Ramah Ministries Int'l
1 Chronicles 22:19
My Africa Chronicles
My Story Exposing Church Corruption in Africa
By Zanild Abarrane Tsadak-Kohein
Update!
On October 15, 2022, I arrived safely back on America soil.
These writings are true and my own account of my missionary journey to three (3) countries on the Continent of Africa…Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania in 2022.
Since 2016 my ministry has largely consisted of ministering to leaders in Africa sharing with them the Lord's heart to come back to the teachings of Jesus. In January of this year (2022) I flew into Uganda and spent a week having leader’s meetings. I then spent 4 months in Kenya, 2 months in Uganda, then another 4 months in Tanzania. This was not the kind of ministry trip that I expected. The Continent of Africa has been treacherously marked with death and destruction.
Witches and Witchdoctors wanted to kill me and corrupt, false Christian leaders wanted me out of their countries. Over the last 10 months, I have been shown many things about Africa, the people, and many reasons why this continent has been marked with such devastation. Parts of this trip to Africa have been like a trip to hell itself. The spirit of death and destruction that I have encountered has been profound. Never have I encountered such a brutal onslaught of fierce attacks from so-called Christian leaders.
The following writing is my own experiences. I began writing as I felt strongly the world needed to hear the truth about what is happening on this continent. This is my third trip to the Continent of Africa. Upon first arriving I was accepted and felt great love from the African people, but soon after things changed. When I stopped handing out money everything became very different. I began to be openly hated, violently assaulted, and slandered. I was even kicked out of two African countries just because of money, my land of origin, and the color of my skin. What I began to experience was unprecedented. How can one go from being loved so much and treated like royalty, to being hated vehemently?
Christian ministers from America and Europe (especially if they are white) are being targeted through social media and deceived by fake Christian leaders in Africa. Millions of dollars are being given to fake missions projects and it needs to stop! These fake Christian leaders are well-versed in Bible scripture and Christian lingo, they know exactly what to say to emotionally and spiritually manipulate ministers and missionaries. These spiritual victims have no idea entire mission projects are being fabricated and staged. Entire leadership teams in churches are actors and they put on a great performance.
Websites are created that contain fraudulent information, and children from villages are gathered for photos to represent orphanages that do not exist. These photos are then used to emotionally manipulate people into giving donations. Most ministers and missionaries when they do a ministry trip to Africa, do not spend enough time with the people to see the truth, they fly in, preach, pour out money then leave. The fake leaders (actors) are then on a search for their next victims.
I can send out photos of myself preaching and ministering in churches, I can send photos of cute African children or photos of those that are malnourished from hunger. I can write about poverty and devastation, but everyone knows about that. What people don’t know about…is what is expected of foreign ministers/missionaries “white people” and how they are being treated.
People don’t know about the corruption, lies, and manipulation that is spreading from Africa and affecting different countries. They don’t know about the fake Christian leaders, fake orphanages, fake churches, and the ignorant people in other countries that are pouring millions of dollars into these “fake” Christian organizations and projects every day. I have become a firsthand witness and victim of this corruption.
I have been scammed, stolen from, and manipulated by false leaders to gain money. I’ve had witchcraft used on me, had lies spread about me, been violently assaulted by the people I am staying with when I stopped giving money, been kicked out of homes, and kicked out of two (2) African countries. After 10 months in Africa, I was forced to flee the continent for my safety. I have contacted African law enforcement and government officials numerous times and have been ignored.
WHAT HAPPENED TO MISSIONARY PROGRAMS?
Today, mission programs are very different from what they used to be. There is so much deception going on it is scary, especially related to churches and ministries. If you live in another country (or continent), there is no way you can verify who you are going to minister to, or sending money to. This is just the beginning my friends, the spiritual aspect is much deeper than this.
If you go on a mission trip to pour out money you will be ok….for a time at least. But if you are sent by God with a message for the people…if you are truly sent by God to bring transformation to a continent and you live among the people…watch out, all hell will come against you, you are in for the fight of your life.
THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE ARE OVERWHELMING!
What is it like to be sent as a "white" missionary to Africa? I thought about the analogy of how it would feel to jump into a pit of hungry lions…but that is too drastic and obvious…what really happens is much more subtle than that. It’s more like being in a refreshing swimming pool…everything looks wonderful on the surface, but you are completely unaware that leeches you cannot feel have subtly latched onto you.
Soon you are physically weak and fatigued as your blood and life-giving energy is being sucked out of you. This may sound mean and extreme, but it is the closest analogy that I can think of that resembles the truth. I am forced to hide to get a reprieve from the nonstop overwhelming needs that continually surround me.
DEVASTATION, DEATH, AND OPPRESSION
Do you ever wonder why some countries live in so much devastation in comparison to other countries?
There is a side to third-world countries that is pure evil, and this evil is widespread! Scripture says the thief (Satan) has come to steal kill and destroy. This is the environment the people of Africa live in every day. Their lives are consumed with destruction, lack, and oppression.
Destruction is everywhere, it is prevalent in third-world countries. Wherever we see destruction, there is a much deeper "spiritual" problem at work.
YES, LORD…SEND ME TO THE MISSION FIELD!
Ministering in a foreign country may seem very exciting. We are so eager to shout from the rooftops, "Lord send me!" Standing behind a pulpit preaching, teaching, and ministering to God's people, staying in hotels, being catered to and escorted like royalty. Feeding starving children, saving lives, seeing the power of God, casting out demons, hearing the cries of repentance, and seeing the power of God changing lives.
Yes, it can be truly glorious, but today I want to share some things with you that you will rarely hear about ministering in foreign countries. I don't want to focus on the pulpit ministry, I want to share with you the reality of what it is like living in Africa, living among the people on a day-to-day basis.
The first thing I want to share is...it is not a vacation!
I am surrounded continuously by those who live in severe poverty. Money for food, clean water, and the most basic of daily needs is scarce. Signs of destruction is everywhere you look. Can you for a minute imagine what destruction looks like and its effect on everything around you and everything you own?
Lying, stealing and manipulation is extremely common, even in those you think you can trust. Note: It is not advisable to think you can trust anyone as people are motivated by sheer desperation. They smile big and are nice as pie...but watch your back and where you lay your wallet. The people are motivated by desperation caused by severe poverty and lack, they will lie to your face to gain your trust. The people have learned to lie and manipulate to get their basic needs met. The truth is they just simply want to be rescued, and they are ABSOLUTELY desperate.
URGENT! If you know someone that is sending money to support a church, ministry or children's program in Africa...please have them read these letters or contact me. Millions of dollars are being sent to support fake Christian projects. Fake pastors, fake churches, fake crusades, building programs, and fake orphanages. THIS MUST STOP!!
WHITE PEOPLE…TARGETS FOR MANIPULATION!
The very sad truth is…many Africans when they see a white person from America, they see “money” and believe that all Americans are rich. When one knows this it makes you feel extremely uncomfortable. White people are looked at as idols and saviors. I cannot be on social media or walk down a street in Africa without being approached and overwhelmed by those in need asking for money. While in Africa I am always accompanied by locals and never left alone in public for my safety.
All those around you speak another language you cannot understand, and often you cannot communicate as languages change from village to village. In one small region, multiple languages are often spoken. The people say they understand you, but you soon realize they don't and your words have been twisted to mean something completely different. You cannot trust for one moment that people are understanding you as they will always tell you they do.
Witches and witch doctors send curses that swarm around you and some want to kill you. Jealousy is rampant. Often items or gifts will be cursed and cause sickness, health problems, and even death. Witchcraft in Africa is very real and active.
The little that I do as one person, does not seem to make an impact when looking at the overall extent of the needs. Money pours through my hands like water, I never seem to have enough as the needs of all those around me are overwhelming, as they are continuous.
I have experienced firsthand the evil strongholds and rulers of wickedness, the demonic territorial spirits that have been controlling the people on this continent. I have experienced the very unseen entities that have captivated the people, the very precious people that have ignorantly given themselves over to idolatry out of desperation and have brought curse after curse upon themselves. These are the precious people that God wants to set free and experience His abundance of LIFE that Jesus died for.
EXPOSING WICKEDNESS - REVEALING TRUTH
The purpose for my writing is to give others a firsthand example of what ministry is really like in Africa. The needs are truly staggering and overwhelming! This is not a vacation, far from it.
When you are called of God to bring light into the darkness…those that desire the truth of God’s Word love you and they are few….those that are lukewarm or living in darkness will hate you and come up with a plan to drive you out. Witchdoctors want to kill you because the power of God you bring hinders the demonic powers they use to bring in money. The people have learned to fight for their lives to survive because the poverty and devastation is so great.
Those sent by the Lord to minister the truth of God’s Word without compromise to these countries and regions of the world are in for the fight of their lives. This is NOT even close to being on a nice ministry trip….it is an all-out war!
Foreign ministers that just come for a weekend conference never see this side of Africa. Most of them fly in, preach, have dinner, enjoy conversation, preach again then leave. They see the smiling faces, they are treated like royalty, waited on hand and foot, but they never get down and dirty with the people to find out the real issues the people deal with. In order to bring real change to these countries, the root problems must be confronted.
The issues, and the root of the problems in these countries are the spiritual principalities, powers and rulers of wickedness that govern the continent. If God HAS NOT sent and equipped you…take my word for it…DON’T GO! This is not a child’s game.
Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief comes to “steal, kill and destroy…” These are the strongholds of bondage the people in Africa live in. Destruction, devastation, severe poverty, starvation that drives people to steal, manipulate, betray and even kill one another out of desperation just to survive.
"EVERYONE LOVES YOU," THEY SAY…BUT DON'T TURN YOUR BACK!
Yes, the people are as nice as pie…but don’t turn your back, NEVER take your eyes off your bags, especially your wallet. Being “white” and in Africa means that you are on high alert…ALL THE TIME. Extreme poverty drives people to do some very vile and wicked things and if you are "white and/or American" you have become the target of lies and manipulation.
The corruption in Africa is off the charts starting at the top. Those in government live in wealth…they don’t take care of the people, they serve themselves and the people are forced to live in severe poverty. Laws to govern the people or keep them safe are very few here. You cannot trust the police; they bribe people for money. The ignorance in the people is dumbfounding, the people just accept what is handed to them. They do not stand up for the truth, they live in fear. If you speak against the government, your family may find you dead.
Here in Africa, you are being smiled at, but you soon learn to not turn your back on anyone. As soon as you step off that airplane, as soon as people see you grab your luggage, the manipulation for your money starts and they will fight each other to get to you. You are being watched continually, have become the center of conversation in the village and the plotting and scheming have begun to take your money. YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN NOT TRUST ANYONE!
CHURCH LEADERS…THE WORST MANIPULATORS
The vast majority of African Christian leaders live a life of lies and manipulation. Being a pastor and having a church is seen as a business to gain wealth while the people are pressured to give offerings and then left starving. These types of leaders are rampant as well as leaders that manifest “false” signs and wonders by using witchcraft. The witchcraft here is unlike the witchcraft used in other countries. Witchcraft in America is child's play compared to Africa. Here they put a curse on you and you die. It is very real and the onslaught can be continuous. Witchcraft is a way of life for most Africans....remember....they are fighting for their lives for just one more meal for their children to survive. Death from witchcraft and starvation is very real in the everyday African way of life.
Panic, terror, fear…I would wake up being suffocated…it felt like I was being buried alive.
Have you ever been suffocated by an unseen entity? It is a horrifying “hell experience”. I had to learn very quickly how to fight in this spiritual climate. Day and night….I fought with the Word of God and I fought with worship. Word curses from witches and witch doctors surrounded me. The opposition that swarmed around me went on for months with shorts bouts of reprieve.
A couple of years ago I had been warned by the Lord in dreams that witch doctors and religious leaders were going to be after me wanting to drive me out or kill me. Well…it happened this time.
When I first arrived I was been staying with a family that were “fake Christian leaders”….the house was filled with lies, manipulation, chaos, and disorder. The Lord had spoken to me not to give any more money to this couple I was staying with. As soon as I held the money back…I was shown blatant disrespect.
The home environment was filled with demons, lying, manipulation, mocking me to my face, and incessantly arguing with me. I would end up retreating to my room to get some peace. It is extremely uncomfortable when the people around you are exuding hatred and mocking the God inside you.
When a “white” Christian leader comes to Africa to minister, many other leaders in the community get envious and jealous and start slandering and gossiping about the visiting minister. These are Christian leaders who do not know you and have never met you. They are jealous of those you are staying with thinking you are pouring money into them and the church you are ministering in. This jealousy makes these Christian leaders do crazy things like threaten your life and drive you out of the country.
Mistranslation is also an enormous problem, you need to watch everything you say. One mistranslated word in a conversation and there is a false rumor spreading through the village or town about you. Gossip is HUGE. I had to watch myself in Kenya as the “temptation” to gossip was surrounding me, tempting me continuously.
Living surrounded by lies and manipulation is exhausting. Not being able to trust anyone in a foreign country. You have become hated for standing the truth, for exposing the lies false pastors live in and teach. Knowing your very presence makes those around you uncomfortable. Every day haunted by thoughts of being kicked out of a home, village, or country. This experience of betrayal can be excruciating. Especially, when you are in a foreign country. You cannot just run home to safety, you cannot run anywhere. You are absolutely forced to trust God. I learned quickly to cling to God out of desperation.
THIRTY SILVER COINS…OR WAS IT JUST 2?
During my time in Kenya, the Lord connected me with three strong, spiritually discerning women and then a local pastor and his elders. Very precious leaders wanted God and were willing to learn and embrace what God wanted to bring. There was wonderful unity. I began ministering 3 days a week in this church.
God was moving in power….setting people free and they were growing rapidly…learning how to take back what the enemy had been stealing from them and keeping them in bondage. The church pastor and I had a very close relationship, there was true unity between us, it was precious and it was God. That went on for 3-1/2 months, then the story drastically changed.
Just when we agreed I would begin teaching the worship team about true worship in holiness, a visiting pastor came to Kenya with his wife and stayed in the same house with us. The first day he visited the church, he began handing out money. He began making plans with the pastor and started pouring money into this little church. How could this local pastor resist this temptation?
I was quickly pushed out of the way and what God was doing came to a screeching halt. It became clear that this couple’s motive was to manipulate to gain attention to promote their ministry. All the attention was now centered on this new couple with the money.
That evening, I was summoned outside to a meeting with the elders, the visiting pastor, and the man of the house. Here I am feeling like I am sitting before the Great Sanhedrin Council, I knew I was OUT! The pastor began to tell me I could no longer come back to the church. He wasn’t clear about the reason, but he mentioned problems arising that he had tried to take care of, but it was out of his hands. The reason was very unclear.
That evening I spoke with the man that was hosting me, He began to tell me there were problems in the local community of pastors. He told me one of the pastors weeks ago had started a rumor about me that I was with the Illuminati. Another woman was telling people the anointing oil I was using was witchcraft. A group of “jealous” local pastors wanted me stopped. The local pastor I was with tried to speak reason with them, but they would not listen.
When a “white” minister comes (remember, they believe white people are rich), many other leaders in the community get envious and jealous. They start slandering and gossiping. It is very wicked. I was told these local groups of so-called pastors were filled with demons and they had a plan, it wasn’t good and I needed to leave for my safety within 3 days. I am now in Uganda waiting on the Lord for new directions.
This spirit of betrayal is the same spirit that sold out Jesus for silver coins (money) and sent him to the cross. If you have never experienced this betrayal, I pray you don’t! Know this though….when you are sent by God…it is not you they are rejecting and betraying…it is the Lord. They have rejected His Word, they have rejected Him and because you represent Him, you have become the target.
KENYA TO UGANDA TO TANZANIA
Lots has happened since I last wrote, I spent two months in Uganda, I am now in Tanzania. I have lots of writing to catch up on. Since I arrived in Africa in January my hair was falling out (from lack of Protein?), I have lost a considerable amount of weight. My clothes are huge now and falling off me, and I have been physically threatened (again).
I have been stolen from, manipulated into giving money for families' needs, and then kicked out of homes when I stopped giving. When I have run low on money or when the Lord has told me to stop giving....this is when I see the true motives of the people which has been anger and violence. Note: These are so-called Christian leaders.
For the first time I know what it's like to be without food for weeks, maybe eating once a day...I broke down and cried. I love the feeling of fasting and I wanted to lose weight, but not like this. The family I am with leaves during the day, no food in the house, no contact. I don't know where they go. Is this manipulation to get me to leave?
CHRISTIAN MINISTERS LURED THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA
Are you in Christian ministry? Have you been invited to minister in a church or have a crusade in Africa? WARNING!! False Christian leaders are targeting white ministers from America; they send out photos of the "FAKE" churches where they are pastoring. Fake churches with fake pastors and half the people in the churches are part of the game. It's all for the money my friends. Did you just come back from having a wonderful crusade? WRONG! You just got played!
Have you given money to an orphanage in Africa or know someone who has? Have you actually been to this orphanage to verify its existence? Were you manipulated through photos of African children? You were told they were starving orphans. WRONG! You just got played.
Scammers are rampant, especially through Facebook and social media. Many Africans live in a continuous state of desperation and do some very vile and crazy things because they want to be rescued. Have you ever seen the panic in a person that is drowning?
There is much more to reveal, but I cannot write freely until I leave Africa, I have been violently threatened again.
FORSAKEN OR?
I did not expect this mission to turn out like this. I was ministering to leaders...then everything completely changed. Corruption has surrounded me. The anguish I have experienced by the betrayal is beyond words. I will just say this...I will dust off my feet when I leave...AGAIN.
The Lord has revealed to me that the purpose of these letters is to bring the truth about the corruption that is taking place with so-called Christian leaders in Africa. Those in ministry who come for a weekend conference in Africa do not see the reality of what the African people face every day. One must be “boots on the ground” living among the people to see the reality of their needs and their spiritual life.
Many of these missionaries pour money into projects but never make real changes with the people. The roots of their problems are spiritual and are controlled by the demonic strongholds that rule over the regions. I hope to write more about this later.
God continually has true servants that are “giving all” for the Kingdom. They are walking away from house and home, family, friends, and beloved pets, and ABANDONING ALL to go into the harvest field. The problem: these true servants that have laid it all down, most are not even being recognized or supported.
Believe me, they do not want to be recognized….but they do need support. The problem…support can be very hard to ask for. I know, I have gone without food and basic needs because I don’t want to ask. Now I know what it’s like after months to break down and cry because I was hungry.
I began writing 5 months ago. I felt strongly that people needed to understand the reality of ministry in Africa. They needed to hear it from someone that was living among the people.
A friend said to me, “I see you writing a book about your experiences in Africa. What you are going to write is going to open the eyes of people. I see you equipping teams of missionaries and sending them back to Africa. I see you starting a missionary agency that people can trust. What you have experienced and what you write is going to turn the hearts of people to support true missionaries again. What you write is going to make a lot of people angry, and many will hate you, but many more will love you."
Maybe if I was out of Africa I would not feel so pressed to write about all that I see that is wrong. By wrong I mean…living in such utter destruction and poverty is NOT the Kingdom of God. Being from America I am used to extremely high standards of excellence in life. Knowing about Heaven and having the understanding that Jesus’ desire for us is to live in the Kingdom here on this earth. To bring restoration to all that was lost; first to the hearts of men in a first love relationship with the father, then living in freedom from the enemy’s lies and destruction.
Honestly, my friends…my experience in Africa has been like living in hell itself. The hand of the enemy is continuously seen everywhere I look and the people fighting desperately to find a way out but are completely unaware of the unseen forces that are keeping them captive.
For what purpose am I here? To expose the lies of the enemy? To expose the lies that are keeping the people of Africa in bondage? To expose the deceit in missionary work, the fake churches, fake orphanages, fake pastors and prophets, and Oh Yes...fake apostles. I do not attend churches here…if I went I would violently turn over tables. Maybe writing these letters will turn over the tables in some African churches in a greater capacity.
THE FIGHT TO STAY ALIVE
I cannot share all that I have seen and heard...I have learned that I am being watched, so I need to be careful what I write for now. Last week I was violently assaulted physically because I did not agree to buy some property. (I had thought maybe the Lord would use this property for the ministry and children's program) The gossip and slander that went around the village was crazy. All because of money! I could not go outside the house.
The people who violently assaulted me are the people I am staying with. Try going to sleep when spirits of murder are surrounding your bed. I am waiting on the Lord and believe me, it has not been easy knowing that those you are with, whom you thought were God-fearing Christians, have turned against you because of money. There is an incredible lack of respect for God and those He sends to bring truth and freedom to the people. The god of mammon has captivated the hearts of so many making them desperate, fearing starvation and death. Dying from starvation is a reality for the people of Africa, they witness it often. They fight to stay alive.
The African leaders invite you because they believe you are rich...then when you stop pouring money out...they turn, and you see the real motives. It is truly heart-wrenching! I am just waiting for God to give me direction, open the door, and provide the funds to travel. Finding support has been extremely difficult.
HONEST MISSIONARIES OR JUST SILENT?
Why don’t more people speak on this subject? I believe the reason is that most do not spend enough time in Africa to see the truth. Truth cannot be seen from a distance!
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Often victims will not speak due to fear of retaliation.
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The ministers/missionaries don’t want to sound negative and they don’t want to look stupid. Often those in ministry think if they tell people the bad things, they will be seen as “not hearing God” and “have missed it” thinking it will mar their reputation in ministry.
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Showing photos of hungry and starving children stirs emotions and is then used to manipulate people to give. Speaking negatively might hurt their means of support.
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People tend to think ministry is a “blessing” and only positive. Scripture tells us otherwise (i.e. sent out as sheep amongst wolves, betrayed, forsaken, left for dead, hung, slandered, beaten, and even killed.)
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Speaking truth is confronting idols and disrupting territorial strongholds over regions and nations. If God has not sent you, you have no business confronting principalities over continents. The attack from the enemy you will not be ready for unless you are compromising and watering down the message God gave you to confront the wickedness.
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Most are not willing to “give all” and follow the Lord in this capacity.
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Most have given time and money while being ignorantly deceived! They go back to their home country and have no idea they were eloquently scammed in the name of Jesus.
Many missionaries come to places like Africa because they want to help the needy. Very often this is a big set-up to be manipulated and stolen from. Many missionaries are manipulated out of emotions. They see the photos of hungry starving children, they hear stories, and they are swayed emotionally and not by common sense and wisdom. Being led by emotions is how scammers become scammers, they know how to lure ignorant, unsuspecting people through their emotions. If you are reading this and think, "No way could I be deceived like that." Think again my friend, you have probably been deceived and scammed already.
LET'S GET TO THE REAL ISSUE
The horror stories about being scammed are very real and they are very sad. People come here to help the people, but this has little to no effect on solving the real problems. They pour money out, and they build and build and build churches, but what they should be doing is teaching the people to build for themselves. Like that saying, “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime.” I’d like to add “feed his family” also.
The problem in Africa is not a lack of money, this is just a symptom of a much bigger problem. The root of the problem is idolatry (from trusting in man) which turns into generational iniquity. Until this spiritual issue gets confronted and dealt with, the problems will remain. Leaders must repent and turn back to a first-love relationship with the Lord.
The corruption is so severe here in Africa, the vast majority of African Christian leaders live a life of lies and manipulation. They look to man to provide their needs instead of looking to God….scripture says to trust in man is idolatry. Idolatry brings curses -->> Exodus 28 & 29, Jeremiah 17:5 “Cursed are they that put their trust in man.” Manipulation…is witchcraft. 1 Samuel 15:22,23
The people are bringing curse upon curse upon themselves out of utter desperation to just survive. It is much easier to ask people for help….than to cry out to God, repent, and believe Him to provide. The enemy has strategized these curses upon the people of Africa. Look at Africa….it is overladen with curses and has affected the land.
PLEASE...STOP THE IDOLATRY!
Giving is a wonderful thing and missionaries continually give out of the abundance of their hearts. The problem: White people are looked at as being rich. This creates a huge problem. Everywhere you go you are looked at as the answer, the savior, the rescuer (this is idolatry when we trust others and not God). Most people in Africa have no problem asking you for money, even when they don’t know you.
It gets to the point where it feels like people are “hanging on you” out of desperation. The burden gets to be INCREDIBLY OVERWHELMING! You came to Africa to help the people, now you want to hide. Your belongings, people want them. They ask for them. They have no idea all you own anymore is the little you brought with you. Need and lack turn to a spirit of greed and hoarding!
MONEY EQUALS LOVE, OR DOES IT?
In Kenya, right after I arrived in January, the first family I was with, the father left us and was gone for over a month. He did not leave any money or send any money to care for his family. He left his wife, 4 children, and another family member to care for. I guess he just assumed I would care for them. As soon as he returned and I stopped paying for everything and handing out money, this is when they turned against me. The lies, slander, hatred, and betrayal started.
During my stay, my suitcases had been gone through, and things were being taken without asking me. I found out in the very beginning there was no privacy boundaries at all with the people. After I left, I found that my brand new voice recorder had been stolen out of my bags, along with my lapel microphone and Bluetooth earbud.
BASIC NEEDS OF MISSIONARIES
Food and Basic Provision - The families that I stay with are fathers and mothers with between 3-4 children including family members that live with them, then adding me as an extra person. The families do not have any income. For many of us, this is hard to conceive. People here are used to asking others to help them. Jobs are usually non-existent in smaller villages outside the bigger cities.
Christian leaders in ministry that host me, their income depends on the offerings they receive, which is next to nothing. Any money they get goes quickly out of their hands to meet the needs of their families and those in the church (food, water, medical needs, funerals).
At times meals consist only of rice or chapatti (a type of flatbread), and sometimes a type of “greens” that are cut from local plants growing outside the homes. The children drink a porridge that is made from ground Millet. If there is extra money or a special occasion, they will add meat to the meal, but in very small portions and this is rare.
When you are a “white” visiting minister and there is a need in the church they make that need known from the pulpit, loud and clear. The pressure is ON…you feel like all eyes are on you (the white person) to help. After church, you want to just have some time to relax, but there are constant needs with the families…where do they look? You! And believe me, they do not have a problem asking face to face.
ARE WE STILL ON THE SAME PLANET?
I spent 3 days on a bus from Kampala, Uganda, to Kyela, Tanzania. Three days…non-stop. I was excited to leave Uganda, but after 3 days on a bus…I regretted that I did not fly. When I looked at the map, it looked like a straight shot. Nothing is ever a straight shot in Africa. Everything takes much, MUCH longer.
Here in Africa no one is in a hurry, they are used to moving extremely slow. Being from America where things happen in an instant…WOW…I seriously needed more patience. I began to realize that everything is much slower here because of the lack of knowledge and education.
In much of Africa bread is just now becoming popular. Bread, yes, loaves of bread. The quality is bad and incomparable to other countries. Many of the homes still do not have electricity as electric lines are still in their infancy stages. It’s a miracle when the electricity does not go off during the day. Most homes do not have stoves and many still cook outside on charcoal or wood.
In Kenya, we had gone to the supermarket and I had bought meat for the family’s freezer. I wanted to bless this family thinking this meat would last a few weeks. The next day the power went out. Four days later the power came back on.
Often I think…”How is it possible to be on the same planet and there be such a disconnect between countries?” Most countries in the world are decades ahead in everything. Not years, decades.
When ministering to others, understanding their needs is critical. Like Paul said, “I have become all things to all men, that I might win some.” For the last 6 years the Lord has been sending me to Africa and spending time getting to know the people, the cultures, and the spiritual strongholds that influence them.
I have learned this….Nothing is ever the way it first appears. You can talk with someone online, you can text and message for years, and still not know the person. Jesus said to really know people the fruit must be inspected. When you go to the supermarket, you choose fruit that looks good to you.
Every now and then, the fruit you chose, when you cut it open you find it rotten inside. You had to cut it open to see the true condition of the fruit. It is the same way with people. Of all the things I have learned this is what I believe God is trying to get across to us through my experience. It is impossible to know someone until you are around them in a one-on-one, face-to-face relationship for an extensive amount of time, I am talking months. This means spending time together in person daily. Not through video, chat or phone. IN PERSON!! Walking and talking together...doing things, sharing life.
It grieves my heart intensely to know that many people are being taken advantage of, they are being lied to and their money is being stolen from them by giving into ministries that are fake. God wants this to stop! Please, if you know someone giving to a ministry or program in Africa, please have them read these letters.
LIES, LIES, AND MORE LIES
I have had an NGO, a children’s food program in Tanzania since 2019. Last year I found out there was illicit behavior, fraud and donations were being taken without my knowledge. I tried to close the program for over a year. Government officials would not respond to my emails. The local people were still using the name of my NGO and taking donations.
They built a website and copied much of what was on my site, but they were lying to people telling them they were feeding 250 children a day and 350 on holidays. This was a lie. There are no children coming to the house to be fed. I told these people to take the site down. They refused. I told them it was because of the lies that God is not blessing the program. They did not want to listen and just argued with me. People can be so desperate they don’t want to listen. When I challenged them, they got violent with me.
A SHORT REPRIEVE
It’s been two weeks and all is peaceful in the house now, but I can tell they want me to leave. They showed great care for me when I was giving out money, but when I stopped they were distant from me. I am left here all day long by myself, often without food. I am expecting God to make a way out of here, I thought it would have happened by now but I am still waiting. For some reason, God still has me here.
My life has been threatened, not just by people, but by the severe demonic attacks through witchcraft I have faced daily, moment by moment. I have run to God in worship just to breathe and not feel like I was being suffocated. I have heard of people that have actually experienced hell…and this is what it has felt like. It was death surrounding and pressing in on me.
I am anticipating and praying God opens a door VERY SOON to move me on.
Tanzanian Immigration officers showed up at the house and demanded I go to the local immigration office. When I was gone, my laptops were stolen from out of my packed suitcases. Coincidence? No, those around me knew I was writing about my experiences in Africa. I had been threatened by two of the people to stop writing a week before, and after this threat, my laptops were stolen.
MIRACLE...BACK ON AMERICAN SOIL!
I spent 10 months in Africa (4 months in Kenya, 2 months in Uganda, 4 months in Tanzania). I have personally been a victim and witnessed financial fraud, emotional and spiritual manipulation, bribery, destruction of personal property, and theft (electronic equipment and laptops). When I stopped handing out money I was slandered, then verbally and violently assaulted and kicked out of homes. I was targeted wherever I went because I was a “white” American minister.
What I have seen, heard, and personally witnessed is shocking. There are millions of dollars being poured into fake mission projects. Fake orphanages, fake churches run by fake pastors. These fake pastors connect with kind-hearted people from America and Europe, sending invitations to Christian ministers inviting them to minister, and scamming them through the entire process.
People are lured very simply by "the need in Africa" which makes the scam easy. Read that again.
Everyone knows the needs in Africa are tremendous. LISTEN…Jesus did not tell us to "discern" fruit. Fruit MUST BE SEEN and it is IMPOSSIBLE to see fruit from a distance. Jesus used this analogy for a reason. Don't overthink this, it's very simple!
Many Christian ministers are being invited to minister in churches in Africa. Many of these pastors inviting these ministers are professional scammers. They know the Bible and they know exactly what to say.
I have been a missionary and a minister to Christian leaders in Africa since 2016. I have witnessed extensive financial fraud in the name of “Christian Ministry” and missionary projects. The manipulation is so cunning, even those who have been in Christian ministry for decades are most often clueless that they are being manipulated for their money.
These fake Christian leaders are well-versed in Bible scripture and Christian lingo, they know exactly what to say to emotionally and spiritually manipulate ministers and missionaries. These spiritual victims have no idea the entire project is being fabricated and staged. Websites are created that contain fraudulent information. Village children are gathered for photos to represent orphanages that do not exist. These photos are then used to emotionally manipulate people into giving donations.
Spiritual manifestations occurring: Angels appearing and speaking in audible voices that were not angels at all, but demons manifesting as angels of light. Spiritual manifestations like these happening around me that were all manipulation tactics to get me to give more money. People who desire spiritual things easily fall into these traps.
THE HARD TRUTH!
Most ministers and missionaries from other countries do not spend enough time with the people to see the truth. They fly in, preach, visit some starving children, pour out money then leave. The fake leaders are then on a search for their next victims. Most Churches in Africa are businesses, they are formed solely out of desperate attempts to serve as a bailout/rescue from severe poverty: fake pastors are running fake churches and there is no one holding them accountable.
God wants to bless the people of Africa...but the corruption needs to be exposed. Christian leaders need to be held accountable and lawlessness needs to be confronted by local African governments.
The African people desire freedom and success in life. They are very hard workers, but we must stop treating them like disabled children that cannot help themselves. We feel sorry for them and want to help them, but we are not addressing the issue properly. The people of Africa need to be treated with respect and respect means they must be held accountable for their own actions.
It is time we stopped enabling the people of Africa in the cycle of destruction. It is time the cycle of destruction was stopped!
If you would like to join me in helping stop the corruption in African missions, please contact me at stopmissionsfraud@gmail.com The loss I have suffered has been severe. The U.S. Embassy and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are now involved, but African governments need to take responsibility.
(Update March 15, 2023: To this day I still do not know if my NGO is open or closed.) The most aggravating thing through all of this...no one follows through to help.
Blessings & Shalom,
Zanild
