In this Mayan village we met Marcos, a 34 yr old, who pastors a small church about 20 feet from his house and chicken coop. We sat with Marcos one morning as he shared the struggles that some of the villagers are facing. Churches are divided. Presbyterians, Methodists, Penticostals work in silos never partnering together. Drunkenness is rampant. Men beat their wives. He shared a story of a husband who cheated on his wife, Rose, and she tried to commit suicide because of it. They went to a local congregation for help and the elders had no help for them. So people turn to witchcraft for direction and help during their crisis.
But Pastor Marcos just loves people. He doesn’t care what church or if they’re churched. He goes after them and loves them. I know he loves them and carries their burden because as we circled around Marcos to stand by his side in pray for the village, and for him, he wept aloud for these people in pain. He cried out to God through his tears on behalf of this couple and all other families who are in deep pain, suffering and need healing and need restoration. It was a powerful time of prayer as we all prayed out loud, each of us crying out to God on behalf of Rose, and her husband that God would heal their broken marriage and restore what satan wanted to destroy. Laura, another racer, shared that God had prompted her to pray for a woman named Rose as soon as she arrived in Mexico. It was clear that this was the Rose she’d been praying for. We prayed bold prayers, laid hands on Marcos, assured him that he’s not alone in this work, spoke truth over Marcos that God has equipped and empowered him by the Holy Spirit and that God will strengthen him with incomparably great strength that raised Christ from the dead. We prayed for churches to re-unite, for pastors to love their congregation and be filled with the Holy Spirit. For God to bring to light what has been hidden in darkness. For broken families to be restored. For the drunks to be free and find hope in the only one that can satisfy.
Later that day, we met with Rose and her husband. Their kids played outside with the chickens as we sat in on a conversation spoken in their local Chole dialect. I saw Rose and her husband sitting side by side, but not touching. Rose was stiff as a board sitting in her wooden chair. Knees together, hands folded on her lap. Head and eyes staring to the ground. She never looked up. She never spoke. She never moved. It must have been 103 degrees in that room. We all sat on the floor. I lifted my legs up at one point and saw a puddle of sweat. We sat their with Marcos for over an hour as he ministered to them. And in the heat and sweat, we fought along side of him in intercession for him and the couple.
God kept telling me as I sat their that “Rose feels hopeless. That she has no self worth because she doesn’t know what she’s worth in Christ. He kept telling me that she feels unloved, forgotten, lives in fear, exhausted, and done. She’s become hardened to protect herself from all the pain and fear.
The conversation in Chole ended. And we encircled around Rose, her husband and their children as a forcefield of prayer warriors. Each of us praying out loud, laying hands on them, and crying out to God on behalf of this family, their marriage, their children.. Prayers went out with boldness and power – again, asking bold things from God with bold faith because we worship a God who can handle it. He can heal marriages, reunite families, restore the broken-hearted, and bring life and hope to those who have lost it all. He can pull depressed hearts out of their pits of despair. He brings beauty and life to what has been destroyed by poor decisions. He makes despairing hearts glad again. He reminds people who they are – who He’s made them to be and the thousands of promises he attaches with his love. He lives to intercede for them and is eager for them to turn to him.
God whispered to me, “tell Rose that I delight in her.” “That she’s beautiful and made in My image – fearfully and wonderfully made.” He told me to read Psalm 139 to her so Marcos read it to her in Chole. We ended the prayer with worship by singing Majesty. Rose finally broke her silence. We don’t know what she said but we trust that God will bring healing and hope to this family. This couple, with struggles like that of so many others in Mexico, that resemble some of the same struggles in Africa, India, Europe, and America.
to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
oil of gladness instead of mourning,
a garment of praise instead a spirit of despair.
And they will be called oaks for righteousness,
planted by the LORD for the display of his splendor.”
