From the time I woke up to the time just before we left for evangelism I deemed today as a bad day. Definitely woke up on the wrong side of my sleeping pad and decided to keep it that way.
Until we chose how we were to split up. We decided on who we room with, for me that is Hailey & Emma.
Ok first good thing.
We grabbed some plastic bags full of freshly washed and decently folded clothes and hopped in the van.
Solid 8 minute drive and we were at our first of 3 houses we were scheduled to visit.
Looking outside the window I recognized the house. I’ve been to it before once. I talked to the great grandmother for a lil and the rest of the time the translator and her had a conversation that lasted the rest of the time.
Still high-ish hopes.
Jump out the ac van and greeted the family I see sitting on a big blanket with children coloring.
“Dumelang!” (meaning hello is Setswana)
One woman, a teenage girl, a around 12 year old sister, two trouble making looking 8 year olds and a baby boy around 3.
I didn’t even notice the old lady I met last time. She was on the far right laying on a burlap blanket on the ground under the shade of a big tree. Not sleeping but just laying there, pain in her eyes. My heart broke.
We introduced ourselves and why we were there and asked her for her name. Nowe (NO-WEH).
Emma went on to get an idea of if she Nowe is a follower of Christ.
She wassss!!!
Jesus told me to share the story of Job and it took me a while to explain it but thank God emma and hailey chimed in.
I think it’s so interesting that when we ask how they are doing, they don’t give the default “good” answer or even an answer on their emotional state. They always respond with their physical problems.
Nowe let us know that her arms and legs were in pain.
Hailey asked if we can pray for healing. The answer was yes.
We prayed each individually.
Asked after if she felt any pain still. Because I heard somewhere that not asking if there’s still pain after praying for healing is praying without faith that anything will happen.
Nowe said it still hurts.
We all in our spirits felt the need to pray again. This time we prayed all at once and the translator joined in.
Again asked if she feels better, if pain is still in her joints.
Nowe answered with the cutest lil shoulder dance. SHE WAS HEALED. We all three were actually bursting with joy. I can’t even explain it. Hailey was crying tears of pure joy and emma and I were both sitting there jaws on the floor and just SHOOK. Nowe kept repeating “glory to God. Glory to God.” Amen.
In the midst of thanking Jesus I heard music in the distance and my soul wanted to dance. I asked if Nowe would want to get up and dance for the One who healed her.
She got up all by herself and we started to dance. Hands clapping, shoulders a-movin and praise being poured out from all of us. Nowe sang a beautiful song and showed us her moves.
Jesus.
Thank you.
We asked to take a picture of her so we can remember this exact moment forever and showed her how cute and happy she looks. Nowe wanted a picture of us so she can remember us, I asked if she has a phone. Obviously she didn’t have one. Sitting there kinda bummed we didn’t own a Polaroid I had a breakthrough idea. I’ll draw a realistic portrait of all of us for Nowe. I loose all my pens so my idea was kinda trash but Emma brought a pen! Praise.
Intricately and very detailed I drew us all. And we went around to write our names above our heads. And gave it to Nowe. She loved it.
We said our goodbyes and kissed her hand and went on our way. The van that dropped us off was anywhere but where we were so we walked through the ‘neighborhood’ to another house. One with a makeshift swing that screamed fun. We walked up to a circle of women under the shade of a big tree sitting in chairs.
For women, a cute 5 year old girl & an old old lady sitting in the middle on a blanket.
They very kindly all got us chairs to sit on and join them. Our translator was talking with them for a while. She finally let us know what they were talking about. It was about their life situation; the old woman is related to none of them, but the woman next to her gives here tender love and care for a few months now- not because it’s her job or because she’s getting paid for it but because she wants to. Her name is Kgomotso.
The old woman’s dilemma is that her family is taking her government given ticket for food baskets and eating it all themselves. She is so skinny and frail. But when they tried to take her back she cried and resisted because she hates it there. But she wants her food.
So while telling us this she asked for food. And I tried to remember if I put snacks in my purse other than my sandwich for lunch. I had an orange!! I asked if she liked orange and she let me know she loves oranges and bananas. So while I was peeling the orange for her I let her know that I love bananas too but I haven’t had any in a very long time either. I handed her the orange and she so kindly gave half to the woman that loves and takes care of her, Kgomotso, and Kgomotso gave a slice to the little girl. So sweet seeing the generosity between all of them.
While that was happening our translator asked if we had a message for them. Funny me thought: orange? fruit? sitting under a tree? green? growth? branches? vines? John 15?
So I ran with it. It took a whileeee to speak a line and have the translator translate it. But it happened and then a explained it.
“I am the true vine, and my Gather is the gardener… remain in me as I remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me… If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.. you did not chose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit- fruit that will last- and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you…”
That last part. I’ve seen it being teached in a twisted way this month. When it was finally all translated hailey asked me if I wanted to share what happened at the other house. I wasn’t sure how it ties in so I asked her to share it.
She went on to speak John 14:13 “and I will do whatever you ask in in my Name so that the Father may be glorified.” That in the last house we asked in the name of Jesus that Nowe would be healed so that God may be glorified through this miracle we had the privilege to be used for. It produced much fruit in us, showing that we are true disciples; that we actually follow in Jesus footsteps- doing what He did.
And then she asked if any of them need healing. Immediately Kgomotso said her hand is in a lot of pain for about a month and a half because of the “dropping needle”( in assuming she means an iv) so we so confidently like I’ve never seen before got up and sent over to Kgomotso and kneeled beside her and laid hands on her pain. One by one we prayed powerful and bold prayers over her, already thanking God for the healing.
We asked how it felt and she said it feels a bit better but it still hurts, the women around were kind of laughing. But we asked boldly to pray again. This time we prayed all at one and someone closed. With our spiritual authority we rebuked the spirit of pain in the name of Jesus. Invited the presence of the Lord God Almighty to fall on this woman before us for His glory right now.
Emma closed and again asked how she felt.Kgomotso was moving around her hand in ways knowing that it would hurt. Because that’s naturally what you’d do when you’ve been in pain for a long time.
Translation got weird but then we were told that she felt no pain whatsoever we were hugging her and praising Jesus from the rooftops. Jesus what the heck. Wow. Just wow. Thanks!
We let her know that Jesus did that, Jesus took her pain away, that she is capable of doing that. And immediately she pointed to the old lady she is caring for and said ” go heal her”.
Sweet.
We got up ,walked over and kneeled by this old old lady. Mind you so old that they come right by her ear, pull back her thin head wrap from her ears and yells at her, and the old lady still says “huhhhh???” She’s still so cute though.
We ask her where the pain is and she hand motions us to all over. So we laid hands all over her body. One by one before God, we lift this woman up to Him. Calling on the name of Jesus, for this one thing only so that His glory may be shouted through this woman. Communication took a while with translation in Setswana but we find out it still hurts. So I’m faith we pray a second time. I was reminded that even Jesus prayed twice for healing of a blind man. Jesus, half man and half God Himself prayed twice. So how many more times must WE pray.
Again we ask if the pain has ceased completely and the frail lady mentions that her right eye causes her so much pain that she cannot sleep at night.
In faith no matter how awkward it was to ask to pray AGAIN, we did. I prayed thanking God for being constant and faithful to His character. And for her to experience for the first time what it feels like to rest in His presence.
As the drill goes, we ask how she feels and she responded saying her eye pain had STOPPED. And began to explain how she KNEW she’d finally be able to sleep tonight. She was so soooo thankful, the touched all of our shoulders and wanted to give us handshakes and we kissed her hand.
At this point the van that had dropped us off a few hours ago had finally came and the women from the organization had gotten off the van and came to talk to the other 4 women from the family. The old lady joined their conversation and so we said our goodbyes & thank yous and left because we understood nothing they were saying lol. Finally got into the van and ate our lunch while sharing what we just experienced with Shane and Kelsey already in the van. It was so encouraging hearing what happened at the house they went to, that God is working through all of us all over the village.
A 20 or so minute ride passed and we arrived at our last house. Right from the get go it was hectic because the woman we drive with were trying their fastest to get out a butt ton of food out and to the lady of this new house. But once the commotion subsided and they finally left Emma, Hailey and I got her undivided attention!
Introduced ourselves to her and her son that is our age and why we’re here, you know the drill, and asked her how she is. She got straight to the point and told us her legs hurt so bad. From the moment we hopped of the van we saw her legs were incredibly swollen. They were like tree trunks. Emma had asked if she was Christian and if she believes that Jesus can heal her and if she wants that healing.
She said YES. and so we got on our knees around her and while we were praying her son had gotten up and took off his hat, changed into a nice shirt and got on his knees with us and joined us in prayer over his mothers healing. We prayed a second time because after the first time she had said it feels better but there’s still excruciating pain. Again got on our knees with her son before the living God. And in faith like never before Hailey asked how she feels. The mother started shaking her legs and stomping her feet with the biggest smile of confusion on her face. She didn’t know what not feeling pain felt like. She had gotten up without any help to go to the “bathroom” and while she was gone her son was explaining to us that he is in awe because just earlier today she couldn’t even move and the fact that she is going to the bathroom by herself had him shook.
For the next two hours we were stranded at their house we made the most out of it and had the most fruitful conversation and had quite a few belly laughs together. At some point it was Emma I think that had asked if the son wanted prayer for anything. He said he was good- that the He ailing for his mom was enough for him. But we didn’t take that answer, Emma asked what he reaaaalllly wanted prayer for. He caved in and shared that he dropped out of school in form 2 ( 8th grade) and he doesn’t do anything but he wants a job. I asked what kind of job does he want so I can be specific in my prayer- so I know what I’m praying for and be bold about it.
Him: any job
Me: aaany job?
Him: yes
Me: so you want me to pray for an opportunity for you to dig holes?
Him: no no noooo
Me: exactly, what job do you want
Him: a bus driver
So we prayed and he got on his knees while receiving the prayer we prayed one at a time. Then we continued in our conversation about all different kinds of things. The boy we prayed over would bring funny things to show us, like an empty turtle shell that looks like the turtle Thyme got for her birthday this month and other things of the sort. And randomly he had told us that he wants a was to tell us how God answers the prayer.
I know that seems like such a boy excuse to get our Facebook but he was being truthful when he asked. Which was so cool.
That was the last house we went to. God. Wow. 2 Corinthians 12:9 “each time he said ‘my grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So I am glad to boast about my weakness, so the power of Christ can work through me.”
Howl you like It. I just wanted to finish this blog so thanks for being patient. At 7 ish today I’ll start my 17+ hours bus trek to South Africa for my 5th and 6th month on the race. Please pray for safe travels for my squad, and the most restful sleep that’s physically possible on a crowded public bus.
God bless
-grace 🙂
