Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Suddenly He Opened His Eyes

Tears filled my eyes as “Pastor O”; a 70 year-old Cuban friend of mine recounted a story to me that he describes as “the greatest thing he has ever seen.” When he prefaced his story with this statement I was totally intrigued because I have known him for about a decade and have listened to many stories over the years that I have been traveling and helping this movement of churches in Cuba.

He has been a leader of a movement which started before the great revolution, through years of secrecy, and decades of persecution so I knew this story had to be really good! Oh yeah, one more thing, though he has had the chance to emigrate to the United States he has refused because as he says, “I am called to Cuba even though it has meant time in jail on several occasions.” So as I sat he told me that in the early 1990’s I had the chance to visit the United States. Upon entry I had to wait for two days in order to get my next flight to see my family who had emigrated many years earlier. As I walked out of the airport I was able to meet a friendly Spanish speaker who put me in touch with a group of Cubans in Miami. As he took me to their church I was invited to stay with them. I was able to rest and get cleaned up but that evening I was asked by the lady of the house of I would be willing to go to the hospital and see her husband who was near death.

Soon I was entering the hospital and as I was escorted to the intensive care unit I prayed. When I entered what I found startled me. The ladies husband was lying with his eyes partially open, just the whites part showing and his mouth wide open drawing occasional breaths. If it wasn’t for the occasional breaths I would think that he was already dead. Composing myself I asked the Holy Spirit to be present. Not knowing if he would respond I began to preach to him about God’s great gift of love, sacrifice, and life. I declared that if he wanted forgiveness that nothing could separate him from God and the forgiveness of his sin. If he wanted this he should squeeze my hand. Suddenly the man’s eyes rolled to the front and opened, his gasping mouth closing slowly.

I continued by saying that I had come all the way from Cuba to tell him that today was his day of salvation and that he should not wait. Tears began to stream down the man’s face as I felt a gentle squeeze. Not being satisfied I wanted to confirm the decision so I said if you are serious squeeze my hand again? A firm squeeze was the man’s response. I sat down and began to tell the stories of Jesus, praying occasionally for healing, and describing the Kingdom of God. Then I quietly left as he drifted off to sleep.

Before I left for my next stop in the United States I was told that the man received the ultimate healing of eternal life. This trip to the United States was no coincidence but rather a preplanned God event to redeem this one man’s soul.

I realized there were now three men who were changed by God’s Spirit that day, the sick man, “Pastor O”, and now me. Returning to the island “Pastor O” continues to this day serving the living God and winning souls. Thank you for your prayers for Cuba and the many leaders that I work with as they reach people and plant churches.

This is your investment. This is your joy.

Mark Szymanski
mski@earthlink.net
www.mszymanski.com
704.517.0255

Friday, February 5, 2010

Kenyan Proud, A Look back when Tribal Conflict Almost Toppled a Nation

At many intersections and along many streets you will find billboards and signage encouraging Kenyan pride. However the attempt to create national unity seems hollow and unattainable and these attempts go unnoticed and are generally ignored in the light of the recent internal conflict. Here in Kenya tribal pride always trumps national pride. “For Kenyans our tribal heritage shows up in every way from the type of job you may have to your name”, says Benjamin, a Kikuyu, the major tribe, which accounts for 21 percent of the population.

This stark reality was never proven more powerfully when in early 2008 this quiet and peaceful nation of Kenya erupted into chaotic violence following elections and subsequent decision of by the government reallocating land and ownership rights. People who held title to parcels and farms now were stripped of their rights through a series of decisions and enforcement and for months Kenya sat on the brink of a national tribal meltdown with an exponentially greater potential of mass slaughter than Rwanda.

Kenya has more than 30 million people divided into 42 different tribal groups all vying for equality, which cannot be obtained. With land ownership being stripped from rightful owners these corrupt governmental decisions fueled people’s inability to reclaim what has been their own leading to frustration turning neighbor against neighbor, worker against boss, now years of peaceful coexistence was disintegrating into hatred, brutality and murder as hundreds of thousands of people were displaced and once friendly tribal relationships disintegrated into hatred and a “getting even” mentality.

People who once felt safe to live and work in areas and among people of a different tribal background now fled in fear, relocating and literally running for their lives as they left everything behind. Buildings and schools were torched, people attached, looting and violence were out of control. Government statistics show that, at a minimum 1200 people were killed however local people recount stories of witnessing many more dying horrible deaths such as burnings and beheadings as ordinary people became thugs, murderers and executioners all along tribal lines.

Jan recalls discussing what people witnessed, “People fled with only what was on their backs in fear because they were living in an area where other tribal groups outnumbered them. For months children woke up with terrifying nightmares from remembering the screaming, violence and the smell of tear gas. Men attempting to return to gather up the little that may have been left after the looting and rioting were dragged away and brutally murdered – all because they were of another tribe.”
Churches began to intervene with prayer establishing camps, safe havens, and tent-cities that housed hundreds and thousands of refugees based solely up on the tribal heritage.

With a united cross-tribal demonstration of the love of Jesus many churches publicly lived out their faith and prayed for unity. Shortly after this demonstration an assemblance of peace began to slowly settle over the nation. Was God at work? Many undoubtedly say yes. However the situation is not resolved.

Kenya in many ways have been reshuffled from a nation which once had large groups of tribal peoples all living together in peace being intermingled and interspersed to a balkanized divided people unsure of the future and if their once friendly intertribal relationships will turn deadly at a moments notice.

What does all this mean? If government and tribal factions continues to create an environment in which tribal vengeance and retaliation can occur then knowing the heart of mankind chaos may be a reality and the types of atrocities we saw happen in Rwanda are exponentially possible here in this nation.

Won’t you pray for Kenya today? Pray for righteous leaders to emerge in government. Pray for the influence of the church to remain and grow and bring healing to the many different tribal peoples. Pray that this light in East Africa won’t go out and the 150-year investment of the gospel will not be extinguished.

This is your investment. This is your joy.

Mark Szymanski
mski@earthlink.net
704.517.0255
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