Festival of Jesus in Surin, Thailand, 2009

The Festival of Jesus in the province of Surin, Thailand, was held on March 27-29, 2009. Starting from March 22 the team from Ukraine began to gather in Thailand to make all the preparatory work for the Festival jointly with the Thai team.

 

Pastor Henry Madava had to conduct the Festival of Jesus, and Thai people eagerly expected him to come, since they remembered the miracles God had created through the pastor in the last year in Buriram.

 

Unfortunately, there was a delay with issuing of a new passport to pastor Henry in Zimbabwe, so that he could not get to Thailand for the Festival.

 

Testimonies of people who had visited the Festival of Jesus in Buriram spread across many regions of Thailand, and many residents of Surin were looking forward to the Festival in their city. Many churches from different denominations united together to participate in the preparatory work.

 

On the eve of the Festival a heavy downpour and hurricane demolished the platform and constructions for setting up the sound and light equipment. Clay turned to a liquid mass on the routes to stadium, and there was water in the field where the people had to seat.

Believers from Surin, Buriram, Bangkok and the team from Kiev prayed for good weather and success of the Festival. The damaged structures were rebuilt in the stadium. The field was covered by a waterproof drawsheet, and the sound and light equipment was installed. Everything was ready for the start, but pastor Henry had been still in Ukraine. He managed the preparations for the Festival at a distance of many thousand kilometers: he had to find a preacher who operates in the gifts of healing and who could hold the services in Thailand instead of pastor Henry. William Heart, a preacher from the United States, turned out to be such a man.

The governor of Surin and other officials opened the Festival of Jesus. People continued to come to the stadium. The tent for seriously ill people was overcrowded.  The service was held in the atmosphere of expectation of God's presence and miracles. People began to get healed during the worship.

More than 1700 people responded to the call of repentance on the first day. Each of them received a list of Christian churches in Surin and the book of pastor Henry Madava "Having been repented, let us lay the foundation" in the Thai language.

During the prayer for healing the Festival team, local ministers, and ushers laid their hands on sick and ministered to them by the healing. Many of the sick came on the platform to testify about the miracles God had made with their health.

A woman who was unable to walk for 5 years began to walk. A 40-year old woman who walked with crutch began to walk without it after the prayer. Several men who could not raise their hands because of illness began to move them freely.

Deaf began to hear, poor eyesight improved. A woman who was dumb from birth began to pronounce sounds. Several women and men were released from the pain in their backs and knees.

A Buddhist monk, who had suffered from arthritis and pain in his hands, received healing and shared his testimony from the platform by bending and unbending his fingers.

The next day the field had to be prepared for the service again. Some additional tents for seriously ill people were set up, additional lights were mounted in the field, and drawsheet for seats was spread out. Suddenly some clouds began to gather over the stadium when there were two hours before the service. The news about the need to pray for the weather immediately spread among the believers. God answered the prayer, and the clouds over the stadium cleared away. This situation repeated several times, but eventually there were no rain in the neighborhood of the stadium up to the last day of the Festival. Praise God!

On the second day there were more sick people than on the first day. They were brought from everywhere. Moreover, an ambulance from the local hospital brought a disabled woman.

Also, there were projectors by which the people could watch the healing services held by pastor Henry Madava in Buriram in 2008. People stood up and responded to pastor Henry's words they heard from the screen.

Multitudes of people responded to the call for repentance, much like as on the first day. God healed many men and women. Twisted backs straightened; people came to give testimonies without their canes and crunches; dumb began to speak; deaf began to hear; and blind began to see.

The monk who was healed on the first day brought two his fellows. One of them, who could not walk for two years, came on the platform to testify about God's miracle.

On the third day there were so many seriously ill people that they occupied one third of the stadium. In the meantime more and more people continued to come.

In total, about 5000 people got saved for three days. God healed many people, and there was not enough time to hear all who wanted to share their testimony about healing.

The believers from Surin were inspired by God's deeds they saw during the Festival. They returned to their churches with readiness to continue the acts of faith.

The Festival team, which consisted of the Kyiv group and a member of the Victory church in USA, served as an incentive example for the believers from Thailand. On Sunday the team members served with the word and acts in four local churches. They taught the people and inspired them to achieve more for Jesus Christ.

The Festival was preceded by the spiritual opposition. Local sorcerers visited the services and cast amulets over the field, but they quickly flew away when saw our ministers.

The Christian event of such a scale has never been is Surin before. It gives, like a spark, the beginning to the revival in the hearts of people from the Surin province and entire Thailand.