Pastor
Joel Biao, Niger, West Africa
World Vision
Meetings in Benin
Regional TEC Affiliates
Pastor Joel Biao representing World Vision was co-host of the historic Elijah Challenge Campaign in Niamey, Niger in November 2002. Since then the Lord has used him powerfully in preaching and healing the sick. He is again hosting The Elijah Challenge in his home town of Kaboua, Benin in December 2007.As I am moving in preparing for our conference on August 2007 in Benin at Kaboua, I tried to find time from which I spared for this preparation to give you this short report about my evangelism time in Kaboua, and Gogoro. Indeed God has manisfested his power as I let myself led by the Holy Spirit in sharing my testimony about my encounter with the Lord just like the Gadarene demoniac. Many people attended he meeting and almost all of them were mature.
I prepared a message before, but right as I was about to start I felt that God was telling me Joel, you have to share just as the Gadarene. So I opened my Bible in Mark 5. As I was speaking, the Holy Spirit started moving in the crowd and some women cried and shouted, calling on the name of Jesus although they were never accustomed to calling on the name of Jesus, asking Him to save them. The one who was translating got baptized in the Holy Spirit and started to sob.
When I called for decisions for Jesus Christ, the king of the village was the first to stand up in the midst of the crowd. As I finished praying for others first, I invited him into the palace yard and he knelt down for prayer to confess Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
The king said that for many years their fathers were worshipping a false god and their lives didn't improve but got worse.
The following day we went to the village to follow up with the Pastor of Kaboua. Before we arrived many people were waiting for us to listen to us and receive healing prayer. We started at 4 pm but although there was no electricity, we left at 9.30 pm. People were taking us to their own houses to pray for them and cast out evil spirits that threatened them in the night.
Luke 10:9 "Heal the sick who are there and tell them,
'The kingdom of God is near you.’"
