Loves Promise & Provision

The morning before our return home .......

His eyes were so blue, his frame somewhat fragile, his few words were powerful.

On this our final day, Kim and I along with our translator Tanya, went to purchase a bed for a pastor and his wife. As we were leaving the store an old gentleman, dressed in a white shirt and tie, approached us and attempted to speak. His presence was compelling as he touched his lips and with tears rolling down his checks, pointed to the sky and repeated the words "God Loves Everyone", then pointing to each of us said "God loves you, and you , and you." We embraced each other and prayed together. He told us he was touched with our presence in his country. Then pointing, once again to heaven he said "God Loves Everyone. God Loves Everyone."
As we got into the van, waved goodbye and drove away, Kim and I looked at each other with the same thoughts. Did we just experience an angelic visit? Had we just entertained an angel? We didn't take a picture? Then as we had done so often, we laughed and said "that was extraordinary!" Our team had gone from describing our experiences as 'unbelievable' to 'believable' to 'extraordinary.'
We were becoming  'believing believers' with an extraordinary God!

The elderly gentleman's words to us were appropriate and confirming. Gods love was a theme that had been woven throughout our teaching and our times of prayer. God Is Love, began to mean more than simply knowing God loves us. Love is a description of God and is a description of what we experienced.

Many times when we would pray for an individual, a clear sense of love was present and tangible. We witnessed Love healing emotional wounds and bringing salvation as we were able to touch through prison bars, as we were able to embrace weeping men and women or hold a sobbing teenager. Love was healing, physically, as pain disappeared and life returned to limbs, allowing a young mother to get out of her wheelchair and begin to walk. Allowing a bedridden women, given no hope by her doctor and sent home to face death, to get up out of that bed singing praises to Jesus for making her whole! Allowing a man diagnosed with a heart condition to know he was now well, as he was able to walk 4 kilometers to church, up and down hills and very bumpy dirt roads, excited to tell his pastor that he's been healed.

Yes! For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son. God so loved that he showed up in the lives of people. He took action. What a sacred trust and privilege, that we're invited to be co-labourers with Jesus!
When the Spirit of the living God shows up, "in the name of Jesus", Love shows up and healing happens. We can have an encounter with our creator who knows us, who sees us and calls us by name, who knows our need and wants to give us the desire of our heart, who invites us to believe and receive and be made whole in Spirit, Soul and Body. Praise be to our God , in the Name above all names, Jesus, and in the Power of the Holy Spirit! All of God's promises are Yes & Amen to His children. God Is Love. God loves everyone. God loves You. Love wants You well.
That is Love's Promise!

The afternoon before our return home ...........

As our final day in Nicaragua was scheduled to be a "rest & pack day",  that sounded like a great plan for the afternoon. Kim sat, in the dining room, at the computer and I decided to have a literal rest in a hammock. This would be the second opportunity I had to lay down and look up at the sky. Yay!
I took a comfy position in the hammock, facing in the opposite direction from my previous hammock rest. I wanted to take in all the beauty of our surroundings at Jardin Shalom. I was amazed and grateful to our Heavenly Father for His provision. I remembered my very first trip to this country when God's provision seemed so very real and Psalm 121 confirmed our experiences and the care that God promises for His people.

Then another wow moment! ......... In a blue sky with a few clouds, a rainbow appeared!
I called Kim to come and bring her camera. To our delight a second rainbow appeared. This time we did get a photo of the double rainbow that we were blessed to encounter.
We thanked and Praised God for this sign that speaks of  His Mercy, Glory, Power & Promise for now and forevermore. Hallelujah!

As the sun set we were able to capture its beauty as the final rays shed a glow over the gate into Jardin Shalom. On top of the entrance gate are two significant symbols. The Cross and the Fleur De Lis. As one insightful woman on our team (who is currently Clerk of Session in her Presbyterian Church) pointed out, the symbol of the Fleur De Lis with it's 3 spears speaks of the trinity. The symbol in Christian art is attributed to the Angel Gabrielle. I don't know if that symbol was put atop the gate, purposefully or unknowingly. What I am confident in is that God is indeed working out His Plan, Purpose, Provision and Protection as we enter and exit this place. Hallelujah!

Barb Hurren

Grace

Grace and her sons, Maynard and Marcello

Update on Graces' life. We met with Grace over a week ago and we are so excited to reunite with her. She had much to share with us both bad news and good news. I will start with the not so good news. A few days after we had met with Grace she went to pick up some coffee beans she purchased to sell as a means of income. After she picked them up she had the bags of beans in her lap and a number of young men came up to her and try to grab her purse and she fought back and they hit her on the head and pushed her out of the wheel chair, talking her purse and all her coffee, her potential income. She was left with a goose egg on her head, scraped knees, vulnerable to those who chose to rob, steal and destroy. THE GOOD NEWS. She still has a smile on her face and the hope and faith in the LORD are with her.

Grace shared with us that she made an appointment with the doctor to have a full medical assessment. The first miracle was the doctor did not charge her for this assessment. The second miracle is what the assessment results revealed. The doctor told her that she has LIFE IN HER SPINE!!!! Grace has life in the neuron pathways of her spine and he told her "YOU WILL WALK." The doctor set her up to receive physiotherapy four times a week. The amazing thing is; is that this was not her medical report assessment since the time she broke her neck over two years ago. She was told that she would not walk and that there was no neurological function to her lower half of her body, forearms and hands. Praise the Lord for God has the final say and His stamp of approval is HEALED AND DELIVERED. Thank you Father God for your LOVE that brings wholeness the way you created us to be. Thank you for the wonderful plans and purposes you have for Grace and her two beautiful boys.

Our final evening attending a church service in Managua at Pastor Jose's (Reparto Schick Church). The church is situated in a very rough and dangerous part of town. We found out they were starting an outreach the next day for a month in their community. They would go to the streets and share the good news of the  gospel in love with the manifest power of  God to help their fellowman. They were very grateful and encouraged as we shared the understanding and teaching that we have been learning. We prayed with them and once again witnessed the power of God manifest to bring healing and deliverance to many that evening. We prayed for the equipping of these saints for the love, wisdom and power of Jesus to flow through them to the ones they would meet. That people they meet would get set free from every bondage or form of oppression that is keeping them from walking in their freedom.   Praise God, for whom Jesus sets free is free indeed!!!!!!!

Kim

Faith hindered by our sight!

Rise and shine, it is a new day. Another beautiful sunrise in paradise in the midst of such oppression. Today we met with many who were being oppressed by heartache, sickness, cancer, witchcraft, lies, and so on, desperate for hope of a new day. Barb and I along with our translator Tanya went to minister at Manolo Morales Hospital. We met Marta at the hospital. Marta is an amazing woman who has laid down her life to God to serve people. She is the connection for PAN Mission to many of the hospitals to bring needed medical supplies, supporters for patients, and to pray for the sick in these hospitals.

This day we were led to a one room house that was used for families that live a long distance from this hospital, to provide a place to sleep and stay while their family member is being treated for cancer. We arrived at this one large room house that had multiple beds side by side. Family members and their sick loved ones sat on the beds and some chairs to listen to Marta share the good news of receiving Jesus as their savior and Lord. She spoke specifically to the men about their pride being the block which hardens their heart to hear and receive this beautiful gift of Jesus. Barb and I were able to share testimony of God's love and willingness and absolute desire to heal us. We prayed for many parents and their ailments and broken hearts to be healed in the name of Jesus. Many were healed in their heart, being lifted up and restored in hope, faith and joy. Many ailments restored with no more pain and complete relief.

We had the opportunity to pray for a young lady of about 18 years of age. She asked if we could pray for her. She told us that she had a tumor removed from her neck which left her with a  large vertical incision on the right side of her neck. She said, " I have so much pain in my neck and I cannot move it." I asked her if she knew the results of the surgery, and did they remove all the cancer. At that time she did not know the results. So I laid my hand on her heart and ministered the love of God to this young lady. She wept, and then we prayed for any cancer remaining to leave and be destroyed in the name of Jesus and spoke for all her muscles, tendons, all soft tissues and nerves to be restored in her neck to full capacity. All things being made new. We asked her how she is doing, and with joyful tears she spoke, " I have NO PAIN, AND I CAN MOVE MY NECK FREELY." We gave all the Glory to the Father with her. Glory be to God!!!!!

We have another story to share with you, one that we all face, a question of where our mind and heart are at. There was a man who was in the room and came up for prayer to be healed and set free. He had a very large tumor on the lower part of his jaw that protruded from his face the size of a golf ball. Barb prayed for this man. This is an honest account of our faith in God being hindered by what we see in front of us. 2nd Corinthians 5:7 says "For we walk by faith and not by sight." Sometimes the sight of what we see causes us to focus on that thing as something that is too big. It is impossible for this thing to leave and dissolve in front of our eyes when is seems so real and immoveable. Our belief and eyes on that thing (mountaian) becomes so powerful and our faith in God so weak, this results in nothing happening. We learn from our mistake of focusing on our 5 senses (sight, hearing, taste, feel and smell). Our faith must be in the ONE, by faith in the Son of God, JESUS.

We went to this country church in the hills. I call it the Pineapple Church. It is surrounded by pineapple fields. We arrive and the service is in full swing of clapping and signing with all their hearts praises God. The pastor is young, 20 something full of love for the Lord and the community around him. We shared the love of God and scriptures that confirm His love and promises to bring wholeness to broken hearts, broken spirits, broken bodies, any thing and all things that are broken. As we invited them to come up to receive from the Lord, they came up with such expectation for God to meet them in their need. Men, woman of all ages and children were standing with their arms reached out in front of them and the power of Gods love was tangibly touching them before we ever laid hands on them to pray. It was such a powerful sight to see people weeping and shaking under the gentle, power of the Most High bringing healing and restoration to their body, soul and spirit. There were so many testimonies of the manifest healing in these people. The woman above whom Lori is embracing shared that she had been so terribly heart broken from so much loss in her life. She said, her physical heart literally ached with so much emotional pain all the time for a number of years. Joy completely robbed  from her life. While Lori embraced this woman in prayer, the woman said." the power of Gods love entered her heart and dissolved all the deep, pain, burden and sadness from her heart and she experienced the peace, love and joy entering her heart and the ache completely gone." She said, "I am a brand new person, full of joy, my life restored." Wow that is our loving Fathers perfect way!!!!! So many were healed, every disease that plagued their bodies. WOW, Gods loving power to set the captives free is so believable, extraordinary.

Kim

Prisons

Oh how he loves us.........

Today we are going to two prisons, the first one is a prison in Niquinohmo that has just been built. It is a brand new facility. It is basic and clean which is a considerable improvement from the last jail we experienced. There are two cells in this jail. Pastor Julio ex-courted us into the jail where we ministered the gospel to these precious men. He asked the men who had already given their heart to Jesus and two men put up their hands. Pastor Julio spoke with them and as he focused on the one group of men in the cell to the left, I had opportunity to share with the other men in the cell to the right.

God has placed an understanding in my heart that God loves everyone. God is pursuing each one of us with such passionate love to bring us out of darkness into the light which brings the truth of His son Jesus. Jesus did not come to judge but to save us. I looked into their eyes and could see the walls up to protect their broken hearts. I asked them to come close to me so I could share some of my own story with them. I spoke to them about how God had forgiven all my past sins, all the ways I had hurt others and God, even to the point of murder. Sometimes the harder thing to do, is to forgive ourselves for what we have done. A man named Pablo, was really having a hard time receiving this message. He said to me, " I cannot give myself fully to Jesus because I know I will fail him!" I said, "Pablo you will fail him, that is why we need a savior, and the point is, Jesus will not fail you! Jesus will come and live in you and he will give you the strength and wisdom to live the way he has created you to be. You become a new creation in Christ Jesus and you renew the spirit of your mind through the word of God and the Holy Spirit.

After I talked with Pablo and the other men, Pastor Julio came and asked all the men in both cells who was ready to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord. At that moment every man put up his hand!!!!! Pastor Julio lead them through a prayer to confess with their mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in their heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. As these men had their heads down with their eyes closed, they spoke these words and tears streamed down their faces. We all celebrated their restored relationship with God through Jesus. They were all so full of joy and celebration. Pablo was literally jumping up and down, the joy within him was bursting forth. It was beautiful to be a part of these men receiving the love of God through His son Jesus. Jesus did not come to judge the world but to save the world. Oh how he loves us all.........
Kim

Pablo and all his new brothers in the family of Christ Jesus.

The Childrens Cancer Ward

JESUS LOVES THE CHILDREN

Oh how Jesus loves them..... In the bible it says, Then little children were brought to Jesus that He might put His hands on them and pray......Jesus says, "Let the little children come to Me......for of such is the kingdom of heaven.....

We arrived at the hospital to find many outside with there children just getting some fresh air, arriving or leaving. We brought with us, finger puppets, stuffed animals, hygiene packs and a bible for the parents. On our way to the children's cancer ward we handed out finger puppets and stuffed animals to some visiting children and patients. We split into groups of two or three to go into the rooms and pray for the children.

All our hearts were filled with compassion for the child who lay on the bed before us being robbed of life by some form of cancer. Our hearts continued to be wrecked to see the expression of desperation, exhaustion and grief on the mothers and fathers faces for the countless hours and weeks being at their sick child's bedside. For us, there was nothing we could offer in our own strength. This was a time of knowing that only Jesus could bring the true fruit of love and healing to the ones in front of us. He knows them by name and sees their every tear. We are the hands and feet of Jesus. We laid hands on these precious children that the Faith of God in us would bring freedom to these children and restored joy to the parents. As we spoke to the pain and cancer to bow to the name of Jesus and leave their bodies. Then to receive in the mighty name of Jesus the kingdom of heaven which is there bodies being restored and reconciled back to the original state the way God intended "Pure health free from sickness and disease.'" Glory be to the Father God, for we did see breakthrough with a young man of about 15 who was suffering from a lot of pain in his head and back, due to leukemia. After we prayed in the precious name of Jesus, the boys pain was relieved and there was a peace about him. We also prayed with his mother and many other mothers.  We held them in our arms while they cried, we cried with them and prayed for strength, peace and joy to restore their weary and broken hearts.

We had an opportunity to pray with a mother named Diana and her baby son Edwin. They were in quarantine, but they allowed us to go in due to the circumstances. Diana was told that the doctor was releasing her and the baby to go home that day. They told her there was nothing more they could do for Edwin and that he would die in the next few days. Well, we believe man does not have the last say but God does. We prayed for little Edwin only a few months old who had a very large tumor on his eye and face which had caused paralysis to half his face. We believe the Fathers heart is to heal Edwin through the finished work of the cross where Jesus bore all sickness forever. We spoke for Edwin to receive healing to his body in the name of Jesus, and that Edwin will not die but live, declare the works of the Lord. This is the promise of God the Father!!! Haidee declared over the mother that she and her son Edwin would not leave the hospital that day. This declaration has come to pass because after we prayed in the name of Jesus LIFE happened and we found out that the doctors changed there mind. We had a report that they kept Edwin in the hospital because there was hope for him to live. We will continue to get update's from his mother Diana. Praise and glory be to God!!! 

When you walk into a children's cancer hospital ward, you see something terribly wrong. What rises up, is to make it right. Jesus has already made all things right, new and whole and Jesus has called us to bring the Kingdom of heaven to earth. We did and will continue to step out in what we know to be right, heal the sick, cast our demons, raise the dead and cleanse the lepers. We have so freely received and will freely give away what has been given to us.

We will NOT GIVE UP!!!!!!!!!

Kim 

 

 Revive me according to your word.

The word of God says:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set liberty those who are oppressed;

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."

Jesus came and fulfilled these word completely and now Jesus fulfills these same words as Jesus lives in us and through us. 

The pictures above are from a church we attended with a community of every age engaged in colorful, expressive, joyful worship. They sang, danced and waved flags in beautiful white and green costumes. Children, youth and young adults did many worshipful dances with colorful flags. This is the church where our friend and chef from PAN mission house (Indera) attends with her family. That night she shared the miraculous healing story of her mother in law named Myra who had kidney failure and diabetes and was completed set free and renew to full capacity of life through Jesus. We shared what we had been learning, and gave testimony of miraculous healings. We asked everyone to stand and we declared these words out loud together:

Jesus is Lord of my life. Sickness and disease have no power over me.

I am dead to sin and alive unto righteousness.

I am FREE from forgiveness and strife. I forgive others as Christ has forgiven me,

for the love of God is shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Ghost.

Jesus bore my sins in His body on the tree; therefore I am dead to sin and alive unto God and by His stripes I am healed and made whole.

Jesus bore my sickness and carried my pain. Therefore I give no place to sickness or pain. For God sent His Word and healed me.

Father, because of Your Word I am an overcomer. I overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil, by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony. 

Gods word is true and His promises are for all who will believe and trust in Him. We invited people to come to receive Gods love to set them free from what ever was oppressing them. They all streamed up to the front in such expectation of the good news, so much trust that Jesus would meet them in what they asked to receive. Their hearts were so open to receive. Men, woman and children were in tears before we even laid hands on them to pray. The powerful love of God was meeting them in their need. One elderly lady I prayed for was so struck by the powerful love of God she shook and fell to her knees and then the floor resting in His love and the words that flowed from her lips were, "Glory be to God, Glory be to God." She was healed physically and emotionally. She said, "I am free."

Liz had a very powerful encounter with a young man. They prayed for him and he literally collapsed in Liz's arms. She held him as he began to sob and sob. And Liz held him as the Lord was healing this mans broken heart. When we were leaving this young man was outside with his girlfriend. He spoke these words to Liz, "when you were holding me in your arms, I felt the power of God imparted into my heart, it was like the mother heart of God, healing my heart." He said, "you reminded me of my mother." This was so powerful for Liz and the rest of us to hear and see how the Lord worked through Liz to impart Gods healing love and see the transformation of this young mans entire countenance change from sadness, despair into joy and hope for a future in the strength of the Lord. (Please see the picture above of the young man, his girlfriend and Liz)

Again we experience the sick recovered, healing of broken hearts, the oppressed and captives set free. This is the good, good, very good news that is for everyone to receive.

Are you broken hearted? 

Are you sick or faced with a bad report from the doctor?

Are you oppressed, depressed or captive and need to be set free?

Are you poor, lost your job, not sure how to pay the next bill?

Are you strained with a love one?

There is good news for you!!!!! 

His name is JESUS - HE IS THE GOOD NEWS

Open your heart to Jesus and He will reveal His great love to you.

Jesus said, "I am the way, the the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

What are you waiting for?   Today is the day!

The time is now to believe in your heart that Jesus died for you, to forgive all your sins and make you into a new creation.

If you confess, with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

When you call on the name of Jesus you shall be saved!

Tell someone!

Kim

 

Today was our Sabbath so we spent the day at the beach!  It was a beautiful drive to Montelimar Beach on the Pacific Ocean.  We had a day pass at the only all-inclusive resort in Nicaragua.  First up was breakfast at the buffet.  Then we all settled into our preferred locations.  Half of us stayed by the pool while the other half went to the beach.  I went to the beach.  I wanted to hear the ocean and swim in the sea.  Annette was very firm about her swimming rules.  There is a strong undertow at the beach so she insisted that we stay in water below our waist and that we only swim in a group.  Well, she was right; the undertow was strong and the water was so rough it pulled your pants off!
Our little group of beach bums spent the day walking along the shore and beachcombing.  There were many treasures to be found.  For most of the day, we were the only people on the beach.  Even the lifeguards joined our beachcombing efforts. 
Lunch at the buffet had fresh fish and paella--yay!  The day ended with bodysurfing in the ocean while the sun was setting.  There was much laughter and shrieks of joy.  What a perfect day, a true gift from God.

with Christ,
Sandie

What Did We Just See?

 

After we visited Rosa, the little girl, we went to visit an older woman who has been in bed for 8 months. It turns out she is 60 years old and the last time she went to the doctor  he told her there was nothing more they could do for her . As I went into the small bedroom to meet Mayra , she seems so fragile and I reached down to hug her. It was too crowded for all of us so I went out into the open area and sat in one of the chairs to pray. Fear had been spoken into Myra by her doctor and she had problems with her kidneys, pancreas, diabetes, and her right eye had blurred vision. As part of the team gathered in the room, Lynda felt let to pray over her and to bind the enemies assignment. Haidee specifically laid hands on her back and prayed that all disease and sickness would go from her whole body. As the team prayed  they spoke life into her body and for her to be healed the way God created her to be. Her back raised off the bed and she began to say Glory be to God over and over again. We asked her what was happening and she said she felt compelled to rise up and walk. She sat up and walked out of the bedroom into the open courtyard of the house. As we watch her walk into the courtyard she had become transformed, from this sad fragile lady in the bed into a woman with her hands raised up in adoration and joy as she clapped and danced around. Her family were so happy with tears of joy. Her granddaughter who was around 10 to 12 years of age read from the bible in front of us from Psalm 64. Read it, and be amazed of her knowledge of the Bible. The righteous shall be glad and trust in Him. And the upright in heart shall glory. This young girl's father was put in jail with a crime he apparently did not do so she asked if we could pray for her, her mom and sister in hope that her father would be home soon. We joined with them in faith to pray the love, peace and promises of God for justice in this situation. We left there home with everyone giving thanks to God the Father for His faithfulness of healing, restoration and justice. All the glory be to God our Father. We heard through a woman named Indera who is the daughter in law of Myra. She got an update from Myra that 7 hours later she was still singing with joy and vitality for being made whole and her youth renewed. WOW is the words that were coming out of us and the final words for all of us were Praise be to the one, Gloria Dios.
Glory be to God!
Liz and Kim


Our final outrageous story to this day started at about 5 o'clock when arrived at a field in a barrio where a group from that community had come together to worship and hear the Word of God. They were signing under a shelter that consisted of metal poles and a metal roof. We walked across the field and joined them under this metal shelter. We worshipped together and as the pastor finished speaking and our team was about to share with them a storm approached with torrential rain, gale force winds, and cracks of thunder followed by fork lighting that was blinding.  The sounds of the storm was deafening. Everyone moved to the centre of the shelter and we were all pressed together to protect ourselves from the rain. To the worldly eye, this looked like a potentially dangerous moment yet spiritually it was a Holy and powerful time.  A woman from the church started to sing and worship with much fervor and others quickly followed. It was the only thing to do in this outrageous storm where we were all in the worst place we could possibly be to be struck by lighting. There were no options but to trust God in this hour for protection. The fork lighting was all around us and as we looked into the faces of the children pressed all around us, some with their eyes closed with the most joyful smiles on their faces worshiping Jesus. We knew at this point that we were looking into the face of the joy, confidence and peace trusting the faithfulness of our heavenly Father. Its hard to put into words, the tears and laughter in that time for the presence of love and peace was so thick in that shelter. The rain did not stop, but we had opportunity to pray for many and see the love and power of Jesus heal the sick, open deaf ears, and bring healing and peace to broken hearts. We left with many hugs and kisses to our brothers and sisters and quickly ran through the field and back into the safety of our van. The rain had slowed down as we prepared to leave the intense event that had happened. 

Once in the van, we all looked at each other in complete and utter amazement. All we could say was "wow"!  What did we just witness? Did this really just happen? Distracted by our awe, we failed to see the after effects of the deluge on the landscape.  Our trusted driver, and new brother in Christ, Chepe, is a pro Indy driver on this scarred landscape.  He takes on challenges that many would quiver at.  The power of the storm and the amount of water that fell, turned the deep dry crevasses of the road into small lakes but Chepe drove with skill and confidence.  I'm sure it must have been very difficult to gage the depth of these puddles and clearly Chepe found it so.  Approaching what seemed like a very large pond in the road, our van stopped with the lights staring into our next adventure.  There wasn't much wiggle room either left or right but Chepe made his final decision and went for it. It wasn't poor judgement at that time, it was just fate and it was our fate at that moment to find ourselves in the biggest, deepest puddle in the barrio.  A moment of brief silence fell as it dawned on all of us that it was now dark and we were strangers in this area and definitely there would be no CAA to rescue us. We were seriously stuck. We decided to do what we came to do here in Nicaragua and we started praying and praising God.  It seems counter intuitive in many was but it was a moment where we felt God was asking us "Do you trust Me? Will you still praise Me"?  A few of us took it upon ourselves to get out of the van and try and push.  It wasn't easy looking out the side door of the van into the water that came right up to the doorway.  On solid ground you can actually see how far down you're going to step but in this situation you said your prayers and stepped in faith that there would actually be a bottom and that it wouldn't come up to your neck.  This was not the time for tripping!  A careful step into the water and down we went, knee deep into the mucky water -  the whole time resisting the urge to entertain just exactly what we were stepping into.  Stepping down was easy.  Trying to lift our feet up an out to move proved more challenging.  The suction was so great that there was a brief shock when we would realize our feet would not move at the pace we had anticipated and a face plant seemed to be inevitable, but we managed to avert any... thank you Jesus.  And although there were no face plants, there were a few shoe casualties and a couple of our team members, Kim and Liz, ended up barefoot, kindly donating their shoes for the locals to discover once the water evaporated.  As bold and honourable as it was to think that we could possibly budge this enormous vehicle, clearly it wasn't going to happen. Back into the van we piled in.  It wasn't long until the locals came by to see the spectacle lodged in their dirt road.  Six white, north American women crammed into the back of a white van hoping to add a little weight for some traction, and uncle Don sloshing around in the muck giving everything he had to get us out.  We were in there good. Many from the community came to help.  A man on a motorcycle even got off his bike and got knee deep in the muck with us.  It was a valiant effort made by all but our efforts seemed futile. So, we waited. Thankfully it wasn't long when we finally saw lights in the darkness from behind us. Lo and behold, out of the darkness, our knight appeared in the form of a tractor.  A tractor?  Yes, a tractor.  Surely someone called for this equipment?  Curious, Annette asked Chepe if he called for a tractor.  Chepe said "No, God sent it".  Chepe, the man who just gave his heart to Jesus the day before called it as it was.  We were about to get rescued by a tractor from Jesus.  You need to know that tractors aren't common where we are and this proved to be even more miraculous.  Thankfully we were only stuck for about 20 minutes and then we were blessed with the perfect time and the perfect equipment to get us out of a seemingly impossible situation. In complete awe, we were laughing and crying for all things are possible in Jesus.  When it's dark and things seem insurmountable, Jesus is always there. Will you trust and still praise Him though you cannot see?

Haidee and Kim