First Mission to Europe

The mission commenced as we departed from Winnipeg and Calgary. We give God thanks for the smoothness of the journey and the safety He granted us despite a near miss of a fatal accident in Calgary on the way to the airport.

During the flight, halfway over Canada en route to Montréal and then Amsterdam, the Lord granted us a significant spiritual encounter that would shape the entire mission. In prayer, the Spirit revealed the principality of unbelief that rules over Europe, the very stronghold we were being sent to confront. The Lord directed us to arm ourselves with Mark 16:15–20: they will cast out demons, speak with new tongues, take up serpents, not be hurt, and lay hands on the sick.

The Lord impressed upon us that we must rely entirely on His power, for He is the Evangelion, the one working regeneration and faith in the lives of men. Much like Paul's Macedonian vision, this confirmed that God was directing our steps and preparing us for the warfare ahead.

We arrived in Amsterdam, settled in, and set out for evangelism at the University of Amsterdam and then on the streets. Many people, on hearing the Name of Jesus Christ, aggressively rebuked us; some cursed and asked us to get out of their faces. We were not discouraged but felt a sense of shamelessness for the cause of Christ, remembering the scripture: “The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.”

Later that night we went to one of the roughest parts of the city, the canal houses, which at night become a hub of prostitution, drugs, gang operations and wild parties, a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah. We witnessed the gospel to all who cared to listen before retiring for the night.

We had rented a hall for an outreach meeting and invited people during our street witnessing. No one came except one lady, the owner of the hall. We prayed and ministered to her, held our heads high knowing we had obeyed, and returned to the streets.

That night we went to the Red Light District, the largest hub of legalised prostitution in the world. We evangelised to people coming out of the houses, then marched through the heart of the district praying. Standing in its centre we prayed loudly, declaring judgement on that altar of wickedness. Police gathered around us but could do nothing; we were merely praying. We spoke death to the altar and declared that in its place something would rise that serves the purposes of Christ.

We returned past 2 AM. On the way we passed a building lit with the words “Jesus loves you”, a divine encouragement.

A three-and-a-half-hour drive brought us to Maastricht, where we were received by the family of brother Tarila and sister Amanda Ebiedi, who opened their home to us. In the evening brother Tarila gathered people from Ghana, Kenya and other East African nations for a meeting in his house. The Spirit of the Lord moved powerfully and the hearts of the people were touched.

With brother Tarila we drove to Leuven, Belgium, where he connected us with Eric Casteel, an American missionary who has preached nothing but the Gospel of the Kingdom in the region for many years. We compared notes and found great unity in the spirit: God is gathering people in Belgium in an unorganised way, people simply seeking a deeper knowledge of God.

We were set to return to Maastricht, but the Holy Spirit prompted us to set our faces toward Paris, an eight-hour drive. We contacted brother Timothy and sister Chinenye, who graciously made themselves available, bade brother Tarila farewell, and drove into the night.

We arrived in Paris at almost midnight. Brother Timothy and sister Chinenye welcomed us at that hour and brought a sumptuous meal. At daybreak we went into the city with brother Timothy, gathered near the Eiffel Tower and made declarations over the land of Paris. Though there was no time for street evangelism, the purpose of the detour was fulfilled. At around 1 AM we set our faces to Celle for another eight-hour drive.

We arrived in Celle, Germany, in the morning after roughly ten hours of driving, and were received warmly by brother Toba and sister Irene Poopola. We rested, then spent the evening sharing the burdens and work of the Lord. We could testify to the great work God is doing through them in Celle, steady and with real impact on the local community.

A three-and-a-half-hour drive brought us to Berlin. We went straight into the streets for evangelism and then met Pastor Ann Muller, a Kenyan woman married to a German, whose burden is to see the work of God progress in Berlin. Without ever having met us she secured a meeting hall for the next day, free of charge. The building had been a church, was bought by a Muslim group with a policy against religious rentals, and yet by the mercy of God it was rented to us.

Brother Toba and his family took a two-and-a-half-hour train from Celle to co-labour with us. A handful of people came, and we shared the work Jesus is doing today in building His body, the glory and precious promises to come, the priest's responsibility to be an influencer of righteousness, and worship in spirit and in truth. The people were greatly enriched and had many questions, which God helped us answer.

It was providence that brother Toba and sister Irene were on hand: God has been using them to hold periodic meetings with brethren in Berlin, and they had a clear role in sustaining the harvest.

A six-and-a-half-hour drive from Berlin to Kraków, then straight into the streets. The evangelism in Kraków was incredibly powerful. We witnessed Christ to approximately fifty-five souls and about eight people gave their lives to Jesus Christ. Young people made covenant promises to keep their bodies for Christ and to abstain from smoking, drugs, alcohol and sexual immorality.

One young couple was struck: the young man had discussed Jesus Christ with his girlfriend that very morning, and when we approached them hours later about the same subject she was shocked. A clear sign of divine timing.

Another full day of evangelism and prayer on the streets of Kraków. The people were receptive on one hand and hostile on the other, but to those who received us God gave utterance.

Leaving Kraków around 3 AM we met a woman and her two young daughters stranded on the street, their bus having arrived hours early. The Holy Spirit laid it on our hearts to give them our apartment for the rest of the booking, since we were leaving eight hours before checkout. They were hesitant but had no other choice.

The family was so touched that, on learning we were missionaries, they and the husband invited us to stay with them in Zürich, our destination two days later, where we had only a hotel booked. One of the tales of divine connection the Lord gave us throughout this trip.

In Vienna we dropped our luggage and began evangelism. Many turned to the Lord on the streets; many others cursed and rejected us, but the Lord caused as many as were ordained unto salvation to receive.

We continued evangelism in Vienna, then the Holy Spirit prompted a short trip to Bratislava, Slovakia, to pray over the land and make declarations as part of the mandate to set up a siege on as many nations as the Lord gives opportunity to pass by. We drove back to Vienna that night.

Seven and a half hours from Vienna to Zürich, to the home of the family we had helped in Kraków. They welcomed us warmly, invited in-laws and relatives, and took us for a walk into the night. As we walked we ministered to them about the kingdom and the burden of Christ and His church, provoking them to take their Christian lives more seriously.

A breakfast-table meeting sharing the Word with the family, then a drive into the Swiss mountains to pray and speak over the land, a reconnaissance of the landscape and the people. Afterward a three-and-a-half-hour drive to Milan, Italy, to continue in prayer and declaration, and back to Zürich to rest before the British Isles.

We flew from Zürich through Amsterdam to Bristol, arriving shortly after midnight, picked up a car and drove two and a half hours to Plymouth. We arrived in good health and began preparing for the outreach the next day.

Plymouth was brought to our attention by the Holy Spirit. None of us had ever been there or knew anyone there, but when the burden for the United Kingdom came, God pointed us to Plymouth. By faith we booked a room and advertised the meeting across the city.

Englishmen attended, including one of South American origin. Worship began, the Spirit fell heavily, and we ministered the heart of the Father at this present time. There was great repentance. One man shared that in a dream he had seen a light shining from the top of a high tower and was told to go toward it; soon after, he saw our video advertisement, which opened with light shining from a high tower.

They held us after the meeting for a long time of questions. It became a “men and brethren, what shall we do?” moment. We spoke of God's desire to plant a kingdom-believing church in Plymouth.

One attendee drove an hour and a half from Exeter with a friend to hear more. We cancelled our evangelism plans and met with them all day. His friend was cut to the heart, and right there they decided they must heed the call and start a kingdom church in Plymouth.

We had called it the Plymouth Christian Fellowship, but as they prayed a name came to their spirits: the Fellowship of Christ Church. It sat well with us. The two young men took complete ownership and said they would give their time and resources to start a candlestick in the city.

An eight-and-a-half-hour drive to Glasgow, praying over the countryside, then Edinburgh, where the Lord led us to detour toward Bamburgh Castle. Nine minutes from the castle our tyre hit a curb and blew out, leaving us stuck in the middle of nowhere.

A nearby estate had no rooms but let us wait inside. We told the lord of the estate who we were, and he lent us an ear. The Word came powerfully. He went to fetch tea and returned with Maria of Andalusia, a Spanish woman working at the castle who had been looking to go deeper in God. She was caught to the heart. Through her, the Lord would open a door to kingdom-believing brethren in Spain.

Invited to dinner, we broke out in worship at the table. The master of the castle said: “The churches have failed us; they are more interested in maintaining the church building than the souls.” What he heard, he said, carries light and life and the community needs it. He then said he could not receive the blessing unless he gave us a room for the night. What looked like an accident was divinely providential.

At breakfast the master of the castle formally invited us to return to Bamburgh, saying the community and nearby communities would be open to listening. He is a pillar of prominence in the community, and God gave us that key.

The car was towed to Newcastle Airport, where we changed vehicles and drove to Manchester. On the streets about four people gave their lives to Jesus Christ, and we went around the city in prayer.

An hour from Manchester to Liverpool and straight to the streets. Many people gave their lives to Jesus Christ, including a woman who received Christ with tears. We went round the city praying and making declarations over the land.

A five-hour road trip from Liverpool to London, arriving later than planned, and preparation for the outreach meeting booked for the next day.

Only one individual turned up for the London meeting; a handful cancelled at the last minute. We engaged that one as if speaking to a thousand, treating the one sheep like a hundred, expanding the purposes of God for this hour. Because a church had been planted in Plymouth the previous week, we adjusted the schedule to return there on Sunday.

At 4 AM we left London for the five-hour drive to Plymouth to join the service of the new kingdom church. All the new members were present, fired up, sharing words they had received from the Lord about the plant. We ministered, answered many questions, prayed for them and commissioned them into the work of meeting together and doing the work of the evangelist to the four corners of Plymouth. This was the formal commissioning of the Fellowship of Christ Church.

After farewells we drove five hours back to London for the Fire of God Conference.

A meeting long anticipated and planned jointly with kingdom-believing brethren in London and its surroundings. We encouraged ourselves in the common vision, the need for oneness, and the propagation of the gospel of the kingdom throughout the United Kingdom, then had times of refreshing with the brethren.

Three and a half hours from London to Cardiff and straight into evangelism. Approximately six souls got born again on the streets. We encountered a group of satanists returning from a service at their temple and witnessed the power of the gospel to them; they did not turn, but seeds were planted. Cardiff is a centre point for satanism and witchcraft, and the Holy Spirit witnessed to us that a kingdom church is ripe to be planted there.

Brief early evangelism in Cardiff, then three and a half hours to Nottingham, where brother Chris and sister Imah Adegoke received us with a warm and royal reception.

On the streets of Nottingham some gave their lives to Christ after being convicted. One young woman, on giving her life, had devils go out from her right there on the street as we prayed. She came to the outreach meeting that evening, where we encouraged one another on keeping the faith, the assurance of glorification in Christ, mercy, and the hope set before us.

Three and a half hours to Heathrow, where brother Ekaba boarded for Calgary and brother Chidera for Winnipeg.

We arrived home safely in Winnipeg and Calgary and met our families in good health. We give God praise for keeping us on the roads of Europe from the beginning of the month to its end, and we trust that the next time we return it will be with greater dimensions of power and grace.