It’s easy to tell that I’m in Cali because everything to do with the internet is playing silly games! Virtually no signal from the internet in the apartment (same as the last visit!), incredible thunderstorms with torrential rain that took out all the electricity, and even Word Press (this programme that I use for the website and the blog, deciding it didn’t/doesn’t want to post to Facebook/Twitter/LinkedIn…so here goes at another attempt to post the first blog from Colombia…
It was a good journey here, a little shorter than often, thanks to a good tail wind, but next to no sleep for either Thanney or me on the long haul flight. It was such a blessing to see Wilmar’s happy smiling face at arrivals in Cali airport – it really lifts your spirit to see him. We didn’t have a meeting Saturday, thankfully, so we kicked off at Wilmar & Marlene’s church, Mision El Abrigo Internacional. It’s always so good there: and so many really good friends after more than 18 years visiting the church. Thanney spoke really well from Job: it was so good I thought I could cut back what I had to say and not speak for long! I wanted to get to the ministry time, anyway…
I’ll just pick out some of the lovely testimonies that came from the meeting: Dora had been suffering extreme pain in her head neck, and shoulders – no known diagnosis, painkillers didn’t touch it, but God did, and she was healed instantly. Maria had torn muscle from bone in her shoulder and had very limited movement of her right arm, and a lot of pain. Lovely God healed her immediately, too. A lady with a serious stomach problem received instant relief from the discomfort and pain….
Cristian and Angelica came and sat with me – Cristian had been suffering from a virus, and as they are moving house this week, he rather wanted that healed. It was. They are a couple with an amazing testimony – the fact that they are moving – buying their own house with a mortgage – is a miracle. Two years or so ago, Peter McAvoy who was with me, got to pray for Angelica, who was in massive debt, and under 24-hour pressure from the bank to repay 24 million Colombian pesos – about £6000, US$7300, 7000 euros, AU$9000. That, to people here, is an impossible amount. Angelica had 2 million she offered the bank – if you know banks, they’re hardly likely to accept 8% of a debt in full payment! And they didn’t. Sunday, Pete prayed for her: Monday she had to come up with the whole amount.
Monday, ‘out of the blue’, the bank called her on the phone. Yes, they’d accept the 2 million pesos, and write off the remaining 22 million… As a result, 2 years on, no longer in debt, they qualified for a mortgage – and this week they move into their own home. Such a lovely miracle, and blessing from God.
A year ago, I posted a video interview with Olivia, and her daughter, Maria Jose. Olivia is one of Wilmar’s sisters: I’d had the joy of praying with her and Maria Jose 3-4 years ago, when Maria had been diagnosed with a very large and life-threatening brain tumour. It had affected many vital functions, from sight to speech to hearing to walking. She was 7 years old then. If you want to, check out the video from 11 months back ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNHmpmmQWPA ), and then look at the video I’ll put a link to in a minute, taken on Sunday. The transformation is incredible. 3 years back, after receiving prayer, Maria was due to go for surgery: she never had it, because the tumour had gone. Various faculties started to return, and on Sunday, It was lovely to be able to talk with Maria Jose and Olivia – I asked Maria what she wanted God to do for her next, and she wants to jump and run better than she can at the moment…. It’s such a wonderful testimony of God’s redeeming and ongoing miraculous power.
Here’s the video link: it’s on my YouTube page, too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O1s9zAw-QM
Thanney and Wilmar have been doing the rounds of builder’s merchants and suppliers yesterday and today, with a real blitz on the construction of the street kids refuge beginning tomorrow. Please pray that there will be a few volunteers from the church to help Thanney, that the rain will keep away, and that he’ll not only keep fit, but multiply what he can do, with God’s help!
If you have time in your praying, I’d really appreciate your prayer, as – yes, I’m back in Cali – the enemy doesn’t like it, and the damage I did to the muscles in my legs 5 weeks ago, is being seriously assaulted by him! We’re also a fair bit short of our budget for this trip, if you’re willing to pray for God’s provision for the construction. Thank you, bless you.
