Someone once told me that nothing scares the devil so much as a group of people on fire for Christ. They said that the highest compliment a believer could be paid was to be spiritually attacked because that meant that God was using them in a big way.
Well, by that interpretation, the devil has been complimenting us a lot lately and I can’t say I’m enjoying all of it. There’s been these spirits of depression, isolation, apathy, anger, confusion, division, and distraction that have been just flying at us. Every single one of us has been feeling the strain in a big way. There’s been stuff that suddenly happens back at home and stuff that goes really wrong here, peaceful situations in genuine ministry suddenly turning not so peaceful.
It’s been awful.
But oh man guys,
it’s been so wonderful too.
God is using us to impact this community in Canoa (Ecuador), our homes, and each other in huge ways. He’s opened doors with the young men, with the kids, with whole families, and more for us to build relationships with, show them Christ’s love, and minister to. He’s even given us opportunities to share his truth where the enemy’s been trying his best to block us.
Did you know that two years ago, an earthquake (7.8 on the Richter scale) totally devastated this town and those around it? Hundreds of people died, hundreds lost their homes, countless people were injured in life altering ways. We asked a resident here how long the quake lasted and he told us, “It lasted a lifetime… but it only took 58 seconds”. Less than a minute and their worlds were forever changed. Since that day there’s been this darkness here, this creeping numbness. People don’t want to hear about a God that loves them, if there was one then how could this happen?
The enemy has been throwing everything he’s got on these people, walling them in pain and darkness. But God opened doors in what seemed like the randomest of ways. Its incredible to look back and realize that those “random” ways were actually Him in His wisdom bypassing the walls and trenches the enemy labored so hard on.
Currently we are staying in a hostel owned by a family with a broken home. The parents are only there for the daughter. They see enough tourists here to know they’re all the same, here to party, they don’t care about them. They certainly don’t get close with them! Why would they care to?
But God is using the relationship we’ve built with the little girl to impact the parents. The enemy’s been doing his best to destroy their concept of love, but God is using this time to show them what His love, His real, unconditional, crazy love looks like.
Young men here view women as inferior, and they view American girls simply as a way out. They pursue them but they don’t become just friends with them, they don’t hang out with them, they certaintly don’t talk about religion with them. How can a rich American (and a girl no less) possibly understand real life?
But God opened the door for us simply by starting with an open game of volleyball that lead to soccer, surfing, and finally a conversation. We now have 20+ young men who see us as aquaintances who aren’t like other girls (the same men who were catcalling before), and 3-4 who see us as real friends that they genuinely want to talk to. Last night we had this amazing deep conversation with one of them about his relationship with Christ and how he isn’t unworthy to be loved by God. -Halfway through the conversation we had to run (literally) cause of a sudden drunken brawl around us, so that was interesting, but that’s not the end of that. Devil came out swinging, but we’re going back praying, lol. –
So, when the enemy comes at us swinging, two things I’ve learned. One, we can’t ignore the attacks of the enemy. When there’s a spirit of depression we fight it together with the Lord through prayer, the same when there’s division or isolation or anger or pride. Part of following Christ strongly is being on guard and learning to guard each other too.
Also, though, it really is a compliment, and we don’t have to be afraid of it. God can catch anything the devil throws our way, and He’s not gonna turn the light off just cause there’s a little darkness. On the contrary, it’s in the darkness that the light shines brightest.
So please keep Canoa and this team in your prayers. When the enemy is coming at everybody this hard you know God’s getting ready to do some even more amazing things. We are excited to see what else He has in store!
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P.S –
(Update on my Fundraising)
God has been so faithful! $12,200 has already been raised! I still have $800 to raise by my next deadline at the end of the month and $5,200 left to raise by April, but I know that God will continue to provide. Thank you all so much for your support!
P.P.S- A friend told me I should be careful about sharing about the drunken fight that happened, so I feel that I should explain that we are very safe here and God’s hand was so clearly over us the whole night, so no worries. The enemy is very real, but our God is greater.
