Glimpses from the years in service
Missions Work in Canada – A Land of Excitement
Testimony of how God’s power has transformed lives
By
Kenneth Pedersen
|
Published
↑ Kenneth and Anne-Helen: Mission workers in apostolic ministry in Canada, with a heart for church building, healing, and to be a visible light in a spiritually dark local community. PHOTO: Alyssa Wright
The sun was just beginning to rise over the peaks of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. The cold morning air carried the scent of pine, and the mountains reflected in the river as living witnesses of God’s greatness.
In the first light, as the mist slowly retreated across the valley, I felt both wonder and anticipation. It was here, in the midst of nature’s majesty, that the Lord reminded me why we are sent out: to carry hope, light, and the gospel further, yes, far further than small mountain villages in the Rocky Mountains.
A Calling That Began in Childhood
We came to the small town in the middle of the Kootenay Rocky Mountains in the summer of 2017. Now we were in place with my own family, in a spot about which I had had a strong prophetic dream 25 years earlier. The calling to Canada and the people there was engraved in my heart when, as a little boy, I joined our parents who went to the Canadian town of The Pas in 1982 (and later the town of Flin Flon). I was only five years old then. But the people and the nation of Canada have been on my heart since that time.
In the late ’90s, I was actively involved in the Native American church that Jesus Heals Ministries supported, for about a year. Over the years, the family has gone on mission trips to Canada to minister among the indigenous people, formerly called Indians. We actively participated in the work of distributing food to the homeless and organized summer camps for children and youth.
Called to Be Light in an Area Marked by Darkness
We have now lived in Canada for eight years and ministered in various ways. The areas we have been in are heavily influenced by New Age practices, superstition, and witchcraft. Many believers are asleep, and there is a lack of apostolic drive, vision, and direction.
↑TOGETHER IN THE CALLING: Kenneth and Anne-Helen Pedersen. PHOTO: Private
During the pandemic, we established a house church in our home, where we still provide apostolic oversight and leadership. The focus is on building up the whole person, with healing, deliverance, and prophetic–apostolic teaching as the foundation.
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The congregation reaches the local community through food distribution, because the need is greater than many realize. Even in a country like Canada, many live with a poverty mindset, substance abuse, alcohol addiction, and witchcraft. The spiritual battle is very real. It is to this darkness that we are called to be light. Jesus said:
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14–16
Powerful Testimonies of Inner Healing, Deliverance, and Freedom
One evening when we had a meeting, I prayed for a lady who had severe pain in her knees. While I prayed, I had a vision of a Matryoshka doll – the Russian wooden dolls that open layer by layer. She told me she struggled with bipolar disorder.
We prayed for deliverance and healing, and she later said it was as if something was lifted off her. She had a powerful encounter with God – and was simultaneously healed in her knees. Her joy was great, as her greatest desire was to be able to go out and evangelize, but she had been hindered by the pain.
My wife Anne-Helen and I were invited to another city to hold a healing meeting. Many needed prayer, and we prayed and ministered together for several hours that evening. A woman came forward for prayer, and Anne-Helen placed her hand on her abdomen, where one could physically feel a hard lump. As she began to pray for the woman, demonic forces manifested and revealed who they were. We then spoke with authority and cast the unclean spirit out of her. In Mark 16:17, it says:
“And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons…”
The woman went and sat down afterward. About half an hour later, she came forward in the prayer line again. My wife did not recognize her and asked what she wanted prayer for. Then the woman replied:
“It’s me, Lisa. You prayed for me earlier and cast out the unclean spirit. I am completely free now. I feel like a new person.” She had truly been transformed. Her entire face was beaming, and both her posture and her whole bearing were completely different. The lump on her abdomen was gone. There are many such stories.
↑ Near Calgary: Kenneth and Anne-Helen conduct mission work in and around the Olympic city of Calgary, as well as in the Rocky Mountains. PHOTO: Adobe Stock
An Honor to Be an Instrument in God’s Hand
It is a deep privilege to walk with God, to know His presence, see His power at work, and lead people into freedom, healing, and restoration.
“‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.”
Zechariah 4:6
Standing in the midst of what God is doing is not something we can produce of our own strength. Everything that sets people free, that transforms the heart and brings light into the darkness, happens solely by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are allowed to make ourselves available and see God do great and mighty things among us. It is a great honor to serve in this way.
Svein-Magne on the Backstory:
↑ The Harvest is Ripe: Kenneth and Svein-Magne on the prairie in Canada in September 1982. PHOTO: Private
The Pedersen family emigrated to Canada on July 29, 1982. We were called to a church in the province of Manitoba. Here we ministered among white people and the Indigenous population for six years. On August 10, 1988, we returned to Norway to minister here. But the calling to continue the work in Canada has always burned in our hearts. We applied for the establishment of the foundation Jesus Heals Ministries Society. It was approved by the Canadian authorities on July 21, 1994. Since then, we have had several Norwegian missionaries in the field in Canada, and have been on many mission trips there.
In June 2017, our son Kenneth moved with his wife Anne-Helen and three children to Canada to continue the work in the world’s second-largest country. In this article, they share about the work there.
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