Thursday, October 16, 2008

"I Found the Key"

The classroom was silent.

You could have heard a pin drop on the other side of the dividing curtain as Marty, our DTS speaker for this week, knelt in front of my friend. She cradled her head in her hands as he quietly asked for forgiveness on behalf of the men in her life who had hurt her so deeply. His eyes moistened as she began to weep. Mine were wet as well as I prayed from the back of the room. I could feel the battle in the air. At this critical moment, all of her experience and all of Hell's army were pitted against her. "God, make a quiet sanctuary in her heart where You can speak to her as she makes this decision," I begged silently. Soon, the tension began lift and Marty gave her hug. She said "Yes, I forgive you" and whispered several names.
Now, a few hours later, her eyes look different than they have in the past couple months. Sparklier, lighter, freer. As we sit on the front porch of the base, watching sea birds swoop and dive through a crack in the buildings across the street, she tells me,

"I felt like that. Like I dove straight into deep water. . . like my feet
were chained and I was sinking, trying to find the right key on the ring to fit
in the keyhole. I was almost out of air," she gives me a sideways glance and
with a small, mischeivous smile, adds,

"But I found
the key."


God wins again. He's been winning the last couple weeks here in TJ. Winning battles like my friend's. Winning hearts. Winning strongholds. With topics like "Pain from the Past", "Identity in Christ", or this week's, "The Father Heart of God", He's been stirring up a lot of buried earth in the hearts of the students. . . and staff ; ). But He's slowly winning, battle by battle. The soldiers are tired, but free. And they're not letting anyone fight alone.

Please keep praying- you're helping win the battle too!

Names of the DTS students: Brooke, Elizabeth, Egla, Alex, Laurena, Sandra, Silvia, Luisa, Diana, Fabian, Chad, Sergio, Esteban, Arnold, Nolan, Omar, Abraham, and the DTS baby, Fabiola

Names of DTS staff: Jim, Nico, Scott, Jamie, Andy, Stacie, Montse, Dina, and Amy