the Bible, but in real life
hey fam! it’s been a hot second since my last update so here she is! this is my fifth week in Guatemala and it’s been a “wow i’m on the world race” kinda week. We discovered a family of ants living in my clothes cupboard, dance parties have become a regular, and i’m starting to say “i love you” to my ministry friends. so yeah, basically a world racer.
this week i had the privilege of visiting our sweet friend Emma & her family in the town of San Antonio. This is a town where we partner with a ministry called “worship room” and its become one of my favorites. While she was speaking about her life, family & illness, the Lord was continuously showing me how her life related to all the stories i’ve read in my bible. It was sweet to see how the same God that worked in the lives of Abraham & Timothy & so many others, is actively working in hers too. here’s a recap:
at the beginning of the house visit, Emma explained how her arthritis has been flaring up a lot. Some mornings it’s hard for her to simply make coffee. Yet she still believes that God is a God of miracles. She says that no matter what the day brings, good or bad, she will use it all for Gods glory. Like Abraham in Genesis 17:17-19, he was old & struggling & it was believed that he’d never have children. But we know that God was faithful to him and made him the father of many nations. He didn’t let the facts stop him from being steadfast to Gods word. Emma doesn’t let her pain or reality stop her from praying & believing that God wants to heal her. A steadfast woman.
later on in the visit, Emma’s daughter Ellie was asking for prayer for her son, Danny. Ellie went on to explain that Danny has been acting out lately and not being helpful around the house. So Emma, Ellie, my team and myself began to pray over Danny & his heart, that he would learn to love goodness & righteousness. That’s God love for him would pierce his soul & out of an overflow of that he would serve his family well. I was reminded of 2 Timothy 1:5, when Paul was thanking Timothys mother & grandmother for teaching him about Gods love & righteousness.
After that, Ellie was talking to us about straying away from God. She asked if we could pray over her because she’s been angry at God for a very long time and now she wants to reconcile with Him. Her other son, Luigi, was born with a mental illness that sometimes makes it hard for her to raise him. Ellie said that she doesn’t want to be angry at God anymore for making him that way. When we were praying i got a vision from the Lord of Ellie running back to the Father, and Him running just as fast to her. Like the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15:20-22, it said that the Father wasn’t just walking back to the son, but He was running. He didn’t care what the son did, He just wanted him to come home. It didn’t matter how Ellie was feeling, God just wanted her to come home. Yes & amen.
in each of these instances God was showing me His consistency & faithfulness throughout thousands of years. He’s the same God of miracles & power & reconciliation & righteousness & a God of love.
Please continue to pray for my team & i as we press into this beautiful country & what God is going in it more & more. Feel free to reach out & catch up!
All my love,
– M
WOW Marissa, Wow! God’s reach is never ending! Love how you tied each personal experience with what God did in the Bible. Continue to reflect of the Father’s goodness and know as He is, we’re proud of you also! You’re in our prayers!
Yas yas yas! Love your passion for His word and lifting up the body of Christ with it. See you soon!
Marissa, I recently heard that prayer together in community breaks down our silos. We can’t remain unaffected by one another if we’re praying together. I love how you and your team are pressing into prayer and blessing others through it. No doubt, Emma and Ellie have had their faith renewed and been encouraged by the simple prayers of your team. I pray you’ll have other opportunities to pour into those two ladies during the rest of your limited time in Guatemala.
~Nathan’s Mama