Imagine seeing pastors and missionaries from many different churches, cultures and denominations all over town coming together, accepting all their differences, holding hands and walking into the future – together. It seems like a pretty unrealistic picture! Three years ago, this seemed impossible for Ubon Ratchathani. Two years ago, it was on the horizon but seemed centuries away. One year ago, it was beginning. And in the first few months of 2013, it became everyday life.
There is an African evangelist who lives in Ukraine called Henry Madava. When he heard that all the pastors and missionaries from Ubon Ratchathani had been coming together since 2010 to pray for their city, he decided it was time to support their vision. He came all the way from Ukraine with his team to train the Christians in Ubon, encouraging them in who they are as a child of Christ and what this means, equipping them to pray for healing for the people of Ubon, and to see fruit come from doing so. This really touched the pastors and missionaries of Ubon, however, he didn't stop there. Pastor Henry Madava came to Ubon a second time to run a Jesus Festival, also known as a series of Miracle Nights, from 22nd-24th March 2013.
In the last few months leading up to the Miracle Night festival, the pastors and missionaries were confronted with many challenges, trials and temptations – all threatening to take away their unity and destroy the power they had as a group to make change. However, they decided to continue to come together, accept their differences, hold hands and walk into the future – together. The Miracle Night, the beginning of Ubon's future, was a real success. We had expected 10,000 people to come per night, but only got an average of 3,500. It was still a success. We saw many people receive healings from paralysis, injuries, blindness or deafness in one eye or ear, and more. We saw people crying out to God for the first time. We saw hands, eyes, and hearts lifted up to heaven. We, no – I – was reminded of the love that God has for His people here in Ubon. But what makes these nights a real success is the unity that we, as people serving God in Ubon, were able to obtain, and whether we're able to keep it in the future. You see, when God's people love each other and work together as one, we open up a door for His Holy Spirit to come and work amongst us. Where unity is, the Holy Spirit has room to move, but when disunity comes in, there is minimal space for the Holy Spirit to even breathe, let alone work in people's hearts!
