I greet each of you in the wonderful name of Jesus Christ. I am writing to you from the nation of Ghana, where we have just returned from a week of very important meetings in Liberia.
Liberia stands at the crossroads of its destiny. After more than fifteen years of civil war, and more than 250,000 people slaughtered through war or criminal activity, the blood of the innocent is crying out from the ground of Liberia. The crossroads are this: Either national repentance falls and the blood of Jesus Christ covers the sins of the nation, or the judgment of God must continue to fall as the cup of their iniquity is running full. Apostle/ Prophet Hansen received a warning for Liberia in March of 2003, and this message was not welcomed by then President Charles Taylor. The prophecy, which can be read on our website, has since come to pass and war flourished once again in the land. Now, in a nation of 3 million people, 800,000 are displaced from their homes, either in displacement camps within Liberia or as refugees in neighboring countries. Since last year, a mass influx of United Nations (UN) personnel and equipment has swept the land to help stabilize this country of chaos. Charles Taylor was forced out of office and the National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL) was established with Gyude Bryant as Chairman. The picture to the right is one of the many UN helicopters, which are based at Roberts International Airport near Monrovia. Everywhere you travel, you see evidence of the UN, whether it be helicopters, jeeps or military check points.
The picture to the left shows from left to right, Apostle/Prophet Hansen, Bishop Jimmie K. Dugbeh, Sr., and the Rt. Rev. Dr. Josiah K. Pah, Senior. Pah, the presiding bishop of Gospel for Africa Ministries Int’l, has been in contact with WMI since 1999, desiring for us to come and speak to the political and religious leaders of the nation. Just recently, since the establishment of NTGL, Bishop Pah has taken on the position of Religious Spokesman for the Parliament of Liberia. Apostle/Prophet Hansen discerned that the timing for Liberia was imminent, and so began the coordination of meetings to speak to the leaders of the nation. As we landed at the airport, we were greeted by officials who took us directly from the tarmac to a VIP lounge on the grounds. We had a brief meeting with the board of Gospel for Africa Ministries and then were ushered by limousine (left) to a downtown Monrovian hotel, which would be our base for the next week. In the ensuing pages, you will catch a glimpse of the many meetings, which took place from February 23 through March 1, 2004. It is because of the longstanding bloodshed and the perseverance and determination of Bishop Pah, that the nation’s top leaders were open to hear the prophetic word. Each of the seven days of meetings will be highlighted, showing pictures as well as some commentary on the words given and how they were received. Please be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as you read for He may speak to you regarding your participation in reaching out to this devastated land.
Tuesday - February 24
Tuesday, our first full day of ministry, proved to be our busiest. Our first meeting of the morning was with the Hon. Mr. George S. Dweh (pictured below with Apostle/ Prophet Hansen). Mr. Dweh is the Chairman of the National Transitional Legislative Assembly. This meeting
took place at the Joint Chambers Capital Building in Monrovia. Being the first political meeting of the week, the team was experiencing the formalities of the political world. We would find out that everything happens very fast. We were quickly ushered from the transport, through the confines of the Capital Building, and into a waiting area, before entering the formal venue.
The meeting with Mr. Dweh started a little slowly, as it was thick with political protocol. However, midway through the meeting, the anointing of God began breaking through and all formalities melted away. It is the anointing of God, which breaks the yoke, the bondage, and the deception that comes upon a person, a church or a nation. After Rev. Hansen finished sharing the prophetic word, Mr. Dweh gave some concluding remarks and reactions to the message. The entire WMI team, along with Bishop Pah, who knows Mr. Dweh well, was surprised with Rev. Hansen’s passion and insistence that Liberia needs Jesus Christ and needs to repent of its sin. After the meeting, Bishop Pah told us that he has never heard The Speaker of the House speak with such a strong biblical message, and with such vehemence.
Recall in 1Sam.19.20-24, when Saul was seeking to capture David and kill him, he sent messengers three times to take David and each time, as they entered the presence of the prophets, the messengers of Saul began prophesying as the Spirit of God fell upon them. Finally, Saul went himself to capture David and he too began to prophesy as he neared the company of prophets. As Apostle/Prophet Hansen was giving the prophetic word, the Spirit of the Lord fell upon the President of Parliament, and he prophesied like Saul and his messengers. Praise the name of Jesus for the power and reality of His Holy Spirit!
The next meeting of the day was with the Mayoress of Monrovia, Ophelia Hoff Saytumah. The picture immediately below shows Rev. Hansen praying for the Mayoress, at the conclusion of the meeting. He prayed for the wisdom of Jesus Christ to come upon her in a greater fashion so that she could make good decisions, that were both biblical and Spirit-based. The Mayoress is a believer in Jesus Christ and we could see that she was receptive to the prophetic word for Liberia and the conditions, which must be met for the blessings of God to fall. Incorporated within his message, Rev. H a n s e n delivered the prophecy for Liberia and emphatically pronounced that the need for Liberia was a spiritual heart change, which comes from sincere repentance.
The third meeting was with the Commissioner of Investments, Roosevelt K. Quieh, who is pictured below with Rev. Hansen and Bishop Pah. Once again, Apostle/ Prophet Hansen reiterated the spiritual condition of the nation, citing the prophecy for Liberia and calling the nation to repentance and true relationship with Jesus Christ. The most important “investment” for the nation as a whole and each person within the nation, is in the Lord Jesus Christ and then all others things will be added, including financial blessing (Matt. 6.33).
The final meeting of the day was with the former president, His Excellency, Moses Zeh Blah. We met with him at his UN-guarded estate on the outskirts of Monrovia. Apostle/Prophet Hansen is seen posing with the former president at his home (below).
Mr. Blah was the Vice President under former president Charles Taylor. Last year, Taylor was forced from office and was exiled to Nigeria where he is currently being sought for war crimes. With the expulsion of Taylor, Blah became the President of the nation for several months prior to the establishment of the current transitional government.
The meeting with Mr. Blah and his wife went very well and they were both quite receptive and in agreement with the spiritual needs of the nation as outlined by Rev. Hansen. You could easily discern that they both had been through much emotional and physical duress over the years and were in need of refreshing. As Rev. Hansen shared concerning the nation and encouraged them in the faith, you could see the countenance of their faces change as the Holy Spirit was ministering to them. The former president shared that he was once put into prison by Charles Taylor and was almost executed. In the midst of this suffering, his wife (who is a strong Christian), encouraged and challenged him to lean on the Lord and trust him for deliverance, which later came. Above is a picture of Mr. Blah and his wife, Bishop Pah and part of the WMI team. At the end of the one hour meeting, Apostle/Prophet Hansen prayed for the Blahs, upon receiving prayer, the former president testified that he felt the Holy Spirit move upon him and felt a subsequent release of heaviness - Praise the name of the Lord! It is the Holy Spirit who is able to break and release the spirit of heaviness in one’s life.
Wednesday - February 25
Wednesday was the day that we were to meet with the Chairman of the NTGL, Gyude Bryant; however, he was called out of the country on an emergency trip the day prior. Instead, we met with the Acting-Chairman of the NTGL: His Excellency, Wesley Momo Johnson (when Bryant is in the capital, Johnson is the Vice-Chairman). This meeting took place in the executive mansion. The picture to the left shows Rev. Hansen speaking to the Acting-Chairman concerning the prophetic word for the nation of Liberia.
Again, Apostle/Prophet Hansen spoke with emotion and boldness regarding the real needs for the nation. Just recently, the NTGL received 500 million dollars from the UN. Additionally, they are heavily pushing for a national disarmament in hopes that the rebel groups will turn in their weapons. Rev. Hansen reiterated emphatically that the people of Liberia need to “disarm their hearts,” and surrender them to the Lord Jesus Christ. Murder starts in the heart and unless the renewing of the Holy Spirit changes the heart, murder will continue whether the people do or do not have guns. Apostle/Prophet Hansen used the illustration of Cain killing his brother Abel. Cain did not need a gun to kill his brother; he only needed a spirit of murder and a fist or a blunt object as the means to carry out his hatred. Likewise, Rev. Hansen reminded the Acting-Chairman of the Rwandan massacre of 1.2 million people after the UN disarmed the residents. At that time in Rwanda, the hearts of the people were unchanged and the spirit of murder simply extended itself through hands holding machetes and stones.
The next meeting of the day was with the Ministry of Health. As you can imagine, the health situation in Liberia is extremely poor. Fifteen years of war has greatly damaged the water supplies, sewage systems, and many of the natural resources. A recent document cited the treated water production at 10% of pre-war levels. Additionally, a post-war environmental assessment by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) found that only 26% of the population have access to safe drinking water.
During the war years, many of the professionals, including medical personnel left the country. In fact, Dr. S. Benson Barh states that, “the mass exodus of medical doctors from the country during the war has created a shortage of medical doctors.”
Apostle/Prophet Hansen addressed the Minister of Health, the Hon. Dr. Peter Coleman (pictured with Rev. Hansen above right) and many other health care professionals, as well as representatives from various environmental agencies. The message was simple: Liberia needs to deal with the root of the problem and have national repentance and reconciliation before many of the health problems can be solved.
After delivering the prophetic word of the Lord to these professionals, Dr. Coleman responded with much passion and spiritual insight. He wholeheartedly agreed that Liberia needs Jesus Christ in order to make significant strides in bringing restoration to the health care system.
Pictured below are health care professionals from the WMI team alongside medical doctors from Liberia. We will be seeking the Lord for direction on how best to partner with them to minister in practical ways.
Thursday - February 26
The meeting Thursday morning with various church leaders of Liberia was foundational. It was not only a time to deliver the prophetic word for the nation, but perhaps more importantly, it was a time to unite church leaders for a common cause. It takes the apostolic anointing to break down walls of division and call leaders to unite together. The meeting took place at Providence Baptist Church, one of the oldest existing churches in the nation. Pictured above is Rev. Hansen with the church leaders who attended. For the nation to change spiritually, it will take righteous church leaders who are willing to come together under accountability and apostolic leadership.
Rev. Hansen strongly encouraged holiness within the group and called the leaders to repent of any known sin or compromise. Apostle/Prophet Hansen’s desire is to unite the leaders together to organize meetings of repentance and reconciliation in the national stadium.
The final meeting of the day was with Women Leaders of Liberia (pictured below with the WMI team). This group is organizing women to come together to promote peace throughout Liberia. Rev. Hansen prophetically and apostolically spoke concerning the only hope for the nation: biblical repentance and renewed relationship with Jesus Christ. This is the only way to have peace individually and as a nation. At the conclusion of the meeting, Rev. Hansen prayed for their specific needs and prayed that the anointing of Jesus Christ would be evident in their lives.
Friday - February 27
On Friday, we met with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Hon. Henry Reed Cooper, as well as other associate justices (see picture below). This meeting took place at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia. On the front of this building are the words, “Justice will be done to all men.” Though the words tickle the ears of those who read them, justice has been largely abandoned throughout the nation. Greed, murder without accountability, and lust for power have taken the place of justice. As in days of old, “each man has been a law unto himself” (Rom. 2.14). The irony of the slogan on the building is this: One day all men will receive justice for the deeds done in the body, for there will be a day that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Phil.2.9-11)!
Rev. Hansen delivered a strong message to the Chief Justice, laying the foundation that Jesus Christ is the only God and that man must submit to the authority of Jesus. The anointing of God was very heavy and apparent as the message went forth, and each member of the judiciary was held captive by the Holy Spirit. At the conclusion of the meeting, Rev. Hansen laid hands on the Chief Justice (picture above) and the other associate justices and prayed for them individually. His prayer was that they would submit to the Lord Jesus Christ and bring forth true justice as the Holy Spirit worked through them. We pray that this prayer will come to fruition.
Saturday - February 28
Saturday was set aside to journey to various hospitals and displacement camps within Liberia. As mentioned previously, 800,000 of the nation’s 3 million people are displaced from their homes. They are either in displacement camps within Liberia, or are refugees in neighboring countries. That is an amazing statistic: greater than one fourth of the people of Liberia were forced from their homes!
Our first stop was at Redemption Hospital, located in a suburb of Monrovia. Dr. Kanda Golafale, director of the hospital, stated that over 400 people go through the facility each day. The sights were amazing. Every room was crowded with people as depicted in the picture to the left. Their resources, including medicine and equipment were lacking. Their only source of power is a generator that can only be run for six hours during the day and six hours at night. The hospital has only one clothes washer. That is amazing considering the amount of people it serves. Several weeks ago their x-ray machine broke and now they have no way, other than by experience alone, to ascertain the status of potentially broken bones, pneumonia in the lungs, etc. They are praying and hoping that the finances for, or provision of, a new x-ray machine comes quickly. The majority of patients are treated free of charge, not because the hospital has ample financial contributions, but because the people in the community are destitute and have no means of paying for care.
This hospital also has a mobile dental office, pictured on the right. Within the whole nation of Liberia, there are only three dentists. That is one dentist for every 1 million people! This one seat dental “office” lacks many of the basic necessities, such as adequate supplies of needles for anesthetic injection.
As a Physician Assistant, I have never seen a hospital in such need as Redemption Hospital.
Our next stop was at a displacement/refugee camp. The majority of people within this camp were internally displaced Liberians. There were also foreign refugees from countries such as Sierra Leone, and Ivory Coast (two countries that have been in and out of civil war for many years). The picture to the right is of an alley way between rows of displacement shelters. I wish I could adequately portray the conditions of these camps. The sights, smells and sounds of these camps gripped my heart. I have never seen such poverty and need in one area. These people live in worse conditions than most animals in America, where we spend seven times more money on our pets than we do on foreign missions!
I was almost in tears as I watched and videotaped several members of our team handing out some treats. Though we tried to establish some order, the children nearly trampled each other to get at the food. We wish that we were able to feed all of them, but we realized that the real need is a return of stability to the nation, which can only successfully come through spiritual change. It is because of the greed and lust of man that these people are living in such horrible conditions, and it will take the repentance and spiritual diligence of man to overcome the conditions.
The two pictures in the middle show Rev. Hansen handing out some food to the children and posing with them prior to our departure. It was remarkable to see and hear the smiles and laughter of these children despite their situation. These children are the future of Liberia! If the church can rise up and invest into the lives of these children, spiritual renewal can sweep the land. Please ask the Lord for guidance on how you can invest into the lives of the destitute within Liberia. Jesus’ heart breaks for these children and our hearts should as well if the Holy Spirit lives within. We, as Christians, must live our lives in accordance to the Word of God and by the leading of the Holy Spirit. Please consider 1Jn.3.16-18, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” I write these words, not to condemn, but to inspire you to righteousness. We often speak of higher ideals; we often point out an area of need, but much too often, we fail to meet the need. May I challenge you to consider partnering with us to meet the material and spiritual needs of the people of Liberia. Reflect on your life and inquire of the Lord to show you an area you can sacrifice in order to sow seeds into the children and nation of Liberia.
The final visit of the day was at the John F. Kennedy (JFK) Hospital in Monrovia. This is the largest and best hospital within Liberia. However, because of the years of war, the hospital has been closed since 1989. Can you imagine, the best hospital closed for 15 years! During the war, the entire hospital was looted and what remains now is basically an empty shell. Within the last six months, the hospital has been laying some groundwork in order to be operational. Dr. Samuel Dopoe, pictured below with Rev. Hansen, is the director of the hospital and has been hired on to rebuild the facility. His goal is to have the entire hospital up and running within two years. At this point in time, there are several small clinical specialties that are operational, but most of these are to serve, not the local Liberians, but rather the UN personnel within the country. If you look closely at the picture below, you will see a room that is completely empty with the exception of recently donated hospital beds. Once this hospital had doctors from various countries around the world and today it only has that which the looters were unwilling or unable to take. Rev. Hansen was able to communicate the foundational needs to the director and if Liberia responds to the Lord, we are determined to contribute benevolence to this nation.
Sunday - February 29
On Sunday, the WMI team visited two churches in Monrovia. The first was the church pastored by our host, Bishop Josiah K. Pah. The picture to the right is of the Bishop with Rev. Hansen and one of the members of the church. The church is adjoined to the house of Bishop Pah and holds about 150 people.
It was wonderful to fellowship with this body of believers. There was such freedom in worship, and although there was little room to maneuver, the people found ways to dance and jump in celebration to the Lord. This congregation has gone through much persecution over the years as their last sanctuary was destroyed during the war.
Apostle/Prophet Hansen delivered a very strong message, sharing the prophecy to the nation and drawing the people together in a common purpose and spirit. We praise the Lord for bringing us together with Bishop Pah, as he was instrumental in the success of the week. To the left is a picture of Rev. Hansen with Bishop Pah, his wife and some of his children.
The second meeting of the day was at the S. Trowen Nagbe United Methodist Church in Sinkor, Monrovia, Liberia. Sponsored by the Gospel for Africa Ministries International, this meeting was advertised to many of the church leaders (cross-denominationally) throughout Monrovia and the surrounding suburbs. The anointing of the Lord was extremely heavy as Apostle/Prophet Hansen spoke on the “Science of Judgment” (see picture above). Using Ezekiel 14 for his text, Rev. Hansen spoke on the nature of God and the conditions a nation must abide by to avert judgment and come under blessings. The apostolic anointing was so prevalent that many of the walls, which separate believers and denominations, were broken.
At the conclusion of Rev. Hansen’s message, the former first lady, Mrs. Moses Blah, the Hon. Felicia V. Coleman, and the Secretary General of the Council of Churches, Benjamin Lartew, gave concluding remarks that were in the same spirit as Apostle/Prophet Hansen. Each remark strongly backed both message and the messenger and promoted a uniting for the upcoming stadium crusade. The picture below was taken after Rev. Hansen finished his sermon and shows him laying hands on and praying for some of the church leaders within the nation of Liberia.
Monday - March 1 (and beyond...)
Monday morning was our departure date back to the nation of Ghana. Again, we were driven by limousine back to the airport where we awaited our flight in the VIP lounge. The mission in Liberia was a foundational success. Key relationships were established both with political and religious leadership. To have nationwide influence, you need the blessing and cooperation of both government and church leaders, and God granted us both!
Now that the message to Liberia has been proclaimed to key people within the nation and highly important relationships have been solidified, we look forward to the next step that the Lord will ordain for the nation of Liberia. The next step for the nation is two-fold. First, it is imperative that the religious leaders, who were touched by the message and were knit together in the spirit, must carry on the burden in both practical and spiritual ways. This select group of leaders must take the message to their congregations and colleagues in the faith. They must inspire them to promote nation-wide repentance and reconciliation. Second, there must be an intercessory thrust within the nation as the devil is furious with what was accomplished in the nation over this week. Many strongholds must be broken and kept down as the enemy tries to come and rob, kill and destroy the seed that was sown.
As mentioned previously, the needs in Liberia are tremendous and overwhelming. Yet, one thing that we emphasized many times is that we as a ministry can only begin to establish ongoing benevolence assistance if the nation turns to the Lord. What is the use of dropping millions of dollars of equipment and other relief items in a nation that refuses to change its heart? If the same beast spirit continues, then all of the resources contributed will once again be looted and eaten up by the powerful.
Every section and leader of government that we met with during the week invited us back to hold nation-wide repentance and reconciliation meetings in the national stadium. The stadium, which is pictured below, can hold up to 100,000 people! Each of the leaders in Liberia must rise up in holiness and faithfulness to see these stadium meetings come to pass. Likewise, we challenge you, The Church Without Walls, to join with us and make this next crucial step possible.
The early estimate for a 3-day stadium crusade is $120,000 US dollars. What a small price to pay for a meeting, that may prove to be a determining factor for the destiny of Liberia. In the same way that Jonah’s message from the Lord was pivotal for the nation of Nineveh, these three days will be of the same magnitude for Liberia. Please partner with us financially to cover the cost for these meetings. As in 1Jn.3.16-18, we are the ones with material possessions and the ability to touch and provide for our brothers and sisters who are in need. Let the love of Jesus Christ flow out of you and seek Him for direction for how you can join with us to change the destiny of Liberia forever.
The picture above shows part of the WMI team, waving goodbye as we walk to the airplane. Yet, we do not bid a final goodbye to Liberia; we are determined to return and we pray that you will help us.
The Lord richly bless you, Pastor Ty Gulstrom
© 2004 World Ministries International