revival: (noun) a comeback, resuscitation, resurrection, awakening.
I came into El Salvador knowing I needed something. I thought it was rest, a good nights sleep, more fruits and veggies in my diet, time with friends, space to breathe, a change of scenery, on and on.
I knew I needed something and I called it everything it wasn’t.
We arrived to El Salvador after dark, weary from saying goodbye to dear friends that morning and then spending all day on the bus. I was mentally, emotionally, physically, relationally, and spiritually drained. I unsuccessfully tried to remedy my weariness with a shower before the squad ate pizza and started our time together in worship.
As I sat on the floor during worship, I hardly had the energy to sing, and I found myself simply with my hands outstretched in front of me with my palms up to the heavens.
I kept thinking, is this really all I can do? This is all I’ve got? Sit here with my hands up? Not even able to muster a word?
And as I sat there, the Lord prompted me to read Psalm 143, and verses 5 and 6 gave me reprieve from my internal monologue.
“I remember the days of old; I meditate on all that you have done; I ponder the work of your hands. I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah.”
So there I sat, hands stretched, soul thirsty, longing for something I couldn’t name and in need of something I didn’t know.
Last Saturday, through the undeniable leading of the Lord (a story for another time), the squad found ourselves in the back of a big pickup headed to a mountain church for a revival service.
At this church, we were met with kind and generous people, eager to give up their seat and share in conversation, quick to sing loudly and pray reverently. Church started at 8 pm, we had a tamale and coffee break at midnight, and said the final “Amen” at almost 3 in the morning. Then we trucked back down the mountain and to our little beach town to get to bed at 5 am.
The next afternoon, we took time to debrief what we’d experienced and thought about the previous night. As we talked, one of our leaders said, “revival is not for unbelievers, revival is for the Church. Revival means to bring back to life something that was once dead.” The body of Christ needs fresh life breathed back into it–that’s what revival is. Woah!!!
Over the course of our two weeks in El Salvador, we learned a lot about how the Holy Spirit talks to us and how to walk in the spiritual gifts, about deeply rooted lies and strongholds in our lives, and how to walk in power and freedom in the truth of who Christ says we are.
Freedom is sweet!!! Being able to recognize the lies of the enemy, breakdown the castles in our minds that those lies have established and resided in, and be aware that “our battle is not against flesh and blood” (Eph. 6:12) has breathed new life into my weary bones.
I came in to El Salvador with a deep awareness of a need I couldn’t name, and I have realized after 2 weeks of life there that what I need (and what I received) is revival!!!
I needed to be revived again to the reality that Jesus came and died, rose again and breathed the Holy Spirit into the disciples, and then ascended into heaven where He’s seated at the right hand of the One True God. I needed my eyes to be brought from a dulled sight to a bright and vibrant awareness that “we do not fight against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). I needed soul revival, and that’s what I found in a big ole beach house with 15 of my best friends.
Life is sweet and the Lord is sweeter. 🙂
Current updates and prayer requests:
- Team Selah has made it to our ministry site in Nicaragua! It is sweet and we feel blessed to live where we do and live alongside the people that we do. Pray for our team to continue to grow in unity (Ephesians 4:1-3), to communicate clearly and kindly (James 3:5), and to pour ourselves out in the short time we get to be in Nica (Isaiah 58:10-11).
- I’m still fundraising! I had a huge blessing of a donation come in, so now I’m $1,717 away from being fully funded! Being fully funded means I’ll get to stay on the field for the entire year, serving with incredible ministries throughout Central and South America and then Southern Africa. Would you consider partnering with me in what God is doing around the world? Every dollar is one closer to my goal. 🙂
- My squad will be doing “team changes” at the end of the month before we begin ministry in Costa Rica. Please pray that we would invest intentionally in our current teams and also be prepared mentally, emotionally, and spiritually to receive new teams and new team leaders before we begin ministry in Costa! Debrief was a sweet time we got to spend all together, and it makes me both excited to invest in my own team as well as get a new one and get to know my other squad mates deeply next month. Pray that we all balance well our investment in the now and not yet!
Like always, thanks so much for reading and following along! Leave a comment below or send me a message on Facebook or WhatsApp if you have any encouragements, questions, or prayer requests!! I’d love to hear any of them!
