Paraguayan flag
We left late on Sunday evening after the church service to take the bus (at midnight!) to Asuncion, Paraguay. Foz is 15min from the Paraguayan border so shortly after getting on the bus we were getting off to pass through border control. It was one of the quickest smoothest border crossings I've ever done - crossing borders without foreign cars is soooo much easier!! I felt really bad after we arrived at Asuncion when another passenger from the bus asked me where we needed to go to pass through border control. When I looked at him blankly (it was 6am after all and I'd just woken up!!) he looked a little worried and then asked if we'd already been through border control. Err, yes, like 15min after we got on the bus. Poor guy had fallen asleep as soon as he got on the bus and slept right through the whole journey, only to wake up in Paraguay kindof illegally I guess. Another reason why it's good to travel with others, to help prevent these sorts of adventures from happening :) 
Top down view of some team members getting a much
needed early morning cup of coffee from a stand at the bus station
After arriving at the bus station at 6am first things first we needed to find a hostel and get some much needed sleep. While napping a few of us (myself included) had some very strange dreams, indicating some spiritual activity was taking place where we were. Paraguay was an interesting country in terms of us going there with absolutely no plan, no contacts, no nothing, just the Holy Spirit to guide us. And guide us He did. We spent a few days in Asuncion (the capital) mainly just going out to the streets and ministering to the poor and the lost we came across. We experienced many salvations and healings, first day we got there we prayed for a guy waiting in the lobby of our hostel and he was healed (knee problems so he had a cane) which was awesome. While going out to find dinner with a couple of team members, we incorporated some treasure hunting (where we ask God to highlight people who we come across as people He wants to bless, they're His treasures and we look for them) with our search for good food, which was a great deal of fun - I love it when ministry just becomes part of our everyday lives.
On Wednesday we ministered and slept in another church. This was a great service as the congregation were so excited to have us. God was there and so many people were touched by God, it was beautiful. On a practical note it was interesting having 23 of us sleeping on the floor in the church, with only bathroom!!
I think the overall highlight for me of our time in Paraguay was ministering in Tacumbu prison with Angel, and American missionary we found online, in Asuncion on Friday. It was pretty crazy, we went in with 2 local missionaries and a local pastor. The prison is built for 1200 people but sleeps 3600 so a lot of overcrowding - it´s one of the biggest prisons in Latin America and is renowned for human rights violations. Going in we had no guards, just some inmates who formed a row of ushers around us as a barricade to protect us from the other inmates, a bit overwhelming.
Once we got to the safer area where they hold their church meetings (there´s a slightly cornered off area where some people have come to know the Lord so they meet there for daily pray and worship and bible study) the atmosphere completely changed, it was unbelievable. I could literally feel the presence of the Lord. Thick like a blanket covering us. We led a church service which was very powerful, so many men were touched by the Lord, people were healed and guys were set free spiritually.
It was beautiful. My heart was so full of love for them - God really showed me His love for them, how He really loves us all, that these men are just people who have lost their way and need to know God´s love and that there is hope for them. Funny story, while praying for one man, I thought he said he was struggling with thoughts of suicide. No problem, I could definitely pray for that to be broken off him, when he corrects me by saying no no, he's having thoughts of homicide. Err, okay then, I'll definitely pray in faith for that to be broken off!
Us walking through getting a tour of the prison
Once we got to the safer area where they hold their church meetings (there´s a slightly cornered off area where some people have come to know the Lord so they meet there for daily pray and worship and bible study) the atmosphere completely changed, it was unbelievable. I could literally feel the presence of the Lord. Thick like a blanket covering us. We led a church service which was very powerful, so many men were touched by the Lord, people were healed and guys were set free spiritually.
Angel, our missionary contact, introducing our
team, as represented our team member Kelly
Breck preaching
It was beautiful. My heart was so full of love for them - God really showed me His love for them, how He really loves us all, that these men are just people who have lost their way and need to know God´s love and that there is hope for them. Funny story, while praying for one man, I thought he said he was struggling with thoughts of suicide. No problem, I could definitely pray for that to be broken off him, when he corrects me by saying no no, he's having thoughts of homicide. Err, okay then, I'll definitely pray in faith for that to be broken off!
Inmates worshipping from their hearts
No comments:
Post a Comment