My God is More Powerful than Your God

September 27

Most nights here are hot & clear. I usualy try to fall asleep listening to music, but when my ipod needs charging, I end up awake a lot laer because of all the noise outside. There are always a lot of drums being played loudly along with singing and kids running around wildly until late. I never minded the drums too much until james told us that most of the time, they are worshipping spirits & such at that time. The people here still hold on to their traditional beliefs and periodically I come across special ground roots and cuts on patients at the hospital to purge them of their sickness. James even had a demon-possessed woman come in one night last week.
So now when I hear the drums and singing, it gives me kind of an ominous feeling, especially since some people say they can actually see demons walking around.

Tonight as I was finishing up emailing at the American house, and dreading going to bed and listening to the drumming, it started to rain lightly. It got windier and windier, and I began to wonder if I should wait it out before going home. Usually the rain only lasts a few minutes. I decided to just run through it and soon realized that this wasn't just a regular rainstorm.
It was pure black outside as I dodged puddles, winding around the path to my hut. Usually i don't need light because the moon is so bright. The only way I could see tonight was from the lightning flashing, making it seem like daytime for a few moments. I cringed every time the thunder came...it was so deafening i thought my eardrums might pop and I could feel the power of it coursing through my whole body. In between the thundering, it was quiet enough to whisper and I thought the wind was going to knock me into a guava tree.

I made it to my hut right before the drenching rain hit. I kept trying to lock my window, but the wind was so strong, it was like watching an invisible hand that kept pulling the lock up out of the hole. I finally found a way to wedge it shut. Sitting on my cot listening,, I am just in total awe. I have never seen or heard such a storm before. (I hope Liz and Sonja are doing ok with their thatch roofs!) i could yell at the top of my lungs and never be heard over this roar. I was a little nervous at first as cockroaches and bugs seeked refuge with me, water seeped under my door, and my hut groaned so much i was sure it would collapse, but then I thought of who's in control of this storm.

God is powerful and I think every once in a while, he enjoys unleashing it in wondrous acts like this that just make me gasp in amazement.

There will be no drums tonight...and I can't help feeling like God is saying, "Do you really want to see some power? Just watch this!"