Another week, another Monday, and another opportunity for people in Kibera to experience God's love for them through His healing power.
And it was another busy week, with more reports of healings from previous weeks. One lady that we prayed for last week was so grateful for the healing she received that this week she came with a thank offering of money - needless to say we pointed out that the healing ministry is free, and she went away even happier!
Maximilla has a serious problem with her left eye, and last week came for prayer. Last week she couldn't distinguish anything through her eye, now she can see light and dark. We prayed that God would continue the healing He has started.
Other prayers this week were said for diabetes, toothache, healing from burns, chest problems, malaria, sore rashes, reuniting of families, one lady with an alcoholic husband who regularly beats her, and a few who need employment. Some of these people had tried doctors, clinics, and various different medications without any improvement, some came to us deliberately, others were attracted by the offer of something for free. All received prayer, and we believe the Holy Spirit was with us once again, and even now is healing those we were privileged to pray with.
I'm still fasting on a Monday, and plan to continue as I'm still enjoying it, and find I am more spiritually aware on a Monday than on other days! However, last night I woke up in the night, with the words in my head "you are released from your fast". It was as if God was saying to me "you fasted when I asked you to fast, and now I'm releasing you". So now it's a personal choice, rather than something I feel God is compelling me to do.
The Turning Point project closes for the Easter break this week, so our HotS ministry will take a break too. We are excitedly looking forward to May 3rd when we'll be back out there, and Emily will be back with us, and we can be witnesses to God's heart in action for the poor of this world.
So, to God be the Glory, great things He has done!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Breakthrough!
What a morning! Last week we had been sat waiting, waiting, waiting for people to come, and it seemed as if there was a spiritual barrier preventing people from even showing any interest.
This week, the complete opposite. There was hardly a moment when one of the groups wasn't involved praying with someone, and a lot of the time both groups were busy, and I was noticing people walking by and slowing down to see what was going on - this while I was attempting to hover between Pastor Shadrack and Eunice as they were praying - come back Emily!
Once again, we had people coming back reporting healing, and all told we had 15 visitors in our two hour stretch, and were able to pray for them and a variety of their family members who were sick. And, me being an Arsenal supporters, I was very pleased and privileged to pray for a young boy called Arshavin. This week's list of illnesses included malaria, typhoid, stomach ulcers, colds, boils, asthma, alcoholism, boils, fertility, eyesight, painful legs, pain & growths in mouths... I could continue.
We also prayed for employment for people desperate to find a way of supporting their family - one man was actually on his way to an interview and stopped for prayer. Today it was a privilege again, but it was also very exciting! All the team had a very real sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit, and I think our confidence and faith is growing. One lady came with an obvious eye problem, but wasn't asking us to pray for it - she'd come back to report healing from her first visit to us. But I felt I really wanted to pray for her eyesight, so asked specifically what the problem was with her eye, and if we could pray for healing. I'm hoping to see her next week, and that she can clearly see me!
Next week will be our last HotS session until May, as the project closes for the Easter holidays. And then in May we'll be restored to full strength with Emily returning - we're still praying for God to bring more to join us, and this morning is the first morning that we could have prayed for more had we had a larger team. No doubt, in God's timing, we'll have more helpers.
And just as I was about to sign off for this week Francis came through the door of the office in Kibera. He's the man who was going for an interview this morning, and he was coming to report that he'd got the job - praise God muchly!
This week, the complete opposite. There was hardly a moment when one of the groups wasn't involved praying with someone, and a lot of the time both groups were busy, and I was noticing people walking by and slowing down to see what was going on - this while I was attempting to hover between Pastor Shadrack and Eunice as they were praying - come back Emily!
Once again, we had people coming back reporting healing, and all told we had 15 visitors in our two hour stretch, and were able to pray for them and a variety of their family members who were sick. And, me being an Arsenal supporters, I was very pleased and privileged to pray for a young boy called Arshavin. This week's list of illnesses included malaria, typhoid, stomach ulcers, colds, boils, asthma, alcoholism, boils, fertility, eyesight, painful legs, pain & growths in mouths... I could continue.
We also prayed for employment for people desperate to find a way of supporting their family - one man was actually on his way to an interview and stopped for prayer. Today it was a privilege again, but it was also very exciting! All the team had a very real sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit, and I think our confidence and faith is growing. One lady came with an obvious eye problem, but wasn't asking us to pray for it - she'd come back to report healing from her first visit to us. But I felt I really wanted to pray for her eyesight, so asked specifically what the problem was with her eye, and if we could pray for healing. I'm hoping to see her next week, and that she can clearly see me!
Next week will be our last HotS session until May, as the project closes for the Easter holidays. And then in May we'll be restored to full strength with Emily returning - we're still praying for God to bring more to join us, and this morning is the first morning that we could have prayed for more had we had a larger team. No doubt, in God's timing, we'll have more helpers.
And just as I was about to sign off for this week Francis came through the door of the office in Kibera. He's the man who was going for an interview this morning, and he was coming to report that he'd got the job - praise God muchly!
Monday, March 15, 2010
I'm not a great advert for HotS this week
Another Monday, another 2 hours sat by an open sewer in Kibera, with people milling around going about their daily business. This week a local man decided to clear out the sewer a bit, as it was so blocked that it was preventing anything running down. This entailed raking out clumps of rubbish and sewage, and leaving piles at intervals along the edge of the sewer. It did improve the drainage, certainly, and for a few minutes I was grateful that I was so bunged up with cold that I couldn't effectively smell much!
However, being bunged up with cold isn't a great advert for a Healing ministry. Smiling weakly at people walking by whilst blowing one's nose repeatedly in front of a large sign proclaiming 'Healing' is a little ironic. The team did pray for me, but my nose continued to think it was in training for a marathon.
So, apart from me, we only had 3 takers this week. One mum with her 2 year old daughter who she was taking to a clinic. She had a persistent cough that we prayed for. Another mum came that we know because one of her children is in the TP Mashimoni project. She's a single mum with a lot of problems and issues, and we're fairly certain she's HIV+. She had a bad cough, which may well have been the signs of TB, and she asked for prayer for healing for it. She didn't want prayer for anything else, but if God heals her cough then maybe she'll come back for healing prayer for some of the other problems she experiences.
And the last lady was a repeater from last week. She'd come with her daughter who last week had painful boils on her bottom. we prayed last Monday, and by Friday they had completely disappeared - from memory she'd been suffering with them for a couple of months at least. We were also able to pray about the mum's marriage, as she suspects her husband has been looking elsewhere. It must take quite some courage to open up and admit something like that, and once again, it was a huge privilege to pray for her.
So once again, we have been witnesses to the healing power of the Holy Spirit at work in Kibera. It may not be as dramatic as Peter & John, but God is reaching people at their point of need, and they are acknowledging it as Him. Awesome!
However, being bunged up with cold isn't a great advert for a Healing ministry. Smiling weakly at people walking by whilst blowing one's nose repeatedly in front of a large sign proclaiming 'Healing' is a little ironic. The team did pray for me, but my nose continued to think it was in training for a marathon.
So, apart from me, we only had 3 takers this week. One mum with her 2 year old daughter who she was taking to a clinic. She had a persistent cough that we prayed for. Another mum came that we know because one of her children is in the TP Mashimoni project. She's a single mum with a lot of problems and issues, and we're fairly certain she's HIV+. She had a bad cough, which may well have been the signs of TB, and she asked for prayer for healing for it. She didn't want prayer for anything else, but if God heals her cough then maybe she'll come back for healing prayer for some of the other problems she experiences.
And the last lady was a repeater from last week. She'd come with her daughter who last week had painful boils on her bottom. we prayed last Monday, and by Friday they had completely disappeared - from memory she'd been suffering with them for a couple of months at least. We were also able to pray about the mum's marriage, as she suspects her husband has been looking elsewhere. It must take quite some courage to open up and admit something like that, and once again, it was a huge privilege to pray for her.
So once again, we have been witnesses to the healing power of the Holy Spirit at work in Kibera. It may not be as dramatic as Peter & John, but God is reaching people at their point of need, and they are acknowledging it as Him. Awesome!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Positive to Negative?
Our God is an Awesome God!
Praying again this morning - this time without Emily as she's on her way back to the UK for a few weeks. We weren't quite sure how the dynamics would work without her, but decided that I'd attempt to hover in between Pastor Shadrack and Eunice, and join in with them.
For 45 minutes we sat with nobody requesting prayer. Several people stopped, some even sat down, to ask about what sort of 'healing' we were offering, but people seemed reluctant to accept our offers to pray for them. We had a couple of ladies stop with more encouraging reports of healing from our praying last week, saying they are 'completely better'.
But slowly things changed. One of the first people we prayed for had suspected lung cancer, found it hard to breathe at times, and the medicine he was getting from the hospital wasn't helping at all.
Another lady came on behalf of her and her husband, who were both diagnosed HIV+ in December. I was wondering whether my faith was big enough to pray that her status turns negative, but I needn't have worried. She announced that although her husband has been taking anti retro-viral medication, she isn't as she expects God to heal her. It was a privilege to pray for her, and we asked her to get another test done so she can see if God has healed her. And if God has healed her, to tell any HIV+ friends she has to come for prayer too.
We prayed for people suffering from allergies causing rashes all over their body, pain all over, problems with painful feet, a young child with boils on her bottom, a lady up-country with a severely swollen leg that the family can't afford the cost of treatment for, a lady in hospital with complications following the stillbirth of her baby, marital problems, and unemployment. The man who came needing employment was one of the ones who had stopped to chat earlier, but hadn't been brave enough to ask for prayer then. It was an hour later that he returned and sat down again, and this time told us about his family and how he can't provide for them.
Once again, it was a privilege to pray for them all, and we eagerly anticipate next week.
Praying again this morning - this time without Emily as she's on her way back to the UK for a few weeks. We weren't quite sure how the dynamics would work without her, but decided that I'd attempt to hover in between Pastor Shadrack and Eunice, and join in with them.
For 45 minutes we sat with nobody requesting prayer. Several people stopped, some even sat down, to ask about what sort of 'healing' we were offering, but people seemed reluctant to accept our offers to pray for them. We had a couple of ladies stop with more encouraging reports of healing from our praying last week, saying they are 'completely better'.
But slowly things changed. One of the first people we prayed for had suspected lung cancer, found it hard to breathe at times, and the medicine he was getting from the hospital wasn't helping at all.
Another lady came on behalf of her and her husband, who were both diagnosed HIV+ in December. I was wondering whether my faith was big enough to pray that her status turns negative, but I needn't have worried. She announced that although her husband has been taking anti retro-viral medication, she isn't as she expects God to heal her. It was a privilege to pray for her, and we asked her to get another test done so she can see if God has healed her. And if God has healed her, to tell any HIV+ friends she has to come for prayer too.
We prayed for people suffering from allergies causing rashes all over their body, pain all over, problems with painful feet, a young child with boils on her bottom, a lady up-country with a severely swollen leg that the family can't afford the cost of treatment for, a lady in hospital with complications following the stillbirth of her baby, marital problems, and unemployment. The man who came needing employment was one of the ones who had stopped to chat earlier, but hadn't been brave enough to ask for prayer then. It was an hour later that he returned and sat down again, and this time told us about his family and how he can't provide for them.
Once again, it was a privilege to pray for them all, and we eagerly anticipate next week.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Getting wet for Jesus
And not just wet, but cold as well. But what a privilege again!
Two people came back to report healing and thank us, and we were able to thank God with them for the healing. One lady came last week with high blood pressure, 170 over something, and after two days it was down to 150, and by the end of the week was down to 130. We prayed for it to continue coming down to a normal level.
We prayed for people with cancer, blindness in one eye, stomach problems, malaria, leg pain, a baby who is brain-damaged due to oxygen starvation at birth, infertility, allergies affecting eyes, chest pain, others with eye problems, and for employment opportunities for those struggling to support their families. All this in two hours.
It was incredible to be standing or sitting in the rain, and to know that God was with us, and His Holy Spirit was at work. Many of those we prayed for told us of strange feelings they experienced whilst we were praying - one lady said she just wanted to shake all over when we were praying for her. God was definitely at work amongst the poor today!
I'm still shaking, but that's from standing outside in the rain for two hours!
Today was the last HotS with Emily for a while, as she's off to the UK and then on holiday. So unless God brings someone else our team will be down to three. How we'll work that I'm not sure - I may try and hover between Pastor and Eunice, going to pray where I think I may be of more use. Or we may just have one team of three. We'll see how we sense God's leading before next Monday.
Emily says she's going to miss watching people meeting with God in the middle of the slum.
Two people came back to report healing and thank us, and we were able to thank God with them for the healing. One lady came last week with high blood pressure, 170 over something, and after two days it was down to 150, and by the end of the week was down to 130. We prayed for it to continue coming down to a normal level.
We prayed for people with cancer, blindness in one eye, stomach problems, malaria, leg pain, a baby who is brain-damaged due to oxygen starvation at birth, infertility, allergies affecting eyes, chest pain, others with eye problems, and for employment opportunities for those struggling to support their families. All this in two hours.
It was incredible to be standing or sitting in the rain, and to know that God was with us, and His Holy Spirit was at work. Many of those we prayed for told us of strange feelings they experienced whilst we were praying - one lady said she just wanted to shake all over when we were praying for her. God was definitely at work amongst the poor today!
I'm still shaking, but that's from standing outside in the rain for two hours!
Today was the last HotS with Emily for a while, as she's off to the UK and then on holiday. So unless God brings someone else our team will be down to three. How we'll work that I'm not sure - I may try and hover between Pastor and Eunice, going to pray where I think I may be of more use. Or we may just have one team of three. We'll see how we sense God's leading before next Monday.
Emily says she's going to miss watching people meeting with God in the middle of the slum.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Week 2
I must think up more imaginative titles for this blog.
Since last week's HotS three people have come to find us and tell us they've been healed. And at this morning's session one of the ladies we prayed for last week came back to thank us, and to tell us that her child who had been having nightmares repeatedly is now sleeping peacefully, and her 18 month old who hadn't previously walked had started walking the day we prayed. She had also been the victim of a violent robbery recently, and we were able to pray for peace, and also for the return of her stolen belongings.
Another lady we prayed for today, Elizabeth, had been living with pain in her knees and back, and unable to bend her knees much. After prayer, when she said she felt "heat and cold water" running down her legs, she was able to squat from standing - something she couldn't have even attempted before.
We had a couple of brave men who stopped for prayer today as well - last week it was just ladies. Others included people suffering from high blood pressure, where medication wasn't having any effect, malaria, stomach and head pain, and others.
The time flew by today, and before we knew it we were packing up for this week. I probably should have asked for prayer from the team myself, as I've got some sort of viral bug that's going round which is making me very tired, and I found it hard to concentrate this morning. But fortunately God doesn't need me to be with it, just to be available, and I was able to be that.
There were many people, like last week, who stopped to see what we were doing, but who didn't come for prayer. But the word is spreading, and those who were healed last week have been telling others. We prayed, once again, for God's victory in Kibera, and that it would become a place where God is glorified, and He is Lord.
Unfortunately, the other pastors who have been involved in some or all of the training don't seem to be sticking with it - one turned up at the end last week, and this week none of them came. So it's just the four of us, and with Emily going back to the UK two weeks today, she's only got one more session she'll be here for until May. We need to pray that God would build a team of people to run with this, and to see it expand into other parts of Kibera. And that we would recognise the people of His choosing for the task.
The more the merrier as they say.
Since last week's HotS three people have come to find us and tell us they've been healed. And at this morning's session one of the ladies we prayed for last week came back to thank us, and to tell us that her child who had been having nightmares repeatedly is now sleeping peacefully, and her 18 month old who hadn't previously walked had started walking the day we prayed. She had also been the victim of a violent robbery recently, and we were able to pray for peace, and also for the return of her stolen belongings.
Another lady we prayed for today, Elizabeth, had been living with pain in her knees and back, and unable to bend her knees much. After prayer, when she said she felt "heat and cold water" running down her legs, she was able to squat from standing - something she couldn't have even attempted before.
We had a couple of brave men who stopped for prayer today as well - last week it was just ladies. Others included people suffering from high blood pressure, where medication wasn't having any effect, malaria, stomach and head pain, and others.
The time flew by today, and before we knew it we were packing up for this week. I probably should have asked for prayer from the team myself, as I've got some sort of viral bug that's going round which is making me very tired, and I found it hard to concentrate this morning. But fortunately God doesn't need me to be with it, just to be available, and I was able to be that.
There were many people, like last week, who stopped to see what we were doing, but who didn't come for prayer. But the word is spreading, and those who were healed last week have been telling others. We prayed, once again, for God's victory in Kibera, and that it would become a place where God is glorified, and He is Lord.
Unfortunately, the other pastors who have been involved in some or all of the training don't seem to be sticking with it - one turned up at the end last week, and this week none of them came. So it's just the four of us, and with Emily going back to the UK two weeks today, she's only got one more session she'll be here for until May. We need to pray that God would build a team of people to run with this, and to see it expand into other parts of Kibera. And that we would recognise the people of His choosing for the task.
The more the merrier as they say.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Week 1
There we were, sat on little wooden stools, an open sewer running next to us, flies landing on us continuously, in the heat of the day, with the dust blowing into our eyes. There aren't many places on earth where physical poverty is more in evidence than there, in the heart of Kibera. And this morning God was there, and it was quite literally awesome to be included as a witness to it.
So many places in the Bible it talks about God's heart, or concern, for the poor. And this morning, that's what we saw. It was an amazingly humbling experience, a real privilege to be a part of, and a day I will long remember.
For two hours the four of us (Emily & Pastor Shadrack, Eunice & myself) were available to pray for people. And they came - we prayed for people suffering from all kinds of infirmities, some who were experiencing abuse, some who had exhausted their meagre finances on dodgy clinics and were no better for it, and all open to experiencing the power of God in their lives. At 12:00 when we were due to finish we had a queue of people waiting, and we had to continue till 12:20 to clear the backlog. All in all, 16 people with direct healing requests were prayed for, and many of them could feel the Holy Spirit on them, through them, in them, as we prayed.
There was suspicion at first, many people wondering what we were all about, unbelieving that it was free, and one even thought we were a mobile health clinic! But after the first one or two accepted the offer of prayer, and people could see there wasn't anything sinister going on, and that we didn't demand payment from them (something that many 'Christian healers' do here) their confidence grew. Some engaged us in conversation, before heading off on an errand, promising to return on their way back. Others walked past unwilling to make eye-contact, but obviously interested in what was on offer. Others just came and sat down on one of the available stools to chat and pass the time of day.
But through all of these came the ones who God wanted us to pray for. We had one lady openly breatfeeding her child whilst she was being prayed for (bet that doesn't often happen in Coleraine), and others who were so open with us when discussing their problems, with nowhere else to turn. The Holy Spirit was moving on these people as we prayed for them, and we believe He began the healing process in them at that time. It's funny to think that now, a couple of hours or so later, people will be realising they have been healed, and hopefully going and telling their friends about what God has done for them.
Could this morning have been any more encouraging for us as a team? I suppose if a one-legged person had come and we'd seen his missing leg grow, then yes. But maybe that's for next week!
So many places in the Bible it talks about God's heart, or concern, for the poor. And this morning, that's what we saw. It was an amazingly humbling experience, a real privilege to be a part of, and a day I will long remember.
For two hours the four of us (Emily & Pastor Shadrack, Eunice & myself) were available to pray for people. And they came - we prayed for people suffering from all kinds of infirmities, some who were experiencing abuse, some who had exhausted their meagre finances on dodgy clinics and were no better for it, and all open to experiencing the power of God in their lives. At 12:00 when we were due to finish we had a queue of people waiting, and we had to continue till 12:20 to clear the backlog. All in all, 16 people with direct healing requests were prayed for, and many of them could feel the Holy Spirit on them, through them, in them, as we prayed.
There was suspicion at first, many people wondering what we were all about, unbelieving that it was free, and one even thought we were a mobile health clinic! But after the first one or two accepted the offer of prayer, and people could see there wasn't anything sinister going on, and that we didn't demand payment from them (something that many 'Christian healers' do here) their confidence grew. Some engaged us in conversation, before heading off on an errand, promising to return on their way back. Others walked past unwilling to make eye-contact, but obviously interested in what was on offer. Others just came and sat down on one of the available stools to chat and pass the time of day.
But through all of these came the ones who God wanted us to pray for. We had one lady openly breatfeeding her child whilst she was being prayed for (bet that doesn't often happen in Coleraine), and others who were so open with us when discussing their problems, with nowhere else to turn. The Holy Spirit was moving on these people as we prayed for them, and we believe He began the healing process in them at that time. It's funny to think that now, a couple of hours or so later, people will be realising they have been healed, and hopefully going and telling their friends about what God has done for them.
Could this morning have been any more encouraging for us as a team? I suppose if a one-legged person had come and we'd seen his missing leg grow, then yes. But maybe that's for next week!
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