Tag Archives: trust in the Lord

Spiritual Warfare

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Many of the children who come to Shadow of His Wings were subjected to witchcraft or Satanism in some form or another. Some participated in rituals, some went to a witch for healing, and many were born into a family of occult participation. I understood that these situations existed and trusted in the Lord when He said He would set the captives free. I wanted to see that happen and sought to understand the weapons of warfare that God gave us for victory.

It is no secret that there is the manifestation of the demonic all over third-world countries. The door for this to happen in the orphanage burst wide open. One of the craziest times happened while I lay on my sick bed. I slept hard after taking medication but sat up straight when a volunteer worker pounded on the bedroom door. “Mama Carroll, come quickly, we need your help.” I flew out of bed, knowing nobody would bother me unless something serious happened.

What I saw when I ran down the concrete steps did not surprise me. I’d seen similar situations here and in other places. My eyes scanned the girls below but zeroed in on one in particular. She glanced at me and then went into action with twisting and screaming on the concrete. This was a big mistake for her! Another girl with empty-looking eyes foamed at the mouth, while she writhed back and forth. These scenes were similar to the biblical description of someone possessed. Lord, I need you to help me know what to do here. Cover us and protect us. You are in control, not the enemy. A third girl jumped over the six-foot wall and disappeared into the foliage below.

I grabbed the hand of the first girl and put her in time-out because of her drama act. I knew that when she looked at me as I came down the stairs that she had faked everything. She imitated what she saw and wanted a piece of the action. Sure enough, she walked up the stairs with me, as normal as could be, realizing she had been busted.

Then I grabbed my phone, a picture of the girl who had jumped the wall, and car keys off my desk. I called the other founder to come to the orphanage, got in my car, and drove up and down the streets looking for this girl. I showed the picture to the guards at the entrance of our area, asking if they had seen her. Their reply of “no” and not seeing any signs of her made the search seem futile, so I went back to the house. Joanne had the vomiting girl back to her senses and calm. Lord, help me find the other girl. She’s not in her right mind. I then noticed girls pointing down below the six-foot wall. The missing girl stood with one of the guards who had seen her picture. I rejoiced all the way around the outside of the house to the dazed and glassy-eyed girl. He looked at me suspiciously but let me take her hand, and I led her back into the house. Within a few minutes, she came out of her trance remembering nothing that happened. I looked at the wall and the slope behind it, and I marveled at how she could jump down, land in the bushes, and not have a scratch on her.

What you have just read is a common occurrence in this country. Being on spiritual alert is a big part of a mission here. The best part of this is God has given us the power and authority to overcome such situations. I found myself in another major learning experience, but instead of being fearful, something rose up within me to face the enemy and protect these children. My bravery came from the fact that I had the Lord Jesus Christ with me every step of the way. All of us at the orphanage were ready to fight for the children, and it was a fight of victory.

Lost

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Violence is evident all around us, no matter where we live. It happens that where I live, control is minimal, which makes Guatemala a more dangerous place to live. I have to use wisdom and be aware of what I am facing when I am out on the streets or highway. I’ve learned that there are places that aren’t safe for travel, and there are times that a person should not be out of their homes. Even during the day, I keep my darkened car windows rolled up to protect myself from someone putting a gun in the window to rob me.

Even with all of these precautions, I ended up in an unavoidable situation. My friend’s church had a special service that I wanted to attend. Her church was located on the opposite side of Guatemala City from where I lived. By the time we attended church and I dropped her off, it was 9:00 pm. Not a good time for a gringa to be out alone.

I took my usual route home and found that it had been blocked. I had to travel into an unfamiliar and opposite direction. I figured there had to be a way to get back from this one-way street. There had to be another street in the direction I wanted to go. However, one can travel for miles without any side streets off the main road. I kept going further away into unknown and darker territory. I saw a turn onto a two-lane and took it, but that didn’t take me back either. I found myself in another slum area with no streetlights. I did not know where I was! I had my cell phone, but if I called someone, I wouldn’t have a clue how to describe my location. No businesses or street signs existed anywhere. The only houses visible were not where one would stop and ask for help. Lord, you will have to direct me out of this, because I am lost. I saw a place where I could turn around in the road, and I did so, thinking it would be better to go back to where I first got lost. I took this curvy street, as I fought the panic feeling welling up inside of me. Lord, show me what I should do. I am in your hands. Finally, I saw a sign, the first one in all this time, and I recognized the name of the major street that I needed. I followed the arrow, but it didn’t seem to be going toward that street. I looked at the gas level, and it showed I had less than a quarter tank of gas. Please, Lord, if this isn’t right, show me where to turn. Then I looked up from this dimly lit street, and I saw the sweetest words—Nestlé. They glowed on the back side of the Nestlé Company building, and I finally knew my location. The front of the building sat along the street that would take me home.

I let out a deep breath, praised God for His goodness, and unclenched my teeth. I’m sure a mirror would show that I had aged five years. I thanked the Lord all the way home for guiding and directing me during such a frightful time. My trust in the Lord grew tremendously that night.

Where’s God’s Plan

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My eyes started scanning for my six pieces of luggage, as the carousel slowly hummed around. The murmur of Spanish surrounded me, along with the thump and bumps of the suitcases. Even with the lady beside me, I felt alone. I repeated in my mind, Jesus I have your hand and I need you to guide me. The woman with me said she needed to go. “No problem, gulp, I’ll follow the crowd.” I profusely thanked her for the help. The carousel stopped with a jerk, and I think the operator said there wasn’t any more. Now what do I do? Not one piece of my luggage arrived.

Arrangements had been made for a family missionary friend to meet me at the airport. I’d never seen her before, but since she was white and tall—and Guatemalans are dark and short—I had a good chance of recognizing her. Entering the lobby felt like walking into the twilight zone. Anybody from the street could come to the upper-level balcony and wait for their friend or family member who entered below. The custom called for families to come, and they crammed in like sardines, hurling greetings to those below. Outside, noises of revving bus motors, blasting horns, screeching tires, and people selling their wares made my ears throb. I looked for the white face amongst the dark, and found it a challenge. When people left, others crowded into the empty spots. She wasn’t there. After about thirty minutes, I became concerned. Then I went into near panic as I realized I had no contact information for her or the school where I would teach or for anybody in this city. Okay, Lord, I need a plan. I felt some calmness when I remembered the rainbow and Whose hand I held.

I stood there in the airport as travelers zoomed past me. There were no places to sit or bathrooms, and I didn’t dare go outside.This is a third-world country with a high crime rate. I had been warned to wait inside. I intently looked for somebody, anybody who looked like they could assist me. The Lord would show me who. I just had to be patient—not my best virtue.

Thirty more minutes passed, and a large missionary team came in. The primary colors on the white shirts reminded me of the rainbow of hope. I went up to two of the ladies and explained my situation. They suggested I come with them to the hotel, and their Guatemalan lawyer friend would help me find my friend. It all sounded good, but I felt like I needed to wait longer. One of the ladies gave me a note on a business card to give to one of their team, who would fly in soon. I calmed down but gripped that bitty card. God’s plan was in hand.

Suddenly, I heard my name from the balcony, and looked in that direction. I had to plant my feet to keep from jumping for joy when I spotted the tall lady with the huge smile. At that moment, the second half of the missionary team entered the lobby area. I took the card to one of them and explained that my friend had arrived and I was safe. The rainbow of hope became more brilliant in my mind’s eye.

I barely heard my friend apologize as she said, “I’m sorry we are thirty minutes late. We got tied up with an Alaskan team. You’ll meet them at the house.” To this day, my friend does not know that she was one and a half hours late. (She may know now if she reads this.) We dealt with the lost luggage and we were assured I could get it the next day. Ha! It was three days later.

I walked outside of the airport, and suddenly the noises didn’t irritate, but intrigued me. I entered a new and different world with excitement and anticipation, despite the emotional roller coaster I just went through. I had a new life, a new chapter, and an assurance that the Lord would guide and help me through times of uncertainty. I was ready to enter the mission field and wanted to see more of this new country and culture.

I still find myself reacting in difficulties and then having to apologize to the Lord for not focusing on His promises. Do you have a story to share about how the Lord gave you a plan during a crisis time? I think of the song, God Will Make a Way and sing it over and over when the way seems impossible. We can trust in God’s plans, whether the issue be small or humungous. In this case, the plan I thought He gave me wasn’t the plan, but He made a way for me.