YALL, let me just say that every week so far on the race has been compact with SO MUCH spirit filled awesomeness, growth and once again bread, lots and lots of bread (the perk of living above a bakery).
This week… all I can say I WOW Jesus.
I began the week by conquering my fear of heights and went PARAGLIDING. Every Monday and Tuesday our team has “adventure days” or “off days” from ministry… but ya gurl still talked to her paragliding instructor about Jesus, so even on “off” days, we still ministering. Literally couldn’t help but praise Jesus the entire time. I mean I’m in the sky with the birds, feeling free, wild and whole all at the same time. I look below me and around me and all I could manage to spit out was “Man Jesus, this is all YOURS.” Such an incredible experience. (I even teared up a little bit- one of the happiest moments of my life).
Our ministry days are Wednesday – Saturday and then church on Sundays and time with our team/ squad. We began the week by spending the entire day on Wednesday sharing our struggles with each other and becoming more vulnerable within our squad.
This was not easy for me.
Part of my story is a chapter of healing. I thought I was done with this chapter of my life but being on the race has brought some things to light for me and exposed some of the wounds I still have that I thought I had cleaned out and healed from.
But the Lord is still working on me.
When I stepped up before my group and shared some of my struggles, I felt a sense of security, a freeing feeling of coming to terms with things that I still struggle with and bringing them to light. It was as if a weight had been lifted off my chest. I begin to realize as each person came forward from our team and shared parts of their story, that vulnerability is having courage and it is also contagious (thank you Teresa- my squad mentor, for sharing that with us).
The unity on this team is SPIRITUALLY INSANE! It’s truly a God-thing.
Thursday night I helped once again with agua panela. We walk about 5 blocks from the ministry host we are living at to a park. Here we split up into groups and pass out pamphlets about the mission organization we are partnering with this month and give out bread and water to the homeless. I had been praying for Pandora and Sophia (the 2 transgenders I met the week before), so I was very eager to go down what they call “the street of sin” once again with hopes that I could see them and continue to build a relationship with them.
We began walking and the first person we encountered was Sophia. She remembered us and I prayed with her again. I am reminded that ministry is not always about leading someone to Christ- Yes that is an AWESOME thing, but it is also about watering the seeds that are being planted.
Next, we came across a homeless man named Julio. As we began to speak to him, he shares that he does not want us to pray for him. He said that he has something inside of him and he is afraid of it.
He was adamant about us not praying for him.
We started to walk away, and I felt the Holy Spirit tell me to just talk to him some more. So, I pulled Nana (our translator) to the side and said can you please translate for me to him once more.
I kneeled in front of him and I said, “whatever is inside you that you are afraid of, God can heal you from it and cast it away from you.”
As we began to speak to him some more, he began to cry. You could see the confliction in his eyes. Even though he still didn’t want us to pray over him, I told him that is ok, but we will continue to be praying for him.
When we left him, myself and some of the others in my group felt an immediate weight.
It was heavy on my chest.
As we continued walking down “the street of sin,” we came across a young girl and as one of my teammates prayed over her, she began to laugh with a rebellious spirit. Some people literally fled from us and purposely avoided us.
Yall, the enemy did not want us there.
It was such a contrast from the week before when we felt such peace.
Now we felt weight and honestly felt defeat.
But we stopped walking and began to pray as a group. Calling the enemy to get back, because we were NOT about to let him keep us from ministering to these people. We rebuked the weight we were feeling and continued to walk down the street.
We noticed a woman in pink sitting by herself on the street. As we approached her, we noticed she was obviously under the influence of drugs and was also drinking. We began to talk to her and then she told us she wanted to received salvation. I began to pray, and she repeated after me. In the middle of our prayers, she began to pray on her OWN! And I’m like OK Holy Spirit I see you working!
Right there, in midst of all the heaviness and darkness, there was a light illuminating on the streets of Medellin and Mezailla accepted Christ as her Savior. I saw a change in her expression. Her smile was brighter, and when we walked away, the cup of beer that she was drinking from, she left it where she was sitting at and began to walk away.
Walk in freedom my sister, the Lord can and will break the chains of addiction that the enemy has been using as a hold on you.
I ask that yall pray for her as she faces the days to come in becoming radically transformed by the Holy Spirit, choosing Jesus over her addictions.
Friday, I was with the ladies in the women’s program once again. I love this because I am building relationships with them and getting to know them, watering the seeds that are being planted here. I also helped with leading worship that night in the café under where we live. On Fridays, we have a worship night here and its open to the public. Our squad prayed over people as they came through and worshipped with us! It was such a spirit-filled atmosphere!
Saturday, I helped with VBS and after we did the lesson, a 10-year-old girl, named Stephanie told us she wanted salvation. So, we prayed together, and she accepted Christ into her heart! That night at the worship service we have for the homeless, Stephanie was singing with the worship band!
Honestly yall, like how crazy good is it that OUR GOD, can speak in ways of understanding for young children and even people under the influence? LIKE NOTHING, not even age, maturity, drugs, alcohol, and most importantly the enemy- NOTHING can separate us from the love of JC.
It’s so good.
So, what began as a week filled with facing fears, removing masks, becoming fully transparent, bringing things to light and physically feeling the weight of the darkness on these streets—this week was also filled with silencing fears, being unapologetically myself walking in full confidence with Jesus, embracing the beauty of vulnerability, fighting battles (eph. 6:10-18) and crazy good unity.
I’ve seen and felt the Father’s love, grace and mercy and how he works in the most unpredictable and incredible ways.
I love the song, Surrounded (Fight My Battles). – yall need to listen to it- ahhh-mazing.
Isaiah 61:3 says, “For the Spirit of heaviness, put on the garment of praise.”
The song says, “it may look like I am surrounded, but I am surrounded by you.”
When we were on the “street of sin,” it may have seemed that we were surrounded by darkness. BUT we were surrounded by the light of Jesus Christ.
I have no fear of darkness because I have the light of Jesus Christ within me.
And darkness cannot and will never be able to comprehend that light.
The enemy may try to use fear and insecurities to keep me from ministering on these streets.
But I refuse to let that keep me from spreading the light that is within me.
This light is what shields me from any potential harm the enemy thinks he can use against me.
This is how I face my fears.
This is how I walk confidently and boldly on these streets.
This is how I fight my battles.
Here are a few pics of some of the things we did this week!
Breaking Beans in the kitchen.
Kristen and Val working in the Kitchen.
Michael giving the sermon at the service for the Homeless.
Nate giving his testimony.
Stephanie and I at VBS- she accepted Christ on this day! GO JESUS!
Kids painting at Children’s Church.
Estephen at Children’s Church. (he colored the picture for me last week).
Sarah painting at Children’s Church.
I will also be posting videos of worship and VBS on my facebook- find me on there as Laurie Christine McNeilly!
Please continue to pray for the people of Medellin!
