From excitement and business of having my
cousins Jodi and Dario visiting Granada
last Saturday, I was unable to post this blog. Sorry for my dereliction, but
with joy and praise to our Father, I share this message with you today: JESUS
HEALS.

As I have shared before, since the start of
the second semester, I have had a hunger for knowledge and application of the
spiritual gifts. Desiring to understand healing specifically, I read parts of
the Jack Deer book, Surprised by the Holy Spirit. (You should read it if
you have not, it is powerful) The book describes why God heals, and why at
times He chooses not to.  Now this is all
assuming that we agree God can and does still work miracles today. After you
finish reading the blog, I pray you will see that indeed He does. The more I
read God's word and study His ways, I realize that God does not run by
formulas. We can study, read and compile the ‘best' or ‘right' way to heal, but
God simply asks for our faith and confidence in His power. (Eph. 3:12) With
this said, let me share with you the miracles God has shown me first hand over
these past few weeks.

Three weeks ago I went door to door in the
Barrio with a local pastor and my leader Seth Bowen Barnes Jr. We introduced
ourselves to the families and told them about the several programs that started
in the community. We shared the gospel and asked if the family desired prayer. There
were a few ladies I prayed healing over, but today as I was in the Barrio for a
children's program I stopped by one particular woman's house to see how she
was. This lady had an issue with her stomach. She experienced constant pain and
thought it may be a tumor. A few weeks ago I laid my hands on her stomach. By the power of the
Holy Spirit, I saw her today with a smile she said "I have no more pain! Gloria
a Dios!"

In the same barrio, last week at our prayer
meeting, a sister, Sonya shared that she does not have the money for a
necessary heart surgery. As she explained it, she used to be a gordita (heavy
set lady) but she is unable to eat and now is a flakita. (Skinny lady) To say
the least, she looked unhealthy. Sonya said she had not eaten in the past week.
After our prayer meeting I approached her with my brothers Mario and Caleb, and
asked if we could pray for healing. She said that she had been prayed over
before and has faith that God will heal her. Never the less, we laid hands on
this little lady and confidently asked for Holy Spirit power to heal her. After
the prayer tears were streaming from her eyes and she said she had felt a
tingling feeling up and down her body as we prayed. Then when we were saying
good-bye, she turned to us and smiled, saying, "I feel like a new woman!"
Praise the Lord. Yesterday at our prayer meeting she was gleaming as she said,
"I have been eating all week, I am better!" Let the truth be told-God heals.

Ok sorry if this is getting redundant, God
is healing! I can not stay quiet! This story might be my favorite. On our ATL
three weeks ago, through a series of events, we met a man at a fruit stand
whose pregnant wife was ill. The 5 of us on my ATL team went to the man's house
to pray for his wife, Elsa. When we saw Elsa, she had bumps that looked like
the worst acne imaginable all over her face, arms and legs. Just looking at her
made my skin feel irritated. She tried to treat it but had no success and was
concerned for her baby. We shared the story in Matthew of the sick woman to
whom Jesus says, "Take heart daughter, your faith has healed you." Knowing the
only one who could heal this lady was Christ himself, we talked with her and
her husband about healing and assured them that it was only through faith. With
that knowledge, we prayed over the lady. My impatient self wanted to command
healing and open my eyes to see her skin flawless. However, she just had tears
streaming down her face, still covered in sores. Without losing faith, we
promised to return the following Friday, expecting a miracle. Do you want to
guess how this story ends? The next Friday my friends visited her to find her
skin clear. Wow! No more sores and a family with a renewed faith in Jesus. How
incredible is the God we serve. Wow.

God's ways are so funny sometimes. Just
read how this story goes. I was with my friend and we were searching for
Choco-bananas. We went to the best choco-banana stand in town: they did not
have any bananas. Then we went to the cheapest choco-banana stand: they were
closed. So we went to the "all else fails" choco-banana stand, and they were
not making choco bananas anymore. I asked into this and it turns out the lady
who makes the bananas is getting old and therefore her body is continuously
soar and ill. It turns out she had shooting pain in her arms and issues with
her stomach too. Out of compassion we told the lady that we are Christians and
we believe God has the power to heal. We asked if we could pray healing over
woman. So with open arms they invited my friend and me into their house. So
with laying hands, we asked for healing over the choco-banana lady. (I wish I
could remember her name) Sure enough, I passed her on the street today and she
is back to making choco bananas because her arm no longer hurts. She was full
of joy and excitement to tell me of the miracle. How beautiful.

I hope that you choose not to treat these
stories with contempt, but see that God desires to reveal His power to his
dearly loved children. I am convinced that Jesus is alive and moving in this
world today. Jesus said "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will
do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things that these." (John
14:12) I encourage you reading this to HAVE FAITH! and prepare to be amazed.

"In Him
and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence" Eph. 3:12