Prayer and trust.

While in Jalapa one day our plan was to have a prayer walk to pray over the property of the church and the school and those who are running them and the people who would come.  For anything God had put in our hearts to pray for.  After that we would have a pop up VBS in a park.  So we got to the church and all took some time to walk around and pray and ask these things of the Lord, and then we all met up on a hill that overlooked the whole property and you could see a good amount of the city from there.  I could feel the power in that moment, when we were all seeking God together even when we were not all praying together.  As we all walked in different directions and areas of the property the presence of God was there.  These moments brought such encouragement and joy to me.  Just to know that as we asked He was there listening and caring for what we care for. We read some scripture and took some time to pray together.  Then we went back to go get ready and head out for vbs.

As soon as we got to the church it started down pouring for about ten minutes.  Usually it only rains for about ten minutes and is done for the rest of the day so we waited a while to make sure the rain was going to be done and it started raining again.  This time we just decided to eat lunch and then head out after, but as soon as we were about to walk out the gate the officials we had been praying would come showed up.  So Pastor Porfirio met with them and we all waited anxiously to see what would happen.  It started raining again after they left so at that point it was almost three and we decided it was best to just cancel the vbs for that day.  And we had some team building time and some time that the Pastor shared his testimony.  He shared about how him and his wife had to make a very real and difficult decision to give God everything, including their son, in order to follow Him.  Because of that God has blessed them and their son is a bright and silly twelve year old.  These people are a true picture of what it looks like to completely abandon worldly things to follow God.  They are some of the sweetest, most humble, caring people I have ever met.  Blanca (Pastor Porfirio's wife) has the biggest heart and uses it to love anyone she meets!  This family has Christ pouring out of every word they speak.

 

After Porfirio shared his story we were all, of course, eager to hear what happened with the officials who came so we asked him to share what happened.  He said that they had told him as soon as they walked on to the property they knew they were going to approve this permit and one of them even asked him to save a spot for her daughter.  Another offered to take the papers to Managua to put them through.  When he shared this we were all crying, and I mean all of us.  It was so so cool to see God answer our prayers right in front of us just hours after we had asked this of Him.  There is so much power in prayer, power in the Body of Christ coming together and unifying in one purpose, power in love being poured out, power in humility, power in trust, power in hope, power in faith, most of all there is power in the name of Jesus. 

We got to then spend some time just in some sweet sweet fellowship and worship of our God! This day was special.  I don't think there was ever a day that I was so happy our plans were ruined. He is truly in control and sovereign over everything in our lives!  Praise Him for working in the unplanned days!  Pray with me for the school as they continue to take the last steps to opening in February!

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing."                                                                                                                                  1 Corinthians 13:1-3