Coming on the World Race I knew that there was a strong likelihood that I would get to see the Bible actually come to life and through that I hoped that I’d get to come face to face with actual miracles. I mean, how cool would it be to witness the blind see, the sick healed, and the dead raised?! Well… surprisingly enough, I actually haven’t had to wait too long here on the race to see what that felt like!
A couple of weeks ago my team met up with Team Prisma to do some ministry at some nearby barrios. Cody, Amber, and I were put on a team with some of the local youth workers and all of us set out to pray for different families. One of the families we came across had a sick infant who had a high fever. As the three of us laid hands on the baby and prayed, the heat left the baby’s body and came on all three of us. By the end of the prayer the baby was totally fine and was laughing and playing in his mothers arm!
The thing is… it didn’t stop there! This month I’ve made a new friend Jimmy (Yime). He’s a precious little boy that’s trapped inside his own body due to Multiple Sclerosis.
I first met Jimmy during our first week of ministry here at New Life when we held a VBS for the kids on that Saturday. I was instantly drawn to Jimmy, and just like Julius the month before, I knew I wanted to see him healed. As it turned out, Jimmy’s dad ended up accepting Christ the next day at church and within a week had decided to start to working for Casa Matteo as New Life’s ground keeper. I was ecstatic because it meant more play time with Jimmy!
Jimmy definitely stole my heart! Several times we’d play catch and just walk around the campus together. I’d definitely pray for him and over him as we walked. His dad was also persistent in his faith for Jimmy to be healed… every Sunday He’d bring him down to the front and ask us to pray over him. This past Sunday I couldn’t help but think of some of the parents in the gospels, and how just like their children, Jimmy would be healed because of His dad’s faith in bringing him to Christ. Little did I know that a little taste of Kingdom was about to be brought to Jinotepe!
On Tuesday my team and I were getting ready to head to debrief, one of the few times during the race that the entire squad meets up to process the past months of ministry, worship, and have fellowship with one another. I had recently just been attacked with water balloons by some of our youth, so as my team finished packing I sat outside trying to dry off while I listened to my iPod. All of a sudden I got this vision… I was supposed to get some oil to anoint Jimmy and pray healing over him.
Say what?! I sat there for a few minutes debating this over my head. I tried to ignore it at first because it seemed odd, but I remembered actually reading something like this in James 5 and then the vision kept getting stronger… plus, my hand started tingling. At that exact moment I look up and see Jimmy, his dad, and his sister walking straight at me, as his dad was brining him over to say goodbye. I immediately knew that there was no way this was a coincidence.
I ran inside real quick, found the Spanish Bible, and got a cup full of oil. When I showed Jimmy’s dad the verse and tried to explain that I wanted to pray over Jimmy one last time, he excitedly agreed. And so, I put oil on Jimmy’s forehead, started praying for healing, and commanding anything not of God to come out of his body. I prayed over his head and his legs, but then felt that I needed to pray over his back. As I moved my hand onto his back I instantly started feeling his spine move into alignment.
I was freaking out! Are you kidding me?! What the heck?! DID THAT REALLY JUST HAPPEN?!!
Well… of course it did! Jimmy started walking around and there was an obvious difference! He was walking faster and stronger as his back was straightened out! And even as we were saying our goodbyes just minutes later, my teammates and I could tell that He was sitting straight up, unlike the uncomfortable slouch that his body was once forced to conform to! I know that there is definitely more healing to be done in Jimmy’s body, as his legs are somewhat weak and his brain doesn’t fully function, but I’m trusting that this miraculous healing will continue in due time!
I’m so ridiculously excited about how Jimmy is doing! That boy completely stole my heart and I love that he’s finally being able to experience the fullness of his childhood that I so desperately wanted for him. I absolutely can’t wait to have the opportunity to go back there someday soon so I can see this walking miracle of the Kingdom myself!
