After Jordan, Victoria and I spent the day in Antigua, we try to find a bud back to Parramos that is leaving within the next few minutes in hopes that we could stop at a bakery and make it back in time for dinner at the base!
45 minutes later and we finally leave the mercado headed towards Parramos. The next hour and a half is filled with chaos. We are stuck in traffic from Independence Day and we now know we will not make it to the bakery before dinner.
The bus continues to fill up and soon Jordan got separated from us and is now at the back of the bus. The attendant comes around and collect the money for our trip and while this is happening a girl makes her way to the front. She turns and looks at Victoria, Victoria smiles at her and she girl looks blankly back at her. The bus attendant ask if she needs to get off and she shakes her head speaks some Spanish and turns around, not long after she finds a seat right behind us. I knew something wasn’t right but maybe it was just because we were gringos, I was hopeful this was the case.
I stand up and say to Victoria “she has a demon”, Victoria shakes her head in agreement. I get a text from Jordan “this guy doesn’t want to be my friend” and I reply “this girl doesn’t want to be our friend”. Another text from Jordan “I paid for her bus ticket” “the girl in the red?” “Yes” I replied “we think she has a demon” he also agrees. Over the next hour and a half we are in prayer and conversing about what is happening. I type in Brother Google Translate “¿Cuál es su nombre? ¿Puedo orar por ti?” “no” she types out.
Several times we make eye contact with the girl and a wave of sickness came over Victoria, only for a moment. We were sure of it - this was real. Every time I prayed I felt like I got no where, it was all running in circles. I didn’t really know what to do - Jordan was praying in Spanish from the back of the bus. And the girl just stared at us, but not into our eye - more like into our souls.
We finally arrive into Parramos and most of the bus gets off - we were in hopes that the girl would also leave. Nope still sitting behind us we continue to pray. We yell at Jordan to move up with us and we hold hands and pray. I look up and the girl is as close as the lady next to us as she could get trying to get away from the presence of Jesus. 5 minutes later we arrive back at the base and the moment we step off the bus we feel a wave of peace and safety over us.
I’ve never been more sure, than in that moment, that the Lord’s presence is within me. We are praying and believing for discernment in what to do the next time this happens.