Ordinary Man

Wednesday after we finished our program and before we left
the slums, we had one last person to pray for, Sundeep, a little boy about 8-9
y/o, who loves Jesus and loves to lead songs and worship.  He had badly injured his leg while he
was playing when a motorbike hit him. 
We had prayed over him the week before as well because he had been
unable to walk or to attend our meeting that day or the previous Friday.  Sundeep’s mom carried him in the little
room after all the kids had left and he was there with just our team who were
about to lay hands on him and pray for him.  Before we began to pray, three of his friends walked back in
the house and stood near us.  I
asked them to come join us and motioned for them to lay their hands on their
friend.  As we prayed aloud, the
three friends, eyes closed and hands on Sundeep, prayed, too.  I was humbled and touched by the faith
and the hearts of the children to pray for their friend in need.  After returning home from the slums
that day, I felt like the Lord wanted us to teach the kids Friday about prayer
and the importance of laying hands on each other, and have them instead of us,
pray for one another before we left.

 “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized
that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took
note that these men and been with Jesus…Then they called them in again and
commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.  But Peter and John replied, ‘Judge for
yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to obey you rather than God.  For we cannot help speaking about what
we have seen and heard.'” (Acts 4:13,18-20)

 When we arrived to the slums today, we were surprised that
the two room house, usually empty when we first arrive, was completely packed
inside as well as people, men, woman, and children, crowded around both the
front and back door.  Past Lamani,
the pastor who began the ministry in the slums, was preaching in remembrance of
Good Friday.  Our translator told
us he was telling about the death of Jesus on the cross, the resurrection, and
the two men that were also on the cross beside Jesus.  I tried counting the number of people and there were roughly
75 members of the slum community gathered to hear the Good News!  I was in awe of the sight of this
woman’s tiny, slum home now turned into a church. (Who says you need big
buildings to have a church?)  When
we finished, they sung a few songs and my eyes filled with tears as some kids
stood with arms raised to worship. 

Who were three of the kids?  Sundeep and two of his faithful friends who prayed for the
leg he couldn’t walk on 2 days before.

 When Pastor Lamani was finished, the older men and woman
cleared out and we talked to the kids about prayer, the importance of it, why
we do it, and the power in laying your hands on your friends and interceding on
their behalf.  We then broke them
up into groups of five all over the house.  As heads were bowed and hands were laid on each other,
prayers were simultaneously lifted up to God.  I wish I had been able to take a picture because it was a
beautiful image to see all these children interceding to the Father on behalf
of their friends.