Jesus People Podcast – Episode 27
African Missionary: Tear Down Strongholds and Conquer Fear
Host: Ryan Miller | Guest: Carol Ward
Date: July 15, 2025

Episode Overview

In this deeply moving episode, host Ryan Miller sits down with Carol Ward, a third-generation missionary and founder of Favor International, to discuss her calling to some of the world’s most dangerous places in Africa. Carol shares inspiring and harrowing stories of confronting evil, rescuing child soldiers, breaking cycles of trauma, and learning to walk fearlessly through divine love. The conversation weaves through topics of Western culture, spiritual warfare, personal transformation, and the powerful fruits of a life surrendered to Jesus. Carol’s wisdom, experience, and authenticity provide both a challenge and an encouragement for listeners to deepen their faith and live courageously.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Carol's Background and Call to Missions (02:13–05:15)

• Her Roots: Carol is a third-generation missionary who grew up in the Filipino jungle during times of war and terrorism. She witnessed her father’s fearlessness and boldness: “He had no fear. You can’t have boldness if you have any fear. ... His boldness and spiritual authority came from his love for the people. He was willing to lay his life down.” (02:23, Carol)
• Embracing the Call: Prayed to be sent “where no one wants to go,” not realizing it would be the heart of the conflict in northern Uganda, among atrocities led by Joseph Kony and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), responsible for “abducting 50,000 children... we were losing almost 1000 people a day in the north.” (04:31, Carol)

Overcoming Fear Through Love (05:15–09:49)

• Going Alone, Facing Fear: Carol entered war zones as evacuations were happening, rejected by agencies and missions who feared for her life. She recounts a transformative encounter with God:
  “I had fear fighting with fear, because this is a war zone. … And the Lord said, I can’t use you with fear. Fear will paralyze you. ... You don’t need more faith. You’re obeying me. You don’t have enough love.” (06:07, Carol)
• Transforming Fear into Love: On her drive north, Carol was delivered from fear after asking God for a “baptism in love.” She states, “I’ve never had fear since.” (07:47, Carol)

The Cost and Power of Selfless Love (08:41–10:08)

• Living the Gospel: “Their life becomes more important than your own, which is the gospel. ... Paul said, death works in me, so life can work in you. ... They love not their life, even unto death.” (08:49, Carol)
• Carol describes African believers’ willingness to risk their lives for the gospel:
  “I’ll ask them...how many of you want to go north and lay your life down? ... Every hand will shoot up instantly... ‘Why wouldn’t we give what is temporal... to save what is eternal?’” (09:49, Carol)

Contrasting Western and African Spiritual Realities (10:08–14:17)

• Self-Worship & Addiction to Devices: Ryan and Carol reflect on America’s mental health crisis, often fueled by self-obsession and social media. Carol starkly asserts:
  “Our children are being abducted right under our noses with the Internet... every time you open a picture in social media, you have taken a picture, a visual picture of it... our children...are most of the time abducted to evil or just desensitized to good because they become numb.” (11:08, Carol and 12:32)
• Hearing God Clearly: In Africa, Carol says, “our children... have dreams and visions, and Jesus comes to speak to them at night...because they don’t have sensory overload, so they have clear hearing.” (13:15, Carol)

Deepening Personal Communion with Jesus (14:17–19:26)

• Shutting Out the Noise: Carol encourages intentionality – turning off TVs, disconnecting from social media, and dedicating early hours to communion with God:
  “I get up very early, like around 4am and I have a good three or four hours with the Lord before I even start the day. ... So that hearing, his voice... can’t be missed...” (15:37, Carol)
• Sabbath & Deliberate Rest: Carol takes a Sabbath day free of media weekly—“I want that hearing, his voice to be the loudest and that hearing to be so keen and so developed and so sensitive that I can’t miss it.” (15:51, Carol)

Making Prayer and Spiritual Warfare Practical (19:26–21:55)

• Prayer as the Engine of Ministry:
  “Matthew 6:6. If you go into your closet and close the door...and pray in secret, I will reward you in the open...Check your secret prayer. Wow, they're connected.” (20:50, Carol)
• Prayer Movements Becoming Mission Movements: Her team fasts, prays eight hours a day at times, directly linking spiritual breakthrough to visible transformation and rapid growth in ministry: “He’s done in six months what took six years in South Sudan...” (21:30, Carol)

Western Blind Spots Regarding Spiritual Warfare (21:55–24:03)

• Ignorance of the Enemy:
  “The devil has been successful in making a lot of believers in America believe he doesn’t exist...And so if we believe our enemy doesn’t even exist, we’re going to be caught off guard...” (22:26, Carol)
• Spiritual Authority Steps (23:00, timestamps approximate):
  • Know your God (Daniel 11:32)
  • Know your position in Him (Colossians 3:3; Psalm 91)
  • Know your weapons (Ephesians 6)
  • Know your enemy
  • Know your battle (seek God’s strategy)
  • Know your victory (“we fight from a place of purchased victory—it is finished”)

Healing Trauma and Deliverance (24:03–30:00)

• The Process: Healing traumatized children starts with persistent love and prayer, leading them to accept Jesus’ unconditional love, then walking through forgiveness and deliverance:
  “If there's a wound and a whole bunch of flies have been coming on that wound for a long time, they can have a spirit of suicide...That has to be [addressed].” (25:22, Carol)
• Story of Dorcas (26:33–30:00):
  Abducted and trafficked at age 10, forced to kill for politicians—rescued after years of abuse. The healing journey began with “just loving on her and embracing her, and that draws her to Jesus because he is the best friend and father and lover... you just keep on loving.” (28:43, Carol)

The Ministry of Favor International – Explosive Growth and Impact (30:00–37:35)

• Starting Alone, Growing Through Obedience:
  “I started out alone through prayer...God started teaching me night by night in dreams, now do this, now do this...first five years, planted over a thousand churches, 40,000 went through trauma counseling, 500 went through Bible college...” (30:15, Carol)
• A Story of Divine Intervention (32:06–37:35; particularly 34:10–36:10):
  • Carol recounts a near-death encounter with militant rebels while driving through war-torn South Sudan.
  • Instead of succumbing to fear, she shares the gospel—beginning in Genesis and continuing for over three hours—captivating her would-be killers.
  • Memorable quote:
    “You got into this car as a murderer, and you got out as a missionary. And that’s what God is doing every single day in the places I live.” (37:16, Carol)

How Listeners Can Respond and Participate (37:35–39:01)

• Get Involved with Favor International:
  Website: favorintl.org
• Resources: Books, prayer/fasting teachings, and spiritual warfare resources are available.
• Giving: Ryan encourages listeners to give as the Lord leads, with open hands and joyful hearts.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Overcoming Fear:
  “I can’t use you with fear. Fear will paralyze you. ... Perfect love casts out fear.” (06:57–07:10, Carol)
• On Living Sacrificially:
  “Why wouldn’t we give what is temporal... to save what is eternal.” (09:49, African missionaries, retold by Carol)
• On Children Hearing God:
  “They don’t have sensory overload, so they have clear hearing. And that communication is normal between God and his children.” (13:15, Carol)
• On Personal Communion With God:
  “I never get bored. Hours can be gone instantly… Sometimes I worship, sometimes I journal, sometimes I just wash his feet, weeping.” (18:18, Carol)
• On Deliverance:
  “If there’s a wound and a whole bunch of flies have been coming on that wound for a long time...that has to be [addressed].” (25:22, Carol)
• On Miraculous Transformation:
  “You got into this car as a murderer, and you got out as a missionary.” (37:16, Carol)
• On Prayer and Open Blessing:
  “Check your secret prayer. Wow, they’re connected.” (20:50, Carol)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:13] Carol’s missionary background and call to Africa
• [05:15] Entering a war zone; embracing martyrdom and spiritual authority
• [06:07] Breaking the power of fear through a baptism of love
• [10:08] Contrasting African and Western Christianity; dangers of self-obsession
• [12:32] Carol on “abduction” by digital devices and the impact on kids’ spirituality
• [15:37] Building a lifestyle of hearing God; the discipline of solitude
• [19:26] The secret place as the source of ministry fruit and authority
• [21:55] Western misconceptions of spiritual warfare; knowing your battle
• [24:21] Healing trauma; forgiveness and deliverance as foundations
• [26:33] The story of Dorcas: Rescue, deliverance, and redemption
• [30:15] Favor International’s explosive multiplication and strategy
• [32:06] The “border convoy” miracle—converting would-be killers through persistent gospel storytelling
• [37:35] How to get involved, resources, and partnership
• [39:01] Carol’s closing prayer: Overcoming bitterness, forgiving trauma, and deeper communion

Closing: A Prayer for Listeners ([39:02])

Carol offers a powerful prayer over listeners for deepened communion with Jesus and release from bitterness and trauma, declaring:
“I bind every lie and stronghold that would come against the listeners right now... I bind that stronghold of the enemy by the power of the blood. Thank you, Jesus, that you said in John 10 you came to give life and life more abundant. ... And I believe that today is happening, Lord, in the heart of every hearer and every listener.” (39:02–43:01, Carol)

This episode is a clarion call to sacrificial love, spiritual boldness, and intimate fellowship with Jesus—no matter where you are called. Carol Ward’s stories and teachings serve as both challenge and inspiration, offering practical wisdom for conquering fear and partnering with God in radical ways.