Jesus Festival, Zaporizhzhya (Ukraine) 2009

Though numerically small, the missionary team from Kyiv carried out a mammoth task of doing evangelism in the city's streets and sharing their long-term experience with members of different congregations. Also, there was hard work done by ushers, sound technicians, videographers, worship musicians, drivers and ministers of helps. All of them directed their efforts to the glory of God. Overall, the turn-out for the service was about 4000. The event's atmosphere was both festive and expectant of miracles from God. Christian musicians and dancers from the ballet group Narnia praised the Lord with songs and choreography. Simultaneously, the area in front of the Sport Palace accommodated a concert show attended by 400 children and 200 adults. Each member of the child audience was given a special gift that featured an envelope with an interesting game in it, sweets and an exquisite truck-shaped frame for holding photos. The children were active playing games and competing in contests. The extravaganza was a pleasurable experience for both the young and adult audiences.

At noon, the Planet D ministry from Victory Church held seminars for children's ministers who serve in different congregations of the city. At the instance of local pastors, there was a seminar for leaders and ministers, specifically organised by the outreach mission Christ for All Cities. God gave Pastor Henry a very special message, which was inspirational in terms of putting more effort in extending the Kingdom of God. After the seminar, Pastor Henry had a meeting with Zaporizhzhya-based pastors. The meeting accommodated over 30 attendees. Pastor Henry answered a great number of questions that dealt with issues critical to the local pastorate community. His wisdom-filled answers prompting the audience to ask further questions, the meeting lasted well-nigh to the time of the evening service.

The second day of the Festival fell on the 9th of May, the day when most ex-Soviet countries celebrate the victory over Nazi Germany. Pastor Henry greeted the Second World War veterans, who were invited to the service, and encouraged the audience to pay them sincere honour on non-festive days as well. Each veteran was ceremonially presented with flowers and gifts. The Festival saw over 400 people repenting and converting to God, each of them presented with Pastor Henry's book "The Foundation of Faith of a Born-Again Believer".

As to the healings, they were so many that the service could hardly accommodate the testimonies about them. The passage below relates some of these healing experiences:

- A lady who had lost 75 per cent of her sight in the last two years regained clear vision after prayer;

- A twelve-year-old had had very painful joints since early childhood. During a prayer, he felt being wrapped by wind and the pain was gone;

- An 80-year-old lady had congenital blindness in the left eye and was deaf in the left ear. Also, she had had a chronic headache for 30 years. The woman got healed when attending the service;

- An elderly lady had been using a cane for ten years. She was healed and discarded her cane;

- Sasha, a boy aged one, had to undergo four post-traumatic surgeries on his left eye. As a result, he developed a haemorrhagic complication in the eye. The haemorrhage produced a clot of blood, which would not disappear, and the doctors could not help it. With a prayer being said, the clot resolved before his mother's eyes. On the next day, the child was examined by a doctor, who confirmed the resolution of the haemorrhage and cancelled the injections;

- Rayisa had been using a cane for about six months. After prayer, the knee pain was gone;

- Yevhen, a man of 26, had a chronic pain in the hip joint stemming from a birth defect. The pain was completely gone and he could easily move his leg. Moreover, he did a horizontal stand on stage;

- There was a string of other healings. Serhiy, a 22-year-old man had been shortsighted for eight years; Natalya had had painful joints for eight years; Olha had aches in the lower abdomen and kidneys; a lady who was virtually blind had had this condition for three years; Lyudmyla was unable to lift her right hand after she had breast surgery; also, there was a lady with painful kidneys. All these people were completely healed during the prayer. Apart from this, the Festival saw a multitude of other miracles performed by God. We give thanks to all partners of Henry Madava's ministry and members of Christ for All Cities mission, who contributed their prayers and finances towards the Festival.