January 24th, 2008
Nate Just Posted a blog too! (updated 2/2/08)
Matt’s Blog
Robby’s Blog
Matt 10:6-8 “Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.'”
I had no idea what God had in store for us when we went to Tambo De Mora Thursday afternoon. I didn’t really have any expectations, but God did! Earlier in the morning Robby, Matt, Steve, and I went to Chavelina to dig two large holes that would be used for securing grounding rods for an electric pole. It was very hot when we got there about 9:30 am and we dug in the heat all morning until about 1 in the afternoon. We were all tired when the bus arrived with the rest of our team who would be doing VBS, and we had the option of going to Tambo de Mora to do VBS or staying in Chavelina. I feel more of a connection to Tambo, so I decided to go there for the rest of the afternoon even though I was pretty tired. Robby also decided to go with me, so he and I went with the rest of our squad mates to Tambo De Mora.When we got to Tambo de Mora, I had decided that I would go hang out with a family that I have adopted there – the family with the baby Victor. They are usually there at home, so it didn’t seem like a big deal to go there and see what I could do for them. They weren’t there which I though was very unusual because I usually at least see the mother around the home. But God had other plans for me. Psalms 16:9 “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”
I remembered that my friends said that they were going to go to Laurdis’ family’s home so I found my way over there and entered the room. Nate, Matt, Robby, and our translator Dina were there chatting with Daisy who was holding a little girl who was sleeping in her arms. The whole room seemed dark and depressed. Daisy was the sister of a woman Laurdis who had died two weeks prior. Daisy had been struggling with anger toward God for her sister dying and had also been tormented by an evil spirit that she saw whenever she closed her eyes. She said that it looked like a beast with horns and that it was very scary. Not only this, but she said that she didn’t go to church because the people there were very hypocritical and didn’t act like Christians all the time. This kind of turned her off toward Christianity and why she didn’t really attend church.
When you saw here there was just gloom and sadness.
We continued to talk to her and Nate tried to encourage her with scripture, but she just seemed to not want to hear it. We had to go to the VBS that was going to start at 4 pm and we asked her if we could pray for her. We went up to lay hands on her and when we did so Robby said that we were going to pray against that demon Daisy saw when she closed her eyes. Ephesians 6:12 says “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” We were fighting a spiritual battle and we were going to take our stand and pray against this demon and the gloom in Daisy’s life.
As soon as we started praying, something has happened that I have never been a part of before. By the power and authority of Jesus, this tormenting Spirit was commanded to leave and it left! Our prayer reached a fervor that I have rarely ever seen. The Holy Spirit led each of us to pray for different things for her and sometimes two people would be led with the same thing to pray. The presence of God was so intense! We were just vessels in the hand of a mighty God and he brought freedom to Daisy. We prayed for Daisy to be freed from this torment and to be filled with the love and peace of God. We prayed in English for about 10 minutes and then Dina our translator also started translating for us and telling her what we were praying for and telling us what she was saying.
We prayed for her and after having her eyes closed for a while she opened them and had a completely new complexion and demeanor!
She was free!
She was free from this spirit that had been troubling her and her joy had returned fully. She was praising God and singing beautifully. She also asked us to pray for her mother and the Holy Spirit fell in the same way. It was so amazing. After we finished praying for her mother, which lasted another 20 minutes, the whole feeling in the home was different. The joy of the Lord was there and there was no more gloom.
We have made plans to have a worship service there on Monday night at 8 pm and I can’t wait for it. This is what we are in here in Peru for and why we are on the World Race – to see God change lives and bring in all the lost sheep that he can. Not only has this woman returned to a joyful and free relationship with God, but I am sure this thing is going to spread. That is one thing I left out. At the end of the prayer time for Daisy’s mother, God led me to prophesy for the house that what was started there would spread to her family, Tambo De Mora, and beyond. By this point all four of us men were declaring boldly and loudly the words of God and this prophesy was one of them.
Luke 10:18-20 “[Jesus] replied, ‘I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.'” I am so glad to know Jesus and His love for me. He called me give up the complacent life I had once to live with very few possessions AND be used mightily by Him. Holding on to life is not worth it, give everything you have to Him and He will lead you to places you have never imagined.
