Reminiscings from the Roof of the World
Faithful Intercessors
December 27 dawned chilly on the hillside, and we warmed ourselves around a fire and sipped steaming cups of Ilam tea while breakfast was prepared. After eating, the joint Nepali and American team hiked up to the mountaintop where we would be able to overlook the border with India.
Along the way we prayed over the land on which we placed our feet. We came upon an animistic shrine enclosed in a black metal, picket-like fence with a gate, bringing to mind an English garden. Upon opening the gate and going inside to pray against darkness we encountered six tridents of differing sizes, various rocks, sticks, and other symbolic religious articles including incense as well as two Shiva lingam idols. Inscribed on the rocks were “Shiva” and “the lion is king”. When asked what the tridents represented Robby, our leader, said they refer to Shiva, one of the gods of the Hindu triad.
As we continued towards the peak we talked with the tea farmers and their families that we met along the way, sharing with them Jesus and pamphlets. There was not much receptivity to our message. We stopped by a school and talked with the teachers but they also were not open.
Upon reaching the top, prayers were sent out over the valley. We spoke against animism, shamanism, affliction, and deception. We discerned that affliction was holding the people in bondage to shamanism as there were no doctors in the area. While we prayed Emma saw black, smokey forms moving across the sky like a herd of demons returning to their home in the Himalayas. She then prayed against alcoholism and adultery. On the walk back to the house we stopped and talked with a man I had encountered earlier. He was Buddhist and appeared to me to be a shaman but he listened with interest to what we had to say.
Back at the house we enjoyed lunch and from there we ladies along with a couple Nepali men (Most of the guys stayed for another night.) trekked back down to the road and from there traveled to a border town with India where we found a lovely guest house. It was built of wood and quite cozy. The wooden staircase to the second floor where we would sleep was .. disconcerting. In South Asia very often stair steps are not uniform. These steps’ risers were each of varying height and the tread shorter than my boots were long, so going down I had to turn my feet a bit to the side to keep from losing balance.
I was super excited to have a proper bathroom but thrilled to get a hot shower. Emma and I were sharing a room and she allowed me the first shower. I relished every second under the hot running water but noticed that the wet and soapy tile floor was extremely slippery. Forcing myself to not linger so there would be hot water for everyone I hurriedly dried off, noting to myself that I needed to warn Emma to be careful. But there was some distraction and I forgot until she was already showering. And then my heart stopped when I heard the horrific boom. I ran to the door shouting, “Miss Emma, are you all right?” No answer. I banged on the wooded door screaming, “Miss Emma, Miss Emma,” but still not a word from the other side. So I turned the knob and peeked inside and to my horror she was lying on her back with her head just below the ceramic toilet. (In South Asia most bathrooms are wet rooms with no partitions around the shower.) I grabbed a towel and threw it over her and ascertained that she was not conscious. Running down the hallway for help I could only think, “what can we do, there is no 911, what if she dies”?! I was mortified. I found Katie and we ran back finding her still unconscious, but thankfully she woke up in a few minutes. Emma had slipped on the wet tile floor and her head walloped the ceramic commode in the exact place of her earlier concussion in the car just a few days before. It was also her second or third fall on this trip. She was under such attack and clearly that prayer warrior was shaking the spiritual powers of the air and they wanted to take her out.
Thankfully God kept her safe. And thankfully our intercessors back home were working hard. Two of our intercessors were Wanda and Nitza (who is now with Jesus but while here on Earth was a powerful woman of prayer). When I returned home they both gave me notes of their daily times of intercession. I am including just a few entries from their journals.
“ – He is filling you with divine compassion for the lost and he wants you to have full confidence in him and draw near to him that you might receive full joy because of his strength.
– His word says that you are preparing the way for all hindrances to be removed so that you might go in and possess the land for him.
– All hindrances are removed in the name of Jesus and he is in the process of purifying you. Also HE HAS CALLED YOU OUT for his service.
– Very intense pain in arms, back, neck, headache to the point of numbness yet still intense pain. Heard not only spiritual growth but victories and healing. He has chosen you once again. As I was praying got stopped by intense need for Abbie, directly (for God) to place ministering, protecting, and guardian angels around her. To come to her aide and to also assist her in how the Lord is wanting to use her to win souls.
– Still intense pain but hearing obedience is better than sacrifice. He is saying you have obeyed and he will be faithful.
– Pray for protection and health and heard once again to place those ministering angels for spiritual victories, knowledge, and salvation. Truly believe that you are covered with the blood and he is just reinforcing the need to keep you held up so your shield and armor are on.
– Intense pain calling me to cry out for his protection and provision.
– Felt like someone might have let down their armor and the Lord was just reminding me to pray for your protection to put on the whole armor. Still having intense pain in back, legs, arms, hands.
– Psalm 91:11-16 — He that dwells in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder, the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under foot. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore, will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him with long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
Some might think that intercession is the easy part of missions, almost like a copout. They are wrong. Intercession is hard work. Just as we in Nepal were feeling the attack of the enemy trying to prevent what God intended to do, the other part of our team praying from the other side of the globe in Alaska was undergoing similar retaliation in an attempt to hinder their prayer. I, for one, am extremely grateful that those ladies stood firm. Perhaps Emma survived and was able to return to minister in Nepal a few months later because of the faithful intercession of our friends back home. If you are an intercessor please know that you are an essential part of accomplishing the will of God on this Earth.
Coffee, Tea, and Reverie 