the power of prayer

Each day here, God has been teaching me something new about himself. I wake up early each morning, sometimes 5:30am, and sometimes I get to sleep in until 6. My first night, I woke up several times and could not sleep, hearing voices in my head saying, "you can't do this--it's so hot you will not ever be able to sleep." "You'll never get used to the food, and your stomach will continue to hurt forever" "You are so thirsty, and you can't drink anything, because there is no water safe to drink." "They'll be fine without you, just go home" the voices told me that night.  I wanted so badly to cry. But then I remembered Jessica's sweet words from earlier that day. She told me, "Kelli, I want you to feel at peace here with us, and know that this is your home--feel comforable here as if this house was your own. Communicate with me if there is ever anything wrong, if you feel something is too much." In that moment I was reminded that I could simply go to the kitchen, grab a glass, fill it with filtered water, swallow a pill for my stomach, and return to my room and turn on the fan.

That morning, I still had a stomach ache. I had energy to get up, but I was still in pain and wondering if it would ever go away. That morning in the car, I told Jessica what had happened last night, and about the pain I was experiencing. She explained to me that here, the evil one does not like what God is doing in Mana de Vida--the way children and their families are being brought each day from death to life, are finding hope and joy in the Lord. So he will do what he can do destroy it. Just last month, she said, her husband's truck was stolen, and computers from his buisness were taken as well. 

But the evil one is not the only one who has power here. She pulled me aside when we got to the school to pray with her. She prayed that the Lord would give me strength to live this new life He has called me to, in the midst of this battle between good and evil. Supernatural strength she prayed over me to love children who desperately need it, to do difficult tasks, and to have wisdom in difficult situations. She also prayed that the Lord would calm my stomach and bring me peace. 

From that moment until now, I have not felt the slightest stomach pain. Also from that moment I have heard the most difficult and painful stories. This girl's mother used to be a strong figure in the church, but since has developed cancer, and has turned to drugs and alcohol to deal with the pain, and many rumors are said about her. Another boy, only 5 years old witnessed his father stabbing his mother to death. Another sweet girl who had her pencils confiscated for behaving poorly in class cried in my arms, explaining to me her fear that the pencils belonged to her brother, and she was afraid he would hit her like he has in the past if she did not bring the pencils home. There has been much darkness in many of these children's lives. 

But there is hope. At MDV, even though the teachers are young, and often stretched thin between all the children, they show an incredible amount of Christ's love. It gave me chills as first and second graders sang to me, "Arriba, Abajo, al centro, afuera--siempre estoy feliz" "Up and down, inside and out, I always have joy. Ever since Jesus entered my life and cleaned my heart, I have joy." At the school, disobedience is treated with love, compassion, firmness and discipline--not with violence. God is doing an amazing work through the teachers here and through the church in Escuintla. He is doing an amazing work through Jessica as well. Rarely have I seen women like her--she does everything: coordinates the school, leads women's group at the church, hosts a christian radio program, and takes care of her children. When I asked her how she does it, she simply says--I don't. I can't; I have to ask the Lord daily to give me strength, and somehow, in Him, and with the help of others, everything gets done. She is a true example of what it means to live through His spirit and power. 

As I think about this next year, I am confident that alone, I'd be in way over my head--I don't have enough education experience, after 8 years of Spanish, I still lack ability to understand and communicate at times, I don't have enough patience, knowledge, or ability. But, as the words of my new favorite song go, "En Ti, nada es imposible." In you, nothing is impossible. In You, Lord, I can do anything.