La Velada

A couple people from our church organized a "velada" or time of worship and prayer last night. I cannot remember the last time that I have seen the Holy Spirit work so powerfully--changing lives as we prayed and prayed-- laying hands on all those who are in bondage, suffering, and hungry for the presence and healing power of the Lord. We began the velada at 9 pm and finished at 1pm, but could have stayed all night long.

After singing a couple songs at the beginning of the velada, we were getting ready to change gears and spend some time in silence praying and receiving from the Lord and a man, Miguel, walked into our church. He walked right up to the front of the congregation. At first many of us were kind of nervous, wondering what this man was going to do and say to all of us. However, God had plans for this man last night. He had plans to speak truth to his heart, to show this man the way to Jesus, to give hope to this man's life... who is living day to day on the street, without a job, without a family nearby, wandering through life. It is not by coincidence that this man walked into the church last night. The first thing he said to us all was that he was drawn in by the music, by the words that we were singing to the Lord. This man prayed with one of the men in our church and stayed the rest of the night praising the Lord with us. We prayed in faith that the Lord would provide a job for this man so that he can eat tomorrow. We prayed in faith that this man's life would change and that He would begin to live with joy and hope in Jesus. Amen.

Next, a teenager who has been through our Kids' Club ministry, youth group and comes faithfully to our church, who I believe is 18 years old and knows the Lord, recently has made some bad decisions. His girlfriend and he got pregnant began living together and their baby is due in June of this year. This is the cycle that almost 99% of the people in our colonia go through. Many of these kids become pregnant even earlier around the age of 15. This man was a leader in our church. He has a heart and the gift of worship. He was asked to step down from all leadership positions that he had in the church until he begins to walk in obedience again. This is the first step that began to break his heart. However, praise the Lord that he and his girlfriend have continued to come to church. Last night, this man asked all who were right with the Lord, not living in sin, to come and pray for him as he did is struggling. He does not feel the desire to live for the Lord, yet he knows that Jesus is alone is his hope. His heart was crying out to all who were there to cry out for him and intercede for him as he alone cannot push forward. I cannot describe the prayers of his mother last night to you...this mother was crying out for her son with her whole heart for mercy. Please pray for Luis and Evelyn and their soon to be new baby. That the Lord would provide financially for them and that they would love the Lord above anything else in their lives. That they would make the changes necessary to be walking in obedience.

God did many more miracles last night, but the last prayer that spoke to my heart was from a woman and friend names Gloria. Gloria was crying out for mercy for her husband who she believes is a stumbling block for her in her relationship with the Lord. She was crying out as she has prayed for years that her husband would come to know the Lord, but continues to stumble and walk in his own ways. She cried out that she doesn't want to lose either of the things that she loves most in her life, the Lord and her husband, yet could not continue anymore by herself. I believe that it was not the prayers of the people around her crying out for Gloria, but it was the Lord himself who spoke to her heart through the Holy Spirit telling her that he delights in her, that nothing is impossible for the Him, nothing, to continue forward in faith. Please cry out for the salvation of Gloria's husband Ernesto and that Gloria would not grow tired of doing good and serving the Lord.

As I reflect on the people that were at the velada last night, the people that have become my friends and family, I don’t understand a thing about suffering... each one of them has suffered more than I can imagine and will ever experience. Their lives are a battle zone, sometimes fighting to eat each day, fighting to keep their families together, fighting to live with joy and hope when their lives don't seem like they will ever change. My heart hurts just thinking how unfair life seems, why wasn't I born in the colonia with these people? Grace. I am encouraged to think that we serve a mighty and powerful God who has victory over death and that the suffering that is experienced does not compare to the joy that is to come. Hebrews 12:2-3