Each month on the Race we partner with a ministry host that is permanently stationed in the country that we are visiting. Our goal is to catch the vision that the hosts have for their ministry. We come alongside them and do everything we can to help them succeed in their endeavours. Our goals are to see their goals accomplished. Our mission is to do the work that they see is needed for their ministry to thrive. Our dreams are to see their dreams come true. So in February, when we settled in for a month at CICRIN, a Christian children’s home on Ometepe island in Nicaragua, we were ready to work and ready for anything. But this month, some of what was asked of us was a bit unusual. We were asked to go to war for the property and the kids that live there.
I have been aware of spiritual warfare for years. Even before I decided to follow Christ, I was aware that there was a spiritual world taking place around me that I couldn’t see, yet I could vaguely sense and pick up on. Its the feeling that you get when you walk into a house or a room and something just doesn’t feel right. It’s waking up in the middle of the night gripped by an unexplainable fear, maybe even feeling like you can’t move. It’s the feeling that someone is watching you, even though your alone. It’s your mind struggling through an argument of truth and lies… you know, the angel on one shoulder and the demon on the other… I don’t think they sit as little animated characters, but I know there’s good and bad forces pulling and pushing and stirring things up.
For our month at CICRIN we had 4 teams living together. About 20 women and 5 men. Men stayed in one building with bunks and the women had another building with bedrooms and bunks. It became evident very quickly that something was spiritually off in the women’s house. All of us were having trouble sleeping. Some were waking up feeling like their chests were being crushed. Some women saw dark shadowy figures moving through the halls at night. Almost all of us started having violent and sexual dreams. There was fear where there shouldn’t have been… even I didn’t like being alone in the house or going to the bathroom in the dark, and I’ve comfortably lived alone without fear for the past 5 years.
It took us about a week to realize that it wasn’t just 1 or 2 people that were being attacked, but it was almost everybody staying in the house. Around the time that we recognized our battle was the same time that our host decided to tell us about the history of the property. In the 80s the property had served a very different purpose. The property had been used as a holding and training ground for child soldiers during a violent political revolt. This property was a place that children were sent to be stripped of their innocence, stripped of their childhood and stripped of their dignity. This property had been a gateway into hell on Earth. Violence and sexual abuse often serve to break down the humanity of child soldiers so that they can go to battle with no pride or innocence left to lose. This property had quite likely been a playground for demons. And guess what, some of them were still lingering. Suddenly our restless nights and fearful troubles made sense. We learned that many of the children faced similar battles. We were also informed that witchcraft was prevalent in the area, and that for years it had been suspected that curses had been spoken over the property by some who despised CICRIN due to the property’s past. It was time to go to war.
The 25 of us banded together and determined that we would face the battle head on. We prayed for each other at night. We prayed over ourselves. We loudly worshipped the God of heaven inside our house. We walked through the house anointing every room and claiming the space in the name of Jesus. We prayer walked around the property declaring truths and commanding the darkness to leave. One night we had a “prayer burn” and stayed up for 24 hours in the lakeside ranchero playing worship music, reading scripture and constantly praying, worshipping God and declaring truths.
I know that half of the people who read my blog aren’t Christian, and I know many will think this is whack, but thats alright. This far into the journey, I have seen and experienced enough and am so far beyond doubt that I don’t mind the cynicism that comes. I will call a spade a spade because sometimes it’s important. In Nicaragua it was important. And it made a world of difference.
As we pushed in and shone bright into the darkness, the spiritual tides shifted. Violent and sexual dreams stopped. Fear diminished and joy rose to take it’s place. It was no longer an issue to go to the washroom at night or be alone in the house. The power of darkness was broken, because the power and authority that we hold as Christians is greater. Perks of having the God of the universe in front, behind and inside of you.
During our prayer burn we saw a very special victory take place. The youngest member of the CICRIN family, a 3 year old girl, had been miserable from the day that we arrived. She cried often, almost never smiled, avoided our teams outstretched arms and met our smiles with an angry glare. Her story was a sad one as her mother had died, her alcoholic father had handed her off to her grandmother who could not care for her, and her grandmother had sought shelter for her and her 2 sisters at the children’s home. Her spirit was obviously distraught and there was nothing that anyone could do to console her. But that night, one of our teammates felt a call to intervene. Led by a prompting in her spirit, our young lady approached the 3 year old and asked if she heard voices. The girl immediately said “no!”, then hesitantly said, “yes”. When asked what the voices were saying the girl replied “they say I’m not free”. Baby girl it’s time to get you free!!!! Our teammate proceeded by leading the girl to declaring “I am free. I belong to Jesus”. And in that moment, freedom came. The next 2 weeks saw so many smiles on that girl’s face. She sought us out for hugs and to pick her up. She played with us and the other girls. She laughed! One night she even climbed on my lap and fell asleep against my chest. She had peace and joy.
This is the power of Christ my friends. This is the freedom that comes in the name of Jesus. This is the victory that I chose to walk in when I claimed Jesus as my own. This is the reason that I am travelling the world as a missionary and this is the message that I am bringing to the world. But it’s not just words… it’s life, ABUNDANT life, abundant joy and abundant freedom.
My God is love and my God is victory! Ima be preaching this freedom till the day I die! Man is He good 🙂
I love you all and hope this blog finds you well. Thanks for reading!! 3 more months and my feet will be back on Canadian soil
Xo
