Our squad ended 2012 saying goodbye to Africa and began 2013 saying hello to Asia. Naturally, we had four different flights to get us there and after six months of traveling it isn't a surprise who you're assigned a seat next to on a plane.
Except God intervenes and He does more than surprises.
As the plane fills up I start to believe that I'm about to have a row to myself. Then she walks down the aisle, Miss Allison Tackett. A girl H squad knows as the fun loving, full of life red head beauty but she's a complete stranger to me. And despite the obvious fact that my headphones are out and my iPod is ready, she wants to talk. Not only does she want to talk, she wants to trade testimonies.
Which is not my favorite thing to do.
Just kidding.
But seriously.
After hearing my story, she decides she still wants to be friends. Then I hear a story that may sound typical to most but for some reason cracks my heart. Alli has lived a pretty normal life. Good family, good school, good love, but anxiety has controlled her.
Just a few years back Alli was put on Prozac to help. I interrupted her with a big PTL, happy that He provided medication for her. But she doesn't feel the same way. She continues to tell me how she feels convicted, she choose the medicine without prayer, without trust and hope. I leaned back into my seat and said the typical Christian, World Race thing I could have ever said, "We will pray for you."
The next three flights I'm sitting with my normal flight buddies again. Thinking over and over again about Alli's story. How crazy it was that we've never spoke but been around the world together. How ridiculously divine that appointment was. How dumb I am for saying "we'll pray for you" knowing I was being half hearted.
A day later, we land in Kathmandu, Nepal. Even though we're on seperate teams Alli and I are living at the same ministry site for the month. That night at dinner I am completely compelled to have a second conversation with this girl. Barely knowing her, I tell her that God has put it on my heart to pray healing over her every night. Which is followed by my rambling of I don't know why He picked me because I'm not a healer, I've never healed anyone.
So we pray.
Every night for the first week, we pray.
And of course conviction is heavy on my shoulders. Why? Because I know my one minute prayers are sloppy. I know my words are coming from my brain and not my heart. I know that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective but I'm not walking in that righteousness.
Days pass and I'm sitting in a coffee shop soaking up some free wifi as my team waits to get our Indian visas. I notice that my amazing mentor, Colleen has emailed me. I'm thrilled because we haven't spoke in over two weeks. Most everything she says is what I expected..most everything. In the middle of her email, out of no where God uses her words to break the crack Alli started in my heart. Word for word, Colleen says "I am just feeling like there is someone who needs some healing and prayer that you are supposed to bring them. Be aware and sensitive to the Spirit so when you know that this time is before you."
Instant ugly girl face cry.
I race back to tell Alli everything. I confess about my sorry prayers and dumb doubts. And then we really start praying.
We pray for more than one minute. Then we pray for more than ten minutes. Then we pray for more than just healing. Then we find ourselves out in a vegetable patch in the middle of a nowhere village thats a three hour hike from civilization, begging to God. Begging that He will reveal to us the root of Alli's anxiety. We're crying out to him on Nepalese rooftops. Sitting in stairwells listening to our prayer voices echo.
And that brings me to today.
We're still praying together every night. Alli hasn't taken her medicine in nearly a week. She also hasn't had any anxiety or panic attacks. Which is huge considering she just bungee jumped off a 160 meter bridge here in Nepal.
