by John Bills
I was led down a rugged pathway by our friend Ana and her outreach team in Ethiopia.
It was hot and I was tired by the time we were ushered into a small 8’ by 8’ room where we were greeted by two men. One of these men was paralyzed from the waist down as a result of AIDS. The other was a young man who was blind in one eye because of a cyst that had developed also from having AIDS. The younger man was caring for the other man any way he could. We listened to their painful story of rejection and suffering. Recently the older one had been hospitalized, and his sister had found out he had AIDS. Consequently she rejected him and he was told never to contact her again.
This man had invited his priest on three different occasions to come and pray with him, each time an excuse had been made. He told us that all he wanted was someone to pray for him. Upon hearing this, the Spirit of God spoke to me and said that I was to pray over his life.
As I began to stand and walk over to him, I felt impressed instead, to crawl across the floor. It didn’t make much sense to me, but I know it is better to obey than not. So, on my hands and knees, I crawled across the filthy floor to where he was lying in his bed. When I reached him, I laid my hands on him and began to pray. During that prayer, he welled up with tears and began to say, “I am a broken man, I am a broken man.” And with this, he turned his head to the wall. I then held him in my arms and gently comforted him saying that Jesus came to heal the broken hearted and bind up all of their wounds.
By then I needed to go outside for a good cry. My translator came out to explain to me why the man was weeping so much. This man had not been shown any form of acceptance by anyone other than his one friend. The man said that although his priest had not come and pray for him, God had sent someone from as far away as America to love him and pray for him. I was also told that culturally, to crawl on the floor, to someone standing or seated is showing tremendous respect and honor to them. I then understood why God had impressed upon me to crawl to this man. God will go to great depths to reveal His heart for those who are broken.
Early last century, occupants of the YWAM Harpenden property fell prey to tuberculosis. As a reminder of the outbreak, gravestones inscribed with the names of babies, children and teenagers still stand at the site, which was originally a children's home.
