We went out to another “slum” area yesterday. I went with a different pastor this time. On our first stop, we visited a woman named Merciful. We stayed inside of her house for 30 minutes or so. She had a few children and was prostituting herself in order to make enough money to take care of them. The pastor asked her if I could talk with her. She said yes and kept her head down. She wouldn’t look at me. I prayed as usual for God to provide the words that she needed to hear. I didn’t know what to say. Honestly, I understand why she was prostituting herself…she needed the money. And it isn’t like I can give her a job so she can not go back to that lifestyle again. I could only tell her that God is not condemning her, that He loves her, and that He can make all things new. While I told her these things, she fell to her knees and wept. I went to my knees as well and joined her on the mud floor. We prayed together, stood to our feet, and I watched as she began to smile. The pastor told her a few more things in Swahili, then we left.
From there we passed by a business in which two women were selling corn. They asked if we could pray for their business, so we did.
We then met 3 women on the side of the road. They too had never heard the name of Jesus. As I began to tell them who He is, one girl kept looking away and somewhat laughing as if I were crazy. I told them about the miracles I had seen two days ago with the woman who received her sight. They began to pay a little more attention but they were still skeptical. At this moment, I believe God gave me a word of knowledge, possibly for the first time in my life. I asked them…”These words I tell you, are they not stirring in your heart?” At this the one who was laughing stopped. The three girls invited us into their home and we all sat down. I shared with them what it means to have a relationship with Jesus and they all three accepted Christ.
After we left this home, a group of people were waiting outside for us. Each of them asked us to visit their home and pray for their family members who were sick. We were led into the home where a little boy was covered with open sores. He was maybe 2 or 3 and his body was eaten up with what looked like chicken pox. However, the parents told us it wasn’t chicken pox and that they didn’t know what it was. The sores had been there for 3 months. We prayed for the boy and then went on from there.
A man then asked us to enter his home and pray for him. He told us that he was lonely and had been backsliding from God. We prayed for the man and then left the home.
In the next home we entered, I was completely broken and needed to rely fully on the Holy Spirit for wisdom and discernment. Milda is a young wife whose husband stays gone from home for many days at a time. When he comes home, if he’s not drunk already, he will drink his fill and then abuse his wife. He beats her, takes any money that she may have, and then he leaves again. Milda now lives with her mother.
Milda and her mother asked me if it was okay for her to divorce him. I had no words. I kept silent until they came. I told her I did not support divorce, however, I support her safety. I recited to her what Moses, Jesus, and Paul taught concerning divorce (Deuteronomy 24:1-4, Matthew 5 & 19, Mark 10, 1 Corinthians 7). I had no idea what else to tell her. I didn’t want her to stay with an abusive husband, however, I also told her how the husband will be sanctified through his wife (1 Cor 7:13-14), that their marriage deserves the willingness from the two of them to try and make it work. I again told her my thoughts on divorce, and the Biblical principals that are the foundation for my beliefs concerning divorce. Then these words poured out of me, “It is better to fall into the hands of God and receive discipline, than to fall into the hands of man and receive praise.” My flesh wanted to tell her to leave him. My heart wanted to see this marriage turn around and become what the Holy relationship was created to be. I’m not sure if the relationship was God ordained or if it was an arranged marriage anyway. And if this wasn’t from God, would He want her to stay in it? I had no idea. I only gave her the words I received.
Please email me any thoughts you may have concerning how this was handled. I would appreciate any advice, so when this happens again I will have a better understanding of how to approach the situation.
By this time, the pastor and I needed to get back to the group. So we invited Milda to come with us and have lunch. The pastor stayed with her and invited her to church. She said she would try to make it this Sunday.
I am no one special. These things I have seen and been asked to be a part of are all for God’s glory. He has shown me His great mercy in allowing me to see Him at work. Please keep us all in your prayers. God has come through every time with the words for His children. Pray that we will have the strength to be obedient in speaking them. Even in this blog, I want to tell you all everything that is happening here. I’m aware that this may offend some. Forgive me if I have spoken on my own, and praise God if I have given you His words.
written on 6-27-10
