Ezekiel 37 Project Part 3: The Lord's Breath

This is a continuation of the story Ezekiel 37 Project Part 2: Francisco.

We have watched the Lord breathe His breath of life into several men who previously struggled with alcoholism. The miracle began with Francisco and continued to two other men T. and S. who are also now free of alcohol and living in their own homes. For a while it seemed as if God freed one man a month from the trap of addiction, but several of the men have fallen back into alcohol. Please pray for them.

We were able to move into our house on September 11, the night before my birthday. I have a whole new appreciation for having my own kitchen. Our oldest two, Jaylyn and Lincoln, have thoroughly enjoyed having a room separate from us and their younger siblings. Zane, Simon and Gabriella are pleased to continue sharing a room with us and receive snuggles as they fall asleep. All are enjoying having a bit more personal space as well as lots of room to run outside.

Jaylyn and Lincoln's room

The bedroom for the rest of us

Our kids in the living/dining room

Living here right next to the men who struggle with alcoholism has allowed us to enter into their lives in a way we otherwise couldn’t. We frequently provide them with coffee (with lots of sugar and milk) in the morning and when requested at night. We share meals with them occasionally and our kids enjoy talking and interacting with them. We are able to provide them with a place to shower and clean up. And of course, we are able to pray with them. 

The pavilion giving us a little shade when the sun is hot and the perfect place for prayer groups

One evening a couple of weeks ago, one of the men knocked on our door crying and asking for help taking another of the men, R., to the hospital. Jeremy went to talk with them and R. looked very ill. He did not want to go to the hospital but reluctantly agreed most likely due to the concern of the rest of the men. Jeremy took R. along with two other men to the hospital. The other two men were intoxicated, but R. was not. However, the nurse sent R. out essentially telling him to sleep it off. Jeremy tried to talk with them, and they said he was just drunk. We watched R.’s health go downhill rapidly in the last month or so; there was obviously something more going on. A couple days later, R. fell and cut his hand badly but he was not willing to go back to the hospital, and I can’t say that I blame him. We cleaned it up, put medicine on it and re-bandaged it daily. We prayed for his hand and for him. Thanks be to God, his hand was healing well. However, R. was still clearly very sick but had no desire to look into it further. He passed away this past Thursday. He was a good man with a kind and generous heart. He loved to cook and had an artistic touch. He had great respect and love for the Lord, but the stronghold of shame and feeling not worthy kept him locked in the cycle of alcoholism. 

The altar beside our house was created by R.

No doubt one of the reasons God calls and sends missionaries outside of our homeland is because we come with fresh eyes. When we see the same people with the same difficulties in front of us everyday, we can become hardened and judgmental. Coming in with fresh eyes allows us to see people and love them as Jesus does. And it has caused me to reflect at length, who is in front of me that I do this to? Who do I fail to treat as a child of God because I’ve become impatient and annoyed with them?

Though our plans for giving a lot of kids horse lessons hasn’t panned out with the onset of the pandemic, we have still been able to bless a handful of kids with the opportunity to ride and interact with horses on a regular basis. And its incredible the number of people we have met and interacted with because of horses and the arena. In fact, there was a man who stopped in last week to ask about Jeremy training a horse. Jeremy and the kids went to his house, and incredibly, this man wrote a book about addictions and is an owner of a treatment center in Mexico. Who knows, maybe he was an angel sent here to help these men who want to take a different path but are stuck in addiction. We are hopeful for what God may have in store. This encounter occurred thanks to the horses.

A couple of weeks ago, Jeremy realized in prayer that the message of Ezekiel 37 isn’t just for the men at the arena who have struggled with alcohol. It is also for himself and me and everyone else that we journey with here and every one of you. We all have dry places inside of us that the Lord is just waiting for us to give to Him to breathe His breath of life into, healing us with His love and mercy and filling us anew with His power and peace.

For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost. Luke 19:10

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7: 7-8

So let us ask for the Holy Spirit to come upon us and to fill us all anew. Let us ask for Him to give us eyes of mercy and of compassion to help us see each other as He sees us.

With love in Christ,
Lisa