And the Strongholds Come Tumbling Down

After our first few years on the mission field, I have come to view our ministry as identifying spiritual and emotional strongholds in people's lives, and trying to help them break out and move forward as healthier disciples of Christ.

Sometimes the strongholds are so dense that it seems like there will never be an end to someone's problems, that a new one simply comes along to replace the one that they just started to get a handle on. I've never seen such a concentration of people twisted up in such multi-layered dysfunction in such a relatively population. And yet, when I lift my head to take stock of all that God has done, it overwhelms me the changes that he has brought to bear in redeeming the lives of those that we love, and I can't help but thank Him and repent of my cynicism, because I know that He is surely in control here.

We have literally seen the power of God at work in breaking the bondage of:

• addictions (to sleeping pills and also to hard drugs)
• prostitution
• inability to ask forgiveness or forgive others for past hurts
• bulemia
• theft
• a spirit of provocation and violence
• self-mutilation
• living together unmarried
• lying
• distortions about the self
• gossip
• child abuse
• co-dependency and lack of healthy boundaries

These are not things that we can take credit for and say "look what WE'VE done." They are things that are beyond any mere human to accomplish. Only the power of God's word that is active and alive, prayer that acknowledges our dependence on Him, and the sanctifying presence of his Holy Spirit can accomplish what is needed here.

My discipleship group has started to study Beth Moore's Breaking Free, and it's really hit home with the girls. We've had to lessen the intensity a bit and take it slower than normal, but they're really engaging, doing their homework, and learning new things about God and what their lives should look like when they have Him with them. Despite opposition and lies from Satan about whether our group existed, and when it takes place, we've had 5 new girls join us in the last couple weeks. God will definitely NOT allow His plans to be thwarted when He wants to bring someone to freedom!

One of my greatest joys has been hearing family members comment on how the girls in the study have changed, and seeing sisters come to join us because the aroma of the gospel in the lives of those they love is so sweet to them that they want to check it out! One of the new girls is Meylin, Fabiola's sister. Fabiola has been in the group for some time. She can be kind of quiet and I don't always know what she's thinking or where her heart is. She's got the right answers, but you never know if someone's actually putting this stuff into practice, right? I know that her mother is very abusive, especially to Fabi and her sister, as they are the two oldest, and that Fabi has been struggling through forgiveness and not hating her mother for everything she does and says to them.

This week, Fabi told me that there had been an episode at home in which her mother did not like the rice that her sister had prepared for dinner. She demanded that Meylin sit and eat the entire pot of undercooked rice as punishment. Fabi and another of her sisters sat down in solidarity and compassion to help their sister eat the rice. Then Meylin confessed to Fabi that hates her mother and is plotting how to get revenge. Fabi counseled her, "I know that it's hard, but you need to forgive her." Meylin confessed that this was impossible for her. Fabi invited her to our bible study group, and she came, wanting to find out more about what it is that is helping Fabi to cope.

I am so encouraged by this story. First, that Fabi has compassion dwelling within her in a community where many siblings resent one another for being "competition" for limited resources and affection, and for frequently being the reason that the older sibling has to drop out of school (to care for the younger siblings). Second, that Fabi has matured enough in her own faith to counsel her sister about forgiving her mother and invite her to investigate the source of this healing with our group. And third, that Fabi's life has so obviously changed that her sister has noticed and is open to God in a way that she has not been before.

We've been talking a lot in our study about glorifying God and letting our lives be a reflection of His power and love. Fabi's doing it, and I'm so proud of the way she is giving God glory in a terrible situation. Now THAT is bringing beauty from ashes!

Peace, Andrea