The Spirit Was Among Us

Singing at church got pretty intense today.

It all began with one woman, who went up to the front to kneel and pray.  That’s normal. Usually a few people kneel at the front during the last song and pray.  Pastor Alfred goes and prays over them and then they go back to their seats: usually.

Today, though, it didn’t stop at a few.  Soon it seemed like half of the congregation was standing or kneeling at the front of the church.  Alfred and Edulia (his wife) went from person to person praying with them.  This went on for 45 minutes or more as we continued to sing “let it rain, let it rain, open the floodgates of heaven” or more accurately “haz llover, haz llover, abre las puertas del cielo”.

I stayed in my seat and from there was able to observe what was happening around me.  At one point, Alfred was praying over a woman and I saw him motion to a man sitting close to the front.  The man stood up and went to the woman just in time to catch her as she fell backwards.  She had fainted.  Another woman was shaking violently and shrieking.  A couple people went and held her hands and stroked her face until she was calm again.  Many people were on their knees, many people were praying aloud, and many people had tears rolling down their faces.

I had never seen anything like this before.  The only way I can think to describe it is to say that the Holy Spirit ascending on us.  The spirit was filling each person, one after the other before my eyes.  The energy in the room was so strong; it almost brought me to tears multiple times.  There was amazing power and love.  There was a divine presence.  It was real.  It was there.

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I need to make a correction to my last blog.  I thought my shower didn’t have the capability of being warm, but in fact I didn’t know how it worked.  It turns out I can take warm showers, although recently I’ve been choosing not to because of the heat.  Basically, the hokey pokey shower days are over for me.

Life goes on here.  I’m doing well and really enjoying my work, which I’m planning to blog more about at a later date.  My family has opened their home to me as my own, which is extremely humbling.  I continue to be blessed far beyond my needs. 

Much love from Paraguay,

Sarah