Groundbreaking Children’s Ministery Moves Forward
There is a great need for inner healing among children in Tanzania (and in many cultures). Evidence of this was discovered during a SOMA mission to a neighboring country last year. Of the 153 youth participants, 99% reported facing traumatic situations such as mental and physical abuse, violence by one adult to another in the home, sexual abuse, neglect, divorce or separation, or drug abuse in the home. Recently, SOMA and the Christian Renewal Association (CRA) pilot-tested an inner healing ministry adapted specifically for children.
This past June, SOMA and CRA were invited to the Rift Valley Diocese in Tanzania. We focused on inner healing for kids ages 5-12. The ministry materials were adapted from Restore Wholeness, a successful inner healing initiative created for adults. The mission was a pilot program to see if children could understand the modified teaching concepts.
Because of the potentially massive impact of this ministry, the team experienced the critical role that prayer support plays in a successful mission. Intercessors covered us in prayer throughout the mission, in-country and from abroad. We encountered spiritual warfare almost continually—a stolen backpack that contained a passport, mission money, and a laptop. We lost a team member before the mission started. She was rushed from the Nairobi airport to the hospital, where she stayed for eight days. Even when the mission was over, the attacks continued. Our driver was forced to swerve off the road the night before we left when a person stepped in front of his vehicle. He was shaken up but ok. The SUV, however, did not fare so well. The warfare was intense, coming from several directions. However, through the covering prayers of our intercessors, God made it possible for us to minister the love and healing of Jesus to the children.
The mission exceeded our expectations. Not only did the kids understand what was being taught, but there were many testimonies of healing. One child said that Jesus took her from a "bad place in life to a good place in life." Another said, "Jesus healed my eye." A little boy said, "Jesus cleaned my heart." Watching the Holy Spirit free these children from past traumas brought great joy to the team! As God has promised through Isaiah, “All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children” (Isaiah 54:13).
At the mission's conclusion, a few strategic changes were made to the materials and then translated into Swahili. The joint SOMA–CRA team returns to the Diocese of the Rift Valley this week to train local lay and ordained leaders in Restore Wholeness for Kids and to roll out the diocesan inner healing ministry at a camp with 2000 kids. Your prayers and support are crucial to the success of this mission.
"At the end of the week, most of the 120 kids asked Jesus to be their forever friend; what a privilege to witness!"
Enjoy more photos from the mission (click to expand):
