When God is slow to heal...

We have numbers and recordings that we are required to submit to headquarters for every ministry trip that happens with Overland Missions.  I am not a huge fan of declaring to the world how many people received salvation, or received healing from the Lord simply because if we made that same massive effort and only one person was saved or healed, I still think it would be worth it.

However, we receive some grant money from some different ministries who do require numbers...so we count.  Dan was grumbling to the Lord about this the other day and the Lord reminded him that there are lots of numbers in the Bible (like a whole book named Numbers!), the feeding of the 5000, the exact number of people in Jacob's family who traveled to Egypt, etc and that there is value in remembering.  So my perspective on this is changing.

When we were in Mukuni, we had 4 days of ministry and we saw 22 people receive salvation for the first time and the Lord healed 62 people as we prayed over them.  Another ministry team was out in the bush for 8 days and saw 331 salvations and over 100 healings.  Numbers like these make me want to cry because I am so excited for how God is moving in these areas and for all the wonderful changes this will bring to the villages as they share the love of Jesus with their friends as well.  WAHOO!

The next testimony I am going to share is from one of our guys in Advanced Missions Training as he wrestles with the miracles and healing he is seeing:

"During the expedition, our first night meeting brought to us an old man with a massive, grape fruit sized tumor on this lower back near his right kidney. Each progressive night he returned, always asking for more prayer. On the second night he grabbed me and a few others, throwing us into a big group hug shouting “Amen!” What faith he has! 

During our last expedition I found myself extremely discouraged for a time when a young paralyzed girl remained immobile after hours of prayer. Thankfully she did eventually find relief and stood for the first time in two years, and I was able to throw myself into the arms of God and praise Him for His grace. 

As soon as I saw this man return, affliction intact, I told myself that I would not allow my faith to waver because of a lack of immediate, miraculous healing. I will not make that mistake again. It is not by my clock that the Lord works, if it were He would hardly be God. We did not witness the disappearance of the man’s tumor but rather the growth of the man’s faith and spiritual countenance. There is no doubt in my mind that he will find the healing he so fervently desires. It is with extreme gratitude that I thank God for His broad shoulders that carry the weight of all healing and forgiveness. It is not my place to worry or concern myself with what has already been done. Praise God."   - Bryan

This is Bryan as he overlooks the Zambezi River below our base.

I appreciate his honesty - don't you?!  Have you ever seen God work in a certain way with someone else and wonder why He didn't answer in a similar way in your life?  There is great mystery with healing, but what I have learned is that it isn't up to me to pray a "correct" way or to have faith big enough to have God show up and do something amazing, it is all about Him.  We pray in faith believing God wants to heal and He often does.  Sometimes he doesn't, but He is sovereign and holy and we trust in His perfect timing in these things.

Showing Jesus's love through serving in Mukuni

Here is a wonderful testimony from one of the gals in our Advanced Missions Training classes:

"On our second expedition to the Mukuni Chiefdom one of the many experiences I was pleased to be apart of and so blessed to be used by the Lord was with a young mother named Gertrude a single mother 18 years old with an 8-month old baby girl. The first day I met her was in her mother’s garden. She was very reluctant to talk to me. She would not make eye contact and just was not interested in talking or engaging with myself or the other missionaries. I felt in my spirit she was struggling with shame and guilt. I invited her to our night meeting where I hoped she would go to hear the word and be part of worship.

The group I was with was able to serve Gertrude and her family in their garden tilling the ground and pulling weeds, preparing the ground for planting a garden. After being able to bless them in a physical way the message was given on the parable of the good soil and bad soil (Mark 4). This family heard the word and was grateful for it. Leaving that place I just knew the seed fell on good soil.

 

The next day while ministering at an influential elderly woman of the villages hut, I saw Gertrude walking past the hut about 3 times. I got up knowing she came to speak with us, I asked her to come in so we could talk. I was able to encourage her and tell her how much Jesus loved her, and how special she is in the Lords eyes. Her eyes brightened up, and her down cast head was lifted; she was seeking after more of the Lord. She was seeking His forgiveness and approval and He gave me those words to speak over her. The importance of her role in the village and in the Kingdom of God was spoken over her that day. I also had the privilege to pray for her and her baby that His provision and protection would be upon them. I prayed that this women would see herself as the beauty that God see her as, so that she my step into the abundant life He has for her, and not settling or turning back in the opposite direction. That day she followed us to other huts and listened to us minister. Each place we went I was walking hand in hand with her. What a beautiful thing in my life to walk with a young Zambian woman down a dirt road taking the message of life, hope and redemption to all Gods people. I am learning Gods love is shown and shines through words, deeds, smiles, hugs, laughter and relationship.

 

I was able to say by to this young woman before leaving; in her I saw a new spirit one of strength, hope and joy. She was renewed in receiving his goodness, and I am confident that she will walk in His righteousness. She will be a great mother and will impact many lives in her village around her.

He bore our sin and shame. He took it upon himself and we receive his full forgiveness and approval when we accept and understand that his blood has covered us once and for all. There is nothing in our lives we have done that we cannot receive forgiveness for. There is no sin that is to great for our great God."

It is such a great delight to see God at work here!  As you can see, sometimes it is more powerful to spend time doing daily life with the villagers then just preaching to them at meetings.  Spending quality time serving them communicates great value to the people we meet and softens their hearts to hear about Jesus.  Trust, the daily life of African villagers is CHALLENGING.  They carry heavy water containers (usually on their heads, with a baby strapped to their backs!), they cook over an open fire, they hand wash laundry, they water huge gardens a bucket at a time, and care for livestock.  Having a Westerner "get dirty" helping them is a massive blessing and they will never forget it because it communicates great care and love for them.

We asked the students to carry water one evening to experience how challenging getting water is.

Spending time in the bush has challenges, but it is a far greater reward to be a part of what God is doing here, seeing how He is moving,  how many people receive salvation, and are set free from things that burden and bind them.
Glory to God!