This was an e-mail I send to India team =]. Enjoy.
[note, this is LONG]
This retreat was... definitely unexpected. But this e-mail subject was aptly put[the power of prayer], because it was only possible through prayer. So when I found out about the retreat like last week, I wasn't even thinking about being a teacher. But i went to the meeting, because "what could it hurt?" And i go and realize that I was pretty much meant to be there. the pastor was saying how the retreat almost didn't happen because of his failures in the past. But because so many people kept asking about the retreat, he prayed to God, saying that if he was able to find a retreat site, he would have the retreat. Now retreat sites are usually planned months in advance, and this was maybe a few weeks before the planned date, but the first place he called, they said it was a miracle that he called. The dates 28-31 had been previously booked, but dropped, and the retreat staff workers were praying for someone to fill the spot. We were the answer to their prayers, she said.
I realized i couldn't just not go. our pastor asked us to keep the retreat and the youth group in prayer. I admit, i had my doubts. I saw the people in the yg, and i was thinking how some of them would take a while before God could reach them, and I was being prideful, thinking that my experiences in college and Missions in India was adequate preparation for me to be able to bless these kids.
Dang. Dang dang...so wrong.
It definitely was through prayer and nothing else. Helen, as Deborah said, had told her small group leader, that since the summer, she had been hearing demonic voices, telling her not to worship God, that God didn't love her. Last night, as the pastor called the congregation to stand, if they were ready to commit their lives to God, to not wait any longer like the Israelites in Haggai who were waiting to build the temple of God, saying, it's not time for God's temple to be built. And Helen stood. But i guess the demon was saying "NO, It's still not time." And she said after, that beside the one spirit that has been with her since summer, demons she had never seen were oppressing her. She left the room, into the bathroom, and started screaming. The staff went to pray for her. We were scared; the battle in that room could almost be felt. I went outside at that time to call people, India team, Core, DT, whoever, to pray for her.
I went back inside the main worship room to pray for the other students there. And it was discouraging, yet a blessing. I learned from one of the guys, Daniel, that basically, all the role models he had at church, including his brother, had left God. Man, that brother, Abraham, who I had looked up to, who the whole church pretty much was willing to give their respect, had gone, realized that God did not fit the world he was beginning to see, and is now living a life of "Enlightened Detachment." And now here was his younger brother, not trusting anyone, unable to praise God, pray to God, love God, because how could he, when the people who he trusted to be so solid in their faith had been totally wasted.
After talking with others, I panned the room, seeing them pray for each other, cry with one another, realizing how wrong I was, that these kids couldn't be changed in a day. As they started to go in to the next room [she was moved to the pool room by then] to pray for Helen, I could see the compassion on their faces. As I watched one girl, crying, with the words "Why Helen?" I contemplated on how to comfort her. And i realized, God doesn't need me to do everything. some of the brothers in the ministry went up to her and comforted her. And i was reminded at that moment. God does the healing, God does the changing. We are only vessels to do what we are commanded, but we can't think that we have to reach out to people in order to heal them, or comfort them with our wise words that we have for them.
And so one of my prayers for Helen was that she would have faith to know that God has POWER, that He is greater than Anything here on earth. That she needs only to trust herself completely in her arms. That the name of Jesus had the power to heal, to comfort. That if the whole congregation had faith, that she would find peace.
And i was blessed. more blessed than i could have ever blessed anyone. Blessed to see the group grow that much close because of this struggle. To know that these times in the valley of the shadow of death can be the times when God shines the brightest.
The spirit is still with her. Demonic oppression is hard to drive out completely, especially for us students, who still have such little faith.
It manifested itself again on the bus ride home. Even though we thought it was over, it's still serious. Prayer is still needed, at all times. I was reminded of the verse 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. "Be joyful always, pray continuously give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Continue to pray for Helen, please. And pray for yourselves, pray for each other, pray for your class, pray for your school, pray for your church, for the people you meet, for the people you love, and the people you don't love, that you would love them. Pray that God would change your heart, with full faith that he will do it. Know that our God is great.
I'll end with this thought. You know the song, "These are the Days of Elijah." The chorus says "It's the year of Jubilee." Jubilee means rejoicing or jubilation, a time of celebration. I thought for the longest time that all this meant was that it's a time to celebrate what God has done for us. Until now. DT reading led me through Leviticus, numbers, Deuteronomy. But in Leviticus, it explains the year of Jubilee (Lev 25:8-54). It's a year every 50 years where slaves are freed, debts are canceled, and land is returned to its rightful owner. Crops are not to be planted, but are to live off what the land produces, and from the old crop. This is our year of Jubilee. Because of what Jesus did on the cross, our debt of eternal debt has been paid and canceled, we have been set free from sin, and are returned to God. We live on God's blessing, and not our own works, as long as we are faithful to God.
