How Did You Come to Believe?

 

Luke 4:40 At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them.

Neil and Francis set out from Nairobi around 5:00 a.m. this morning Kenya time (9:00 p.m. last night our time). They made it safely to Sengera in the Kisii District today around 1:00 p.m. Kenya time (5:00 a.m. our time). Throughout our night Neil was sending short texts to let me know when they headed down the rift road, when they made it up on the other side of the valley, and when they arrived at their destination. So I was praying throughout the night. I think I finally fell asleep around 2:00 a.m. our time. When I got up around 7:30 this morning, the thought came to me, "Did you think that you would be able to help Neil somehow by staying awake during the night?" Well, no, but I was able to pray, and in that way I could connect with the One who did help Neil.

When Neil and Francis turned off the main road into Sengera, they pulled into a small gas station right at that intersection. The station had been out of gas, but a transport had just been there delivering gas half an hour before they arrived! Neil had been marveling yesterday that they had found the one gas station in Mombasa that had gasoline for cars and vans, and today they found the one gas station in the Kisii area that had just had gas delivered! These were not just coincidences. Neil and Francis soon learned that the word out on the street was that there was no gas in the Kisii District. Praise God -- he provided again!

Neil met a man named Bill and his wife Ruth who will be set in as the pastor of Hellen's church in Sengera. Neil liked Bill who has a quiet gentle spirit. His wife Ruth reminded Neil of a friend of ours named Kari. He said she is so much like Kari, he began to imagine what Kari would look like with brown skin. 

As Neil was settling into the house where they will stay for a few days, some people were there waiting to greet them. Neil loves to ask questions to get people telling their stories, so he asked some young fellows how they had come to believe in Jesus? That group all said it was when they were healed. One of them had a British sounding surname for his first name: Atkinson. Neil figured there was a story connected with Atkinson's name. So he let Atkinson tell him how he was named. Before Atkinson was born, his mother was having a very difficult time carrying her babies, and all of her babies had died. So his parents heard of a Christian missionary in the area and went to see the missionary to see if he would pray for them to have a baby. The missionary's name was Atkinson. The missionary prayed, and the next baby was born alive. They named him Atkinson in honor of the missionary.

Did that missionary have a healing ministry? Did he have the supernatural gift of healing? Maybe he did. We don't know. But we do know he was not afraid to ask the God who heals for a healing miracle. Did the parents have faith for the healing? We know they came to the missionary with hope that the missionary's God would heal the mother and give them a living child. As it turned out, Atkinson was their only child who lived. Not only did they receive a miraculous healing -- they became Christians. There were others in the group of young people who also became Christians, after they had been healed of something. 

So why are American Christians so shy about praying for healing? Are we reluctant to pray thinking we might not have the gift of healing? Are we afraid that we might not have enough faith? Are we worried what people will think of us if we pray and nothing happens? Healing isn't about us. Healing is between the person who is sick and the God who heals. We just have to bring the person to God in prayer, and entrust them into God's care. Most Americans are not hesitant to bring a sick person to a hospital when they need emergency care. When we pray, we are just the ambulance driver. Jesus is the Great Physician who heals every disease and sickness. Don't worry about what words you use when you pray. Know that Jesus has the healing power that is needed. We just have to get the person through the door of the Emergency Room into the Father's intensive care unit. We do that by prayer. If there seems to be something discouraging you, or fear, or other oppressive presence -- just tell it to leave in Jesus' name. Jesus has all authority over demons. They can't overpower Jesus. Will everyone you pray for be healed? I can't answer that, but I do know that when we begin to pray for everyone -- some of them will be healed -- who wouldn't be healed if we are too afraid to pray. It is true that God comforts those who mourn, and it is also true that God gives great joy to those who are healed. It is God's business to heal; it is our business to pray.

Just knowing that these young people became Christians because they were healed -- is another really good reason to pray for people to be healed.

Neil preached on water baptism tonight. About 8 people gave their lives to Jesus. Neil said this church loves to worship, and in African style they love to dance before the Lord expressing their joy and praise with their whole bodies. Our friend Mary also came to greet Neil and Francis, even though her village is a bit of a trek for her.

Tomorrow Neil and Francis begin the interviews of the destitute children who are sponsored in Christian homes through Outfitters for Adventure. Our vision has never been to build orphanages, but rather to place the children in Christian families where they will be raised as a family member. By placing them in a Christian home, each child has a caregiver. Please pray that the interviews will go well, and that every sponsored child will come for their interview. 

There are many people who have HIV or full-blown AIDS in the churches Neil is visiting this week. So please pray that there would be many of them who will be healed.

Drunkenness is a problem among several -- especially the men. Please pray that they would be delivered and set free from alcoholism.

Please also pray for Neil's tummy, which is still giving him trouble. He did bring along Imodium, so he began taking that. I told him to stay hydrated, and he called me "mom". He slept better last night. It is cooler in the highlands. 

May God be with you all as you prepare for celebrating Easter!

Love,

Ruth