As this remarkable Journey comes to a close, I look back with a deep sense of wonder at all that the Lord accomplished. East Samar is a province of about two million people, mostly in small communities (barangays). Over the past eleven days we have distributed enough water filters for more than 1,400 people. This is especially significant, as there has recently been an outbreak of typhoid fever; the filters will totally eliminate this deadly bacteria from the water. We visited schools, a hospital and prison. Wherever we went, people were healed and saved.
Two days ago, a couple of us were walking down the main laneway in the barangay, when I suddenly became aware of a strong sense of the Lord’s presence. As I started to ask those sitting along the roadside if I could pray for them, healing immediately broke out. Pain of every description was instantly healed. As I walked a bit further, someone brought me to an old woman who could neither see nor walk. I prayed for her and she said there was some improvement; I prayed again and suddenly, she began to laugh hilariously. She could see clearly. Then we prayed for her damaged legs. She stood up and began to move and walk around, all the time laughing and laughing. When I turned around, there were about 40 people watching. They all headed to the local basketball court, where there was singing, testimonies and then preaching. When I gave the invitation, it happened again––everyone, 100% of the people came forward––and not just the ones in the court; others streamed in from the streets. We prayed for the sick for nearly an hour. Many on the team reported that everyone they prayed for was healed. Another great evening.
Yesterday, we were in our final barangay, giving out bags of rice and distributing water filters among the village that had been ravaged by two different typhoons. As we came to the door of one house, we could see a woman trying to come to us. She was barely moving, hobbling as she leaned heavily on the furniture. We told her not to come any farther, we would just come in ourselves. Before giving her a filter, it seemed obvious that we should pray for this poor woman. Ray asked her where she felt pain. She replied with a long list––her head, neck, back, hips, knees and feet. So Ray decided to start with her head pain. As she prayed, the woman began to smile and indicate with her hands that she felt something lifting off her. Then suddenly, she jumped up from the stool, raised her hands over her head and began to dance. I mean dance! All over the room she moved and kept saying it was all gone. We asked if she meant her head pain was gone. “No! All my pain is gone from everywhere!”
Later, I met with the pastors to review all that has happened this Journey. Over 1,100 have come to Jesus. We estimate that at least that many have been healed. Pastor Sam reported that since our first night last week in his barangay where we had our smallest outdoor meeting, his church has started seven new cell groups, each of them made up of new believers. All of the pastors were so excited that they have committed to do the same thing as Pastor Sam’s church. After the meeting, we held our final outdoor gathering at the community basketball court. Ray invited the woman to come up and testify. Lyn gave a short teaching. I spoke for a few minutes, and invited people to pray to invite Jesus into their lives. Then the people came forward. Again, every single person came––those sitting in chairs on the court, the young men who had been standing 50 yards back, people from the streets. They came from everywhere. In this small community, 250 gave their lives to Jesus last night.
In all our Journeys, I have never seen so many times when every person who heard the Gospel, turned to Jesus. There is something remarkable happening right now in East Samar. The pastors are amazed. We are all rather in awe for what the Lord is doing. Could it be that the first seeds of a large revival have been planted? Come Lord Jesus, come.
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