gone. Today (Friday) she went to the hospital and got checked out. Sure enough all the fibroids have vanished!
A woman came to the meeting tonight on crutches. Her broken leg was in a cast. After prayer, she threw her crutches away and began to walk normally!
Another lady who also came to the meeting on a crutch was healed. She said she had suffered with pain in her back and hip for the last 4 years. The pain prevented her from walking without the crutch. But tonight, all the pain left, she can walk and bend normally. She was so excited about what Jesus did for her that she threw her crutch off the stage!
As another point of interest, we are already getting reports from all over the nation of churches receiving many new converts. These are people that received Christ last week in the first 5 crusades and also through our “Gospel Invasion” which has been going on for several weeks where CfaN Evangelism Bootcamp and CfaN FireCamp Graduates have been doing Kids Crusades, Gospel Truck outreaches, and one on one evangelism all over Zambia.
Now as we enter the weekend, we anticipate the largest and most fruitful meeting across all 6 cities where crusades are ongoing this week. I know I speak for the whole team when I say that we are quite weary at this stage, but the job is not over yet. Please pray for us as we make this final push.
Yours in the Harvest, Daniel Kolenda
Together with the whole CfaN team
They Climbed the Trees! - Chingola, Zambia - Day 7
Dear Mission Partners,
Today we traveled to the city of Chingola where I preached tonight. Even though this is only the second night of meetings here, the field is already packed! In fact, there were people on top of walls, on top of buildings, crowding the roads—dozens of people even climbed trees so they could see and hear! This was especially interesting given the fact that I preached from the story of Zaccheus! What a fitting sermon aid.
The crusade in this city is being carried by Evangelists Randy Roberts and Lukas Repert. Tonight I preached on repentance, restitution, and the change of life that must come to those who want to follow Jesus. I really sensed the Lord’s heart as I preached. I felt like the Holy Spirit convicted many hearts on a deep level. I am sure we will see monumental changes in this region in the days to come.
After preaching the gospel, Evangelist Randy Roberts prayed for the sick. Many amazing miracles happened. Cripples got out of wheelchairs. Paralytics were healed and all kinds of pain vanished!
Another interesting development here is that we had to pick from two sites on opposite sides of town for this crusade. The city has essentially been cut in two by a massive, mile-long mine that runs through the middle. Those who live on one side rarely if ever travel to the other side. So when we picked the current site, those on the other side were very disappointed. But the crusade organizer in this city, Brady Liette (who is also a Bootcamp graduate), and a couple of other Bootcampers have decided to conduct their own crusade in a couple of weeks on that other side of town so that everyone has a chance to hear the Gospel! They’re able to do this because of the draft of the momentum that is being created this week. They will also use many of the same sign frames, equipment, and other resources that are already on site! Nothing is going to waste. Yet another example of the way that we are seeing multiplication happening on every level!
Tomorrow I travel to a city where people have traveled for 30+ hours to the crusade field—some even traveling by boat. Many are camping on the ground overnight. It is the most well-attended of the crusades this week and it is a relatively small place. God is moving across Zambia. We are living in the days of harvest.
Thank you for praying. More to come tomorrow.
Yours in the Harvest, Evangelist Daniel Kolenda
Together with the whole CfaN team
A BONUS Crusade - Bauleni & Ngombe, Zambia - Day 6
Dear Mission Partners,
Tonight marked the beginning of the second (of two weeks) of Gospel Crusades here in Zambia. We are conducting 11 full Gospel Crusades (five nights each) in 11 different cities/districts throughout the nation. Each night I travel to a different crusade where a pair of CfaN Evangelism Bootcamp trained co-evangelists are carrying four of the five nights in that city. I’m able to make it to minister one night in each location. At least...that’s the idea.
The original plan was to conduct 10 crusades. But the CfaN team, always preparing for any contingency, went ahead and prepared an eleventh city (just in case one had a problem and had to shift at the last minute). But although we prepared for the worst, the entire process has gone so smoothly that the backup crusade has become a bonus crusade! This means that one of the nights I would have to minister in two of them (11 crusades and only 10 days). That bonus crusade night was tonight.
I started out preaching the Gospel in the district of Bauleni and then left the ministering to the sick to evangelists David Rotarmel and Richard Fullwood who are stationed there.
I was then rushed by police escort to the site of the crusade in the district of Ngombe. I arrived on the field just as Evangelist Michael Job (who is carrying this crusade along with Evangelist Deborah Cohen) had finished preaching and the counselors were collecting follow-up information.
I taught on faith and healing and then prayed for the sick. There was such a palpable faith and expectancy there.
The first testimony was a 3 year old child named Faith who was brought by her aunt. We were told that Faith had never stood or walked before. Her family was very worried about her. But tonight she walked for the first time!
The next testimony was from an elderly lady who had been blind for so long she couldn’t even remember the number of years! She claimed that she had been totally healed so I tested her by waving my handkerchief in front of her and asked her to catch it, which she did with ease! The joy on her face was unforgettable.
Another lady had been suffering with anemia for many years. She had received treatment after treatment without improvement. It caused her to feel severely weak and filled her body with pain. Tonight she said that as I was praying for the sick, the pain and weakness left her. She was so excited that without even being prompted she started running back and forth on the platform!
Then a woman arrived who had been carried to the meeting on her daughter's back. Both of them were weeping with joy as they told me how the mother had been an invalid for so long. Tonight Jesus healed her. She can walk on her own. It was a very emotionally touching experience.
Meanwhile, back in Bauleni, amazing miracles were happening there as well.
A man who was bound to a wheelchair for 3 years and a woman unable to walk for 6 years were both healed
A lady had a stroke and as a result could not walk and her arm was stiff. Now she can walk and does not need the stick anymore!
Another woman said that she suffered chest pain and her legs and back hurt so much she was unable to stand upright. Now she can run and jump and stand upright!
These and many other miracles took place tonight, and don't forget—these are just two of six cities where crusades are happening tonight!
In every city, the gospel was preached. In every city, multitudes surrendered to Christ. In every city amazing miracles took place and in every city there is great joy tonight. Rejoice with us and with heaven for the mighty harvest that is coming in. And please continue to pray for us!
Yours in the Harvest,
Daniel Kolenda
Together with the whole CfaN team
A Historic Harvest—Mtendere, Zambia - Night 5
Dear Mission Partners,
What happens when nearly 200 hard-working, highly trained evangelists arrive in a ripe harvest field, completely unified, with one heart and one mind, using the finest combine harvesting machine in the world—and they put their hand to the plow for months at a time? A historic harvest, that’s what!
As we come to the end of the first week of crusades here in Zambia I present these mind-boggling statistics to give you a taste of what I’m talking about.
1,025,030 handbills (flyers) were distributed.
132,500 posters were hung.
1,208 billboards were advertised on.
9,267 commercials played on TV and radio.
We granted 132 interviews on television and radio stations.
More than 789,000 people attended the meetings.
More than 97,000 people volunteered.
In addition, 197 CfaN team members (most of them volunteers) have worked day and night (some of them have been on the ground here for months) to prepare for these crusades.
Tonight I preached in the region of Mtendere in Zambia. But before heading to the field tonight I met with the Bishop who oversees the Assemblies of God denomination in Zambia. He told me that he was a counselor in CfaN’s first Zambian crusade in 1981. He was just a young man then and part of the first generation of Pentecostals and Evangelicals. He told me that when Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke (Founder of CfaN) came to Zambia, his influence helped to solidify their identity. Reinhard’s impact on the church in this nation was monumental. The churches were flooded as a result of Bonnke’s preaching and the seed planted in those days is still bearing fruit today!
And even what is happening here this week (and next week) is in many ways drafting in the slipstream of the legacy of Reinhard Bonnke and the many faithful men and women of God that came before us in the ministry of Christ for all Nations.
After preaching the Gospel, Evangelists Evelina Smane and Jacob Ebersole took over, praying for the sick and blessing the people on this final day of the crusade here.
1) A 17-year-old woman named Miriam had been completely deaf since she was 3 years old. Tonight Jesus opened her ears!
2) Another woman completely deaf in the left ear for five years was also healed.
3) A woman named Elizabeth was totally healed tonight after not being able to walk properly or even stand up since 2019.
4) Another woman named Margret had a stroke and could not walk properly for the last 14 years. After prayer, she was able to walk. She threw her walking stick away!
This week we conducted five crusades in five cities, each lasting five nights. This was the fifth and final night of the first week. Next week we move to 6 new cities where another 6 crusades will take place (11 in all over the two weeks). We estimate that upwards of 3 million people will hear the gospel and hundreds of thousands will say yes to Jesus. Please keep praying for us.
Yours in the Gospel,
Daniel Kolenda
Together with the whole CfaN team
Fruit That Remains – Chipata, Zambia - Day 4
Tonight I preached in the city of Chipata, Zambia. When I arrived on the field, as always, I first greeted the local bishops, pastors, committee chairmen and other members of the organizing team in that city. At the end of the line was an elderly man who had been the chairman of the very first crusade CfaN did in Zambia back in 1982. He told me about how wonderful that crusade was and how many people got saved, how many new churches were planted and how the fruit from that crusade – 40 years ago – is still evident in Zambia today. Then he said, “We love CfaN crusades, because they bear fruit that remains.” I could not imagine a better compliment for an evangelistic ministry. He told me that ever since that time they have been praying for CfaN to come to his city – Chipata. So this week is an answer to the prayers of so many.
The reality that we are standing on a platform built by years of faithful prayer and intercession is something I am always aware of. But in some places, it is more evident than others. In Chipata, a relatively small town, the crowd was massive. It looked to me as if the entire population of the whole region was in attendance. Once again, as we have seen in city after city, there was a great openness and an overwhelming response to the Gospel.
After preaching, Evangelist Randy Roberts (one of the evangelists carrying this crusade) prayed for the crowd to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And then Evangelist Robert Enge (the other evangelist stationed here) prayed for the sick and many wonderful miracles took place. Here is a small sampling.
A lady named Natasha couldn’t move her right leg since 2014. The doctors said she could never be healed. They could only drain fluid. Now strong and whole, she could stand and jump!
Violet Makura had been in an accident in June 2022 and couldn’t walk without crutches can now dance and walk.
A man testified that his entire body had been riddled with arthritis since 2012. To make matters worse, he was suffering with several other sicknesses including pneumonia. But tonight Jesus healed her. He ran across the stage at full speed!
Two disabled women, one who could not walk at all for 10 years, and another who could not walk properly for 11 years, were both healed tonight.
A man who was blind in both eyes for 10 years can now see!
Tomorrow night is the final night of crusade meetings happening this week in all five cities. Of course, next week we will do it all over again in 6 more cities (11 in all over the two weeks). Thank you for continuing to pray for the whole team here in Zambia.
Yours in the Gospel,
Evangelist Daniel Kolenda
Together with the whole CfaN team
Curses broken in Jesus’ name! - Mansa - Day 3
Dear Mission Partners,
My heart is full tonight after preaching in the city of Mansa, Zambia. The crowd was so dense on the field tonight that I had to ask for the barriers in the front to be removed for safety reasons. A huge percentage of the crowd was comprised of young people, even children. They were hanging on every word and responding with enthusiasm as I preached on the power of the blood of Jesus!
After preaching the Gospel, we burned fetishes, charms, amulets and idols. An unusually large haul of “juju” was surrendered here as multitudes are turning away from witchcraft to serve the living God! Evangelist David Rotärmel then prayed. Utilizing a list of locally known curses and “gods” (provided by the locals) he renounced them and broke their power in Jesus’ name.
I think it’s hard to explain to westerners the significance of this act. Many of these local gods and curses are respected and even feared by those who live here. When we publicly defy them and break their power in the name of Jesus, it sends a signal to all those living under the fear of these evil spirits, that Jesus is Lord. He has power over all demonic strongholds and they don’t have to be afraid any longer if they belong to Jesus.
David Rotärmel – who is stationed here in Mansa (along with Evangelist Levi Lutz) – also prayed for the sick tonight. Here are a few of the amazing testimonies.
1.) One girl became blind in her right eye when she was three months old. But tonight, her right eye opened. Now she can see. She and her mother testified on the stage of this great miracle. She demonstrated by covering her healthy eye and identifying the correct number of fingers when tested.
2.) A man was not able to bend down for six years due to severe pain in his lower back and waist. But today he received healing. Now he can bend down all the way without any pain!
3.) Another woman had a stroke in 2020 that caused internal bleeding in her head. Since then, she has been suffering from severe and constant headaches. Last night Jesus healed her and tonight she testified on the stage that she is free from the constant pain.
4.) Another woman could only walk with a limp and very strong pain for the last 9 years. Tonight Jesus healed her. She started walking and now she can even run. She testified on the stage and demonstrated the healing by dancing and praising God!
On a personal note, another special feature of this tour is that I’ve had the privilege of bringing my 14-year-old son, London. Tonight, I introduced him to the crowd and there was so much love and warmth on both sides. I’m sure he is marked for life!
Tomorrow I will travel to another city where another crusade is ongoing. What an absolutely breathtaking season of harvest we are in. Please continue to pray for us. More to come...
Yours in the Gospel,
Evangelist Daniel Kolenda
Together with the whole CfaN team
Running, Leaping and Praising God! - George District - Day 2
Dear Mission Partners,
Tonight I traveled to the district of George, right outside Lusaka (the capital of Zambia). The crowd was heaving and the field looked like it was already too small—and this is only the second day!
Evangelists Joe Turnbull and Alejandro Escobar are stationed in this crusade and doing an excellent job.
After preaching the gospel tonight Evangelist Alejandro prayed for the sick. Here are a few of the testimonies we heard tonight as Evangelist Brittany Sanderlin interviewed those who were healed:
One lady who could not see out of her left eye received her sight.
Another lady, blind for the last 9 years, received her sight as well.
Two ladies who suffered from terrible leg pain that severely limited their ability to walk (one for the past 9 years and the other for the last 7 years) were completely healed. Both were walking, running, jumping, and praising God! Totally pain free!
A little girl, about five years old, was crippled with bent legs. Tonight, she was able to walk across the stage perfectly!
Tomorrow I will fly to the next city where I’ve already heard amazing reports. Please continue to pray for our team here in all 11 cities. Zambia will be saved!
Yours in the Gospel,
Daniel Kolenda
Together with the whole CfaN Team
A New Milestone! - Garden District, Zambia - Day 1
Tonight marks the beginning of a brand new milestone for Christ for all Nations, and possibly in the history of missionary evangelism. Tonight, 11 crusades began in 11 different cities/districts throughout Zambia simultaneously! Our first crusade in Zambia was in 1981. Since that time we’ve held a total of 12 crusades here. We will nearly match that total over the next two weeks! Also, this week will mark 38 crusades over the last 38 months and bring our total of documented decisions close to the 90-million mark! What an amazing time to be alive.
In each of the 11 cities there are a pair of CfaN Evangelism Bootcamp graduates carrying the lion's share of the ministry (each pair will cover 4 of the 5 nights of crusades in each city). I will travel each day to a new city and preach one night. This strategy allows us to get many times the “bang” for every “buck.” All of our efforts (church mobilization, printing, advertising, transportation, technical, etc.) can be leveraged to benefit all 11 cities (rather than just one) allowing us to conduct 11 crusades for nearly the same amount of money and time we used to invest into just a single crusade! And one of the wonderful additional benefits is that many other evangelists are getting invaluable experience in organizing, conducting, and ministering in a mass gospel crusade. This is true multiplication on every level!
I started my 11-city tour tonight in the Garden District of Lusaka. This crusade, like several others, is taking place in a compound where many of the inhabitants rarely, if ever, travel outside. As a result, most have never experienced anything like a crusade before. This was apparent from the level of excitement and the participation on the field tonight. The crowd, mostly young people, listened intently as I preached the Gospel. They responded to my words with wholehearted enthusiasm. The response to the invitation was overwhelming and I am sure that a huge number of them were truly born again tonight!
As the sick were prayed for, many wonderful miracles happened!
1. A lady suffering with spinal cord pain for four years was healed.
2. A man who had a stroke and was not able to walk very well was healed.
3. A lady who couldn’t walk without crutches for years was healed.
4. A boy who could not bend his leg from birth was completely healed!
5. A lady walked up the steps and testified that she had suffered from a stroke 2 years ago and was unable to walk as a result, but now she is healed!
These are just a few of the many miracles Jesus did on just the first night in one of the 11 cities! I’m hearing amazing reports from all over the nation. Jesus is alive and Zambia will never be the same.
Please pray earnestly for our team here. There is great resistance, but Jesus is Lord and the gates of Hell will not prevail!