Report from the Sand Hills

Getting to Nebraska was a little more difficult than we had anticipated. Alistair McPherson and I caught a 5:30 a.m. flight out of Lynchburg for Charlotte only to discover upon our arrival that our flight to Denver had been canceled for mechanical reasons. Now there were 250 people all scrambling to find a way to get to Denver. Our American Airlines customer service representative, when asked how we were supposed to get to Denver said: “Stand by.” “Stand by?” So we waited for three flights to Denver with a mob of other passengers who were just as stuck as we were. The flights upon which we were supposed to find a seat were offering $200 to passengers who had tickets if they would give up their seats. Finally, we were able to get a flight out of Charlotte at 7:40 a.m. the next morning. The agent told us to be at the TSA gate at 4:30 a.m. as 100 people earlier in the day had missed their flight because they couldn’t get through the checkpoints in time to get on board their flights.

After a night at a hotel (paid for by American), we caught an Uber ride to the airport at 4:00 a.m. Our driver arrived in his Civic and told us that we couldn’t use the trunk because he was moving and it was full. We put our stuff in the back seat, Alistair climbed in and I started to get in the front, only to discover that it was occupied by a German Shepherd puppy. It was a beautiful dog but a puppy who climbed all over me, chewed on me, licked me, and crawled down the front then into the driver’s lap. We wrestled all the way to the airport. We got to the airport at 4:30 a.m., caught the flight, and landed in Denver three hours later.

The flight from Denver to Alliance, NE was awaiting us. While waiting, Alistair started a conversation with a young Ukrainian girl who was the airline’s agent. Alistair is an exorcistic evangelist and this happens all the time. He pointed out that the Greek word for exorcist was very similar to the Russian word for exorcist. She was a little confused so I explained that exorcism had been part of the Orthodox churches for nearly 2000 years. I was trying to make it seem not quite so weird by putting it in a historical context. Still not sure what we were talking about she looked at me and said, “Well, what do you do?” Recognizing that there was no way out of this situation, I replied: “We cast out demons.” That didn’t help. Her manager, who was standing alongside her, looked at me with a big smile on his face and said, “Do you see one on me?” I answered, “What makes you think you’ve only got one?” By the time I explained that comment I was just praying that we will be allowed to get on the plane.

Eventually, we climbed on board with the other seven passengers (a nine-passenger plane) and buckled in. The pilot tried to start one of the engines, only to discover that it wouldn’t start. We moved back into the terminal where we waited until the plane was repaired. An hour later we were in Alliance where our hostess, Tee Jay Henderson met us for the two-hour ride back to their ranch. We arrived and immediately did our first deliverance. We finished around 8:00 p.m., had dinner, and crashed.

The next morning we fit into the schedule that would dominate our week. Breakfast was at 8:30 a.m., deliverance at 9:30 a.m., lunch was at 2:00 p.m., another deliverance at 3:00 p.m., dinner at 8:00 p.m., and in bed by midnight after we had debriefed about the day’s deliverance with the resident team. Our last day of ministry was a little different as we had three deliverances scheduled. On the last day of ministry, we went to bed at midnight and awoke at 2:30 a.m. so we could leave for the airport at 3:30 p.m. for our 6:30 a.m. flight. The return flight was uneventful. PTL!

Nebraska looked a lot different than it did the last time we were there. Everything was July green, rather than February brown and gray. Temperatures were in the 80s and 90s with high humidity (something that is apparently somewhat unusually there), as opposed to mid-teens with horizontal snow. The people were kind, gracious, and the salt of the earth. Quality folks.

So did anything happen? Yes! We worked with ten people, some from as far away as Seattle, WA. What was interesting in this group was the number of people who experience physical healing. We didn’t pray for it necessarily, it just happened. It was reported to us that there was one healing of allergies, one return of shoulder and neck movement, and another person who is awaiting a kidney transplant who was able to take a brisk walk upon returning home (something she had been previously unable to do).

We saw those with dark countenances become bright. Death replaced by light. Joy was evident. They would leave us after their sessions, faces heavy with exhaustion (deliverance is hard work), only to return the next day radiant, faces bright, eyes soft, with joy surrounding them. The isolation that so often accompanies the cowboy and ranch culture was broken down. A Marine had much of the trauma of combat tours removed (he went home to his pastor dad with the goal of showing him that deliverance was real and needed). We saw so much change in people (and expect to hear of more as the days roll by) that I don’t even know where to start. We were amazed. God is so good.

The two people who made these last three adventures possible were Mike and Tee Jay Henderson. They own the Henderson Ranch (top left) and the ministry center Haven of Hope (top right). They put all three of our trips together, coordinated everyone’s coming and going at Haven of Hope, provided amazing food for everyone, helped us do deliverance, and drove us all over (and there is a lot of all-over in that part of Nebraska.) Thank you so much.

Also on top of our list of those for whom we give thanks are Lee and Brittany Starritt. They were the most amazing servants to us during our stay there. We were privileged to stay in their home and to enjoy their fellowship and late-night conversations. It was a pure delight. They were on the deliverance team and we pushed them hard. Thank you so much!

Since we returned to Virginia we have received an invitation from the Nebraska team to return at the end of October for another week or so of ministry. I am told that others who heard of what we were doing have already started calling asking about when they can be free too. We are still not sure what God is doing in Nebraska, but we want to be a part of it. Your prayers for the Hendersons, the Starritts, and all with whom we worked would be welcome. Please pray for us too.