Experiencing the Power of God

Between writing lesson plans and researching for my dissertation, I have found little time to blog recently. However, I want to share with you about an experience I had in Africa.

I was going hut-to-hut sharing the gospel with my friend, Robert. It was time for lunch and we were walking back to the church to meet the rest of the team for lunch. On the way, a lady sitting by the path stopped us. She began sharing about her uncle who was paralyzed and begged us to go and visit him. She had heard that missionaries were in the area and she believed that her uncle would be healed if only we would visit him.

Robert began to share with her about the centurion in the Bible who came to Jesus on behalf of his servant. Robert explained that just as Jesus did not have to go and visit the man to heal him, we did not have to visit her uncle in order for God to bring healing. We then shared the good news of the gospel with her and her children, and they all prayed to receive Christ.

In response to her request, we agreed to go and visit her uncle. When we arrived, we saw a thin man lying in the bed. His legs looked literally like skin and bones, brittle and without muscle. My heart hurt for this family. The niece explained that doctors had told them he was paralyzed and that there was nothing they could do to help him.

One of our translators, Christopher, told the man, "Your niece has faith that if we pray over you, God will heal you. Her faith is not enough. You must believe in the Lord Jesus." He explained to the man his need for salvation and the man surrendered his life to Christ, experiencing spiritual healing. Christopher then asked the man if he believed that God could heal him. The man answered, "Yes!" Christopher then said, "In the name of Jesus, get up and walk."

At this point I had a crisis of belief. Would God heal this man? Could this man whose legs had no visible muscles possibly walk again? I remember thinking, "OK, God. Your name is on the line. What are you going to do?"

Again Christopher said, "In the name of Jesus, get up and walk!" The man began to sit up and his family rushed to the bed to help him. Christopher told the family to let him be. "In the name of Jesus, get up and walk." Slowly the man slid off the bed into a standing position. With Christopher continuing to command in Jesus' name, the man took one, two, three steps.

My eyes had to be huge at this point! He did it! He took 3 steps!

Christopher then said, "Walk outside. In the power of Jesus' name, walk." The man walked outside and turned around and walked back to his home. He then began raising his hands and dancing before the Lord. I watched with tears pouring down my face as his family raced to embrace him. God had healed the lame -- not only physically but spiritually as well. God Did It!!!!

Before we left, I encouraged the man to go and tell everyone he knew that Jesus Christ had healed him. I was in awe as we left his home...there really are no words to explain what it felt like to experience this miracle. Even now as I type, my eyes well up with tears.

What a mighty God we serve!

The man in the orange was the lame man and Christopher is in the plaid shirt. 

One Proud Mama...

Going to Africa with my family was a dream come true. I was a little concerned that Jorjanne would get irritable and that this might infect the team. Before we left I told her, "You will be tired. You will be hot, and you will be hungry...but you will NOT complain!!!!" I am so proud to say that I never heard her complain once throughout the entire trip. God used her to share his love with others and He used this trip to change her. I could write and share more, but I think she said it best in this video presentation that was shared in our church.

Hopes for 2015

I watched as the sun slowly disappeared behind the acacia tree. As I stood peering over the tall grass, fighting to keep my skirt from blowing up and my hair from flying in my face, I knew that I would never be the same.

When I first started going to Kenya with my church, there were no evangelical churches among the Kuria tribe. Over the years, the gospel has spread not only among the Kuria in Kenya, but also in Tanzania. The zeal of the first generation church there is refreshing.

Seven years ago, I went to Africa thinking that it would be a neat experience. Little did I know that a continent so vast and a people so different from myself would take root as a seed in my heart. Over the many years as I’ve returned, that seed has blossomed into a love and passion that I cannot contain. I longed for the day that I could share this vision God had birthed in my heart with my family…for the day that they too, would be gripped by the beauty of a people who seek to know God and to make him known.

After much prayer, we believe that this summer my dreams of going to Africa with my family could become a reality. We have “put our yes” on the table, and Jeff, Jorjanne, and I all three are planning to go and serve the Lord side by side in both Kenya and Tanzania. This is a God-sized task. While we have willing hearts to go, the costs are high. It will cost approximately $12,000 for the three of us to go.

We plan to host yard sales, sell t-shirts, and do other odd jobs to try and raise our support. We ask you to join us in prayer as we step out in faith and trust the Lord to meet the needs for our trip. My heart is giddy at thoughts of how God will use this trip in our family. He has already radically transformed my thinking and my priorities as a result of past trips, and to think that Jorjanne will have the opportunity to go and learn at such a young age is so stinkin’ cool!

I have taught Bible studies myriads of times, but only in Africa have I taught for hours and hours and had the ladies beg for more from God’s Word. They walk for hours just to come and hear the Word proclaimed. They have a hunger and thirst for righteousness that I’d only read about. Teaching the Bible to African women has been both a privilege and a blessing.

My New Year’s resolution is to know God more and to make him known. I want to hunger for His Word like the women in Africa. When I think of 2015, I am excited about the opportunities for our family to grow closer to Christ and to each other. While I also hope for the traditional things (to eat healthier and to exercise more), I pray that this year our family will long for Christ as the deer pants for the water. We pray that God will use us to point others to the True Joy Giver this year.

Happy New Year!