Benny Hinn attracts thousands
SUSAN K. MUYIYI
NAMBOOLE
http://www.monitor.co.ug/news/news05214.php
IT was no longer an issue of speculation but only a matter of time for Benny Hinn to arrive at Nelson Mandela stadium for his first ever Holy Spirit crusade in Uganda. Paster Hinn arrived incognito in a helicopter but it wasn’t until 7.00pm that he stepped on the podium.
Meanwhile people had been queuing outside the stadium from as early as 8.00am. Among the crowd were people who had traveled all the way from Mbarara, Lira, Gulu, Nairobi and Tanzania.
The gates were opened to the public at 12.00pm although the service started at 6.00pm an hour after the scheduled time. People from all walks of life filled the pitch and stadium to full capacity. Charlotte Muhoozi (President Museveni’s daughter in-law) supported an elderly woman with a clutch to a front seat.
The crowds surged into the stadium. Fortunately a special in let had been allocated for the sick. People with all types of disease waited for the moment when they would receive a miracle. Among the sick children were those with deformities including over size heads, withered hands and legs and some were deaf.
WORD OF HOPE: The first Lady Janet Museveni addresses the congregation during at Namboole. Photo Geoffrey Sseruyange
One mother who seemed lost in thought tried to shield her sick child from the scorching sun as she waited for the service to begin. Some men and women used clutches as walking aides and some were confined to wheelchairs. It was rather a long wait considering that people had stayed all day but no one seemed to complain. By around three in the afternoon, the stadium was boozing with activity.
The police and the security personnel directed the crowds to their appropriate sitting areas. The 5,000 choir which included members from different churches including the Watoto children’s choir didn’t disappoint as they sang their hearts out to the applause of the audience.
Pastor Isaac Serukenya led the praise and worship session and was joined by Ron Kenoly an American gospel artist and Jody Maguire one of the members of Avalon a Christian singing group.
Pastor Garry Skinner couldn’t help himself as he leaped like an excited little boy to the tunes of wipolo and Jabulani. When Hinn stood in front of the congregation, he teased pastor Kayanja about the secret to his youthful look. “You look 22 not 44.”
Paster Hinn caused laughter when he insisted on speaking in ‘Ugandan,’ (read Luganda,). “I have always wanted to come to Uganda for a long time. But it is God’s timing now,” he said.
Not only did he preach but also lead a lengthy praise and worship session and then started praying the sick. Tears rolled down his eyes as he sang, “How great thou art….” Quoting the book of Mathew, he said that Jesus was going to heal all the sick people in the stadium.
A short while after he prayed, people with amazing testimonies lined on the left and right sides of the podium waiting their turn to testify. An excited woman was in tears when her nephew who had been paralyzed for four years started walking again.
A deaf woman heard for the first time in her life and couldn’t hold back her joy. A woman who had been bed ridden walked for the first time in eight months. In her brother’s words, “my sister couldn’t sit up because she had water in her lungs,” he said.
Those were just some of the few who got the opportunity to testify.
Paster Hinn made an altar call, which attracted a considerable number of people who received dedication cards, which they had to fill and hand in. He left at 10.30pm.
