Author Archives: Carroll

Deliverance From Demons: Part 3

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IMG_1293The battle for Ester’s* deliverance from demons continued as we sought the Lord for answers in breaking the demonic hold on her. I read in Ezekiel 4 where God gave Ezekiel a plan to seize Jerusalem. I felt that we were to take siege of the orphanage—the girls and everyone who worked with us, just as Ezekiel had been commanded for Jerusalem. I looked up “siege” in the dictionary and boiled it down to fit our situation. “Siege” meant to make a continuous effort to gain all of the children and all associated with the orphanage for the Lord. In Isaiah 61, God said He would set the captives free. Jesus Christ gave believers the authority over the enemy, and we declared that over Ester.

After destroying all of the jewelry, we led Ester through the Bible and shared about the hope and love that is hers from the Lord. She admitted that she desired that kind of love. I had her read Scriptures of truth, inserting her name in the sentences to personalize the words. All the girls needed to know that it is our identity in Christ that gives us the authority to ask God for anything. We are no longer captives or slaves but God’s children (Galatians 4:7-9). As Ester grew into a deeper understanding of what being a child of God meant, she repented and denounced being the bride of Satan. It took time, love, words of encouragement from “Word Planters,” prayer, and reading God’s Word, but gradually this young girl accepted the Lord’s love and became a pillar of strength. Ester shined with the knowledge that she was somebody special in the eyes of her Creator.

Ester needed to be prepared for when she left the orphanage, knowing how to stand in the authority the Lord gave her. I talked to her about temptations and the pull back into her old life. We discussed how she could come against them with the Bible truths that had been planted in her heart. What blessed me more than anything was when I saw her ministering to other girls, with her Bible open and words of truth pouring out of her mouth. Many of the girls who had received deliverance did the same. They were set free from their old lives and ministered to the new girls out of their new lives in Christ.

After each situation of spiritual confrontation, I found myself becoming bolder in the authority Christ gave us. I used to feel the hair stand up on the back of my neck, but I found myself ready for battle, knowing that we already had victory. We only needed to fight the battle with the weapons our gracias Lord gave us. We continued to teach the girls that they too have the authority and can put an end to the manifestations. I put this teaching as a top priority, because they would not always be with us, and using their God-given authority would bring victory. The world is filled with darkness, and for these girls knowing how to walk in authority helps free others from bondage. These children make a difference in this wicked world. Of course, it’s a process of learning for all of us, and it excites me to know they can walk in peace, love, and victory. None of the children were too young to learn how to break the bondage of the enemy and walk in the freedom of the Lord.

*Name has been changed.

The Key Revealed: Part 2

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IMG_0017We watched this twelve-year-old go in and out of trances, with screaming and times of vomiting. We prayed and took authority in the name of Jesus, but we didn’t see the deliverance that Ester* needed. Lord, help us to uncover the reason this is happening to her. Why does the enemy have such a hold on her? We need the key revealed so that we can close the door to the enemy. 

“Ester, the enemy is playing with your mind, but somehow there is a door open to the spiritual realm for that to happen. Can you tell us anything that would help us understand what is going on with you?” I asked. She looked at me with blank eyes, trying to comprehend what I said.

Walter* watched her closely and then looked down at some bracelets on her wrists. “What are the meaning of these bracelets?” he inquired.

“They are satanic,” she said. Then she pointed out her ring and necklace and explained that they also symbolized satanic beliefs. “People in the gang gave them to me.” She continued to tell her story of feeling unloved by a family who drank liquor and used drugs. They encouraged her to participate in those things, and the father even brought home glue for her to sniff. “I wanted peace and love in my life, and that drew me into the gang. They accepted me and treated me like they cared.”

I shuddered as she described the gang’s symbol: a tattoo of three triangular dots. To have the brand of this satanic group signified a lifetime commitment, and they would kill anyone trying to leave the gang. Thank goodness, the police picked up Ester from the streets the day she was scheduled to receive her tattoo. Her next words made my blood run cold. “The gang chose me to be the bride of Satan,” she said with fear flickering in her eyes. Ester quickly scanned the room, as though watching for something or someone. “I thought that Satan loved me, so I gave myself to him.”

I knew enough about satanic rituals to know that such a position put her life in danger. The spiritual dynamics of being the bride of Satan explained the tremendous fear we saw exhibited by Ester. With the key to the manifestations now exposed, we needed to have the Lord’s wisdom and guidance as to how to proceed for her deliverance. Since Ester had consented to allow this in her life, she had to denounce the demons of darkness and break the enemy’s hold on her life. I trusted the Lord to lead us in the way this would happen. I also had another concern. Lord, keep us safe here at the orphanage. These gang members could easily find out where we live and try to get Ester back with them. Give us the wisdom to break all of this off of her.

After hearing Ester’s story, I felt shaken to the point that I lacked words, so I gave her a hug. Then I sought out my secret place of prayer with the Lord to see what the He had planned for this special child. Were we in for a huge battle? I didn’t know what to expect, but I believed in the Lord for Ester’s deliverance.

*Name has been changed.

Demonic Manifestation: Part 1

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Spiritual battles and demonic manifestations plagued the girls, who knowingly or unknowingly had been involved in such things before coming into Shadow of His Wings Orphanage. Having had some experience in the deliverance ministry before I came to the mission field saved my sanity and kept me from the fear that comes with dealing in the spiritual realm. I saw what the power of the name Jesus did when spoken out loud. Girls found peace when they declared that Jesus Christ was their Lord and Savior. Nevertheless, this learning curve continued to rise sharply as the staff at Shadow learned the process of breaking off the stronghold of the enemy from these children, according to the promises in the Bible.

Another side of the battle dealt with cultural ideas and old wives’ tales. Pouring holy oil down someone’s throat who is screaming and vomiting does nothing but make the victim miserable. Everything we did needed to be in line with what God intended. Several of the people who worked with us needed to be taught the scriptural ways of deliverance. I might have seen many situations in the past, but I had much more to learn from those who had more experience than I.

In one occurrence, the girls were having devotions when I walked in. Ester* slid to the floor and began screaming, fighting, and vomiting. She fought hard, trying to grab my face when I knelt beside her to pray and calm her down. Ester came out of her trance briefly, recognized me, and then clung to me trembling. I needed to get some help, so I told the house father, Walter*, to talk with her. He had helped in similar situations before and knew what to do. I called Joanne to come assist us with this violent demonic manifestation. Meanwhile, Ester kept going in and out of trances, not knowing those around her, with wild eyes screaming for help. We lost our calm night, and I didn’t think we were gaining any ground in the area of spiritual warfare. We all prayed continually for God’s covering and protection, while we calmed everyone else down and sent them to bed. Ester stayed in the room with the house parents so they could keep an eye on her, even though she had gone into a deep sleep.

The next morning a pounding on my door woke me up with a start. The house mother told me that throughout the night Ester had continued in and out of trances, with bouts of body shaking and crying out in fear. I walked into the dining room to see her. She sat with her head leaned back against the wall, with listless eyes opened. She was totally out of it. She looked dead. Walter and I took her into the bedroom, removing her from the other children. Lord, give us discernment and wisdom. How do we get her free from all of this? While praying, I called out her name several times. With a jerk and a scream, she threw herself into my arms, her body heaving as I spoke. “Ester, you are safe with angels all around you. Jesus is with you, and He will not let any harm come to you.” Walter and I took authority over any further demonic manifestations, declaring Jesus as Lord and Savior.

We needed to find out why the enemy demonstrated so strongly through her. She had the key, and we needed to help her find it. It would be another time when I hadn’t been prepared for the response Ester gave us nor the revelation of the key.

*Name has been changed.

Word Planters

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A young girl arrived at Shadow of His Wings Orphanage in horrible physical and mental condition. She had suffered sexual abuse to the point that she did not have normal bodily functions. I faced another case that made me scream out for justice on her behalf. More than that, I desired that the Lord’s hand would heal her mind and body. She needed the “word planters.”

I met with her and shared words of love and hope, but I didn’t expect the response I received.

“Karla*, welcome to Shadow of His Wings. You’ve met the couple who are your house parents and the kids in your casita. Are you ready for school tomorrow?”

“No, I’m not going.” she growled out as dark eyes glared at me. “I don’t have a uniform.” I saw another hard case before me. Fill her with your love, Lord.

“We’re working on that now. We have a lady who will sew a skirt and top for you. There aren’t many extras in the storage room, and they are usually the big sizes. Meanwhile, you have permission to wear any skirt and top until your uniform is finished.” I hoped that the casual talk would help her relax, but she held her hands in fists, and her taut face didn’t show any signs of a smile.

“Karla, I’m here to help you in any way that I can.” Her smirk and sigh told me of her doubt. “You are a special young lady…” and before I could finish, she jumped in with, “No, I’m not.”

Several of the children I’d talked to may have thought this, but she was the first one to say it to me. I need your wisdom, Lord. Please help me to know what to say. I asked her some questions (did she have a good friend; did she attend church), but all of her short answers were matter-of-fact. She appeared emotionally cold. I couldn’t even see a flicker of light in her eyes, and her face was void of expression. Ana* had shut down her brain, but Karla had shut down her emotions.

With many prayers said, the Shadow team spoke words of love and hope into this girl. The response turned into a great victory when we saw her believing the words she heard. This gal did not know how to read and had not attended school before coming to Shadow, but with the annual Fine Arts competition looming ahead, Karla decided she wanted to participate. She memorized a long poem, dressed in typical clothing, and performed as if she had done it many times in the past. It gave me chills to hear her speak with a strong voice filled with emotion. Yahoo, she spoke with emotion! Yes! Lord, You did it. Those positive and encouraging words planted in her were bearing fruit.

Karla still had a long way to go in the area of physical and mental healing, but it thrilled me to see how the adults rallied around her with healing words. This turned into teamwork, with the Guatemalans and North Americans pouring themselves into her and other hurting children. I mentally thought of us as God’s “word planters.” I prayed that we would all be word planters with whomever we came into contact and that the Lord would give us His words of love to share. I knew there wouldn’t always be immediate responses like in the case of Karla, but we needed to do what we could and let God do the rest.

*Name has been changed.