Yesterday, we were scheduled to go to one of the Social Security hospitals in the morning: the lads went, but I was in the middle of the most irritating of battles – that with my bank, trying to get them to sort out the fraud on my credit card. That’s hard enough when you’re in the UK, on a ‘cheap’ landline. Not a joy at all if you’re on a mobile phone 6,000 miles away at almost £2 a minute! Two hours, still not fully resolved, and I’m a card short. Ho hum!

BUT…. the guys had a great time there: for me, that’s more important than me having a great time there, as I always tell people who come with me, ‘I want you to go home with your stories of what God’s done, not a re-telling of mine!’ The hospital director is absolutely delighted that we want to go into her hospital, and we have an open door invitation to go back any time: that’s a great privilege. A number of people were healed, so I’ve just cut and pasted Robert & Simon’s Facebook comments to tell their stories:-

Here’s just one of Simon’s:

We prayed yesterday morning in one of the social security hospitals – here’s one story: an elderly lady came in walking awkwardly and obviously in a lot of pain with her right hip and leg. After a few minutes of prayer she stood up, announced all the pain had gone, and walked away smiling. Thank you Jesus.

And Robert’s, yesterday:

Nick also saw God do stuff, as he prayed, and acted as a translator, too. One little girl, with terrible eyesight, had it restore almost immediately. He’s just ‘slipped’ back into life in Latin America, so so easily, his Spanish – unused for the 13 years since we met in Buenos Aires, almost to perfection. He’s enjoying the ‘spiritual atmosphere’ in this lovely city, and looks and seems totally ‘at home’ even after just 24 hours. Having waved goodbye to Brian, it was lovely for me to have two such great friends arrive to follow him.

In the afternoon, I met up with the guys, this time at the ‘King David’ hospital, to pray for a pastor, Dario, at whose church I preached on Sunday. His son is also in the same hospital. Dario didn’t know he wasn’t well on Sunday, but suddenly vomited ‘black’ blood, and is in for tests to see if what is now a suspected stomach ulcer that could be cancerous… he felt fire in his stomach and back as we prayed, and looked noticeably less ‘drawn’ facially. His son, Ivan, is there with dengue fever, which is awful. High fever, high temperature, extreme weakness – not normal in a 19-year-old. He, too, felt heat as we prayed for him, and, if he hadn’t been attached to a drip/other tubes, he’d have run around his ward. In Dario’s room, we prayed for his ‘neighbour’, an old man named Gustino: emphysema, major breathing difficulties, and throat problems. Again, as I’d also teach in a healing training session, if you close your eyes, you miss stuff. And Gustino’s who visage changed, watching it change was (and always is) a privilege: and then he sat on the side of his bed taking deep breaths, smiling, breathing easier. He’s 86: so hopefully he’ll enjoy his last years sickness free despite a lifetime of smoking….

In Ivan’s room, we prayed for another older man, in with prostate cancer, his and his wife’s faces filled with fear. Having seen God heal quite a few prostate cancer sufferers, it was a delight to see God overwhelm them with his perfect love which, of course, drives out all fear: and see them smile. Both said that God has given them genuine hope for his healing. It’s one of the things that people often ‘have a go at me’ for: ‘Isn’t it unfair that you give people hope?’.

Where in the world (or the Bible, for that matter) does THAT come from? I know for myself, if I was sick with cancer (as, of course, medics thought I was for 3 months earlier this year), I’d rather ‘suffer’ it with hope, than with hopelessness. And the hope God gives is something way different from ‘I hope I win the lottery’…..

Whilst waiting for Pastor William Castaño to return, we had a lovely chat with a delightful old lady, toothless, but totally in love with Jesus…. she thought I was ‘formal’ though: so her discernment was a bit awry, in my opinion!

In the evening we were back in Agua Blanca: the barrio Ciudad Cordoba again, a different church, ‘Jesus is the Vision of the World’. A good – but ever so loud! – worship time (but then there was very loud open-fronted night-club bar across the street!). I shared a bit, but really wanted Si and Nick to get on the score sheet with preaching/involvement. Si preached on ‘What does the Kingdom look like?’ – pretty much what I was preaching last week, but neither of us knew that! – and loads responded. It was a blessing to have 4 of us praying, Nick could do it alone, I could pretty much, but had a translator on hand for major blunders (Kim), Robert had Wilmar, and Simon had a church guy, Cesar….

Everyone I prayed for was either instantly healed, or change came: and the healing process had begun. A lady, Maria, bi-polar, with depression, and poor eyesight, was another facially and visibly transformed. I spoke to hear about the sweat blood of Jesus being for the healing of mental/psychological/depression–related illness: so much that she said afterwards points towards a major transformation in her bi-polar condition: she was determined (her choice) to begin to reduce her medication, and then I got round to her eyes. She couldn’t read anything, and long distance was a blur. Within 3 minutes, she was reading random verses from my Spanish Bible, and totally overwhelmed…..

A man named Fabian was in such chronic pain with spondylitis – neck, spine, and arms, he was on methadone injections. He was in extreme pain as he was prayed for, and gradually it subsided. I asked how come he was in pain if on such strong medication: his monthly jab was due today! His pain went: before knowing when his next jab was, I’d said to him that he’d know from God when he could tell the doctor that he wanted to get off  the drug….so, maybe today!

Others had poor eyesight restored: all pain in everyone prayed for went…. the stories were the same from the other guys. So a wonderful evening, and a great day! But every one of us was totally and utterly exhausted when we got home. Fortunately, a quiet morning Wednesday!