Our first week in Madagascar was interesting. As the first World Race squad to enter Madagascar the enemy wasted no time in attacking us.
Our first day of ministry was on Monday the 7th, and we had about 3-4 people out sick. The next day, Tuesday, we had 10 people added to that list. Then Wednesday a few more, myself included. That day we had a total of 20 people out sick. We all went to the doctor and were told we had Strep throat.
That night I woke up before 3 and couldn’t sleep. I went to the bathroom and felt very uneasy and like something was watching me. I got back in bed and just sat there praying over my squadmates and all of a sudden I hear one of the girls screaming, “No! No! Don’t do it!” I go to her and one of her teammates is already with her. She was having a nightmare, so we prayed for her, but I still couldn’t sleep. I ended up falling asleep around 4. That day, Thursday, I didn’t go to ministry, because the Lord asked me to pray for the girls, their beds, the room we are staying in and I was still slightly sick.
After lunch, one of our squadmates pulled a few of the girls aside and asked for prayer and shared what she experienced that night. She had woken up a few seconds before our squadmate started screaming, with a pain in her head and she saw a cloud of darkness. A few other girls had woken up praying before our squadmate screamed. It was evident that the Lord needed us ready for whatever was about to happen.
Friday, I went to ministry and this day we decided we would go home early. To go back home you take two different transports, so as I was getting off the first one, how it happened I do not know, but I fell and slammed my right cheek and arm against a concrete slab. My knee got a hard hit, but I was walking and laughing. I literally thought there was going to be blood. The sound that came from hitting that slab was pretty intense, but there was no blood and my teeth are intact. Thank you Jesus! As I walked I asked God what happened, he said, ” the enemy wants to distract you,” I was like, “okay.”
So we waited for the next transport, which was about 15 minutes. We got on, sat down and for the first time had my own sit, which is rare, and all of a sudden I felt strange, but I kept telling myself to stay awake. (Moving vehicles put me to sleep and I have fallen asleep on most of the ones we had taken, but for some reason there was something in me saying not to go to sleep this time).
I guy sat next to me and I felt a need to talk to him, but then I remembered he probably doesn’t speak English, so instead I stared out the window. As I was sitting there everything was getting blurry, but I kept telling myself “No! Don’t sleep!”
Next thing I know I see my teammate Vivian in front of me, Julie holding my hand, Ari praying over me and the guy holding me and fanning me. I automatically thought, ” I fainted. How embarrassing,” but it turns out that wasn’t all that happened.
When I wouldn’t respond, Viv checked my pulse and in doing that I started to have a seizure. That had never happened and caught me off guard, but then again it didn’t. On Tuesday night when I was fighting off a fever, I had a dream I was having a seizure and my mind went to that when Viv said I had just had one.
The rest of the ride home, I felt drained and tired, but wanted to know what happened. I asked God again and he said the same thing, “the enemy is trying to distract you. He wants you to be afraid.” I was so drained, couldn’t even keep my eyes open and I couldn’t even get mad at the devil for messing with me.
After talking to those who were with me when it happened, two of the girls said they could feel evil in the air when it was happening and they were rebuking satan and the evil left when I woke up. One of them had had the same dream I had the same night, but about herself.
This month a lot has happened. I am now team leader. Our new name is Team Forefront. Our team leader was moved to another team, so she can focus and spend more time with the Lord and I truly believe that we will be Seven Strong again. I’ve begun to use the voice the Lord has given me and the enemy is not happy.
So what I ask from you all is that you would pray for our squad, the Malagasy people and Madagascar. For a long time satan has been controlling this country, but that ends now. Please pray for freedom in this place. Pray for protection and boldness over our squad. That we would rise up and see ourselves through the eyes of Christ. And please be praying for our families, because when the enemy can’t get to us, he attacks those closest to us, so please pray protection over them. Pray an army of angels surrounds them.
Lastly, God is about to do something great in Madagascar and the enemy is afraid and trying to trip us up, but we will not fall. We will continue to fight. NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST US SHALL PROSPER!!!
