Testimony from Gayle Worley

MOZAMBIQUE TRIP JUNE 25 TO JULY 9, 2005


When I attended the Surprise Sithole meetings, my husband and Peter
Beck were already planning on joining the group going to Mozambique. I
was having health problems and thought that I would be a hindrance. At
the conference I tried to make a deal with God that if he healed me I
would go, but I heard if you go I will heal you. Bibianna prayed over
me about the decision and about my fear of going. As I told our church
family, I believe the Lord wanted me to get out of the boat again. It
didn’t make sense to me at my age or the tremendous cost, not to
mention my health, but I began more and more to understand that it was
a matter of obedience.

I was aware of the inconveniences of not having potable water, of being
hot, and facing cultural differences. Right from the beginning there
were disappointments. Four of us were scheduled to travel a day later
than the rest of the group, but each obstacle seemed to cement the
decision more. We had a lot of support from our church family in
encouragement and prayer. Many told me we would be bringing something
back for everyone. The Lord reminded me that those who stayed behind
with the stuff would also share in the “spoils of war”. I Sam.
30:24-25. As time grew closer He gave me this promise. II Peter 1:16
“For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the
power of our Lord Jesus Christ and his coming again. We have seen his
majestic splendor with our own eyes.” I believe He was telling me I
would see the miracles myself and I did. I saw a man’s back healed, and
a baby paralyzed on one side move her arms. I saw Mary’s broken foot
healed. I saw hundreds of Moslems come to Christ. And Kimberly’s
passport was returned miraculously, the only stolen thing that couldn’t
be replaced.

I saw so many other amazing things. The first day we attended the Holy
Given School, we came in at the end of a session on repentance. I was
so moved by their transparency, humility, and support for one another.
The Lord spoke to me about how these young people with a destiny for
him had been ravaged by the enemy of our souls. But the greater truth
was that He was calling them out and healing them. Often waiting in
line for meals I heard stories of the miraculous ways these students
had been drawn to this school. Some had never heard of Heidi or Roland
Baker until a few months ago. God has a plan and he used dreams,
visions, and prophetic words to get each one there, not to mention the
provision for the cost of coming. Ian Ross spoke on the fatherhood of
God, then on functional and dysfunctional families. God spoke to me
about people needing fathering and mothering.

I saw such humility and desire to follow the Lord in the leadership.
One day we had lunch with Jerry and her son, Demetri. Jerry was a
single mom living in the U.S. who adopted a black crack baby with
alcohol dependency and aids. Demetri cried for 7 months while he went
through withdrawal. His immune system was about zero, continuously on
medication. Jerry with the support of intercessors in her church prayed
for Demetri. When he was eight, the Lord healed him of aids. No doctor
would sign him off as healed. Jerry was taken to court for not giving
him the medicine any longer. There was a long court case in which the
Lord told her not to say anything, that He would defend her. She lost
her job. Finally, the judge decided to throw the case out. Then she
shared how the Lord led them to Mozambique.

I kept getting loud and clear that the Lord was orchestrating this
work. On our three day outreach, I was sitting in the van behind
Felito, the 22 year old evangelistic leading our outreach. I asked him
his testimony. I’ll just share one part. He said the Lord always spoke
to him through fire. He had a vision of Africa with a fire blazing in
southern Mozambique which was spreading up through Africa. The Lord
told him He was taking Africa and asked him if he wanted to come along.
He told him he would be speaking in stadiums in major cities over
Africa. This was Felito’s desire to evangelize. He had the vision
painted on the wall in his office. He also showed us a picture on his
computer during one of the outreaches. There were huge flames of fire
over the heads of the people. I asked him if that was visible only on a
digital camera. No, he said, I took the picture because we could all
see the flames. This humble young man often cooked for us. He worked
along side everyone as well as taking care of the planning.

I was thinking about the news I’d heard at home about Africa. None of
it was very encouraging. To many it looked like Islam was taking
Africa. On the contrary, the Lord was saying, “I’m taking Africa!”
Seeing the work there it was evident that He was doing just what he
said. Psalm 2 came to mind. “ Why do the nations rage? Why do the
people waste their time in futile plans? The kings of the earth prepare
for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his
anointed one. “Let us break their chains, “they cry, “and free
ourselves from this slavery.” But the one who rules in heaven laughs.
The Lord scoffs at them. God has a plan and as Henry Blackaby says in
the Bible study, Experiencing God, we need to join Him.

One of the young men on the outreach from the school was Travis. He had
been mentored in a deliverance ministry in Modesto, California. On his
heart was the homosexual community in San Francisco. God is raising up
people with a heart to do what is on his heart. Lord, what is on your
heart? What do you want me to do to cooperate with what your plans are?
Have I ever cared about what is on his heart? So many experiences are
coming together. God wants to save the perpetrators as well as the
victims of evil.

It’s about dying to self. Hasn’t God used books and messages to get
this point across to us? Dying to I have to be right. Dying to my
plans. Dying. Dying. Dying. As Ruth Freund said so well recently, “Dead
people can’t be offended. They have no rights.”
It’s about letting God work out his plans and cooperating with him.

One evening we went to a staff prayer meeting. Many people including
Heidi were lying on a mat listening to the worship music. There was a
knock at the gate. The room only had bamboo walls. Several kids wanted
to come in. she opened her arms and they snuggled down next to her and
eventually fell asleep.

There were about 50 children being cared for at Pemba center. Every
week they have a birthday party for the kids who have a birthday that
week. Heidi was out there leading the games & hugging kids. She sees
the one in the midst of the group. There were about six or seven
birthday cakes. The birthday people were passing out pieces. It was
messy. Some of the older boys were getting more than one piece. But
they are changing in that loving atmosphere. I saw the kids also taking
care of one another. Sometimes it looks messy and unorganized when the
Lord is working.

The trip was about Sabboth rest too. Dave has been talking to me for
years about the fact that the Sabboth was also a picture of rest which
we should be experiencing every day. Heb. 4:9 “So there is a special
rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who enter into God’s
rest will find rest from their labors, just as God rested after
creating the world. Let us do our best to enter that place of rest.” I
like to have “all my ducks in a row” so to speak. This trip was about
flexibility and change. Most of the time I had a great peace that God
was working things out according to his plans. I can see how his yoke
can be easy and his burden light when I let him have the responsibility
and don’t fret.

I had read prophetic words that the Lord was going to supply needs as
He moves. Heidi & Roland have a ministry that is literally exploding.
There’s no way they could wait until all the staff & supplies are in
hand. They have to respond to the invitations when it looks like
everything is in disarray. The Holy Given school started before there
were accommodations for all the students. They cleaned out a bodega or
storeroom and stuffed it full of bunks. When people arrive to visit,
Heidi’s instructions are to turn no one away. They’ve come a long way.
Welcome them. We played musical beds. Some moved to tents. There were
never enough plates, and plastic forks were a treasure. There is a home
for kids, a school for pastors, and the Holy Given school all going on
at once. Sometimes it’s messy. People are cutting in the food line. We
all had our rough edges to be filed off. Living in community has a way
of doing that.