Dear readers,
I’ve longed to give you this letter for some time, but today has been the first chance with Wifi strong enough, so here we are.
This story is from my first day in Costa Rica, it’s also written from my perspective and with some insight and context shared with me from my teammates.
Please read on.
Around Nine O’Clock at night our two teams were gathered around the dinner table as we listened to our host Tony share his heart with us, and give some insight as to what our time in Costa Rica would look like.
He was so gentle, loving, and intentional with every word he spoke over us. As soon as he finished he left us to go pray with his wife and head to sleep later on.
We all sat in silence for a bit, pondering and praying with ourselves.
Out of nowhere, a migraine hit me like a train upside the head.
Now I’ve had migraines before, but this one really struck a different cord. I felt myself burning up from the inside out. I couldn’t open my eyes. Everything within my innermost being hurt in excruciating ways.
I began to pray, “God, I know you hear me, and I ask that you would take this pain away, please in Jesus’ name, please heal me! Help me!”
The pain grew after I began to pray. So much so I couldn’t think anymore, I began rubbing my head with my hands as sweat started to pour out of me. I laid my head on the table, I couldn’t hold it up any longer.
“Guys, I don’t know what’s going on, but I need some prayer right now, please help me.” I cried out in desperation to my team.
No one wasted a second. They all gathered around and placed their hands on me, one by one they all began to cover me in prayer. Interceding on my behalf.
Then it got worse.
I leaned down to throw up, but every time I did nothing would come out.
My skin went extremely pale.
The pain within me multiplied again, this time parts of my body started to go numb after the pain came and went in massive waves.
Which led to me falling off my chair to the floor.
Those around me caught my body as I fell, and slowly brought me to the floor.
Two people took my hands and held me tight, they asked me to squeeze their hands but I had absolutely no strength whatsoever.
My squad leader asked how I was feeling at that moment.
With a raspy voice, I said “I feel so weak, I can’t do anything.”
A couple of minutes go by and more prayers are said, the leaders keep asking me questions, I don’t really remember answering them.
In my head I remember asking God why, why this was happening to me, is this going to teach me something, do I need to repent of anything hidden in my heart, what’s the point?
In a still small voice, I heard “Be baptized.”
I received a sudden burst of strength and I sat up from the floor, “I want to be baptized!”
A torrential downpour happened that very moment. The rain hitting the tin roof of the building echoed loudly everywhere.
My headache disappeared, I was able to grip the hands that held onto me. Yet my body still tingled with weakness.
Everyone was speechless and started looking around for something to baptize me in.
My friends start to fill up buckets and mixing bowls with water, while two others lifted me onto my feet and leaned me against the kitchen counter.
I was guided to the edge of the building and held up by my teammates.
Jonathan (one of my teammates) grabbed a bowl and said “Mitchell, based on your profession of faith I now baptize you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!”
A cold rush of water and joy washed over me, inside and out.
Connor (my squad leader) came up behind me and asked “Mitch, do you want some more?”
Everything within me screamed a resounding ‘yes’.
“YES!”
Connor slowly poured a large bucket of water over my head. The water symbolizing my death from my old way of life, and the resurrection into a new life with Christ.
My body began to shake, my legs trembling harder than ever.
Then, all at once, I stopped shaking.
Perfect peace covered me from head to toe. Unlike anything, I’ve ever experienced.
Soon after my baptism worship filled the air. All of us glorifying the God of the universe like nothing else mattered in the world. We stood and worshipped together for what only felt like minutes but turned into an hour or so.
After that, they surrounded me with a group hug and then covered me with some more prayer.
That was day one in Costa Rica.
I am convinced that I witness my first experience with spiritual warfare. Which is exciting and terrifying at the same time. That means The Enemy does not want me here doing God’s will, yet here I still stand.
I drank some water after the time of worship then off to bed I went.
The only thought in my head was, “I can’t wait for what God has in store for the days to come.”
Until next time,
-Mitchell
