This past weekend Meme and I were blessed to go on a spiritual transformation retreat (RET) with one of the local churches in Monterrey. We had been prepping for this retreat for the past month so I was pretty expectant that the Lord was going to do something awesome for us, and in particularly for Meme.
Meme has suffered more trauma, hurt, and pain that anyone should in a lifetime. Her story is terribly sad. Meme came to Christ 20 years ago, but I've recently discovered that she has not had much discipleship since then. This past weekend the Lord met her in new ways and I can truthfully say that she is a different woman! Praise Jesus!
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| Myself and Meme at breakfast during the retreat |
During the retreat we were blessed with teachings on a variety of subjects. We learned about forgiveness, the cross, the Father's love, curses, healing, blessings, and the Holy Spirit. Every teaching was clearly laid out, backed with scripture, and given with so much love. Meme told me that she had never before been in teachings such as those. She comes from a church background of "fire, brimstone, and hail" rather than of the Father's love. Meme cried through every session. The first session was on the Father's love for us. That we are His children and He cares deeply for us. During the ministry time Meme said that she heard the Lord speak to her and say, "Here I am. I've been there with you." "I don't fully know how great the Lord's love is for me," she said with tears in her eyes. "He loves me!" I could tell that this truth had sunk down into the depths of her heart.
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| Myself and Meme, Princesses to the King of Kings |
Meme told me that the session on forgiveness really sunk into her. She said she was able to forgive and lay down offenses that she had carried for years. "I feel new and totally free!" she said. It has been hard for Meme to take a break from ministering in the soup kitchen. She told me that she now sees how much she needed to be poured into, that God had laid aside this time to meet her and that she is so thankful for this time to rest and receive. Praise Jesus!
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| Worship at the retreat. The theme song was "O Happy Day" by Kim Walker! |
One of the most intense session of the retreat dealt with curses, both generational ones and ones brought about by our sin. We had a sheet to work through to help us recognize areas in our lives where we needed to seek freedom. Meme turned to me and said that she felt like she needed freedom in nearly every area, either from things she had done or generational sins in her family. I encouraged her that God was big enough to bring freedom to every area in her life. God met Meme in a great way during the ministry time and set her free. We were then able to throw those nasty papers onto a cross set up in the room as a symbolic act of what Christ has truly done for us.
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| Meme opening her letter from Beth |
One of my favorite sessions was on blessings. The pastor shared with us the power that blessings have on our lives. He shared that the blessing is like fuel in a car, it accelerates your gifts and talents that were made in His image. This also greatly impacted Meme. In conclusion to the session they surprised us with letters from close family and friends. The retreat staff had sought out these people to write words of encouragement and blessing to us. It was a powerful detail. Meme and I both wept as we read words written to us from the people who love us most.
Meme was met so much those first two days of the retreat. I personally felt so full every time someone would pray for her and when God would meet her. I could tell that He was doing a big work in her life. I also felt a supernatural peace from the Lord to rest, that He was taking care of Meme's needs and that I just needed to rest and let Him do it. I desire so badly to see her healing, that often I can't contain myself from praying, encouraging, teaching her etc. This weekend I felt the Spirit of God moving me to rest and receive myself and let God use others to minister to Meme.... and He did just that! It was so fun to not minister! I know that sounds strange, but my heart desperately needed to take a break from pouring out and to be filled up. It was so refreshing to have others lay hands on me in prayer, to teach me, and to encourage me... it is what I needed.
Just when I thought all was over and my cup so full of the Lord, He yet again surprised us. The last session of the retreat was on the Holy Spirit. I've been filled with the Spirit before, but love to be filled again and again. We had a ministry time to receive what the Holy Spirit wanted to pour out to us. Meme was baptized in the Holy Spirit and there is NO denying it. The pastor came up to her and shared that he believed that the Lord wanted to pour His Spirit out on her, that it was time for her be minister with the power of the Spirit in her work. Meme said that she had never experienced being full of the Spirit before. The pastor began to pray and there was no denying that Meme had an encounter with the Holy Spirit, or as some say 'baptized in the Holy Spirit.' Meme spent the majority of that session weeping bowed on the floor. She told me later that she had never felt so full in her life! She laughed and rejoiced like I have never seen her do before! There was almost a playfulness in the way she was telling me what happened. "I feel so light!" she said. "I know that God has my family and my problems and that He is taking care of them." This is HUGE breakthrough for Meme! She has been burdened almost every day with the weights and sins of her family, finding it hard not to be consumed by them. I had never seen her so joyful and carefree. Praise Jesus!
I was also met by the Lord during this session. He spoke some clear and personal words to me that showed me that he genuinely cares, sees, and is with me. He is transforming my life and using me to transform those of others. Just when I thought my cup was full, He filled it to overflowing... isn't that the way of our God?
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| Celebration for us in the church |
Sunday morning we arrived back at the church and were greeted with a party by the body of Christ. We were ushered into the sanctuary where they cheered and applauded for all the changes God has wrought in our lives. We are new creations! Freed beings! What a great surprise. Once again I found Meme weeping... this is not her home church and she does not know anyone there, yet she was loved and hugged by all. She had never experienced the body of Christ is this way before and it melted her heart.
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| All the servants at Principe de Paz who put on the retreat for us. |
God has done some real healing in Meme that I know cannot be reversed! Today I picked Meme up from the Rio to bring her to Back2Back. When I got to her house her brother greeted me at the door. He told me that Meme had just finished sharing about all that God did in her during the retreat. "Her face looks different," he said. "Her face is full of Joy like I've never seen.... When is the next retreat?" I laughed at this. Her brother has his own host of problems, wounds, and sins. He saw the difference in his sister and was interested in a similar encounter for himself. Praise Jesus!
I asked Meme if it would be okay for me to blog about what happened at the retreat. She was delighted at the idea of sharing her testimony and experience with others. "Tell them," she said, "thank you for praying for me. I know there were people lifting us up and God has heard their prayers!" Later I found out that whenever this church puts on a retreat they have people constantly covering the entire thing in prayer and praying for each participant by name. I also know that many of you were praying for us as well. Thank you. God has been faithful!
