march 2012
CityLight.org 17
tion, from birth to death, we are in transition.
Life is the dash on our tombstone. Do what
you can to make your dash meaningful. How
you live in the dash will determine how you
spend eternity. We are powerful women, in
transition, influencing the world. God wants
us to know that He is our source through our
everyday living experience, even when it seems
He is not present. `Who knows whether you
have come to this royal position for such a time
as this?' Esther 4:14."
Bishop Redfern II closed the weekend with
words of encouragement, as only he can do, with
power and thanksgiving. He shared his heart with
the group and his love for the Lord was evident.
"It is Jesus' desire that not one be lost and to see a
generation changed through prayer," he stated.
Bishop told the group of Charles Mpagi, Pastor
of Victory Celebration Centre in Magamaga
and Director of the CityLight Cross Style ini-
tiative in East Africa. Pastor Mpagi is respon-
sible for 25 Cross Style Bible training Centers.
He was the first to develop a CityLight Prayer
Group in East Africa. Bishop Redfern was ex-
cited to tell this accounting about the recent
event of Pastor Mpagi's prayer group.
There was an incident of a woman being brutally
attacked by a man with a machete. The man cut
her about her head and beat her to the point of
death. The police customarily turn a deaf ear to
situations where widowed women are beaten
by men, unless he is actually caught in the act.
They are
not usually
b r o u g h t
to justice.
Due to the
fear of re-
taliation,
the people
of the com-
munity will
not admit
to seeing
anything.
After re-
porting the
crime to the police, and seeing no justice being
taken, Pastor Mpagi had enough. He called his
12 member CityLight Prayer Group together.
After a time of prayer for direction and guid-
ance, they went on a manhunt. Apprehending
the man, they hog tied him and delivered him
to the police. The police were in shock. The news
of these men, their courage, and what they had
done spread quickly throughout the commu-
nity. God used this CityLight Prayer Group to
encourage the community that they can do all
things through Christ Jesus.
Bishop Redfern challenged the men and wom-
en to start a Citylight Prayer Group. "We follow
the model of Jesus, a leader and 12 disciples," he
said. "Jesus didn't have a church building yet he
touched the lives of so many." Bishop charged
us with the responsibility to return next year
with our CityLight Prayer Group of 12. He
asked us to be able to report how we ministered
to the lost, fed the hungry, loved and cared for
pregnant teens and shared the gospel of Jesus
with the unchurched and the churched.
Luella Redfern closed by saying, "I pray that
all of you women and men who attended these
retreats experienced the Kingdom of God in all
it's fullness. I continue to pray that the seeds of
faith and love sown in your hearts will flourish
and touch the lives of others."
Luella Redfern is the National Director of the
CityLight Esther Women of Influence.