Today started out just like any other day. Steve, one of the pastors in the church, Jessica Sims and I were partners for going door to door, and needless to say we were pretty pumped about it. Jessica’s just awesome in general and Steve’s got a passion and joy for the Lord that radiates off of him, and let me tell you, it’s contagious.
We walked down the dirt roads filled with mud puddles that I can’t help but slip on no matter how slow or careful I’m walking. We then came to a tall, steel gate that led us into a yard filled with about 5 children, 3 older women that were washing their laundry in buckets and a boy about our age that was climbing a big tree in the yard. Something about the boy caught me off guard, but I thought maybe he was just joking around with the younger kids.
Steve led the way through the gate and we shook everyone’s hands as we introduced ourselves. One of the woman invited us into her home, so we proceeded in and took a seat. The room was about 8′ by 8′ and was filled with two couches facing eachother, a small table in between the couches and to the left of us were bunk beds that I’m sure the family shared, a common setup here.
Jessica and I explained we had come from the U.S. to share the love that God had shown us. She said that she was a born again Christian and said she had complete faith in who God is.
*It is fairly obvious which people are true believers and which are not. You can see a joy and hope in their eyes, and really in their overall beings. I don’t know how to explain it, but you can see Christ in them. The non-believers that we’ve met look lost, hopeless. ***
We were extremely glad to hear of the faith in Christ that she already had and asked if there was anything that we could pray for her about.
She began to explain that her 20 yr old son, Thomas, who we had seen climbing on the tree outside had gotten sick when he was one yr old, and since then had become “deaf and dumb”, and he also had epilepsy. As she was telling us this, you could hear him jumping and running around outside screaming randomly. I think we could all feel the presence of the enemy and we were ready to see Thomas receive freedom. Steve has seen demonic possession firsthand numerous times, even within his own family, and it was no mistake that that’s what was happening here. Thomas’s mother continued to tell us that his sickness had put a huge burden on her and she didn’t feel peace at all inside or in her home.
*I understand that this whole idea of demons may be very new to some of you, it was and still is new to me. However, demon possession is extremely common in Africa. I believe we also have these spirits in America, they just show up in different ways. ***
Steve and Thomas’s mom went to bring him inside – and as Steve tried, Thomas punched him in the jaw. Thomas’s mom was eventually able to bring him in. I quickly prayed for spiritual and physical protection over Jess, Steve and I. She then closed the front door so that he would stay in the house with us as we prayed. Steve walked into the porch area to try to bring him in the living room, but Thomas was uncontrollable at this point. He was acting very animalistic as he continued to scream and jump on top of the dressers in the porch.
At this point, we all began praying for Thomas. Steve then came forward with an authority only Christ could give and he began declaring freedom from what was possessing Thomas. What came next through all of us off. Thomas completely stopped what he was doing, walked into the living room past Jessica and I and stood directly in front of Steve. Steve then put one of his hands on Thomas’s head and Thomas looked directly into his eyes as he was praying. I truly believe that the demon was hearing the authority that Christ has given Steve and he was backing down. For as crazy as Thomas was going and then to watch him stop jumping and screaming and walk directly to Steve was pretty crazy. It was almost like something was pushing Thomas to him…man, that was a God thing. Steve was able to pray for about 10 minutes, and then Thomas started moving around again.
We then prayed peace over his mom, their family and their house. We encouraged her that God had heard our prayers, and it was only a matter of time before she would hear and see her son speak again.
I’ve felt like something big was going to happen in Africa for months now. Really, since before training camp. Prior to coming on the race, I’m sure I would have been so scared in the situation today. Fully knowing and understanding how powerful, mighty and big God is has completely changed the idea of fear for me. I knew that in asking God for protection today, He would protect us and nothing could harm us. I had complete peace and confidence praying against the enemy in that situation. I feel like this is the type of thing that I’ve been waiting for. Of course, I’m not out looking to fight against demons and I don’t feel joy seeing people possessed, but I truly feel that this is something that God is calling me to do while we’re here.
The bible isn’t just a bunch of nice stories from the past. Our God is the same God that healed the sick and raised the dead 2,000 years ago.
We’re going to back to see Thomas and his family next week. I’ll continue praying for him until then and after we leave Kenya. I have complete faith that he’ll be able to hear and speak again. If we don’t see it before we leave, I have faith that it will happen. Everything is in God’s timing…but I’m still praying that that His timing will be within the next week while we’re still here in Kenya J
