Seventh day
This morning we went to the slavery museum to learn about the background of the Andaman Islands. It described how in the past many prisoners were sent to the Andaman Islands. These prisoners endured severe hardships, including wearing punishment clothing and being flogged when the guards thought they deserved it. This gave us insight into the people, because part of the population descends from these prisoners. We had already received prophetic words about chains that had to be loosed, yokes that had to be broken, paths that had to be made straight and locks and doors that had to be opened. We applied this straight away in the evening service by praying for everyone, removing the yoke, breaking chains and crowning them with a crown from our King of Kings.
During the evening service Marjan asked whether the churchgoers were tired from their busy schedules with school and work, and on top of that a meeting every evening for the past three days. A young woman said that, on the contrary, it gave her energy and had been so edifying and refreshing for her and others.
Soraya was able to share her testimony: that she used to be under a lot of stress, often felt a lot of fear with the young people in secure youth care, and was under great pressure at work. She truly suffered under it, and it had a big impact on her daily life. One day Soraya decided no longer to live the way she had been living, and to surrender herself completely to the Spirit of God again. After she left her job, her whole being changed and God began a mighty work in her life. She discovered that she could live without worry, simply by following her desires and dreams. She testified about the text in Philippians 4:6-7, which describes how we may live free of worry, full of God's desires, and how God then makes His supernatural peace guard our hearts and minds. Soraya spoke as if she had been speaking for years; it came so naturally to her. She stood there as a true queen and daughter of the Most High. The special thing was that this was the first time she had spoken. After this others were able to confirm and add to the word.
There was also an exercise in which everyone wrote down all their worries and gave them to God. Then everyone had to tear up their sheet of paper and commit themselves to worrying no longer, but to focusing on their dreams and desires instead. We prayed these out to God in worship. The torn sheets were laid in front of the stage. We were also able to serve these precious people by breaking yokes and chains and placing a King's crown on their heads.
They were taught no longer to think like slaves but like children of the King. After the service Marien said we should clear up the scraps of paper together, to break the culture of slavery. While we were doing so, a young woman rushed up to stop us, because we were bending down to clear it up. But Marien told her not to stop us, and later said: “You are really doing what Jesus did.” And the revelation came through this act.
Something very deeply rooted in the thinking of these people is hierarchy and control, which arose during the British occupation of the past. White people were exalted then, and we see that happening in every place we go. Everyone wants to have their photo taken with you, even strangers. But precisely because Jesus did not come to be served but to serve, we do this too, to break through the culture.
The same young woman was also enormously transformed by the power and love of God's Holy Spirit. Her whole appearance was light, love and power. At the end we were also able to hand out Bibles to the people who did not have one.
All in all it was a very successful evening. We were driven there and back by car, although it was only a two-minute walk from our hotel, because the pastor is so afraid of people seeing us as believers, and he fears persecution.
During the service Laurine felt it on her heart to pray in the Spirit while she sat listening to the sermon. She noticed that someone could not concentrate and kept nodding off. She sent away the spirit of stupor and sleep, and this girl began to shake her head back and forth as if she were really waking up, without knowing that Laurine was praying for her. So you see that the spiritual has an enormous effect, and that the natural can respond to it very clearly and vividly.
Afterwards, back at the hotel, we sat down with the interpreter to evaluate. There had been many miscommunications and difficulties that we wanted to discuss. After a good conversation we were also given the schedule for the coming week. After this we were on the same page again, and we received good feedback about how underdeveloped these people are and how you can adapt your sermon to that. Then we invited the interpreter to join our morning prayer meeting. He had been invited before but never came, and now he said he would come.
I especially want to thank the people who prayed for the interpreter and the communication, because the prayers helped enormously! Keep praying for open doors, the power of God and unity with all people, so that the Spirit of God can do His work in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
