Evangelist Macoby Donaldson was stationed in Kawe, Dar es Salaam (with Evangelist Levi Lutz, the USA Bootcamp Director). We hope you enjoy the update from Evangelist Macoby, as he shares his experience preaching at Operation Decapolis.
“Wow, what an overwhelming experience! Being invited as a guest evangelist to this Decapolis campaign was truly a privilege and honor for me. Not only preaching at a CfaN campaign but also being paired with Evangelist Levi Lutz and knowing that I would, on the last night, share the stage with Evangelist Daniel Kolenda. I have zero experience preaching at campaigns, and the preaching experience I have in churches and meetings is very limited. I don’t say this to hype the moment or cause hyperbole in your mind, but to show you my perspective and set the stage to properly display what the Lord has done. Throughout my preparation, I had two comforting thoughts; one was very practical and one spiritual. I am so thankful for both of these truths. The first truth, I was trained for practical campaign ministry at the Christ for all Nations Evangelism Bootcamp. I was trained by the best of the best for this specific purpose. The second truth, I know that God is sovereign. He is God, and He is God whether or not I am the most eloquent, powerful, or “anointed” preacher on the field. I know in my heart that if I am faithful to preach with faith in Jesus and not faith in me, He will show up, save souls and confirm the Word of God.
Walking up to the campaign field for the first time, I was absolutely blown away. It was the largest crowd I had ever been in front of. We walked onto the stage amidst the roar of thousands of people worshipping the Lord and dancing. After Evangelist Levi was introduced, he preached the Gospel, and thousands responded to the call for salvation! It was breathtaking to see so many hands go up in the air all at once. I walked up to pray for the sick after Evangelist Levi finished, and I gave it everything I had. Many hundreds of people were healed. I asked all those who were healed to come forward and testify.
Here are just a couple to report on:
- One mama said she hadn’t walked well in several years and couldn’t bend over without excruciating pain. She was so happy to bend over and walk around the stage to show us what the Lord had done.
- An older woman had no feeling in her hands or feet. She said, “I haven’t felt the shoes on my feet for many years! But after you prayed, I can feel!”
On the second and third nights of the campaign in Kawe, I had the distinct privilege of preaching the Gospel. It’s always fun to see the miracles, but there’s something special and deeply fulfilling about being the one who gets to preach Jesus and lead a massive group of people into the arms of Jesus. At a campaign like this, it is an art that includes many practical and logistical components. On night number two, I preached an urgent message called, “Now is the time!” It felt incredibly natural and powerful. As I made my last pleas with the people and asked for a response, I was greeted with the most beautiful sight. An army of beautiful Africans, hands going up everywhere.
- One woman was brought onto the platform on a stretcher. Her daughter said she couldn’t walk because her feet were crippled, and her eyes were dim. As I watched them bring her onto the platform, I did have feelings of worry, but what came strongly after that was belief and faith that God is so good, has been so good, and the Word of God is true! We prayed for her in real-time in front of tens of thousands of people. After we prayed, they helped her up, and she walked! She smiled as she took our hands, took her first steps in several years, and she walked off that platform on her own two feet!
- A man testified that he had had a stroke and couldn’t move the left side of his body. He told us how he went from doctor to doctor looking for treatment, going into many operations, but nothing had helped him. After we prayed though, when I asked them to test out their bodies, he said suddenly he could begin to feel his left side, then lift his left arm, and then he began to take steps without his stick on his left side! He hadn’t done that in three years since he had the stroke! He was truly thrilled and thanked Jesus publicly for healing his body when the doctors couldn’t.
On night number three, I preached Evangelist Kolenda’s sermon, “The Blood of Jesus.” We burned all the people’s ties to their old sinful lives in the “burn barrels,” and I broke the curses over the people and the region. The people brought up their witchcraft, juju, drugs, even ancestral worship items, and we burned them, and all cried together, “Jesus is King in Kawe!”
During the testimony time,
- A young boy was brought to the campaign stage, and his family told us that he was mute and hadn’t said a single word in 2 years. The crazy thing is, I didn’t pray for mute tongues. Jesus healed him anyway, and thousands of citizens of Kawe got to hear him say his first words in two years, “Yesu!”, which means Jesus in Swahili. This is probably the testimony that hit me the most throughout the campaign. I was crying just thinking about God’s goodness and mercy.
- A man testified that he hadn’t been able to hear out of one of his ears in 8 years. While we were praying, he said he felt a pop. He could suddenly hear out of both ears. We tested this healing, and sure enough, he could hear from both ears. Hallelujah!
The greatest miracle of all is that thousands gave their life to Jesus for the very first time! For that, I am so grateful and humbled.
The last night was very special. Evangelist Kolenda preached, and I prayed for the sick and prayed a blessing over the people of Kawe.
I will never forget this experience, and I very much hope to return one day. I am overwhelmingly grateful to Jesus and the entire CfaN team for their work and dedication. There is not another team on earth I would rather be on.”
Together in the Harvest,
Daniel Kolenda
and the whole CfaN family
