Friday the 16th

So, I would say it is about time to write again. It seriously gets harder every time I try, something always comes up.


The last time I updated, I talked about Friday night and how we all needed your prayers. This was the Friday before this past one because this past one, we didn’t have youth church at all. After I fill you in on the results of that Friday, I will do my best to fill you in on our trip. Which, at my fault none of you have had any knowledge of for so long; my apologies.

Friday, the 16th of October… thank you to everyone who prayed for that night… it went really, really well. Still, I think I should start with talking about our morning and just some of the stuff that God was speaking to us; the two nights before actually as well. At the time, we girls were just experiencing a lot of spiritual activity. I suppose it’s to be expected right before a night like Friday. Two nights before… Tamara had woken up in the middle of the night and just felt like there was a presence in the room… she didn’t do anything at first but then all of a sudden she felt like someone had flicked her nose. At that, she sat straight up in bed and started to speak out against it and calling on God as would be expected. The night after that was interesting as well… this was Thursday night. Marissa and I were at the house together first. We had just gotten ready for bed. Marissa was asleep and I was in the nearly asleep stage when all of a sudden I had this really strong imposing feeling like something was in the room. Oh I nearly forgot, I don’t remember if I mentioned it last time but if you remember we ended Thursday with an incredible time of worship. So, I had just come out of an amazing time with God and I was getting really pumped up for Friday the next day. When I was nearly asleep and felt this presence in the room… I was so tired, and still coming off of being in the presence of God so I really just didn’t have much of a care about it. It was the funniest thing… it wasn’t that I didn’t care… my feeling was more like, you’re not even worth my time. So, I didn’t even bother speaking out against what was in the room. I simply filled my time with worshiping God because I knew that at the sound of Jesus name alone the demons flea. There I was, half asleep just praising God, and I had an amazing sleep! I did wake up once because Bethany, who sleeps in front of me, woke up. I was honestly too exhausted to bother but I got the story the next morning of what happened to her and why she was awake so early in the morning.

Now I don’t know the story as well as she, I may leave out parts. According to her she woke up with a curious present feeling as well. She described how she also felt as if someone was pressing down on her throat, not allowing her to speak. She wanted to call out but was too afraid that she couldn’t. As for how long she stayed like that, I don’t know the answer. Eventually though she sits up and starts to pray. This experience lasted a lot longer I know because she prayed and then later felt like something was again going on in the corner. It was interesting.

As for the next morning, Bethany and I shared our experiences with each other and then both had incredible times with God in our devotions for that night. At the meeting for Friday night, Bethany and I shared a little bit about what we had been experiencing and then we dived into our words. Bethany shared first, hers came from Jeremiah 30 and 31. I don’t remember everything that she talked to about and asking her to explain it she just says it was all just overwhelming. I do remember that it had to do with what God wanted to do for the kids that night. Sorry, I am writing this a week later. Well, then I shared mine. I read from Ezekiel 37. When I had read this, seriously it hit me so hard; almost word for word what God wanted to do for the kids… it was amazing. This passage talks about how God took Ezekiel to this valley of bones. In this valley he tells Ezekiel to start and prophesy over the bones. It was cool because almost every aspect of the verse applied to the kids. For instance, even the prophesying. Our entire goal for the kids that Friday was to prophesy over them and affect their lives that way instead of just preaching to them. Not just that, but the words that he says… “I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life.” Ezekiel was also told to prophesy over them and that the bones would be brought to standing and muscles would form along with skin. The people would be raised from their graves and given life. This whole time, God is just putting the kids from the youth group in that place and saying all these things were for them. One reason this was so impactful for me was because we had just discussed at prayer meeting on Wednesday night that there is a Spirit of cannibalism on the island. Not physical but spiritual, and we believe it came from actual cannibals that lived on the island years ago. Anyway, these people devour each other in words all the time. To us they are extremely nice and many are hospitable… but to each other, no manners, no please, no thank you’s. Just demands, just harsh words and tearing each other down and eating each other alive. So, it made sense to picture the kids from the group as that valley of bones, having been devoured and picked clean. God wanted to raise them up and prophesy over them and speak over them. Anyway, I thought that was pretty cool… read Ezekiel 37 if you want even more of what God was saying.

As for the night itself, it went just accordingly. What’s more is that there weren’t very many south kids there. Not that we don’t want the south kids to come but having mostly north kept it much more… tame? I don’t know what the right word is, the kids were just a lot more calm and attentive. Ian and Josh shared some of their testimonies and just kept it really real with the kids. The whole time, it was just really laid back and relaxed. What’s more is that at the end of it all we got the chance to just pray over the kids and we prophesied over them. It was cool to see them actually come up and actually want to get prayed for. I think some of it was a bit messy, we had to put ourselves out there a little bit and none of these kids had been prayed for like that before. There were a few that I prayed for that I could tell whatever I said affected them… then there were ones that were just up there because their friends were and knew all the right answers to give and were really just confused. All in all though, I really think it went well. I had some cool experiences with some of the kids and I know that everyone else must have as well. Bethany for sure had some cool experiences, I know because she and I talked about it. I know that in the end doing this was a great deal more effective than just talking to the kids. I strongly believe that it’s going to take more than that though. It takes a constant connection with God so that even on a normal day that’s not a Friday night; when we’re maybe even just hanging out with them, being able to hear whatever it is that God is saying. The changes aren’t going to come from one night of “Oh God let us hear your voice tonight, and just tonight” No, it comes from the day to day, relationship with each other, pressing into God, constant prayer, constant listening. So, when it comes to that, keep praying for us. It’s another 24 days or so I believe and I don’t want to leave without there being a visible change and a firm foundation for them to go off of.

Ok, this is a long enough entry, I’ll have to fill you in on other stuff another time.