Saturday might have been my favorite day. We split into 3 groups. I went with the intercessory prayer
group. We planned to go to several key
places around the city, but the buses were several hours late – not atypical of
a mission trip in Latin America or Africa. When the bus finally came we headed down to one of the main governmental
offices in Tijuana. We gathered in the
nearby park and for the next hour, we worshipped, prayed and spoke life over
the city. It was so good and very
powerful.
I used to think it was crazy that people traveled to other
nations for the sole purpose of praying. I couldn’t believe they would travel that distance to pray. But at the same time it intrigued me. As I continually learn the power of prayer
and the power of inviting God’s presence into a place, I understand the effectiveness
and the importance of such focused trips. Just worshipping on that ground changed things in the spiritual. So cool!
That was the theme for the day because next we headed to Revolution
St. Here we met up with the other teams,
grabbed a bite to eat and prepared for God to invade Tijuana. Revolution St. is just across the border from
the States. It is the center of tourist
activity – lined with shops, street vendors, restaurants, bars and clubs. Adjacent to Revolution St is the red light
district, Zona Norte. The area is
incredibly dark spiritually.
At night it becomes flooded with people looking to have a
good time. Our team went down there and
rented the stage at the center intersection of these streets. We flooded the area with God’s presence. We worshipped. Our dance team drew a crowd with their
performance. The audience saw an incredible
drama that communicated the gospel and the freedom found in Christ. The truth of the gospel was preached. It was amazing! Many people gave
their life to Christ that night. We
prayed for hundreds of people. Most of
the people we prayed for were struggling emotionally and spiritually. We led people through forgiveness. We encouraged people and spoke truth. People with no hope left joyful. People that were depressed were set
free. It was so good!!
the entrance to the red light district. We weren’t allowed to go down the street because it is very dangerous. The area is saturated with drugs, violence
and prostitution. Standing there I could
see a dozen women standing on the streets, dressed provocatively, waiting for
their next customer. For about an hour I
stood there praying over the street; speaking life, value, and worth to the
women; declaring freedom and love. It
was difficult to watch the women walk by with the men, as it took me back to
the time I spent in Thailand. It’s unbelievable how this business lives all over the world. Something needs to change.
It was incredible to release truth and God’s presence in an area that is often possessed with hopelessness. The place was changed that night. Where there is searching and pain, joy and love was
released. And people met Christ! That is a good night!
