Baptised on the beach in Nicaragua. The most spiritual and amazing experience. How did this come to happen you may ask? Well, it all started after a night of prayer with my team. Thursday night I guess that Karina and Emma could tell that everyone was feeling a little strained emotionally and physically because that night after feedback we had a prayer circle. It was a time for us to hear about what was affecting everyone physically or emotionally and pray for them as a team. It was a beautiful and powerful experience. As we prayed for each person and their concern separately we surrounded them and laid our hands on them. There is power in connecting a prayer for someone through physical touch, it gives life and it’s tangible. When it was my turn I told them that I felt like I couldn’t connect to the ministry this week because I sabotage myself from getting closer to God. I deliberately don’t read my Bible, I hold back and I don’t give in to God’s calling. A terrible thing to admit, probably, but telling the truth and being transparent gives life and an opportunity to grow and change. No one can help you to become a better person if you continue to hold everything locked inside. It was then that they decided that Friday would be “Melanie Day” and that I would have to lead morning devotion, prayers and Emma told me that I had to say and do the first things that came to mind, I had to do everything that I wanted to do and not hold back. To say the least Friday was stressful! I made it through the prayer walk okay but then as I’m trying to avoid being singled out to do anything, Jenn decides to speak truth from God and completely turn my world around. She, and the rest of the team, sang “Amazing Grace” to me which made me completely break down. They read me scripture and spoke truth to me like no one ever has before. They see me for me in a way I’ve never experienced. But it was so strange because I didn’t know how to respond- I was still fighting against giving in to the truth. I felt like I couldn’t tell them what they wanted to here. This just started the emotions that were to come the rest of the day. I spent the rest of the day struggling against what everyone wanted me to do- Emma pushing me to lead and hear direction from God, people wanting me to share during ministry. It was an emotional roller and I felt spent by the end of the day. I was stepping out in faith and it was scary. But stepping out in this way and feeling so completely vulnerable and broken is what led me to make the decision to be BAPTISED!
(Continued on next blog)
