My spirit nearly leapt out of my body as I heard the rising volume of high praises that were coming from the students.  This was the first night I had arrived in Finland to teach at the Out Of Africa Leadership Conference and I was pooped.  We had just arrived from Detroit early that morning and after quickly getting settled in our room, I was off to teach.  It’s hard not to be encouraged by 50 or 60 expectant and eager students but travel always takes a toll.  After teaching for about an hour and a half, I had hit the wall of fatigue.  Pastor Michael asked if we wanted to go back to the hotel, but I wanted to stay.  I was overwhelmed by the energy and hunger for God by the students as they began to worship.  My feet left the ground that night and never came down.

My friend and ministry partner Harry Braun and I taught and encouraged this young group of leaders for two weeks.  This is an emerging generation of young people in Finland that have been called to apostolic leadership.  Their task is not only to establish God’s order in the Church but to penetrate the darkness of their nation and into the rest of Europe with the light of the Gospel.  Many are young and have tests and trials to endure for the perfecting of their call.  They have battles to fight so that they can become skilled warriors.  But this is a generation that God has called me to invest in.  This is a time that I don’t want to be standing by but actively engaged in the fight.  The Holy Spirit is on the move and I’m excited to be in the flow. 

I want to thank my beloved friend Pastor Michael Howard for including me in his adventures around the world.  He has a gift of kicking open doors and I’m always amazed at his stamina to press into battle and charge the gates of hell.  I’m also amazed that somehow he can always get me to leave what I’m doing to join him in the most challenging battlegrounds.  As I said to the students toward the end of our time together, ‘No one ever sits around telling stories to their grandchildren about how peaceful their life was.  We want to tell stories of great adventure and triumph.’  I want my life to resound with King David in Psalm 60:12 …... “Through God we shall do valiantly!”

As supporters of Out of Africa, I would encourage you to invest in what God is doing in Finland.  This is good ground and I’m convinced it will reap fruit that remains.  (Pastor VanderVlucht, New Life Assembly, OH)

I cannot envision a more strategic or significant event taking place in Finland that would prepare leaders for progress of the Gospel in Finland and for that matter Europe than the Out of Africa Leadership Conference. I am grateful to Pastor Mike for the invitation and opportunity to teach and counsel along with my pastor and friend.  The enthusiasm by  the conference participants was mightily evident. Many will move on into apostolic leadership roles required to lead a new generation into the saving knowledge and work of Jesus.

My previous experience with Pastor Michael involved discussions we had when he came to visit my church in Findlay, Ohio. One of the things I most appreciated about my time at the conference was to get to know Michael better; learning first hand of his vision and witnessing his passion for raising up Christ’s Church in Finland. A Church that will boldly illuminate the deceit the enemy has created. A Church that will raise up leaders that are well equipped to provide apostolic leadership and will rely on the Holy Spirit to do so.

There are certainly great needs but even greater opportunities for these young men and women to serve. It was a powerful experience to observe with my own eyes how the Lord moved in their lives through this leadership conference. Out of Africa is a ministry I plan to stay involved with and support. I would encourage you to invest in what God is doing in this emerging work in Finland. What better place to be than to be on the cutting edge.  (Harry Braun, Findlay, OH)

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SUPPORT PROGRAM : FINNISH STAFF

 

ANDREAS WIRTH

Andreas heads up the administration of Out of Africa.  He is married to Anja and they have three children—Marcus who is at Kalibu Bible School in Malawi, Sonja who is eleven and Benjamin who is eight.

He is a musician and heads up Praise and Worship and the media program in their church.  For some time the Lord had been speaking to them about joining Out of Africa on a full time basis.  After returning from a business trip his boss called him in and told him that they were going to have to downsize and let some people go.  Andreas told him that he saw this as a confirmation from the Lord.  However, Andreas was not one of those he had intended to dismiss.  Nevertheless, they took a great leap of faith and are full time with Out of Africa.  Anja helps out with much of the office work and her mother handles our book sales.

Our staff in Finland all live by faith and are not salaried.  We would like people to support them as they do the Pastors and laborers in Malawi and Mocambique.  We will take a number of supporters and combine their support for each.

 

 

PETRI  PATRONEN

Petri has been with the ministry now for about three years.  He spent a year in Southern Sudan with Pastor Michael where he was in training to teach intercession across Finland and Lithuania.  Many will remember him when he traveled with Pastor Michael in the United States a couple of years ago.

He was ordained at the Leadership Conference held in Finland in November/December last year.  He is Pastor Michael’s translator and will translate for hours at a time and for days on end during Michael’s annual trip to Finland.

At the moment he is doing his military service but in Finland men are permitted to do it with an organization that would constitute a part of Social Services here.   Churches, especially the Lutheran Church come under this category.

He, along with Andreas, Toni and Kati are tireless and faithful and we would like to help each month with financial support.

 

 

TONI TOLSA

Toni has traveled around the United States and worked with a number of US ministries such as Kansas City Fellowship.  He joined us last year and has been assisting Petri with setting up and teaching the Intercession groups around Finland.  These groups, which vary in size from ten to twenty per group are proving to be extremely successful.  There are people everywhere and from all walks of life who are really excited about prayer and intercession and who are willing to do what it takes to see God move, not only in Finland but throughout Europe.  We believe that because of the intercession of these groups and the groups that have been set up in Lithuania God will send revival.  God moves in accordance to the desperation of men’s hearts and we are desperate for a reviving and reformation in Europe.

Toni was recently married to Saija and she travels with him and assists with any of the secretarial work involved with the intercession department.  They travel endless miles across Finland to visit the various Intercession groups which are growing and gathering momentum.

 

 

KATI SPRATT

Kati is our secretary and has a seven year old boy – Joshua.  She grew up in Tanzania, Africa and Nepal, Asia due to her dad’s work as a forestry expert. Whilst living in Nepal, she became aware of the supernatural world and spiritual issues. It wasn’t until she moved back to Finland, at the age of 15, that she was introduced to the living reality of Jesus Christ. She went to Bible School in Southern England for two years and stayed on to do volunteer work.

She became involved with Out of Africa when she volunteered to help mail out the newsletter each month.  She was later asked if she would work on a full time basis which she is now doing.

All of our Finnish staff work out of their homes and view their positions as a calling and not just an 8—5 job.  They are a great blessing to us and to the Kingdom.

 

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ARE THE ARABS AFTER SCANDINAVIA?

 

The following is an article recently received from one of our associates in Finland:

“Islamics Want 'World State' with Jerusalem as Capital

Islamic radicals are using the Temple Mount as a focal point for planning and preaching the establishment of a world Islamic state with Jerusalem as its capital. One of the radical groups operating on the Temple Mount is Hizab Altahrir (The Islamic Liberation Party), which espouses an ideology similar to Al Qaeda. Hizab Altahrir’s network spans most Western European countries. The party puts Islamic revolution and an uncompromising form of Jihad (holy war) at the top of its political agenda.

The group advocates subjecting the entire world to Islamic law (Shariya), and destroying non-believing nations and religions. The party has targeted Europe, specifically Denmark, for spreading its ideology, and providing a springboard for renewing Islamic conquests in Europe. A senior party activist in Jerusalem, Sheikh Issam Amira, expressed this philosophy in a recent speech which he made on the Temple Mount:

“Listeners! The Moslems in Denmark make up three percent [of the population], yet constitute a threat to the future of the Danish kingdom. It’s no surprise that in Bitrab (the ancient name of Medina, a city in Arabia to which Mohammed immigrated) they were fewer than three percent of the general population, but succeeded changing the regime in Bitrab. It’s no surprise that our brothers in Denmark have succeeded in bringing Islam to every home in that country. Allah will grant us victory in their land to establish the [Islamic] revolution in Denmark.”

After Denmark, the Sheikh said, the party will carry the revolution to Oslo and change its name to Medina. “They will fight against their Scandinavian neighbors in order to bring the country into the territory of the revolution,” he said. “In the next stage, they will fight a holy jihad to spread Islam to the rest of Europe, until it spreads to the original city of Medina where the two cities will unite under the Islamic flag.”

People across the world had better start taking such proclamations and goals seriously because the Islamic fundamentalists are VERY serious!”

 

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LETTER FROM LITHUANIA

Dear Pastor Michael Howard

I am so thankful for your visit to Vilnius. I am confident that you are God's answer to the prayers of believers, and the Holy Spirit testifies of the same. Through you God is pouring out His life and power and strength and He does new things in our minds.  During your last visit I received clear direction for my life and I was strengthened and restored. I was encouraged to follow Jesus Christ radically and to seek to be obedient to the Holy Spirit and to fully trust our Heavenly Father.

I have known Jesus Christ as my Savior since 1991. In that time Lithuania was experiencing a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In each of the services the Spirit of Truth and Revelation changed our thinking and healed our hearts. Many people would come to Jesus and signs and wonders would happen during the meetings.  By the grace of God we established the first Christian School in Lithuania for primary and secondary education. With the help of Jesus and leading of the Holy Spirit we fought the good fight of faith and ten years later our school was recognized by all national institutions. We made many mistakes in our work.  I think it happened because we did not have the right spiritual input or a true spiritual father. We often felt as if we were spiritual foundlings... We have learned much from our mistakes but many of them left deep scars on our souls. My former pastor wasn't under any apostolic coverage or protection. We were an independent church. We became just another religious institution. It became very evident in 1998 when prayer meetings were closed and leaders began to deny the power of our God. I understood very clearly that I must leave this church but not immediately. The problem was that I was resentful of my Pastor. I knew that I could not leave until God dealt with my heart. I was praying and fasting that forgiveness would fill my heart. The Word from Isaiah 43:18-19 gave me courage o see it through to victory. In the beginning of 2003, during the last day of my fast God said to me very clearly, "Your heart is whole and healthy!" It was the sign that I could leave.  I took leave of my pastor with a heart thankful and full of Jesus love. I left the Christian School too because it belonged to "Word of faith". Through this situation the Lord taught me to value and honor relationship with people and to take responsibility for them.

I heard about your first visit to Lithuania when I was studying at a Bible College in Latvia. Then when I was working in Norway I read your books and the blessed Holly Spirit taught me a lot. During that period of time I was looking for my place in the Body of Christ. I give thanks to God for any possibility to take part in the Lord's work in Lithuania. With all of my heart I agree with you and believe that the Lord is speaking through you concerning home churches. I believe that the Holy Spirit will lead and teach us how to move in this direction and He will give us wisdom and knowledge. We need your help so that we do not make mistakes because the price always is so high.  Would you be able to plan to come to Lithuania for a few weeks to share with us those treasures which God has revealed to you? I will wait for your reply and pray that our Heavenly Father would give grace to see you in Vilnius again.  Your sister in Jesus Christ, Virginija, Vilnius, Lithuania.

 

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DESKS AND CHAIRS : MALAWI SCHOOL

We are really delighted at the outcome of the desk and chair situation.  Pastor Michael went to China for a week in December to visit the factory that are making our desks and chairs.  As we explained in a previous newsletter, almost all stacking chairs are made in China. The US Companies we approached refused to have them shipped directly from China to Malawi so we would have had to pay double shipping.  They have made the stacking chairs to our specifications and are packing them unassembled so that we can fit everything into two containers.  The shipment will be ready to leave Shanghai  by mid February.   We have saved almost $50,000 by ordering direct from China.