The policemen scurried up the dark, graffiti splattered stairway to the second story of a run down, lower income apartment complex. The sun had gone down and this wasn't the neighborhood to be in after hours. This was Curundu; one of the most dangerous ghettos of the city.
The policemen heard some commotion up above but it wasn't a domestic disturbance, but rather what sounded like singing and praying. When they made it to the top of the stairs they saw something that they hadn't been expecting. In the central atrium of the building, lined with doors leading into one room apartments stood a group of 20 or so white people spread throughout the entire complex. They were praying over the residents and worshipping God.
Three young women from Russia, England and South Africa were praying for a young Kuna indigenous girl sitting in a wheelchair. "Would you like to accept Christ into your heart." The girl nodded. I was asked to lead her in the sinner's prayer and she repeated after me. This girl hadn't walked without assistance for close to a year. She contracted tuberculosis and in time had lost the ability to walk. The women began to pray for her with great faith. They asked the girl if she would be willing to get out of the wheelchair. The young girl shyly nodded her head. She stood up with wobbly knees and breathed in. "Would you be willing to walk with me?" asked one of the women. She was, and they began to guide the girl little by little throughout the atrium floor. Soon they let go of her hands and she began to walk without assistance all around the hall. As she walked tears began to flow down her face. She seemed to be getting stronger and stronger the more she walked.
I approached her brother and asked if he had seen her walk like this since she first took to the wheelchair. He told me it had been one year.
A few days later we heard a report from Shirley Miranda from a local ministry called "Juntos Podemos" (or "Together We Can") who had taken us to this building to minister. She told me that the young woman's mother was so excited to report that her daughter had not returned to the wheelchair and that she has continued to walk in healing!
That same night, other members of the team had been praying against strongholds in a man's life. Though we didn't know the effect of their prayers, we later heard from Shirley that the young man reported that that very night he had been planning to commit a robbery. While the team prayed for him he had a vision of where he would go if he continued with his plan. He saw himself in hell. In conviction he gave his life to Jesus that very night in repentance!
The team who ministered that night with us was from Iris Ministries. Iris Ministries was founded in 1980 by Rolland and Heidi Baker whom operate from Mozambique, Africa, one of the poorest countries in the world. (http://www.irismin.org/about. I highly recommend that you read the info in their link).
This particular team was sent out from Mozambique for a period of 2 years to visit every single country in Latin America by land (visit their blog http://irislatinamerica.blogspot.com/ ). They literally drive from place to place as the Lord leads and guides, seeking Him for what do and obeying His voice. They have seen so many people healed, delivered and saved on their travels. They began in Northwestern USA and made their way down through Mexico, all of Central America, then with us in Panama and later shipped their vehicles to Colombia to continue their journey throughout South America. Loren Cunningham, the founder of YWAM Intl., has encouraged collaboration between YWAM and Iris Ministries. We were more than thrilled to work along side of them and found ourselves very blessed as individuals and as a ministry.
written by: David Tracy/YWAM director panama
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