God’s Power in the Park
On Thursday night our team went to the streets with a youth group that is here on a mission trip to pray on the streets. We prayed for about 2 hours, and as we were about to leave, a man ran up screaming. He had the wildest look in his eyes like he was literally about to ‘lose it’. He was urgently asking for candies.... he was not even listen to us as we responded to his questions but pushingly continuing to beg for candies. Carlos and Johnny laid hands on the boys back and just began to pray. As the pray, the holy spirit interrupted the situation completely. Both Carlos and Johnny were being led by the spirit, and began to pray and declare truths over this young man’s life. As they prayed, the entire demeanor of this guy changed. It was incredible.... his shoulders began to relax, he stopped yelling, he let his head hang relaxed.... and then he put his hands to his face as he began to weep. The power of the Holy Spirit is incomparable, when he moves and speaks, things change. This was a huge testimony for me just to witness the power of God’s touch.... at the end of the prayer, Carlos talked to the boy for a while and poured into his life. The boy shared that he was a drug addict and very young... and after that experience something changed in his heart. Before we left, Carlos got his phone number and will continue meeting with him to help him change his life.
I was really impacted as we were leaving; God told me to speak to him about his father. As I told him that he had a father who loved him, he said through sobs, “I don’t have a father! I’ve always been alone”. I explained to him that he had a loving father in heaven who has and will ALWAYS be with him, who loves him and who desires to help and to bless him. We continued talking about this and then he asked, “If God is there, why can’t I ever see him”. I told him that he CAN see God... he CAN feel Him... he CAN hug him.... that God sent us as his representation here on this Earth. God has chosen us Christ-Followers to be his hands, to be his voice, to be his arms, to speak through us to reach every person... and GOD himself sent us that night to love that boy. What an privilege as christ-followers that we get to be God’s representation on Earth... what an awesome Father we serve.
Amazing Freedom Street Ministry Church Service on Sunday
On Sunday we had the church service at Casa Agape. This is the church service that we hold for the prostitutes. 35 people showed up for church! I was so thrilled with the turn out! Some of the transvestites that we work with who have always ‘hated church’ came. Some women who are victims of exploitation whom we have ben helping for months came! Carlos was our preacher for the service and he shared about ‘our value and how we see ourselves affects our dreams’. It was such a powerful message. The entire church was almost in tears (some of the transvestites were crying as God spoke to their hearts). At the end of the service, one young boy who is a prostitute and victim of exploitation (and has been since his early teens) accepted Jesus as his Lord and savior! It was SO incredible to see God speak to his heart and see him find freedom! Of course, getting off of the streets and out of this horrible situation will be a long process; but he has found the start of a changed life. He was beyond emotional as he poured out his heart to God in front of the entire church through tears. It is amazing to me to watch people who are in the very darkest and ‘hopeless’ situations find the transforming love of Christ. I am so honored to walk this process with him.
God is in the HEALING business
On Saturday night we went to the street to minister to the prostitutes as we do every Saturday night. At one corner, we came across a young transvestite who has a sad, horrible, story... he is not on the streets out of his own will but by force. The week before he told us that he was diagnosed with hepatitis and that it may be fatal. We prayed for his, that God would heal him. When we saw him on Saturday, he came running up to the van. He could not wait to tell us his news. He was in shock, declaring that 'God healed him'. He had returned to the doctors who were in shock to announce that it was just completely gone... that he had been healed.... they were all in shock and called it a 'miracle'. Although this miracle was amazing.... the most amazing part is the Miracle Giver. God goes to such great lengths to show us his love and his pursuit on our lives...
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