Wow. Talk about an amazing day. I'm still reeling from the goodness of the Lord!
Mondays are team meetings. They usually go from 9-12ish. I woke up excited this morning, but a few minutes into the meeting, I was dragging. So was everyone else, it seemed.
The first week and half has been both really good and really hard. In all transparency, I didn't expect the adjustment to be nearly as hard on me as it has been. I experienced more culture shock than I'd prepared myself for. I expected to have to push myself through the meeting, as I felt burdened and weighed down. But the Lord, faithful as He is, had very different plans. Long story short: He moved, turned our discussion int intercession, and I left that meeting on fire. So much on fire that I just had to worship, my heart was burning. The bridge to Healer by Kari Jobe was a huge theme:
Nothing is impossible with You
Nothing is impossible
Nothing is impossible with You
You hold the world in Your hands
A few hours later, Nesha was heading out the door to visit a friend and she invited me to come along. This is a lady she met when the team handed out New Testaments earlier this year. As we were walking to her house, I wondered somewhat why I was going, given my level of Albanian fluency and all. Intercessor. That one word fluttered in my heart and I knew that that was why I was going. I was going to pray.
At first it was the normal chit-chat and complete awkwardness for me. But after awhile the conversation turned. My spirit quickened within me as the word Zoti came out of Nesha's mouth in increasing intervals. Zoti. God. I sat and prayed, having absolutely no idea what was going on except that there was an intense conversation. Then, Nesha said we were going to pray. She would interpret for me when I prayed. Nesha prayed. As I sat there, my heart fluttered again: pain in her left thigh. What?! No way. You've got to be kidding me. I'm not saying that. There is no way. Once again: pain in her left thigh. I'm not saying that; my stubborness persisted. Besides, I'll make YOU look like a fool and me and Nesha. Try me. Finally, Nesha stopped. Oh no. I have to do this.
"Ask her...if she has pain in her left leg."
"What?"
"Pain. In her left leg."
Nesha interpreted.
"Po. Po." came the response and she pointed to, lo and behold, her left thigh. My jaw virtually drpped at this announced. There's no way! I practically gigled through the next sentence.
"God wants to heal your leg. He showed me you have pain because He wants to heal." So I prayed. Short and simple. And the pain was gone.
Now, I've received words of knowledge before but never about healing. In fact, I've had a very hard time in the past even praying for healing for others. So here I am reeling from the fact that I just got to pray for this Kosovar woman for healing. And it happened. Then, her husband walks in the door.
At this point, I assume, it's time for us to leave. Not exactly. He sits down. Starts talking. Soon, Nesha is sharing the gospel with him. And the whole time is very open to discussion, talking about other world religions and Jesus. When does that happen? During all of this, I just sat amazed, watching this whole thing transpire. Five hours after we arrived, after dinner and tea, prayer, discussion, and general Kosovar hospitality, Nesha and I finally left. We were both awed by the events of the evening. While they didn't accept the Lord, the Spirit definitely moved. And I'm excited to see what the Lord continues to do.
On our walk home, I prayed, "Wow. Thanks for that, Daddy."
Once again, ever so softly in my heart, I heard a quiet whisper, "This is only the beginning."
Mondays are team meetings. They usually go from 9-12ish. I woke up excited this morning, but a few minutes into the meeting, I was dragging. So was everyone else, it seemed.
The first week and half has been both really good and really hard. In all transparency, I didn't expect the adjustment to be nearly as hard on me as it has been. I experienced more culture shock than I'd prepared myself for. I expected to have to push myself through the meeting, as I felt burdened and weighed down. But the Lord, faithful as He is, had very different plans. Long story short: He moved, turned our discussion int intercession, and I left that meeting on fire. So much on fire that I just had to worship, my heart was burning. The bridge to Healer by Kari Jobe was a huge theme:
Nothing is impossible with You
Nothing is impossible
Nothing is impossible with You
You hold the world in Your hands
A few hours later, Nesha was heading out the door to visit a friend and she invited me to come along. This is a lady she met when the team handed out New Testaments earlier this year. As we were walking to her house, I wondered somewhat why I was going, given my level of Albanian fluency and all. Intercessor. That one word fluttered in my heart and I knew that that was why I was going. I was going to pray.
At first it was the normal chit-chat and complete awkwardness for me. But after awhile the conversation turned. My spirit quickened within me as the word Zoti came out of Nesha's mouth in increasing intervals. Zoti. God. I sat and prayed, having absolutely no idea what was going on except that there was an intense conversation. Then, Nesha said we were going to pray. She would interpret for me when I prayed. Nesha prayed. As I sat there, my heart fluttered again: pain in her left thigh. What?! No way. You've got to be kidding me. I'm not saying that. There is no way. Once again: pain in her left thigh. I'm not saying that; my stubborness persisted. Besides, I'll make YOU look like a fool and me and Nesha. Try me. Finally, Nesha stopped. Oh no. I have to do this.
"Ask her...if she has pain in her left leg."
"What?"
"Pain. In her left leg."
Nesha interpreted.
"Po. Po." came the response and she pointed to, lo and behold, her left thigh. My jaw virtually drpped at this announced. There's no way! I practically gigled through the next sentence.
"God wants to heal your leg. He showed me you have pain because He wants to heal." So I prayed. Short and simple. And the pain was gone.
Now, I've received words of knowledge before but never about healing. In fact, I've had a very hard time in the past even praying for healing for others. So here I am reeling from the fact that I just got to pray for this Kosovar woman for healing. And it happened. Then, her husband walks in the door.
At this point, I assume, it's time for us to leave. Not exactly. He sits down. Starts talking. Soon, Nesha is sharing the gospel with him. And the whole time is very open to discussion, talking about other world religions and Jesus. When does that happen? During all of this, I just sat amazed, watching this whole thing transpire. Five hours after we arrived, after dinner and tea, prayer, discussion, and general Kosovar hospitality, Nesha and I finally left. We were both awed by the events of the evening. While they didn't accept the Lord, the Spirit definitely moved. And I'm excited to see what the Lord continues to do.
On our walk home, I prayed, "Wow. Thanks for that, Daddy."
Once again, ever so softly in my heart, I heard a quiet whisper, "This is only the beginning."
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