Now, I guess this story actually starts in 2012 when I went to Kenya with my college group from my church in Oklahoma. I had never had spiritually significant dreams until that July. Little did I know, the dream God gave me influence my life 3 years later. Towards the end of this dream, there was a person in a cloak whom I was running past. They dropped something, so I went back to help them. I quickly realized this person intended harm so I ran to the vehicle I had been on my way to. I turned around, and there the man was with a hollow rock with the face of a skull already thrown and halfway to me. I yelled without hesitation or thought,”I rebuke you in the name of Jesus”, and the rock fell before harming me. A second and third time the cloaked, hidden faced man threw his weapon at me. I followed a second and third time, without hesitation, ” I rebuke you in the name of Jesus” and he fled. I’ve always been confused about that dream and what it had meant. In fact, I had just spoken to a squad member month 3 in Haiti about how I was confused about what that part of the dream had meant. Just keep this in mind, it will all make sense soon! Just be happy you are not having to wait three years to find out how!
Present Day: (well, this part isn’t part of the dream!)
It was a Sunday morning in Antigua, Guatemala when Kevin, Ryan, Megan and I went for a hike up the mountain, about 10 minutes from the hostel, which overlooked Antigua. We walked a few blocks and finally arrived at the entrance of the mountain. We found steps that led straight to the top. The path was surrounded by trees, grass, and other things you find in wooded areas with only the four of us venturing to be there so early. Kevin had his guitar and backpack, the rest of us were still in the clothes we slept in and sweaters so that we could be comfortable in the brisk air. Once we were at the top, we were mesmerized. The 5:30am skyline was beaming colorful and bright, the 12ft white cross towered in front of us, the beautiful pastel painted city below us, the volcano was topped off with clouds in the far distance, and we inhaled the crisp morning air as we adored the creation we were so blessed with, which gave us more reasons to fall in love with our Father. We sat down on a bench, Kevin on the far left, Megan in the middle, Ryan on the right, and myself on the cobblestone ground to the right of Ryan in front of the bench, looking at the cross and seeing the city beyond us. Behind us were beautiful woods consisting of thin and tall trees which filled the surrounding area evenly. So, there we sat, on the bench at the foot of the cross, overlooking the city. We had spent a few minutes taking pictures and then Ryan started talking about what The Lord had been showing him, “I remember my mom looking at me with tears in her eyes, telling me that she knows Jesus loves her, because no man would endure what He unrightfully did.” As Ryan shared that thought, Kevin had started playing his guitar. There was a moment of silence, our minds were filled only with the noise of our own thoughts and the guitar plucking that filled the surrounding atmosphere.
We were lost in our own thoughts, our own hearts, preparing to enter into a time of worship at the cross. Then, in the time of a single breath, everything changed.
I’ve never experienced a time in which the atmosphere changed so dramatically in the matter of a single breath. What took place in less than a minute,felt like I was living in the slow motion scene of a horror movie. Ryan turned around, while the rest of were worshipping. “No!” we heard Ryan shouting, and even though he was right next to us the sound seemed distant and echoed. I turn around, first I see feet walking towards us, then I notice jeans, and realize he is getting closer than he was a hlaf second ago. I am slightly in shock and in state of confusion as I see the man standing right over Ryan’s head with a huge, jagged rock held in his raised hand. He had a red bandanna tied around his face. That’s the moment that felt the most surreal. I cannot put the amount of fear I felt in that moment into words. I’ve never experienced a fear like that before. It was the kind of fear that caused your bones to freeze, your muscles to jump and your brain to blank. The kind of sudden fear that causes all logic to be overruled by confusion so strong that instincts are no longer instinctual but thought out, which makes explaining it all really confusing. I was frozen. We were all frozen.
Ryan was quick on his feet “No!” he shouted again as the man towered over us. “Guys, run!”, Ryan shouted as he stood from the bench noticing there was not only one, but three men standing behind us. One behind Megan towering over her with a jagged rock and the other was approaching Kevin with a stick that looked more like a baseball bat. It was then I realized we were being attacked. I leaped up from the ground, Ryan said “Run” so I ran. Once I got to the cross, I realized there was no where to run, there was no way of escape because we were on the top of a mountain.The only way to go was down, but the only path down was above the bench we were sitting at, which meant going through what threatened us so suddenly. I was overcome with fear, “they’re here to kill us! Our team is going to find us here beaten to death” I heard black cat fireworks go off from down the mountain (fireworks are common and set off at all hours of the day in Guatemala.) I thought they had a gun. “There’s no way we can out run a gun,” which caused me to pause and grasp where the other three were. The initial shock and time for fear to control my actions had run out. Reason was beginning to set in. I was on the other side of the cross now, right in front of it. I had fallen on my knees in fear a moment ago and was starting to stand when I saw Ryan was on my left and had just been confronted by one of the robbers. Meg was still close to the bench and there was a robber between us. I looked at Kevin, who was standing where he was sitting whacking the robber who was holding the the stick with his guitar. I was going up to get Megan, when the man who was between us met me in the middle. I had my bag over my person, I believe that is what he was going for. I stopped. I was screaming “NO” with all I had in me. I was paralyzed by fear again, it gripped my thoughts, it choked my reasoning, and it suffocated all the things I would hope to do in a situation like that. He stood directly in front of me, jagged boulder raised above his head in his hand, and something happened that can only be described as divine.
God had broke through my fear, and it was as if I was reliving the dream I had in Kenya. I was overcome in boldness. I planted my feet firmly, I squared myself up with the masked robber, and looking directly in his eyes I yelled, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus!” I paused and held my throat and looked around in confusion after I yelled it the first time, I thought it was someone behind me who said it. I had no idea a voice so deep, manly and bold could come from me! I realized there was a robber still standing over me, so I belted it again “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus!” This time, I was less shocked but still surprised at what was coming from me. I started to yell it again, and the red masked robber slowly brought his hand to his mask, and placed his finger over what would have been his mouth. So, I continued a third time, “I rebuke you in the name of Jesus!” and he dropped his boulder and all three of the robbers ran away. I was in shock. I watched them run away to my left, all taking different paths. Relieved because they were no longer immediate threats. Megan and I grabbed each other and Ryan yelled at us to run. “Where? Where do we go?” “Just go!” he replied.
Megan and I picked a side of the mountain, the direct opposite of where the robbers went. We held hands and made our way down through thick trees, sporadic thorn bushes, and leafy and pine needle covered grounds that were slippery. The entire way down, we were in such shock. Between our gasping breaths for air, we could only speak the name of Jesus. We finally found the bottom of the mountain, and ended up in a woman’s yard. She directed us to the Main Street. We found the entrance of the park and waited for Ryan and Kevin. One minute felt like five. We waited for 15 minutes, leaning on one another, praying and thanking God for His protection. From down the street, we see Kevin and Ryan about 2 blocks down from us. They ran towards us, we ran towards them, and it felt like forever before we finally reached each other. We finally made it. Kevin without his shoes and both men had a few scrapes and bruises. We ended without our stuff, but we were all safe and that was what mattered.
I have another post coming soon, (because this one is really long!) and I’ll tell you about the aftermath and lessons learned. I’m still in that process… But, I’ll write about it in the next week or so! This is only what happened, there’s so much more to a story than the facts of what happened!we are not in a war against flesh and blood….
Stay tuned!
with love,
Andie
