Day 3

With our leaders in place we started the day with our normal routine of breakfast and devotionals. We went to the home of one the members of Pastor Eduardo's church.  At the home we prayed about the issue of human trafficking and the stronghold of black magic and witchcraft in the area and the city at large. From there we headed straight to the streets to pray, and from the onset we saw the strongholds that we had just prayed about.

Neighborhood prayer walk

After the prayer walk we went to Pastor Eduardo's church, we prepared for the mobile soup kitchen ministry. We met around 10pm local time and drove to certain locations known for poverty, prostitution, and witchcraft. We would first stop and worship in order to set the atmosphere, we would proceed to pray for the people, and give them soup, bread, water, and articles of clothing.

We ministered to a man(Francisco), his wife, and their friend who were living on the streets. Although they have a home, the streets allow them the opportunity to find drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol with ease. With a child on the way, the couple spends away their nights high, drunk, and trying to hide from their problems. That in mind, Francisco broke down with us about his struggle to overcome and be free. Initially it was only Francisco's wife and their friend. Francisco didn't approach us and had just gotten high about half a block away,  It broke our hearts to hear him say, The transformation took place before our eyes, praying and interceding as Francisco broke down before us. He cried and wept and confessed his desire to take his life saying "The devil and temptation are always at my feet leading me away. I try and I try and I can't break away". Pastor Miles told him he can't try, because there is only one solution, and that's Jesus. By the time we were done, Francisco was not only a new man, but he was no longer under the effects of the drugs he had taken before speaking with us. Before we left, we prayed for him and his wife together, to solidify what God was doing in him.

Tears flowed, knees were bent, lives were changed, and God was glorified. He gave his life to Christ, and without hesitation, gave over the matches that kept bound to his addictions.

Francisco's friend and his wife (right)

Praying for Francisco

The night amazingly did not end there...

We encountered a group of transvestites and shared the gospel with them. Hesitant as they were, they were still receptive to prayer. As this encounter went on, their leader came to the front and boasted of his popularity in the community as practitioner of witchcraft. He tried to distract the others while we were praying, in particular this one young man who broke into tears while we prayed for him. However, this didn't prevent us from showing God's love to him too- keeping in mind that the battle is against sin and not the person.

One of the men mentioned how despite this walk, he still has a sister who prays, fasts, and shares the word with him over the phone, causing goosebumps to form. It wasn't coincidence that we ran into a man whose sister's fervently praying for him.

God has a plan for those we reached out to, regardless of whether they're aware of it or not, and we give thanks in advance for the way God will use them, to extend His Kingdom.