Month 4 in life always seems to be one of those defining time periods. In a relationship you usually have “the talk” because things might be getting more serious. In the school year you are ending the first semester and wrapping up initial units and projects. Month 4 on the World Race has been no different, this was a defining month for me.
It was a month for me to walk in the spiritual gifts God has granted to me, the honeymoon is over for our team (turns out we love each other!), my prayer life was increasingly growing everyday, and I am finally seeing my identity in Christ. All this, along with a visit from my brother in LA, made me so excited to start month 4 in the Philippines. I was feeling great, incredibly happy with the changes happening in my life. A week into the month I decided to get baptized and was reminded of God’s goodness in the wake of a tragic school shooting. It was because of all these incredible events that the enemy chose to make a very real attack on my life.
Four days into the month I was sick on my sleeping pad for two days. Then after feeling better for a few days I was laid back out on my pad with dehydration and exhaustion for a whole day. I was not letting illness keep me down for long. I drank tons of water, and thank you Walks for the Pedialyte packets. From my other blogs you know how much I cared for Stephanie and her family. I worked to organize extra feedings and a Christmas package for the kids at the charcoal factory. Ministry was where I loved to be. Two years ago I had spent the entire year in Esther and continued to ask God, “For such a time as what?” I’m reminded daily that this is now that time for which He prepared me. So the enemy came at me harder.
The last week, on December 22, I finally made the decision to see a doctor since sickness was once again overcoming my body. Our contact took us in a motorcycle sidecar, and on the way to the pharmacy, as we were stopped in traffic, a bloody man appeared next to our bike. We soon realized he was being chased by a gunman and later I watched that gun man kill him. In the midst of this scary event, I am very aware that the physical presence of the Holy Spirit descended upon us to cover us with protection. The only way I can describe it is that I felt we had become invisible for a few minutes. As soon as the traffic moved we moved and got out of there quickly, praying the whole way back to church.
Our team, sqaud leaders, coaches and prayer teams were activated immediately. The prayer that covered us has helped me to keep away any images from this event and allowed me to sleep soundly. Having had time to pray into this event myself, God has shown me what an urgency there is in this world to spread the Gospel with everyone we meet. I have never been one to strike up that conversation, but in light of the violence in Connecticut and the violence I witnessed, bringing Jesus has new importance to me. I know that God trusted me with this event in order to grow my faith in Him. There is certainly more for Him to reveal through this event, as well as future events and people. Some will be heavy and some will be light, but all will sharpen my faith. I pray that my story will allow that to happen for those of you who read this.
