Hi Everyone!
First and foremost, I have to apologize to you all for my lack of updating these past weeks. Access to internet is not as easy to come by as I had hoped, so that makes doing a weekly blog a little difficult. I also must confess that trying to summarize my weeks in a single blog post is a daunting task that is easier to avoid then to take the time to sit down and do.
I honestly don't know how to effecively communicate what the last three weeks of my life has consisted of and what God has done. God has taught me so much about His character and the depravity of who I am apart from Him.
The second week of my DTS was very very difficult. I delt with an incredible amount of spiritual warfare. One night at one in the morning.. I was woken up by the sound of the electrical pole outside of my dorm showering down sparks into our building and on the street below. When the girls all linked hands and started praying, the top of the pole was immediately consumed with flames and sparks started flying everywhere.
The next night, I awoke at two in the morning to a black hooded figure standing in the corner of my room. At that moment I was so paralized with fear I couldn't move and the only thing I could say was, "Jesus is Lord". I then got up from my bed and went in to Sarah's (the other American that is in the DTS) room. I woke her up, crawled into bed next to her, and asked her to pray for me. Still being half asleep, she prayed, told me I could stay in her bed for the night, and rolled back over to sleep. As soon as I closed my eyes, I felt fingers running down my arms and legs. I started fervently playing scripture and when I opened my eyes, the shadow casted from one of the other girls sleeping looked like a women with black hair similar to mine twisted and mangled in a way that would only be possible if she was possessed. When I was looking at this shadow, the girl who was sleeping above her hit the metal bed frame in her sleep which sent a pircing bang throughout the entire room. At that point, Sarah was woken up and could feel the oppression. We sat up, joined hands, put on worship music, and started praying. As soon as we started praying, all of the power shut off and we were left sitting in her bed in completely darkness. We grabbed a flashlight and started reading scripture, praying, and singing worship music until the lights turned on a good 30 minutes later. She and I then tried to go back to sleep. As soon as she rolled over, turning her back to me, I felt a hand grasp my shoulder. I reached to hold it, thinking it was Sarah's hand, but I opened my eyes realizing that her back was to me. I took the iTouch that was playing worship music and put it on my chest and sang until I fell asleep.
Those are just a few stories of the spiritual warfare I experienced my second week of being here.
The third week of DTS was so amazing. God gave me such a peace and confirmation that this is where He wants me to be. I stopped viewing the base that I am staying at as a "base"... but I started viewing it as my home. I also started viewing my classmates as family instead of just people that I am going to be around for the next five months of my life. I truly saw His hand and experienced His comfort more than I ever have in my entire life.
This past week (the fourth week of DTS) was so hard, but beautiful as well. I experienced this week true brokenness in the presence of Christ. He is breaking me and ridding me of the things in my heart that are not of Him. It has been an incredibly painful experience, but God is revealing so much of His character to me and I am so blessed to be broken for the sake of Christ.
He's changing me. Molding me more into the likeness of who He is and I can't wait to see what He is going to do in the next three and a half months.
Hard to believe I've already been here for a month. It feel like so long and only a few days at the same time.
Anyway... I must go. But I love and treasure you all a bunch!!! Can't wait to see and hug you all!
Much Love and God Bless,
Elyssia
First and foremost, I have to apologize to you all for my lack of updating these past weeks. Access to internet is not as easy to come by as I had hoped, so that makes doing a weekly blog a little difficult. I also must confess that trying to summarize my weeks in a single blog post is a daunting task that is easier to avoid then to take the time to sit down and do.
I honestly don't know how to effecively communicate what the last three weeks of my life has consisted of and what God has done. God has taught me so much about His character and the depravity of who I am apart from Him.
The second week of my DTS was very very difficult. I delt with an incredible amount of spiritual warfare. One night at one in the morning.. I was woken up by the sound of the electrical pole outside of my dorm showering down sparks into our building and on the street below. When the girls all linked hands and started praying, the top of the pole was immediately consumed with flames and sparks started flying everywhere.
The next night, I awoke at two in the morning to a black hooded figure standing in the corner of my room. At that moment I was so paralized with fear I couldn't move and the only thing I could say was, "Jesus is Lord". I then got up from my bed and went in to Sarah's (the other American that is in the DTS) room. I woke her up, crawled into bed next to her, and asked her to pray for me. Still being half asleep, she prayed, told me I could stay in her bed for the night, and rolled back over to sleep. As soon as I closed my eyes, I felt fingers running down my arms and legs. I started fervently playing scripture and when I opened my eyes, the shadow casted from one of the other girls sleeping looked like a women with black hair similar to mine twisted and mangled in a way that would only be possible if she was possessed. When I was looking at this shadow, the girl who was sleeping above her hit the metal bed frame in her sleep which sent a pircing bang throughout the entire room. At that point, Sarah was woken up and could feel the oppression. We sat up, joined hands, put on worship music, and started praying. As soon as we started praying, all of the power shut off and we were left sitting in her bed in completely darkness. We grabbed a flashlight and started reading scripture, praying, and singing worship music until the lights turned on a good 30 minutes later. She and I then tried to go back to sleep. As soon as she rolled over, turning her back to me, I felt a hand grasp my shoulder. I reached to hold it, thinking it was Sarah's hand, but I opened my eyes realizing that her back was to me. I took the iTouch that was playing worship music and put it on my chest and sang until I fell asleep.
Those are just a few stories of the spiritual warfare I experienced my second week of being here.
The third week of DTS was so amazing. God gave me such a peace and confirmation that this is where He wants me to be. I stopped viewing the base that I am staying at as a "base"... but I started viewing it as my home. I also started viewing my classmates as family instead of just people that I am going to be around for the next five months of my life. I truly saw His hand and experienced His comfort more than I ever have in my entire life.
This past week (the fourth week of DTS) was so hard, but beautiful as well. I experienced this week true brokenness in the presence of Christ. He is breaking me and ridding me of the things in my heart that are not of Him. It has been an incredibly painful experience, but God is revealing so much of His character to me and I am so blessed to be broken for the sake of Christ.
He's changing me. Molding me more into the likeness of who He is and I can't wait to see what He is going to do in the next three and a half months.
Hard to believe I've already been here for a month. It feel like so long and only a few days at the same time.
Anyway... I must go. But I love and treasure you all a bunch!!! Can't wait to see and hug you all!
Much Love and God Bless,
Elyssia
Wow Elyssia. Your stories are amazing! We will be praying fervently. What you recount is exactly what the bible teaches...that we are in a spiritual battle. I know it is scary but you have been given a glimpse of the true spiritual reality. Keep praying and remember "He that is in you is great than he that is in the world". Run to Jesus - He is greater than the dark shadows and will protect you. God bless you and keep you. Love, Mrs. F.
ReplyDeleteElyssia,
ReplyDeleteBe brave - your goodness is of God and your spirit is of courage and of love.
2 Timothy 1:7 “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
Love to you, Aunt Susan