What we expect is rarely what we encounter. I think God likes to keep us on our toes and remind us of who is in charge. That is a good thing. We so quickly fall into the assumption that we have it all figured out and we know what things should look like. Fortunately God is pushing those arrogant ideas asside and revealing to us a world that we could not comprehend.
As we were preparing to leave for Africa, we were expecting the worst. When we were told about the flood, many of us pictured murky muddy water laying stagnant with mosquitos and disease everywhere. We thought of dead and decaying bodies floating down the rivers. We pictured people starving to death or dying from disease. We were mentally preparing for the worst we could imagine.
Praise God that is not what we found. A few months ago, in areas closer to the flooded rivers, those scenes may have been reality. But where we went in Morrumbala, the refugee camps were in relatively good order. Since Iris already had a base in that area, they where able to help immediatley with the refugees heading to higher ground to escape the water.
After arriving at the Iris base in Dondo, we discovered that they were not prepared to host us for the whole month. A miscommunication left them thinking we were only there for a few days. Despite that, God had a plan in place. Herb came into Dondo, preparing to take a truck load of food to distribute to the camps around Morrumbala. It was the perfect mission for us to join.
We had planned originally on going for a week, but a few days in it was obvious that we had a lot of work to do and would be able to spend more time there. We found some lodging available at the World Vission base, so we made our home there. It was just down the street from the Iris orphanage, so we walked there every day to spend time playing with and loving on the kids. The kids ranged in age from about 2 to about 18. The majority of the kids were between 7 and 12.
We learned some of their games and tought them some of ours. We brought a soccer ball, a hacky sack, a frisbee, and a squish toy. We had a great time with them and got to know them pretty well. A lot of the neighborhood kids would come and join us to. It was hard to leave at lunch even though we came back in the afternoon. They just loved having the extra attention and love.
Every day, we all went to the orphange in the morning. Then after lunch, one team would stay at the orphanage with the kids while the other two teams would go on an outreach to preach and deliver food. the outreaches were awesome. We would load up bags of maize flour on the truck and then sit on top of them to drive across town to the various camps. Some were an hour away, and some up to two hours.
The camps were open fields that had been cleared out and families built there mud and stick huts there. A few of the camps were actual towns that had a church or a few small vendors. We would park the truck and set up the sound system and start up the generator. We played African worship and learned their dances for an hour or two. It was a lot of fun, but everyone quickly discovered that I am not very coordinated. I could either follow their foot moves or do the arm moves, but when I tries to combine the two I lost all rythym.
After dancing and singing, we would put somebody up on the truck with a mic and a translator – or two in most places (one from English to Portugese, and one from Portugese to Senna). We preached the Gospel in simple terms, often using the parables of Jesus. After preaching, we always did an altar call. These people are so hungry for hope and for Jesus. We had anywhere from 1-4 hundred people responding in prayer. It was awesome!
A few of the camps were very heavy with oppression. There is a lot of witchcraft here, and you could feel the presense in some of the camps. On one night, as we loaded onto the truck, we realized that it was all girls going to the outreach with Herb. A lot of the guys were fasting and had stayed back to seek the Lord. Amy was preaching night, and we were all really pumped. Erin was really feeling the Holy Spirit, so she started us off with a battle cry to the Lord and we spent the rest of the ride in prayer and intercession for the outreach.
When we arrived, we immediately felt a heavyness. Nobody would smile or respond to us in any way accept blank stares. It was creapy. As we tried to dance and sing, the energy was sucked right out of us. We all felt tired and just weird. I gathered everybody together so we could pray, and Herb lead us in a great prayer to rise above whatever was attacking us. We focused on the reality of the Heavenly realm where we are also seated instead of focusing on the present circumstances. “Therefore, fix yours eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal”. Quickly, our energy returned and we were filled with a new joy. We returned to our dancing with a new zeal, and thought the enemy was still trying to suck the energy out of us, we fought it. Amy got up and preached an awesome message, and a few hundred people responded to the alter call. After that, you could feel the oppression leave the crowd. It was lighter, and people were smiling.
After the altar call, we always invite people up for healing as well. Most people would come with headaches and backaches, but it was also common to have blind eyes and deaf ears. We saw many people healed during these outreaches. God used His power to comfirm the message to people. When we read of Jesus ministry and the Apostle’s ministry, miracles almost always followed a message.
We did see many headaches and backaches healed. Herb tought us to always give them a test to do before you pray so they can show you what they can not do. Then after praying, we would have them repeat the test. If they could do it, we knew they were healed. With backaches, we would have them try to bend and touch the ground. Many people could not do it in the beginning, and then they could after we prayed. People that could not count our fingers in front of their face, could now count them 10 or 15 feet away. Others who could barely hear, now would walk to you when you called them quietly from 15 feet away. It was amazing.
You would think that people would jump up and down and praise the Lord when they are healed. But many don’t say anything until you ask. They could have been healed in the first 5 minutes, but would let you pray for half an hour. But when you ask them, you can see it in their smile. Those who genuinely feel better, glow when you ask them. Then they will stand in front of the crowd and give thanks to God. It is still hard to understand why God does not choose to heal every person we pray for. It is His will, and His purpose to decide what is best. Like Paul, some may have a thorn in their side to keep them humble. We don’t know God’s ways, but we know He is good. All we can do is continue to pray in faith, knowing that even if only one is healed it is worth it all.
We have all gained a bigger perception of who God is in these last three weeks. We have bigger dreams, bigger goals, bigger expectations… but we also have more love and more awe for the Lord. To know that He chose us to come and do and see these things. Who are we?
But the truth is, this is what He wants to give all of us. We may not all be called to travel around the world, but we all have the calling and the power to heal the sick, to love the orphaned and the widow… to be Jesus to the lost and to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth.
“Our Father, who art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. YOUR KINGDOM COME. YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our depts as we forgive our deptors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. FOR THINE IS THE KINGDOM, THE POWER, AND THE GLORY FOREVER. Amen.”
