The All-Africa Conference was a tremendous success. Invitations went out to all of the Teen Challenge Centers on the continent of Africa and, with the notable exceptions of Mauritius and Ghana, the response was overwhelming! Led by Doug Wever, GTC Africa Regional Representative, it was a powerful time of ministry, fellowship and vision casting for the continent.
ALL-AFRICA LEADERSHIP TRAINING CONFERENCE.

One of the real blessings of this trip was the privilege to officiate the wedding of our dear friend and Teen Challenge graduate Steve Pippin and Martha, his lovely bride. Cathy joined the bridal party at Martha's home for the traditional bridal preparations and dancing. Martha is of the Luo Tribe. Steve is of the Assemblies of God tribe! Steve shares the 2 tribes coming together and the dowry of the cows .
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After a busy day of training, International leaders from 8 African Nations braved the danger and joined us for a powerful street meeting in Nairobi Kenya's Mathare Slum.

Mathare is a collection of slums in Nairobi, Kenya with a population of approximately 500,000 people-God blessed us to reach one corner with the good news. Kamau and the Kenya TC choir did a great job-God visited with us and touched hundreds of needy people! God held the rain and protected us from the threats of El Shabab terrorists as people streamed to the altar to confess Jesus Christ as Lord.

As night fell, despite the danger of being on the street, the needy still remained pressing into the altar for a touch from God . . . International leaders joined Cathy and I on the platform to minister and also at the altar to pray. God moved in a wonderful way.

We are having tremendous problems uploading to the Internet so we will share Photo Albums next week.

Christ calls us to walk by faith through our storms. This may seem huge until we realize Christ offers us far more than a command. The disciples had just witnessed the feeding of 5,000, a tremendous miracle, but the mission was not over! The gospel writer says, "Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.

In the sea the disciples encounter waves and "contrary winds." Like the sea, even the culture does not willingly support God's agenda. You will encounter resistance. This was not a storm that threatened their life, but a buffeting of wind and waves that left them exhausted. There we find them as Jesus comes walking on the water.

So exhausted were they, that the did not even realize it was Jesus when HE came. Did you know that He walks on the water during our storms. God has placed all things under Christ's feet, including the waves that break relentlessly against us. He is in charge. He is right there.

Please don't miss an important element in this story: Christ walked on the water before He calmed the storm. Had He simply calmed the storm, the disciples would have missed His majesty, what a terrible loss that would be because His majesty was the whole point! We need to see Him walking effortlessly on top of the circumstances that resist us or seem to hold us back. So often I want Jesus to hurry and calm the storm. He wants me to first find Him in the midst of the wind and waves. Having encountered Him, I begin to realize that God has everything in His control.

Teen Challenge lost a dear friend and champion as evangelical Christianity lost one of its most eloquent and influential voices with the death of Charles W. “Chuck” Colson. The Prison Fellowship and Colson Center for Christian World view founder died at 3:12 p.m. on April 21 from complications resulting from a brain hemorrhage. Colson was 80. He appeared on the Jesus Factor film for Teen Challenge and has served admirably as pioneer of Prison Fellowship as well as a relevant and powerful prophetic voice. http://chuckcolson.org/