Report by Gary L. Wybenga
Note: This equipping opportunity took place in the Ukraine, pictured in the map below, but due to religious oppression in some Eurasia countries, intentionally I was vague about locations and did not use student names in this report. We can also not offer any photos. Ask for special guidance of the Holy Spirit as to how to pray and participate in the work of advancing the Gospel of Jesus Christ where we cannot expose the details.
I best describe last week’s Dunamis teaching event in Eurasia as a tremendous advancement of God’s Kingdom against the Kingdom of Darkness. As we glorified the Lord and exalted Jesus Christ, our Father extremely blessed us. To those who of you who interceded for the conference—thank you. God said YES to your prayers!
Approximately 120 International Fellowship of Evangelical Student (IFES) staff, representing ten Eurasia countries—Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russian, Tajikistan, and Ukraine—gathered in Ukraine for the annual gathering of the IFES Eurasia Institute. The conference featured a number of educational opportunities including our class titled Spiritual Warfare and Holy Spirit-Empowered Leadership, which was a summary of Dunamis materials with a heavy emphasis on spiritual warfare. Pastors Allen & Debbie Kemp and I, with the assistance of a Russian interpreter, taught 16 students during the 23 hours of class. Additionally, we provided personal prayer ministry for two dozen conference attendees throughout the week. The Holy Spirit showed up in power.
These precious brothers and sisters, many of whom grew up Muslim in these former Soviet Union countries, live with major pain from past and current hurts. The class discussion was excellent and included many questions that indicated a high level of engagement and interest. Two students participated in in-class healing prayer and deliverance exercises, which God mightily used to transform their lives. During the healing prayer exercise, the participant described physical and verbal abuse by an elementary school teacher. As part of the healing process, the student declared that God had used the pain to open the door to a relationship with Christ. In the deliverance, we dealt with the evil spirit of shame. Again, God’s presence was powerful. We witnessed a tremendous release from bondage.
On the final day of the conference, the class spent time praying for an end to the turmoil in Kyrgyzstan. Two of the class participants live in Osh, the city at the center of the tragedy. We noted how the horrific situation is an example of high-level spiritual warfare.
While Eurasia Institute 2010 is past, we hope that the experience will open the door to additional Dunamis teaching opportunities in Eurasia. Please pray that the Lord will continue to press forward on His agenda.
