Dear Friend,   

I wanted to give a brief update concerning my trip to Pakistan. I was joined on this trip by Pastors Al Gernovich and Robert Corey who were really great companions and were amazing with their love to the Pakistanis.

            Our great thanks to Apostle Iftikhar for the courageous work he has done and continues to do in his nation! He organized these meetings with great excellence!

 Into Pakistan

      Pakistan is listed as one of the most dangerous nations on the planet.  Many missionaries have gone there, but they have kept their meetings small and more secretive. Only recently have there been some larger campaigns in the nation. According to a government official who we talked to, our meeting which was televised live on two main T.V. Channels was the first event of its kind in the city and state.

    We held a 4 day Healing Festival on the edge of Faisalabad, a city of 8 million. We originally were to be in a very large place in the city center, but our host had to move the campaigns out of the city due to threats and complaints by certain radical groups.

    The first night, we all prayed for a baby that had a tumor on it's back the size of two oranges. The woman who brought the baby was a Muslim. We later found out that the tumor disappeared! At one point in the four day Healing Festival, Pastor Robert was asked to go into the crowd to a demon possessed woman; he ministered to her and she was completely delivered. What an impact on these wonderful people!

     We also held a Healing Festival in a Catholic village where they worship Mary without any emphasis on Jesus.  Between the two locations we had approximately 80,000 salvations (our host estimated 100,000 but I would rather be conservative), mostly Muslim, even some Taliban. There were thousands of healings. We saw many blind people receive their sight along with many deaf who received their hearing. We witnessed tumors disappear and people with deformities healed before our eyes. We were televised live on two channels, so each night we saw more and more people coming to attend as word traveled about the healings.

    We had 200 armed commandos surrounding the Healing Festival grounds and on the rooftops. The police force in the city was on red alert the entire time we were there. We had to hire extra personal security due to threats by the Taliban. Our personal security team of 4-8 commandos was with us 24/7.  Every night as we slept policemen were on our roof and around our home.

The Child Slaves of Pakistan

    One reason we went to Pakistan was to investigate the child slavery that is so widespread.  Many children are enslaved by factory owners in unbelievably difficult conditions. We went to a rope factory, a textile factory, and a brick factory to film and photograph the children who work 16-18 hour days with little food or water. They drink out of polluted puddles. They receive no medical care and are beaten by the owners. They must work even when sick. The temperatures can reach 130 degrees and the children must work in direct sunlight. We took food and water with us to give to those beautiful kids.

Pastor’s Conference

    We held a pastor’s conference under a huge tent in 115 degree heat. Inside the tent it was probably 125 degrees or more. We had around 1,000 pastors and their team leaders attend.  The last session had to be cancelled as the violence by the Taliban was escalating and the Security Minister asked us to lay low for the day. The Taliban were protesting the Pakistani government's assault on the Taliban stronghold in the Swat valley. They sent us death threats and also killed people in our city and burnt buses. We never felt fearful.  Nor did we hesitate in presenting the Gospel.

We Take Over Funeral!

    One day while driving in the city (with a team of commandos) we came across a funeral procession.  Six men were carrying a body on a bed to the grave yard.  Apostle Iftikhar recognized one of the people as a Christian so we stopped.  Iftikhar asked if "the American" could preach at the funeral.  I gave a message which resulted in the entire group receiving Jesus as Lord!

Two Muslim Men Healed!

    After the Healing Festival was over, two Muslim men showed up at the house where we were staying to inquire about healing! They had heard of the wonderful healings many others had received! The one man had a deformed leg that was the result of a severe break 10 years earlier. It had not healed properly and caused him to have to swing his leg around to walk. It was an obvious deformity. His brother had a badly infected foot. We led them to the Lord and laid our hands on them. After we prayed, I told him to reach down and touch his leg and move it. As he did, his leg shifted and popped loudly. He started to jump and shout! He was healed! He fell at my feet and began worshipping me. We lifted him up and told him that it was not me, but Jesus who healed him. He ran to a picture of Jesus on the wall and kissed it. He told us that for 10 years he had been to doctors and Muslim leaders to seek healing and nothing ever happened. In an instant Jesus made him whole! His brother was also healed and was able to move his foot!  

    An old woman was brought to our house who could not walk. As we prayed her legs started to shake uncontrollably. Soon she got up and walked for the first time in years. Praise the Lord for his healing grace!

More later....love, Bruce