"Imelda, you are so beautiful. God created you to be the only one of you. Have you ever been told that you're one in a million? Well it's not true, you're 1 in 7 billion…and when God made you, he said 'I'll never do that again!'" – Alistair Westcott, Manager of Ministry, POPUP
My name is Imelda. My father named me. He knew that when he would have a daughter…
this is the name he would give her.
this is the name he would give her.
My name means warrior.
[Imelda – warrior; the universal battle]
[Imelda – warrior; the universal battle]
My last name is Perez. This name means to 'burst forth.'
When God called me into this life by this name…He knew…
that I would be a warrior bursting forth in the universal battle.
And I have been a Jesus warrior while out here in the trenches.
I have shared my testimony many, many times this week. And in this culture here in South Africa, the meaning of a name holds much importance.
People here have names that mean love, blessings, blessed, patience, excellent, princess, with grace, to speak…etc.
So when I introduce myself, sleepy eyes widen and people perk up to hear the testimony of a warrior.
Glory to God!
[Psalm 119:45-46]
And I will walk at liberty,
For I seek Your precepts.
I will speak of Your testimonies also before kings,
And will not be ashamed.
[Psalm 119:45-46]
I honestly never ever ever ever ever ever imagined, that this testimony that God has given me would be the key to unlocking so many shackles.
I never truly understood the power of the word of our testimony…
until now.
until now.
My week at a glance:
- Monday: shared my testimony in front of a class of learners here at POPUP and made people cry. Many women came to hug me, and ask for prayer.
- Tuesday: shared my testimony with another class of people, and provoked a reaction that would lead to spiritual breakthroughs. Shared my testimony with Alistair, and was invited to share again Wednesday at the staff meeting. After devotionals, 3 women came to me for prayer — 1 of them received salvation!
- Wednesday: shared my testimony with the ministry staff during morning devotionals, again many people cried. This would also lead to some spiritual breakthroughs for more Christians, and I prayed with some amazing people. During our first class of learners and devotional time, a woman came to me for prayer to be healed, so I laid hands on her and asked if she believed, and she did believe — and she was healed on the spot in the name of Jesus! Because of my testimony, the second class of learners experienced a level of trust, and during devotionals people broke down and again, I was able to do one-on-one prayer/counseling with more women. One woman is demonically oppressed, and is devoted to ancestral worship, but even she proclaimed something was "different today" — I spoke life into her by the power of God's word staring her straight in the eyes, hugged her and watched her go her way. (She was later on seen weeping uncontrollably, because she had never felt God loved her.)
- Thursday: ministry staff continued to spread the word of my testimony around campus, and so have the learners (students) so that they are even bringing people to me, by the hand, to meet me and receive prayer and a Word. Many who have not yet heard from me, but heard of me, want to hear my testimony. Two of the learners are interviewing me to write about me in a local newspaper. During our morning devotional, again, women came to me bursting into tears to tell me their stories and seek the Lord. My scarf has become drenched in their tears as I hold them in my arms whilst I pray. And another woman came to Christ today for the first time! Today, I also shared how I got called to missions, the brokeness and abandonment of the process with the afternoon devotional class — this opened their eyes to understand that I too come from a life that has not always been easy, has been very painful and yet I press into the Lord. Again, more opportunities came to pray and preach a good Word.
- God has blessed me this week with the following highlights: people being saved, dancing & laughing and holding hands with little children and then planting tender kisses on their foreheads before saying good-bye, worshipping freely with a bunch of other crazy Jesus Freaks (world racers), making new friends and finding encouragement from local believers, working for the Lord in the ministry department on staff, laying my hands on a woman and witnessing her instant physical miraculous healing, holding God's beautiful daughters in my arms and bearing their burdens as I intercede in the name of Jesus, celebrating a 22 year old's birthday for the first time in her life and seeing her burst into tears of joy as she experienced God's love, speaking the words "I love you" to my brethren, and hearing the words "I love you" from my South African brothers & sisters.
I love walking in my calling.
I am a Jesus Warrior.
