The city of Lujan provided it's own unique challenges, but it also came with it's own unique opportunities! One of our main ministry focuses was with children, during the afternoons. The church we were working with had a school attached to it and so many of the children from the school would join us for afternoon activities. We averaged around 40 children every afternoon and I think they blessed us more than we could ever have blessed them. We would play games with them, do crafts, read them stories and pray with and for them!
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| Some of the children in our afternoon program (Wegele) |
Their hearts were open to the gospel and many of them dedicated their hearts to Christ and received His love with openness. Children are usually a good representation of what the situation is like at home, and we had a mixed bag. But one thing is for sure, that God's love and compassion for children stretches beyond any domestic situation, their faith is so pure and trust so sure that there is always hope for even the worst case!
Another adventure that our time in Lujan provided for was street evangelism. We broke up into groups of three or for, with an interpreter, and went about handing out fliers for the evening services and ministering and praying for people. An amazing statistic was that over ninety - percent of the people we offered to pray for wanted prayer and allowed us to minister and prophesy over them - the soil was ready!
One particular lady our group came across on the street, had just come from the doctor. She had just been diagnosed with clinical depression, complicated further by heart problems. When we started praying for her she had a severe headache as well (probably from the terrible diagnosis). As we started praying for her physical ailments her headache let up and she began to relax, sensing that her heart was beating properly again. However, it was when she accepted Jesus into her life, that a smile returned to her face. She seemed overjoyed that she was no longer carrying her burden alone and that someone actually loved her and cared for her.
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| The lady who got saved and offered us money! (Wegele) |
I am sometimes sceptical about the sincerity and honesty of healings and salvations, especially when working through translators, due largely to my previous experiences in China. So it wasn't until, out of great excitement, this lady started offering us money for the gift of life she had just received, that I was certain, even her depression had fled at the name of Jesus! Needless to say we didn't take her money, but she made her point, she was changed!
It takes more faith for someone to believe that their sins are forgiven and get born-again, than it does to receive a simple healing. I thus emphasise the salvations on this trip, not to puff up our accomplishments, but so that we can rejoice together that people are coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus everyday and we will see them again in eternity!
I hope these posts excite you as they do me, I hope you are encouraged to step out in faith in your environment and put God's word to the test, it hasn't failed yet! Remember He never sends the equipped, but He equips the sent ...
Look out for more pictures, videos and posts from Argentina and other great things happening all over!
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| The Basilica de Lujan (Wikipedia) |
