Awake My Soul

     Something has been stirring in my heart ever since I came to Hawaii in January. It's this controversial topic among many Christian denominations: healing. You guys, God can do it. Why do we doubt it? The Bible is filled with people healing other. Jesus performing miracles and saying to us that we will do GREATER things than what he has done! We think it can happen but so often see no fruit from trying. But I think that's due to a spirit of unbelief. What is in our hearts? Do we honestly believe that we have the power that God says in in our words? Is it just in our head or is it also in our hearts?
     Our speaker this week, Ivan Roman, said something that hit me today. He said that the Bible doesn't say "pray for the sick" but rather it says "heal the sick". Wow. He's right. I have never noticed that before. The Bible, the living Word of God, calls us to rise up and take action to cure sickness and pain. That's incredible. In the last few months I have heard many, many first-hand accounts of God using people like you and me to do the miraculous. To heal in crazy ways. But it makes so much sense. If God is God, then of course he can call down healing through our words. We just need to be bold and confident in what He wants to accomplish through us. It is all about taking the time to listen to God and hear his voice and what His will is.
     Tonight was our first night of community outreach. Basically, half our school goes downtown, splits into groups of 2 or 3 and just meets people. I have done summer camp ministry the past 3 years but this was different. It was hard to grasp my mind around because I had never just gone out on the street to bring Jesus to random people. The people had always come to me. But this is why I am here: to be stretched in my faith. We have this incredible love of the creator that we want to share with this broken city of Kailua Kona. God has this amazing plan to restore them. So we broke off and just focused on what God wanted to do. We didn't go up to people and just preach the gospel. We try to talk to as many people as we can. We built relationships.
    You guys, God is incredible. One group prayed for a fellow sister in the Lord and her arm, which was in a sling, was healed within a minute. She took off her sling, folded it up, and put it in her friends purse, not knowing what had just happened! Another group prayed over a woman that had obvious signs of schizophrenia or multiple personality disorder and by the end of the night she was as peaceful as can be. God is powerful! He wants to do heal. He wants to restore people. But who is bold enough to do follow his will? As children of God, we have power in our words.
     Man...tonight was the first of many community outreach nights and I am so stoked for those to come. I feel as though tonight was just an intro night. Fire is coming to this city. Full restoration! Love that will satisfy those empty souls. Pray into this with me, friends. That while we are here God will use us for this community as well. To be a light while we are getting prepared to go out into the nations.

Thanks for all your support!
Alyssa