After the emotional draining of yesterday, a quieter but no less blessed day today. I think I’ve said before that praying for people, whilst a wonderful privilege, and a blessing, is emotionally and physically draining. I suppose if you go along a line pushing people over shouting ‘be healed’ it’s less so, but my heart, my style, is ‘engagement’ with the people I pray for, so that for a time, they know they are special, and my ‘focus’, to the point that I go to every meting ‘armed’ with the necessary prayer ministry ‘kit’ of a great pile of tissues for the tears, and mints, so that the dear pray-ees don’t faint with the smell of dogs breath, which is the pleasant(??!!) experience that most speakers have when they’ve preached for 45 minutes or so!
This morning, we’re spending time with Ana Beiba at her ‘Home for the Abandoned Elderly’. I’ve seen photographs of the huge steps that have already been taken in extending the second house to have an upstairs, and it’s exciting to see where the sacrificial support for her from the UK is going. It’s always both a joy, and emotionally wrecking there, so I’m under no illusions that it’s a walk in the park! This, to, of course, is Ana’s 2nd anniversary since being healed of a brain tumour that should have killed her by January 2012….
Still some way to go before the final ‘extension instalment’ money is reached, but I’m sure it will be…. God’s so obviously got his hand on her and this ministry.
Then, sadly, we give the lovely Brian Louden a big hug as we wave him off back into the arms of Karen, Rebecca, and Joseph, as he leaves for home today. Safe travel mate, and enjoy the reunion!
And some while later, the joy of seeing Nick Harding and Simon Allaby walk out of the arrivals hall (as I write they should just have taken off in Frankfurt for Bogota!). They get here late, but it’s worth the wait.
Summing up the first ten days is so hard: so many wonderful adjectives that could be bandied about, but at the root of it all, just absolute humbleness at the awesome power of our amazing Father God. Thank you, Lord: what WOULD I do without you? Where would I BE without you? I’m so immensely grateful….
