[This update was actually written three days ago, but I could not post until today due to poor internet connection.]
Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. (Matthew 4:2)
My last few days in Toliara were largely spent teaching, preaching and praying for the sick -- which is what I love to do! On Thursday I joined Rev. Noeli at a small local church in the Toliara area to preach and pray. I was able to pray for quite a few people there, and many said they received healing. We prayed for quite a while, and the church, which had no electricity, was dark before we were finished. Praying for someone you can't see is quite a challenge!
An amazing thing happened to an eldlerly man for whom we prayed. He was blind in one eye and had extremely poor vision in the other. He said he could only see my face as a blur. I quietly prayed one of those 'help me Jesus' prayers, and then prayed for his eyes to be healed. After praying, he no longer saw a blur, but was able to see the actual features of my face. I was thrilled! So we prayed again. After praying again, the man was not only able to see the features of my face, but he was able to see them in clear detail. He said - 'Ah, you have a long nose!' I thought this observation was quite amusing, but praise be to God!
As an aside, I must confess that sometimes I struggle when praying for the Malagasy. The first issue is that I can't speak their language, so it is sometimes difficult to know exactly what their prayer need might be. Often they just point to their head or stomach or some other part of their body. There have been so many times when I have just had to say to God - "You know what the condition is, so I trust that you will heal whatever it may be." But there is also the obvious fact that at least some of what they are suffering from is linked to their continual state of malnourishment and dehydration. Most are not able to go to a doctor or buy medicine, so they are desperate for God's healing touch. Thankfully, God is always ready to heal! But my heart is increasingly burdened with a desire to find a way to provide them also, somehow, with at least some basic medical care. My dream would be to have teams of prayer ministers working side by side with health workers, so we could bless people in the fullest possible way. So...are there any doctors or nurses out there who might be willing to come to Madagascar with us?
On Friday, I had an opportunity to teach 20 or so people who were preparing to be confirmed. I tought on the Holy Spirit and healing - but also about who God has called them and equipped them to be as part of the body of Christ. It has been my experience in the USA and abroad that far too few Christians truly understand who God has created them to be. This stems from a lack of understanding of who they are as God's beloved children - truly loved by the Father, and who they are as heirs and co-heirs of the Father's kingdom. Part of this lack of understanding comes from a lack of Scriptural knowledge, but it also comes from a failure on the part of the church to teach about these truths. We often teach people to be 'good Christians' (ie. 'religious) but not how to be sons and daughters of the Father. To be completely honest, I am still in the process of leaning this for myself.
On Saturday, Avery and I had quite an adventure. We joined Rev. Noeli and drove 4 long hours into the bush to teach and pray at a 3 year-old church plant in Betioky. We left at 6am and drove on what could only loosely be called a road. At one point we drove into a valley that our driver said was very dangerous at night because of robbers. We then passsed through the 'robber's' town. I have never really worried about our safety here, and I didn't then either, but it did make me think about the risk that is inherently involved with mission trips such as this. Things can definitely go wrong, but so far God has protected us - and we are incredibly grateful.
Since we had to return before sunset, we could only spend about 4 hours in Betioky. The church in Betioky has no building yet, so we gathered outside under the sun (and a few flapping tarps). After about an hour of singing plus my teaching, we spent the remaining three hours praying for as many people as we could. As it turned out, we prayed for many who were struggling with serious demonic oppression. It is quite hard to describe what this was like but, suffice it to say, we saw many people powerfully set free! How marvelous it is that God is Lord over all things in heaven and on earth -- and that there is such incredible power in the Name of Jesus. Our ministry in Betioky was quite exhausting but well worth the time effort it took to get there. Someday I hope we can return.
On a final note, we are currently driving back up to Antananarivo so we can catch our flight on Tuesday. As I look around at this beautiful country, I am realizing how much I am falling in love with this place. It is starting to feel 'normal' to be here. The poverty is grinding, the needs are staggering, but there is so much opportunity to share the love of Jesus. We are excited to see how God will use us here in the years ahead.
Avery and some of the beautiful children from Betioky.
Bruce with Rev. Noeli (to my right) and the Betioky church leaders.
We prayed for this little girl who was suffering from a badly bloated stomach. She may have had a tumor or it may have simply been a situation of malnutrition. I was moved to tears as I prayed for her, and I am continuing to pray that God will heal her and set her free!
This woman fell to the ground as we began to pray for her. It was clear that she was oppressed by demons. We prayed for her to be delivered and God quickly set her free. A few minutes after this photo was taken, she was standing and in her right mind.
One of the many bridges we crossed on the way to and from Betioky. Because it is the dry season, most of the bridges crossed dry ground.
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