Our team had been walking for awhile, through side streets lined with tiny stores and small square houses with short mammas standing just outside the front doors. Kids were all over the place, most deep into pick up soccer games. It was our team’s “ministry time,” and we had spent the last hour walking around playing football (soccer), talking and praying with people. Nothing was assigned, our time was open to ask God what He might want us to do and follow through with it.
Amanda, my normally bold teammate, was quiet and feeling some what lethargic. When I met her, the first thing I noticed was how her wild, curly, strawberry blond hair, perfectly matched her personality. Amanda doesn’t live her life in trepidation or intimidation and she isn’t afraid of much besides spiders, but who really likes arachnids anyway. Last year she drove taxis in Guatemala, she’s ridden her bike across the country and has no problems talking with people.
I ducked into an internet café to post a blog and my team stayed on the street talking with the owners. Amanda’s face began to swell up. In the past few years she has lived with anaphylactic shock. It comes on strong and fast, her last attack was in Guatemala and after two epi pins and steroids, the doctors told her that she most likely wouldn’t survive another.
Our team started to fervently pray, and Amanda’s face continued to swell and go numb. Spano and I ran for a taxi. Amanda chose to go back to camp first, knowing she could get a ride from there to the hospital if the shock worsened. When we arrived everyone started to pray, while Shawna a paramedic and world racer monitored Amanda’s condition.
The prayers were tangible and God’s presence became very real. Miraculously the swelling subsided. It was amazing! She didn’t need her epi pin, she didn’t have to go to the hospital, God healed her through prayer.
Please pray that our team continues to see God work in powerful ways. Tomorrow we head out to Santa Maria a remote area about two hours from Palenque. I’m so excited about building relationships and investing in people during these next few weeks of ministry!
