Greetings from the wonderful city of Medellin, Colombia all! (Pronounced Med-Ah-zhean)
An update on how life has been for the past week and two days: BEAUTIFULLY EXHAUSTING.
Beautiful in ways that I never could even imagine. Beautiful in a way that truly defines Gods love for us as His children. It has been a whirlwind of emotions but Gods love has been extremely evident. His love for me, my team and the people of Medellin. When I stop and realize that God sent us from all parts of the US to just hug a stranger, to just share a glimpse of hope in a hopeless community, to just lend a hand, or just tell someone that I love them and so does God; it’s so beyond humbling.
We have shared our testimonies on a radio station YALL! Our story reached about 6 million+ people. After the radio station we got on a bus and they asked us to share our testimonies on a crowded bus and people listened to us. They were actually curious and didn’t boo us lol. It was a beautiful experience. I’ve shared my testimony in a park full of societies “outcasts”.. people that are battling drug addiction and people never speak to them. They were genuinely grateful that we came to them and didn’t condemn them or speak down on them. We just wanted to show them the love that God has for them and a guy named Kevin, wanted to receive Jesus! WOW! THATS A PRAISE REPORT YALL!!! though our testimonies are very different, the redemption is the same and God wants people to know that. He wants you to know that He loves us in our brokenness.. He loves us in our mess. His back has never been turned to us it is ours to Him.
He wants us to all know and live in the freedom that His love gives us.
It’s been exhausting in a sense that there’s so much to be done it feels like. Just never enough time in the day to do all of it and sleep. Lol. During launch we were told “be flexible” just do it and boyyyyyyyy have we had to take that to heart. Lol. We’ve been practicing all week to perform a skit, everything by Lifehouse and we finally showcased it tonight! Woot woot!! Some kids cried and really enjoyed it and that has made all the difference. Every practice was worth it. We don’t know who all God touched through that tonight but we know that He did. It was great day today!
Also, my team has lived by the motto “Nobody Knows” hahaha. To represent the many different things that’s been thrown out way with very little detail. It’s been kind of freeing in a sense but kinda frustrating as well but is definitely growing on me because in all actuality only God knows. We should all just confide and live in that truth. It just makes life a little bit easier.
So what have we been doing?
EATING GOOD that’s for sure. I keep hearing God say remember this in the months to come. We have truly been blessed with a wonderful host family. They love serving us, as much if not more as we do them. I’ve learned so much already from this loving family. The main thing that keeps sticking out is: Passion. I have realized that growing in age does not mean dimming fire for God. Pastor William and Cristina’s passion is still burning hot and growing towards what God would have for them. It’s meant so much to me and my team for the opportunity to be their first group of World Racers. Pray for us to serve them extremely well.
We’ve been evangelizing. Hard core. We’ve came across so many people in so many different walks of life.. we’ve prayed over a lady’s left eye that has been diagnosed completely blind and witnessed a change after prayer. She is still blind (as of now) but God is working on her! We just know it.
WE SAW A WOMAN THAT WAS BEDRIDDEN FOR 16 YEARS GET UP AND WALK, DANCE, BEND, YOU NAME IT. Her name is Patricia, when we got there her mother asked that we come pray for her and all of her daughters, especially one that was pretty much immobile. She told us she had to lay in bed a full 24 hours to be able to even stand up the next day. She has some type of spinal pain and it was just not feasible to move without experiencing an excruciating amount of pain. So we prayed over her… Nothing. I asked her if we could pray again, but if I could touch her exact spots of pain… Nothing. Then we prayed again and after prayer Luis told her to “Get up” she laughed and said “oh yeah one day, that’d be nice” he told her “No, right now. Get up” and she awkwardly moved around the bed, pushed back the covers and STOOD ON HER FEET YALL. She moved from her room to the kitchen and didn’t feel pain. The look in her eyes brightened. The glow in her eyes was so bright, it was like she had just been woken from 16 years of sleep. Her smile was from one ear to another and she asked if we wanted anything to drink. She was dancing around and she just went on talking like she’d never been stuck in bed lol. IT WAS SO AWESOME!!!!! God is alive and able yall. He gives us power and authority.. it is our choice if we choose to walk in it. I wasn’t convinced that I’d ever witness something like this and I’m humbled at the opportunity to do so. I’m blown away by God daily. Daily, He literally takes my breath away.
After leaving Patricia’s, we walked around and were told there was a girl and her family were experiencing demonic/evil presences in her home. (Oh boy, I’m not ready) I thought to myself. I’ve never known or witnessed anything like this but I had just experienced someone receive a miracle so How could I dare try to limit God and what He can do. (I’m not experienced in this) I thought but I was surrounded by people who were and who believed that the same God that just made Patricia walk would free this young girl and her family. So we headed to their house after going to the church to pray over us and them… we walked in and my heart was heavy. I was extremely uncomfortable and just stood around waiting for a cue. She, Julie, shared her story and we broke out in prayer, prayer over her and the entire house. We knew there was something just not right in the air in that house. We prayed HARD and Dara, an awesome member of my WR family, prayed over Julie and she faints. I’m thinking okay.. Whew! It’s over. Nope. Something still doesn’t feel right so we pray over the house again. There’s a dog, named Wendy, that had been barking the entire team we were there. The family says she doesn’t ever act like that. So we’re like okay, we gotta get the dog. So we have the family get the dog and Luis walks up AND THE DOG GOES BERZERK so he prays over the dog. Commanding any evil presence to get away in Jesus name and the dog finally just gets released…..
I know I know, demon dog, likely story. But it’s the truth.
The truth is that there was a time that’s recorded in the Bible that people (and pigs/animals) were possessed by demons.
Why do we think that has ever stopped? What has changed that would make it?
Side note: wow! Thanks for reading this far. Lol. You rock dude!
Needless to say, I’m amazed. Overwhelmed. In love. Terrified. In awe. Weary. Scared. Joyful. Happy. Blessed and so many other emotions for what God is doing and has already done.
When I think back on where I was a year ago to where I am now. WOWZA. The beauty of it all is that it’s not just for me or just for you or just for my team. It is for all of us. There’s freedom in His redemption. There’s freedom in His love. Dive in, He will catch you. I love you and God does too.
Cristen…. out *drops mic*
