Weirdest month ever…What just happened?
Before we left the Dominican Republic I had this grumbling
in my spirit that we were going to experience something big in Haiti. I
thought, “This will be the month of big spiritual challenges, facing spiritual
warfare, and possibly miracles to be done in the name of Jesus.” But little did
I know that “big” meant being pulled from Haiti two weeks early, not being able
to complete an entire month.
in my spirit that we were going to experience something big in Haiti. I
thought, “This will be the month of big spiritual challenges, facing spiritual
warfare, and possibly miracles to be done in the name of Jesus.” But little did
I know that “big” meant being pulled from Haiti two weeks early, not being able
to complete an entire month.
We had heard about this Chikungunya virus epidemic that had
broken out in Haiti, however we didn’t think it would be the reason we’d be
leaving Haiti. But, that’s not what I desire to even write about. No, I’ll
write about something hopefully a little more interesting than having a rash,
high fever, joint pain like a 90-year-old arthritic woman, and fatigue. Well,
there is a story about a voodoo temple and bible studies talking about George
Bush being the devil, but I’ll save that for another day.
broken out in Haiti, however we didn’t think it would be the reason we’d be
leaving Haiti. But, that’s not what I desire to even write about. No, I’ll
write about something hopefully a little more interesting than having a rash,
high fever, joint pain like a 90-year-old arthritic woman, and fatigue. Well,
there is a story about a voodoo temple and bible studies talking about George
Bush being the devil, but I’ll save that for another day.
Where we lived was settled at the foot of a mountain/hill
where Haitians carried water on their heads daily up and down the rocky
terrain, and I had this strong desire to help one of the people carry their
water to their homes. By the way, I thought I was pretty strong but after
seeing those women carry it ON THEIR HEADS up this mountain I am pretty much a
wimp. During one of our evangelism days we headed out and I found this little
boy carrying two jugs of water and I just looked at him, looked at one of the
water jugs, and then pointed to myself and flexed my muscles to show him I
could help. Surprisingly, he gave it right over and so my team and I followed
him up and up and up the mountain, getting prolonged stares and double takes as
we climbed up. It was kind of exhilarating now that I think about it and how
all of those people live up there, climbing this mountain daily to get to and
from place to place.
where Haitians carried water on their heads daily up and down the rocky
terrain, and I had this strong desire to help one of the people carry their
water to their homes. By the way, I thought I was pretty strong but after
seeing those women carry it ON THEIR HEADS up this mountain I am pretty much a
wimp. During one of our evangelism days we headed out and I found this little
boy carrying two jugs of water and I just looked at him, looked at one of the
water jugs, and then pointed to myself and flexed my muscles to show him I
could help. Surprisingly, he gave it right over and so my team and I followed
him up and up and up the mountain, getting prolonged stares and double takes as
we climbed up. It was kind of exhilarating now that I think about it and how
all of those people live up there, climbing this mountain daily to get to and
from place to place.
Finally, we stopped at his home and he skipped inside, so we
walked a little further, and happened to meet a family who was sitting outside
their home and so we proceeded to chit chat with them for a little while. At
the end of our time with this family we got up to pray with them and I noticed
this guy carrying a bucket of water on his head but I had seen him a couple
times already. I pointed at him, simply because I was impressed, but the family
looked and said “Oh, he’s mute and deaf…” Interesting. I asked, “Does he have a
name?” Everyone looked at each other. They apparently just called him, “the
mute.” My heart sank (thankfully, days later we found out his name is Wilfred).
“Has anyone prayed for him?” I asked. Everyone answered, “No.” So my team and I
got the people to motion for him to come down and we got a large group of
Haitian people around him too, trying to tell him that we were going to pray
over him and he just slightly raised his eyebrows, signifying he understood. As
we began to pray I felt like other people were mocking the situation and him. I
became irritated, but I didn’t feel comfortable rebuking a crowd of Haitian
people I didn’t know. So, without seeing any results in our prayers for our
deaf & mute friend we couldn’t do anything else but move on.
walked a little further, and happened to meet a family who was sitting outside
their home and so we proceeded to chit chat with them for a little while. At
the end of our time with this family we got up to pray with them and I noticed
this guy carrying a bucket of water on his head but I had seen him a couple
times already. I pointed at him, simply because I was impressed, but the family
looked and said “Oh, he’s mute and deaf…” Interesting. I asked, “Does he have a
name?” Everyone looked at each other. They apparently just called him, “the
mute.” My heart sank (thankfully, days later we found out his name is Wilfred).
“Has anyone prayed for him?” I asked. Everyone answered, “No.” So my team and I
got the people to motion for him to come down and we got a large group of
Haitian people around him too, trying to tell him that we were going to pray
over him and he just slightly raised his eyebrows, signifying he understood. As
we began to pray I felt like other people were mocking the situation and him. I
became irritated, but I didn’t feel comfortable rebuking a crowd of Haitian
people I didn’t know. So, without seeing any results in our prayers for our
deaf & mute friend we couldn’t do anything else but move on.
That afternoon we talked about healings and miracles amongst
my teammates and I found myself in tears because I couldn’t understand why God
wouldn’t heal someone like Wilfred. Why would the Lord hold something like that
back from him? Was it our sin? Someone else’s? Doubt? Do we lack the gift of
healing? I felt plagued with questions,
with no answers besides it not being God’s will to heal Wilfred. As night came
and I lay in my hammock replaying the day in my mind several thoughts came to
mind: Wilfred has never heard worship music, he has never heard singing, he has
never heard the gospel, he’s never heard, period.
my teammates and I found myself in tears because I couldn’t understand why God
wouldn’t heal someone like Wilfred. Why would the Lord hold something like that
back from him? Was it our sin? Someone else’s? Doubt? Do we lack the gift of
healing? I felt plagued with questions,
with no answers besides it not being God’s will to heal Wilfred. As night came
and I lay in my hammock replaying the day in my mind several thoughts came to
mind: Wilfred has never heard worship music, he has never heard singing, he has
never heard the gospel, he’s never heard, period.
God, are You listening?
We saw Wilfred twice more after that occasion and each time
my heart was so glad to see him. (The second time we saw him there was a guy
standing nearby mocking him and that time I couldn’t contain myself, I asked
the guy to leave and pointed my finger in the direction he should go. I’d like
to believe that Jesus would have done the same, excusing the mockers from the
presence of His most precious ones) Each time we saw Wilfred the only thing
that gave me hope was to know that maybe we had been the first group of people
to ever really love him, and to pray for him. Twice more we prayed over him,
yet God didn’t open his ears or mouth. Again, was it not God’s will to reach
out His hand to Wilfred and heal this boy?
my heart was so glad to see him. (The second time we saw him there was a guy
standing nearby mocking him and that time I couldn’t contain myself, I asked
the guy to leave and pointed my finger in the direction he should go. I’d like
to believe that Jesus would have done the same, excusing the mockers from the
presence of His most precious ones) Each time we saw Wilfred the only thing
that gave me hope was to know that maybe we had been the first group of people
to ever really love him, and to pray for him. Twice more we prayed over him,
yet God didn’t open his ears or mouth. Again, was it not God’s will to reach
out His hand to Wilfred and heal this boy?
Unfortunately, I am no closer to the answer than I was
before and I’m still not sure what God’s will is for Wilfred. And often it felt
like God wasn’t even listening, but I know that’s not true. Though, here’s what
I did learn from Wilfred: God’s timing is better than mine, His desire isn’t
for a miracle alone but for the person to know His heart intimately and if
that’s not what is going to come out of the miracle then I’m convinced it won’t
be done. Sure, there are “external factors,” as I like to call them, that can
get in the way like doubt, sin, etc. but I don’t think that’s what God was
trying to teach us through Wilfred. He requires OUR obedience in prayer,
regardless of the outcome, regardless of the circumstances, and He WILL take
care of the rest. Let His knowledge and righteousness be enough, and just be
obedient to praying anyway.
before and I’m still not sure what God’s will is for Wilfred. And often it felt
like God wasn’t even listening, but I know that’s not true. Though, here’s what
I did learn from Wilfred: God’s timing is better than mine, His desire isn’t
for a miracle alone but for the person to know His heart intimately and if
that’s not what is going to come out of the miracle then I’m convinced it won’t
be done. Sure, there are “external factors,” as I like to call them, that can
get in the way like doubt, sin, etc. but I don’t think that’s what God was
trying to teach us through Wilfred. He requires OUR obedience in prayer,
regardless of the outcome, regardless of the circumstances, and He WILL take
care of the rest. Let His knowledge and righteousness be enough, and just be
obedient to praying anyway.
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Jesus, I pray for Wilfred, for his heart to know you more
intimately, more deeply, and more fiercely than I could ever imagine. I pray,
yes, that his physical state would be healed completely and that he would hear
the angels singing louder from heaven than I ever will, but I pray even more
that one day he will KNOW you, Lord. Keep Wilfred close to you Lord.
intimately, more deeply, and more fiercely than I could ever imagine. I pray,
yes, that his physical state would be healed completely and that he would hear
the angels singing louder from heaven than I ever will, but I pray even more
that one day he will KNOW you, Lord. Keep Wilfred close to you Lord.
