A Virus That Can Be Healed

Preaching in Brussels, Belgium

I took off to Europe for two solid weeks of traveling and preaching in seven nations including, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Holland, Spain, Portugal, and Gibraltar in February of 2020. The worldwide scare of the Coronavirus had started just weeks earlier in Wuhan, China, and had now extended to Europe. The Italians seemed to be getting the worst of it, and yet all European nations were on high alert. Many in the airports were wearing masks and hand sanitizer was more available than Coca Cola. By the time I would leave Europe and head to Africa (Kenya and Nigeria), the alarm would go up by several degrees as more than 100K people would be infected globally.

Youth won on the streets of Luxembourg

However, God blessed me in my journey and my preaching as He opened the doors to preach in the streets of Luxembourg and seven separate nationalities were saved on my first full day. The ripened sections of the Harvest in this part of the world are rarely the nationals, but those who have come from other parts of the world in search of jobs, education, and a better life.

Souls won near Paris, France

I would go onto Paris and see people saved in a French-speaking Haitian church established by the cousin of my friend, Pastor Samuel Louis Jean of Florida. God would bless in the soulwinning as well as I was blessed to lead a muslim man, Mustapha, to Christ on the chilly streets. The Haitian church treated me with such hospitality and warmth. I was also able to lead two women to Christ at a local hospital while soulwinning with Pastor Louis Jean.

Tabernacle Baptist, Brussels, Belgium

I would go onto preach in the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Brussels, Belgium at a church pastored by my friend, Pastor Paul Way Way. The church is about 50/50 Congolese and Belgian. The spirit of the church was tremendous. Several were saved and one sweet lady was baptized. We were also able to see two souls saved in street evangelism as I went out with Nathan (Pastor Way Way's son) and a young student, Pierre, who was schooling from Normandy, France.

English Church, Amsterdam

Windmill in Holland

I traveled from Brussels to Amsterdam by road where I met BMFP missionary Stan Kamps. He has an amazing story of his salvation and call to preach. He has been here in his ancestors homeland for nearly 16 years and is doing a great job winning souls and planting a church. He is from Canada and speaks fluent Dutch as well as English. We went soulwinning in a heavily trafficked area near the train station in Amsterdam. Holland is a secularist and humanistic culture and is nearly completely godless. We did see immigrants from Suriname come to Christ as well as I was able to see a Hungarian woman at my hotel saved. This part of Europe so desperately needs Jesus.

Horses near Rota, Spain

I left Amsterdam and flew to Portugal via Paris, rented a car and drove to Rota, Spain where I was to preach at Bethel Baptist Church. I was met by an older missionary, Don Drake of BIMI. Brother Drake was filling in as interim in the church as they had already called a new missionary family to be their pastor in this US military church. I was able to lead a Spanish shop owner to Christ named Carlos. He was a refreshing godsend as I had struggled to communicate with the locals due to my lack of having a translator or knowing much of the Spanish language.

Soulwinning near Rock of Gibraltar

I ventured further east in Spain to La Linea where I was to preach for a good Baptist pastor, David Bianchi. He was pastoring the church where his wife's family had been members for three generations. The Bianchi family are great servants of God. I was able to go across the border the same day into Gibraltar along with a Mexican missionary I had just become acquainted with named Leonardo Rodriguez. We had coffee and a pastry and as we went out into Gibraltar for soulwinning, we miraculously met a local man named Brendon. He was so ready to be saved and with tears accepted Christ. I came back into Spain and that night preached in the Baptist Church in La Linea.

Herdsman near Castelo Branco, Portugal

Pastor Mark Pereira in Castelo Branco

The next morning, I drove six hours back to Portugal and preached at a church called the First Baptist Church of Castelo Branco. It is pastored by Mark Pereira, a national pastor who was lead to Jesus years before by American missionaries. He and his wife are doing a great job especially in the camp and youth ministry. I preached on a Saturday night youth activity as well as Sunday morning at church and had several saved.

After literally travelling thousands of miles by road around seven European nations, God blessed with 38 souls saved. I was a little tired, but was now onto Africa, where in less than two weeks God would bless with more than 7500 souls saved. I would have to return to the US even three days earlier than planned as President Trump would suspend travel from Europe due to the Coronavirus. There is a panic on the part of people due to the unknown details of this pandemic. However, in the heart of every believer, there must be a peace. God is not subject to the unknown. He is the ruler of the affairs of men and even the slightest of diseases are subject to Him. He has not only the power over physical viruses that attack the body, but of the spiritual virus man is plagued within his soul. Jesus rose from the dead to bring life abundant to those who believe in Him While we are cautious concerning this Covid 19 epidemic that worries our world, may God help us to share the vaccine of the blood of Jesus which can save men to the uttermost from their sin.