More than a Walk in the Park

 

 

 

 

 

On Wednesday’s we wear pink.

JK, on wednesday’s we get to work “The Kingdom Table”,  Reindom’s homeless/outcast ministry. We get to set up banquet tables in the park downtown with nice tablecloths and centerpieces and serve a delicious, warm meal to those in need. We get to lead our lunch guests in worship and a devotion. We also write down prayer requests from everyone who attends. Before the lunch begins, we break up into teams and search the city for people we can invite to our lunch. People without homes, people addicted to drugs and alcohol, people without families and friends, and people who are hungry all come to the Kingdom Table at the park. Its a party! 

 

 

 

 

 

Now picture this: It’s our first week working with our ministry hosts in Guatemala. This means it is my team’s first time assisting with Reindom’s Kingdom Table event downtown. This day was more than a walk in the park. Here’s how it went down:

Around the time when we had finished setting up chairs, one of our teammates, Kevin, approached us after spending some time praying for people all around the park. The way Kevin greeted us was more than unexpected,

 

 

 

 

“Hey guys, do y’all wanna meet a demon?” 

 

 

 

 

 

*record scratch* How did we get here? I’ll tell you what transpired that led to Kevin asking us this jarring question:

Kevin had been walking around the park in search of people he could invite to the Kingdom Table. He came across some guys seated on a bench and struck up a conversation with them. One man had a painfully swollen leg and gladly accepted prayer when Kevin offered. Afterward, Kevin began to pray for the gentleman seated next to the man with the swollen leg; This man’s name was Lou. This time while Kevin was praying, Lou firmly grabbed Kevin’s wrist. Something was different. So, Kevin responded to the man by quoting 1 Chronicles 16:22, “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.” Lou immediately released Kevin’s wrist from his grip.

(Side note: this is a pretty baller display of the power of God’s word). 

 

 

 

 

 

At this point Lou’s eyes meet Kevin’s, and they’re solid black. Kevin knew this man was no longer Lou, so he asked the man, “What is your name?” In a deep, strained voice, the man responded, “I’m the 7th angel of hell.” Kevin immediately began to rebuke the demon in the name of Jesus and commanded him to leave Lou. The man began beating his fists on the concrete (remember, he can’t touch Kevin) and rocking back and forth. He started to beat his head into the concrete wall that was near him. While praying, Kevin put his hand between the concrete and the man’s forehead to prevent him from hurting himself. Then the man collapsed off the bench and onto the ground. This was when Lou returned and he began to say, “It’s me, it’s me, it’s just me.” Kevin helped Lou get back onto the bench and immediately left to find help. 

 

 

 

 

This brings us back to the moment when Kevin approached me, Banks, and Olivia by asking, “Hey guys, do y’all wanna meet a demon?” I’ll have to refer you to my teammate Banks’ blog post to attest to the true events that happened next. Without hesitation, I jumped out of my chair and said, “HECK YEAH!” (I honestly cannot tell you If I should have been this excited, but I know that my bold willingness was not from me. I was overtly aware that the source of my fearlessness was my confidence in the power of Christ). My team and I were encouraged by the promise that anyone born of God cannot be harmed by the evil one (1 John 5:18). So, we headed out across the park to be introduced to a man who was possessed by a demon. 

 

 

 

 

 

When we reached the man, he told us his name was Lou and he seemed pretty normal. Interesting enough, he desperately wanted us to pray for him. My heart broke for Lou as he told us, through tears, about his constant torment. He said he hadn’t slept in 15 days because the demons torture him at night and that he just wanted relief. I desperately wanted to see Lou set free. (And, thanks to Papi Jake Jones, we know that FREE people FREE people). So, with the authority and power of Christ, prayed for Lou. During our prayer, the demon began manifesting in him and was enraged. His body writhed and he began to choke and cough up blood. After several minutes of prayer, the sound of a man’s voice broke through the demonic grunting and it was Lou. He was begging us to stop praying, saying it was too much for him. At that time, we had to return to the Kingdom Table because the event was about to begin. We tried to bring Lou with us, but he refused. He said he was too ashamed to come sit at the table with everyone else. 

 

 

 

 

 

After the event, we set out across the park to find Lou again; It was a success! Kevin was able to get Lou and a couple other guys spare plates of food from the event and they were very grateful. We got to pray for Lou again but this time was different. Lou collapsed to the ground and we surrounded his body, all kneeling with our hands on his head and back. When his possessed body was being taken over, he fought against us to get up, but just our hands on his back and the heavy presence of the Holy Spirit kept his body down. He grunted and labored as we prayed, but we refused to give up until Lou was set free. 

 

 

 

 

 

At one point, one of the strangest things happened. Kevin began calling the demonic by name, telling the 7th angel of hell that he had to leave Lou in the name of Jesus. Recall that he had been laying face down, but at this point in prayer, he turned his head around to face us. His eyes were so black, that looking into them they seemed to never end. He was drooling blood, grunting, and laboring to say “how do you know my name?” We continued to pray more vigorously which only made him more enraged. Finally, the whole event came to an end when his body went limp on the ground. “Lou? Is it you?” we asked. It was. Kevin and Banks helped lift his body off the ground and sit him back on the park bench he had slumped off of earlier. He said he could not feel his arms and legs and that his body was weak. Then, Lou pointed at me and said he felt a power in my hand when I placed my hand on his back. Whoa, truly a testament to God’s incomparably great power (Eph. 1:19-20). 

 

 

 

 

 

On the park bench, Lou began telling us that there was nothing we could do to set him free. He told us that he has been taken to the gates of hell and was shown his name on a list. The enemy told him that he cannot escape his fate in hell, but that it isn’t his time yet. So, Lou believes he is just trapped here on earth in constant torment, awaiting the day when he will be taken away to hell for good. We told him that he is not without hope because he can be free in Christ. Lou kept asking “why do y’all even care about me? You don’t even know me, why do you want me to be set free? Why are you helping me? You aren’t even my family yet you care about me more than they do.” What a testament to the grace and love of God! We told Lou that we love because we were loved first. This was such a cool way to encounter the gospel. 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, we had to leave the park. We asked Lou if he would be willing to go to a Christian rehab facility in a neighboring city. He was very hesitant to say yes and instead just kept telling us how he couldn’t be helped. Lou thought he is too far gone; We know that no one is too far gone for Christ. My team and I just knew this is not how Lou’s story was supposed to end so we told him we would keep in touch with him. We, who place our faith in the God who leaves the 99 for the 1, were determined to see Lou set free. 

 

 

 

 

 

Fast forward a week and a half

 

 

 

 

We had been praying for and looking for Lou nearly every day. A few of my teammates fasted for his freedom (Mark 9:29). The strangest thing was that we could not find him anywhere. One evening, I was hanging out on the rooftop balcony of our missionary house. Kevin and Banks came to join me and we began talking about who knows what. Suddenly, mid-conversation Banks says, “NO WAY.” He was peering down off the roof top, looking down onto the home next door. “BRO it is LOU!!!” We couldn’t believe it. Banks and I stepped out of view from the other home’s balcony below us and sent Kevin to the edge to investigate. He called down to Lou to confirm it was for sure him. Banks and I were losing our minds. How did we look for this man all over this city for a week and a half just to find that he is our NEIGHBOR?!?!

 

 

 

 

For the weeks that followed, we saw Lou in the street outside his home a few times. During each Encounter we had with Lou, we shared that eternity was at hand and that Christ, who same to seek and to save the lost, wanted his heart. We got to talk to his cousin and sister-in-law who also live next door. Interesting enough, Lou’s cousin said he has been kicked out of every family member’s home who took him in. She only let him live with her because she didn’t believe in demons or the supernatural. Soon after Lou became her roommate, when she began seeing figures in the shadows of her home and hearing Lou get tortured alone in his bedroom, her opinions changed. My team and I got to pray for Lou as often as we saw him in the street and at the park. During one of our encounters, as soon as Lou saw me with my group, he said “There she is. The girl with powerful eyes.” It reminded me of what he said about my hand. Again, another testimony to God’s power which exceeds our comprehension (Eph. 3:20). To Him be the glory forever and ever! 

 

 

 

 

One night, Lou showed up at our door. He was freezing cold and wearing inadequate clothing. We prayed for him and gently told him that he should go home to take shelter from the cold. Lou told us he would rather from the cold than enter his home. Why? because, “HE is in there.” We asked for more details, but all Lou would tell us is that “HE is in there.” At this point, we straight up offered to tuck this man in bed. This is one of those funny parts of the world race when you find yourself in a position that is rather comical. We walked with a shaking and timid Lou through his home and into his bedroom. We prayed and told any spiritual presence that it has no place in this home or in this room. At some point, the demon began to manifest and speak to us. He told us that Lou was him and there was nothing we could do about it. He also repeatedly sputtered, “There is no God. There is no God.” Unwavering, we prayed in the name of Jesus and rebuked the demon. (Weird side note: While we prayed, the lights in the room were flickering). When Lou returned, begging us to stop praying because he couldn’t handle it. We led Lou in a prayer of reconciliation and surrender to the Lord. He told us he felt a peace he had never felt before. This was a small victory worthy of celebration. Then, we left Lou sitting on his bed, told him goodnight, and went back home. 

 

 

 

 

 

Each time we rubbed shoulders with Lou, we asked him if his opinion changed about going to rehab. We coached him up and Shared With him words of life and truth. In his mind, he is constantly being lied to. Lou struggles to define reality from fabrication, but when he spoke with us he mentioned that something about us was different. During the few times we had the opportunity to speak with Lou’s cousin and sister-in-law. we shared with them about the rehab facility. They told us that Lou, who is now 32, has been drinking since he was 15 years old but that he has been especially bad in the past year. He uses the inheritance money from his parent’s passing to fund his alcohol addiction. We all agreed rehabilitation would be the best way to offer him a new life. The problem: To be admitted, Lou would have to be sober and volunteer to go himself. 

 

 

 

 

One week ago

 

 

 

 

I believe the Lord softened Lou’s heart on this day. We happened to see Lou and his sister-in-law at the same time in the same place. We were also with our ministry host, Ivan, at this time. Ivan asked if Lou would want to stay the night with us in our missionary house. Miraculously (& with a little coaxing from sister-in-law, Rosa) Lou said he would stay with us. This is the beauty of what I like to call a *demon slumber party*. Next thing we know, Lou is eating spaghetti at our dining table and telling us about his favorite songs (Honestly, there was a heaviness about this night but it was something comical as well). Our ministry hosts made a pallet bed for Lou in a little spare room and prepared an overnight vigil schedule. I was not one of the members of Whale Team 6 who stayed up all night with Lou, so I cannot tell you what happened. You can ask Banks or Kevin for more info. All I know is that night there was a heated battle that took place. I woke up the next morning to a calm Lou sitting peacefully on his little bed.

 

 

 

I did, however, get to be part of a conversation with Lou that evening  that was enlightening and heartbreaking. We asked Lou about his life and how he went from a normal person to one possessed with demons. That’s what Lou shared with us that his grandfather was involved in witchcraft and had committed his son and grandsons to satan (doesn’t sound like a very cash money grandpa). Then, last year, Lou’s mother passed away. In his words, she was the only person who ever really understood and loved him. In his despair, he was met by a demon who told him that he could bring Lou’s mom back from the dead. The depth of his sadness led him to follow the demon’s instructions. Lou found a witch who gave him several cups of blood from a goat that had been sacrificed to satan. When Lou drank the blood, demons possessed his body. Through tears, Lou told us repeatedly, “He lied to me. My mom never came back. He’s a liar.” (Jn. 8:44)

 

 

 

 

In the past year, Lou has been tormented nearly to the point of death. The demons have been cast out of him 4 times, but each time they came back worse (Matt. 12:43-45). Lou told us that the demons tell him to hang himself or to cut himself. They have even gone so far as to have people deliver ropes, cords, and wires to Lou’s home or directly into his hands. When Lou resists the orders to kill himself, he said the voices tell him to go drink himself to death. When he walks outside his home, people deliver alcohol directly into his hands. Temptation and torment are handed to Lou day and night. 

 

  

 

 

This brings us to the next day. During the morning and early afternoon, people waited on Lou by bringing him water, coffee, breakfast, and lunch. By 3 pm he was sober enough to be admitted to the rehab. We sent Lou with a small team to the rehab facility to try to check him in. I stayed at the missionary house with the rest of my team and we interceded on behalf of Lou. We prayed that he would enter the rehab facility voluntarily and peaceably. We prayed Luo would find the strength to stay in the facility even when it was hard. I am so happy to announce that it has now been over one week and Lou is still at the facility! YAY, BIG VICTORY!

 

 

 

 

Please continue to pray with us that Lou stays at the facility and does not choose to leave (he is free to leave at any time). Please continue to pray with us that Lou will persevere through the pain and discomfort of withdrawal. Please pray that Jesus Christ, the living God, will meet Lou where he is at right now and change his life forever. Pray that Lou will have so much more than behavior modification, but he will experience a heart transformation. Pray that Lou’s eyes would be turned away from worthless things and that his life would be preserved according to God’s word (Psalm 119:37). Pray that Lou’s mind would not be governed by the flesh, but by the Spirit which is life and peace (Romans 8:6). Ultimately, pray that Lou’s experience in rehab, his entire life, and his eternity glorify God. 

 

 

 

 

I tell this story to glorify God who is our hope, light, and life. Thank you for your continued prayer and support. No matter where you are, know that you are making a difference in Sumpango, Guatemala. We’ve had a handful of demonic encounters here in Guate; Lou’s story is not a stand-alone experience. I asked a local pastor if stories like Lou’s are rare. He told me, “In my country, demonic possession is very common.” He encouraged me and my team to continue to be the hands and feet of Christ in a dark world. He encouraged us to continue praying and told us to have everyone we know pray as well.  We need your continued intercession to help bring freedom to those in bondage. Unsure about demons and the supernatural? That’s alright! I encourage you to bring the things you’re wrestling with to the Lord (He wants to walk with you through this) & turn to His word which is the lamp, light, sword, shield, spirit, and eternal truth. Want to keep the conversation going? Shoot me an email! I’d enjoy reading your thoughts.

Love y’all!

 

 

 

 

 “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

2 Peter 1:3-4

 

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”

John 14:12-17

 

 

 “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

Mark 16:15-18