For many years, I have believed in the supernatural power of God. During my outreach to the Philippines in 2011, I witnessed over 20 healings! Since being on the race, I have heard of and personally observed serveral miracles. Just this past week, we had the honor of praying for an elderly Maasi woman with pain throughout her body. She asked us to pray for her and after we prayed, she began moving her arm around without pain! She had been healed!
I love reading through the Gospels because I love reading about the healings Jesus performed during his life on earth. For the most part, I believe I have the faith to see such miracles occur today – Jesus tells us we only need faith the size of a mustard seed and we can say to a mountain "move for here to there" and it will move, nothing will be impossible for us – I believe I possess that amount of faith.
However, over the last two weeks, I have doubted in God's ability to heal me!
Early February 3, I accompanied a teammate to a local clinic – she was extremely sick with diarrhea and vomiting. Once there, the doctor hooked her up to an IV to receive fluids. While I was there with her, I too become sick! I vomited in the bushes several times while neighborhood kids watched. I didn't know what else to do, but smile and wave! 🙂 Then I quickly walked away!
After throwing up repeatedly, I thought it was a good idea to receive fluids too. The doctor attempted to find a vein, but after three failed attempts, I refused to let him try again! Each attempt became more painful than the last – first in my right forearm, second in my right hand, then finally in my left foot. I opted to hydrate orally at this point.
During our time at the clinic, Ashlee (my team leader), was communicating with another team leader, Andrea, who is also a nurse in the States. She recommended we go to a "real" hospital – she was taking two of her sick teammates and offered to pick us up on the way. We followed her advice.
They arrived nearly an hour later, we loaded into the van, and drove down extremely bumpy "roads" towards the hospital in Arusha Town.
Hospitals in foreign countries are interesting – you pay for EVERYTHING in advance, where as in America, you are billed after your treatment. We first checked in with the reception desk and then immediately paid for our visit and consultation. Then we saw the doctor, who listened to our symptoms and ordered the appropriate tests. Then we paid the lab fees, went to the lab – he took blood and a urine sample – then waited for the results. The doctor reported the results – I didn't have malaria, typhoid, or anything else – but they wanted to admit me overnight to receive fluids – I elected to receive the fluids without staying overnight. Then I paid for the IV before getting it!
When the nurse came in, we asked if Andrea could administer my IV – to our surprise, the nurse agreed! Andrea did an amazing job – hitting a vein with no trouble! After receiving two liters of fluids, I was discharged and we headed home.
The next day, I discovered bruising on my foot (I was surprised after the trauma he inflicted on me). However, I also discovered immense pain when I pointed my toes! I figured the pain would go away after a few days; however, a week later, the pain remained. The team had prayed for it several times, but the pain remained. Ashlee contacted Andrea to ask if the pain was normal – it was not!
I broke down, extremely worried about what to do! I did NOT want to go back to the hospital! The team immediately surrounded me and prayed. During their prayer, I LACKED faith in God's ability to heal me.
Despite my lack of faith, after they prayed I flexed my foot and 90% of the pain was gone! I honestly did not want to admit that most of the pain was gone; when they asked how it was, I said it was hard to tell and I'd let them know in the morning.
The next morning, I tested it it, and shared that most if the pain was indeed gone!
On Tuesday, February 12, we went to a missions conference at Ngaramtoni Bible College, a 30 minute walk from our village.
The thing that appealed to us about going was the fact that the speakers were American! We were excited to hear good preaching in ENGLISH spoken by Americans! Little did we know what God had in store for us there!
We arrived late; the conference had already begun. We took our seats and listened as introductions were underway. Within a few minutes of our arrival, the first speaker, Gary, began preaching on Jesus as the model leader. It was good and encouraged us to keep serving, as Jesus came not to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom. During this message, the speaker noticed us in the crowd, asked us to stand and recognized us as missionaries serving in Tanzania! I guess it wasn't hard for him to notice a few white girls mixed in the middle of several hundred Africans!
The next speaker, Royce, got up. Before he began his message, he began describing someone in the crowd, a girl in a green shirt with glasses – that girl was our very own, Shelli! He had a word from the Lord for Shelli! It was powerful and was our first indication into the anointing on this man!
After he shared the word for Shelli, he immediately transitioned into his message. He spoke on Three Things about Stretching:
- Expect the unexpected
- Pray for the impossible
- Live in the reality
As he made his points, he said the enemy will tell you NOT to expect miracles! That's certainly true, I thought, and was certainly the case for me. The enemy discouraged me; he got me to believe that God can't heal my foot. I also thought it was funny that Royce spoke on stretching when that was the very thing I couldn't do without pain. If this man was speaking God's truth, God often stretches those he indents to use. He stretches us beyond our own ability to a place where we're fully reliant on him and his ability.
The session ended and Daniel, our contact, told us we were leaving. When we got outside he told us we had been invited to eat lunch with the speakers! We were excited to eat with Americans – we get really excited ANY and EVERY time we see other white people, as it is a rare occurrence.
During lunch, we introduced ourselves and explained what the World Race is and what we've done over the last five months. We were encouraged, given words as a team, blessed financially, and prayed over! After they prayed over the team, I asked for them to pray over my foot. I briefly explained the pain I was experiencing after my trip to the clinic and also explained how the team prayed over it a few nights earlier and much of the pain subsided then.
They quickly and graciously surrounded me and began proclaiming healing over my foot. In that moment, I too believed that God could heal me and actually felt the Holy Spirit fill me with his presence. (Ashlee later told me that my eyelids were rapidly fluttering during the prayer time!)
When they finished praying, Royce asked me to test my foot and do what I hadn't been able to do and stretch my foot. I flexed it and the pain was GONE! The girls and everyone in the room was ecstatic!
God healed more than my foot that day, he also healed my faith. I now recognize the lie the enemy spoke over me but now believe in God's supernatural power to heal me! It wasn't an immediate healing; my foot was prayed over several times – once by my team and once with the American missions group – before it was healed.
The circumstances surrounding each miracle look different. For me, God wanted to bring me to a place of believing in his ability to heal before he actually healed me. For others, they are healed through the faith and belief of those prancing for healing.
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news;
The good news of peace and salvation,
The news that the God of Israel reigns!
Isaiah 52:7
