The Deaf Man from Colombia

5/4/2010

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The crowd shouted for joy as Luis demonstrated in our Gospel Festival that Jesus Christ had completely healed him from being deaf in both of his ears for more than 53 years.  It was glorious! 

The next morning I got up early with my team to visit Luis in his home and find out more about his life and testimony.  It’s not very easy to find some of these addresses considering that some of the streets don’t even have names or numbers.  After driving around in our bicitaxies (taxis), knocking on a few doors, and asking for directions, we finally found Luis.

It gave me goose bumps!  We walked into his house that looked something like a dungeon.  The smell was terrible.  There was water and mud on the floor.  I remember hearing shouts coming from one of the back rooms.  It turned out to be a crazy man that actually reminding me to the demoniac from gadarenes who lived in a cave like an animal.  My attention was then drawn to a wooden wagon in the corner or that dark room that had written on it “God is love”.  Then, all of a sudden, Luis comes through the door playing a drum, with a harmonica, and singing praises to Jesus!  He sang one song.  Then another.  Then another.  He was so happy for what Jesus had done in his life.  He told us that he’s 83 years old and became totally deaf at the age of 30. Someone from a church that we were working with invited him to the festival and on the second night when Pastor Andrew was praying I felt my ears open.  Hallelujah!  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever! (Hebrews 13:8) I then asked him what he was planning on doing with his life now that Jesus has healed him.  He said, “I just want to sing and praise Jesus.” 

At that very moment there was a group of neighbors and friends that gathered outside Luis’ house wondering what was happening.  We asked them in if they all new who Luis was and that he was completely deaf.  Every one of them shook their heads and responded with a “yes”.  Awe and wonder filled their hearts when they saw that Luis can now hear and was completely healed by the Lord Jesus Christ.  God's love touched many hearts that day and I'll never forget the privilege of leading each and everyone of those precious people into the loving arms of Jesus.  This is the story of the deaf man from Ciénaga Colombia whose testimony truly shows that God's love reaches to every person.  Thank you partners for making this possible. -Andrew