I saw Shela praying for a man from across the square and then I turned around to the vendor, who was on his third approach in trying to sell me a “tam tam” (those little annoying drums on a stick with two strings and beads that go tam tam when you roll it in your hands), and I asked his name. Well, let me elaborate: I took a deep breath, and in full frustration, conviction, and a little sass (including a head nod), I practically blurted out “what’s your name?” over all the noise.
I was frustrated. I was ready to leave and wished I wasn’t even there, level of frustrated. What was supposed to be a bustling market with lively sounds and vibrant colors quickly became a dirty, loud, obnoxious and spiritually heavy square full of relentless vendors that would not leave us alone. Even if you did want to buy something, it quickly escalated into a haggaling war. I was just over it. Then I remembered the night before.
We had just arrived to Marrakesh the night before. Well, let me say this: It was to be our one Adventure day for our team because the trip to the Sahara desert just never worked out. We were all excited and ready to experience new things leaving Darbuaza (our last city in North Africa) because we were involved in so many amazing ministries the Lord had for us there, that we were on one hand, tired and ready for debrief, but on the other hand, we wanted to see what all the hoopla was about in Marrakesh. Mainly, I just wanted to see the big Medina full of life and crazy, windy streets.
Well, we got there late at night to a overpriced taxi ride, and a freshly painted hostel full of fumes. We ate dinner earlier at the train station where a cat kept harassing me to give it some of my overpriced KFC. Finally, we get our rooms and it’s time for bed. Well, I couldn’t sleep. I wasn’t in the room with all the toxic fumes, so that wasn’t it but I did have back pain that started back in Darbuaza the night before (which seemingly came out of nowhere). “I guess it’s time to start praying” I thought. I knew the Lord was asking me to intercede, but for what? I began to pray for my team, my squad, and for Marrakesh. Well, kind of. I spent the night conflicted in my flesh and spirit as to how to intercede in a hostel where I’m sharing the room with 7 other strangers sleeping in bunk beds. I closed my eyes and would start interceding and soon I was asleep. I would be woken right back up to pray, and again, I would fall asleep. This was most of the night. Finally, frustrated, I sat up and began to pray so intentionally that the Lord gave me a vision and a scripture. I got an image of bruised, battered women looking for hope. Instantly, I wished I had not wrestled with Him so much.
So I woke up early, had some intense quiet time, and met with my team as they were getting ready for the day. I told them about my night, the vision, and I shared the scripture (Isaiah 61, which has been our team’s running scripture). They all expressed they felt a heavy weight on their chest or a wrestling in their spirit. With tears in my eyes that I could not explain, I expressed that the Lord was just asking us to be sensitive in our spirits and that we should be ready for whatever that was. Maybe trafficked women, I really had no idea. The team as a whole said they all sensed a heaviness and totally felt the urgency to be sensitive to where God was leading us that day. So Tamara led us in a prayer together and we left the hostel to set out for our fun adventure day. “On our way to the square” (which is a book Tamara is going to write), there was so much to see and it was so distracting. Distracted enough to get lost in all the sights and sounds of what the Medina had to offer. The vibrant colors, the loud vendors, the shiny metal lamps and antique shops, the intricate carpets and pillows for days, the array of different spices and oils. All these things called each of us separately, so much so, that we weren’t sticking together at all. In fact, getting to the square was for sure a challenge and there was still so much we had on our list of things to see. Tamara was excited to see the snake enchanters and the monkey tamers. By now, we had already spent a lot of time in shops and haggling that we were all ready to move on.
We finally made it to the square and while Tamara took pictures of the snake charmers, some of us ordered smoothies from one of the many fruit stands. While we waited for them to be made, I had this overwhelming moment were I turned to Niki and yelled over all the noise, “This place is freaking me out!” “Why?,” she said, leaning in. Almost as if cued, this old woman (picture Snow White’s old witch, minus the super scary face but everything else the same) approaches me to sell me who knows what, or begging for money, I forget. Either way, I stop and point at her with an open hand and said “This! This is what is freaking me out! These vendors, the man dragging the monkey behind the fruit stand to beat the life out of it, these beggars, EVEYTHING, ugh!” “Is that what he’s doing?,” Niki replied. Then just like that, we looked over as the monkey pulled back on its chain from its neck with both hands and fear in its beady little eyes because it knew it was about to get a beating of a lifetime. Just like that, we heard its squeals for help. We quickly got our fruit smoothies and headed toward the snake enchanters and just ignored the poor old lady and the monkey beating that just happened.
After a few pictures I was set to go. I didn’t need to see any more of the square. I wanted to leave. So as I waited for the girls to take in all the sights and sounds, I sat in my frustration and thought “I shouldn’t have come. I could have met them at debrief and stayed with Laura and Alysa in Darbuaza.” Interrupting my thoughts, this young vendor selling his tam tams had now asked me three times if I wanted one and I said “LA SHUKRAN, NO THANK YOU, NO GRACIAS, LEAVE ME ALONE”, I shook my head NO and he still came back just in case I changed my mind.
Then I saw Shela praying from across far away. So as he was tapping my arm, I felt the Holy Spirit whisper in the middle of all the noise, “That pain in your back is his.” So after Mohammed told me his name I pointed at the exact pain in my own back and asked him if he had pain in his back. He said “Yes” and quickly put all his things down and before I even finished getting the words out of my mouth if I can pray for him, he was ready to receive prayer with his back toward me. I closed my eyes, and like a flood of water, the Holy Spirit crushed my spirit. I could not keep it together. I cried and prayed healing over his back. I began to feel my pain go away and I knew his pain was leaving and this was all God. The pain fled in the name of Jesus and we were both shocked. So much so that 23 year old Mohammed called all his fellow vendors to receive prayer and healing. One by one they began to come. Now Tamara, Niki, Talia, Hannah, and Shela were next to me. “Take some pictures and let’s spread out into teams because there’s a lot of them,” I called to Tamara. Niki stayed with me and the girls broke out into teams and we saw the Lord move so tremendously (read their blogs, they’re good). I kept getting promptings of pain all over my body, very specific to what they felt, and again I would pray, the Holy Spirit would fall and they would be healed. All the while I exclaimed “Praise Jesus!…can you say Jesus!,” whenever they and I were shocked at the miracle that just happened.
Also, the Holy Spirit gave very specific words of knowledge for some of the people and Mohammed translated and he stayed with us the whole time. About three hours passed while we prayed at the square. The vendors would not stop coming. Again like a flood, I recalled the vision and the feelings I had that night before. Almost as if taken over by the Holy Spirit, I stood up from praying over someone’s leg, and it just happened. I stretched out my hands horizontally and as if I was the only one in the square I declared in a loud cry, a stomp of a foot, and my eyes closed tight, “THIS CITY NO LONGER BELONGS TO YOU, SATAN! I DECLARE THIS CITY TAKEN BACK FOR THE GLORY OF GOD!” BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS, THIS SQUARE, THIS CITY, THIS NATION, AND THESE PEOPLE WILL COME BACK TO HIM!” I proclaimed victory and sent forth angels to take over and do warfare and just like that, it was over. What was once frustration, turned to urgency, turned to warfare, turned to power, turned to this overwhelming peace. So much peace that the vendors all seemed to be in peace. It felt like the noise level dropped to a dull roar and knew it as I observed the once hostile monkeys now were at ease.
So much happened after that. We were offered free pictures with the monkeys and free henna and anything we wanted because of what Jesus had done. We were able to go and sight-see all the things we wanted. We started such a sweet relationship with Mohammed and his family.
After we left the square, we asked him to guide us somewhere to eat. I did my best to explain what just happened to him and offered him the opportunity to accept Jesus in his heart. Hannah gave him the gospel to read in Arabic and he said “Yes!” We all prayed with him as a team and it was so sweet to see the way the Lord plants seeds. That night he invited us to his home and Tamara was able to share the gospel to his sister. Through prompting of the Holy Spirit and through Tamara’s obedience, she was able to lead the sister to Yeshua as well.
What an amazing and awesome God we serve who works in spite of us! I ended up buying a “tam tam” from Mohammed and his cool hat. We found out sex trafficking is a big deal there and we hope the men we ministerd to would change the atmosphere. How blessed I am to retell some of these unbelievable stories of what He is doing in my life and through my life. This was just a taste of what is to come. Debrief was Holy Spirit fire also. But that’s another blog. Maybe.
Well, know I’m still fundraising and my deadline to be fully funded was November 30th. I’m still in need of $7,167 to be FULLY FUNDED or I may risk going home. Please pray into how and if you would like to contribute financially. I have a adopt-a-box where you can give a one time donation towards me being fully funded. Thank you from the depths of my heart to all those who have given. You are planting a lot of good seeds!! I love you all. See you next blog!
To see photos of this amazing time click here
