One evening in Puerto Rico, after our evening session, I felt led to have the girls and guys split up for prayer. We had a student who had a stomach bug, and I had the guys along with the male leaders go pray for him. At the same time, there was a young Puerto Rican girl who had been sitting in with one of our translators and seemed very emotional. I didn't know what was wrong but had all the girls and female leaders circle around and pray. The translator explained that Nicole, the girl, had lost her mother at a young age and although her and her sister had been seeing a counselor things just had not been getting better and it had been several years. Also, her sister was resorting to other things besides the community of the church to help her and she was very concerned for her sister. So we circled up and had "popcorn" style prayer. It was just awesome to see the boldness and willingness in my group of girls. So many prayed with a burdened heart and out of a loss for what it would be like to lose your mother.
I had Limaris, my translator and dear friend, close in prayer in Spanish. And then the coolest thing happened! Limaris asked all the girls to move their chairs and squeeze in close and lay hands on Nicole. She said this would really show Nicole they loved her and she'd be able to feel that! Well Limaris started praying and many tears were shed. We (English speakers) had no idea what she was saying, but we were all moved. We knew there was power in our prayer as a body that night! Limaris came to me after and was so pumped because she said she had never been used by God in that way! That she didn't even remember what she had prayed! I know Nicole was lighter that night, she let go of a lot of what had been pressing down on her. These are a few words from Limaris:
"Starting as a helper in A.I.M. I would have never thought to end up having an amazing experience. To see and feel how God for the first time used me in a prayer to minister to a young lady from my church in the time of A.I.M. worship. To see how the words coming out of my mouth were breaking all the chains she had and just being a light in her darkness. Adventures in Missions has changed me, all I want to do now is serve and make a difference in someone's life. One day I hope to be part of A.I.M. "
Love,
Limaris
Here's a picture of Limaris (in the middle)
