Jaimie Alonso, based in British Columbia, Canada attended The Elijah Challenge Advanced Training in Houston in February 2008
More reports from Jaimie Alonso
Jaimie & Rose Alonso
Note: “msms” refers to the followers of the religion centered in Mecca.
After more than 30 hours of travel and one night in Bali, we arrived in Lombok, Indonesia to be greeted by directors of an orphanage there. We learned that everyone we met and trained were involved in ministry with the “underground” church, very oppressed by the msms. There were 6 days of ministry and training including 3 different groups of underground workers, an outreach to a msm/Hindu village, evening healing times and a one-night crusade. Everyone was excited not only to receive The Elijah Challenge teaching but to actually see, in our demonstration times, the students themselves heal those with infirmities. The phrase that was coined was “You have equipped us with a really big gun!”
The team
This time I had a small team with me, my wife Rose and Rick who is a board member of our church. Rick had taken The Elijah Challenge course over the internet. They were both champions in helping me to conduct the meetings and to their amazement, saw God move through each of them as they too commanded healing in the name of Jesus in all our meetings. For me, the greatest satisfaction is teaching the course and then watching the students see God heal infirmities as they lay their hands on those in need.
Hindu driver healed
Our first meeting was held in a home. Over 20 men and women crowded in the house. On our drive to the venue I asked about our Hindu driver. I wanted to know if he had any physical problems to which we could minister. He told us that he had been suffering a long time with stomach problems. He was having possibly an ulcer or digestive stress, in my estimation, and heartburn with the acid that comes with this. When we arrived I took him aside and laid my hand on his stomach and commanded healing in Jesus’ name. From that day and until we left he had no symptoms or problems. So the demonstrations started even before the course started. This man was the driver of the orphanage and we saw him everyday!
Huge lumps disappear
The demonstration times were very dramatic as many huge lumps disappeared. One lady had golf ball sized lumps in her breasts and another man had two lumps on his chest and four lumps on his back. All were gone.
Many backs and knees as well were healed. We spent two days in this house. Praying and ministry were done with doors closed as to not draw attention from neighbors. The challenge was the 40 C/105 F temperature with no air-conditioning!
On the second day in the evening we went to a very small, extremely poor farming village where a married couple is working “underground”. They have one convert that we knew of. This lady was a msm and is now born-again and being discipled. Her husband is Hindu. She had extreme stomach pain. This was healed. We then went for a walk around the village. Several people asked for ministry. An older man who could not walk without a cane was healed as Rick ministered to him; Rick was very excited as he saw the power God move through him.
A lady was deaf from birth. Her hearing was restored as I placed my fingers in her ears and commanded healing!
“Underground” miraculous healings in Jesus’ name
Another lady was healed of leg pain as the underground workers laid hands on her. Everything was very exciting as we “sneaked” in, healed those that were there and then left. The follow-up would be the responsibility of the “underground” workers that were with us. Again it was really hard to accept the oppression and possible danger that these underground workers face every day they minister. In the west we have so much freedom but seem to lack the zeal to share the gospel.
The next two days of teaching was held at two separate churches. One was obviously in a camouflaged state, and another in the open but with the neighboring msms wanting the Christians to only meet once a month. Again God was faithful in the demonstration times by confirming His word through healing the students of their infirmities. This all led up to the crusade night which was at again another venue.
The Crusade
The first lady who came for healing had back pain. This was healed immediately but she had trembling in her hands and after several repeated attempts, I can report that I had no success in stopping the trembling.
With everyone watching, I began to “sink a little under the waves”. The lady testified about her back but nothing concerning her hands as they were obviously still shaking. I asked Terry, my wife to keep ministering to the lady as a very old Hindu gentleman came forward with the aide of a walker and his nephew. In my mind I was thinking that the woman had not been completely healed, and what about this elderly man? So I prayed and confessed my lack of faith, and then went into battle. After two attempts I took the man by the hand and we walked up and down the church aisles to the applause of all watching. In the meantime the woman’s hands had trembling stopped as a result of Terry ministering to her. Now people were starting to come for healing. All that came were healed!
I was troubled that when I asked for help from The Elijah Challenge students that no one came forward to minister. It was brought to my attention they would not help in this because they did not want to expose themselves as Christians and then jeopardize their “underground” work. There was only one commitment to follow Jesus that night. It was the Hindu gentleman. He had a tremendous smile on his face as he was led to the Lord. My thinking would normally be, just one salvation, but in this very oppressed island one was a tremendous victory!!
Foreign mission workers trained
Next day we gave a very brief workshop to an all-foreigner group of “underground” workers. These folks represented many different mission agencies and had a very clear understanding of the Great Commission. Not many needs for healing there but there was understanding of how important fasting is to see success in moving in power evangelism. One strategy was to supply a supper for the msms after the Ramadan fast.
The Orphanage
We were housed at the orphanage and our time was very profitable as there was always someone from the neighborhood who came to be healed. The orphanage is in a very tough area where drugs, open drinking and gambling at night are the norm. It also seemed to be an area where cockfighting was a common pastime. Again ministry here is also “underground” work.
It was last October that there was danger of the orphanage being shut down, with several hundred msms shouting to have the orphanage burned down. It was much more serious than we were originally told. Great faith was built as the Lord overcame the very real threats.
The interrogation also included the neighbors. It seems that the neighbors love the orphanage as it is involved in sponsoring many children in the neighborhood to receive a good education. They also employ extra workers when teams like ours come for ministry and the local shaman is one of their best friends. This man’s wife is a Christian and wanted healing for her legs and cataract eyes to prove to her husband the power of Jesus. Together we were able to see healing in her legs and in one eye, but the other eye had only improved some. The leaders had promised to continue to keep pursuing healing for this eye.
An important Civil Engineer healed
Another man came by, a former msm. He had spent two months hospitalized with various problems (possibly a stroke victim). He heard about the crusade and knew he would be healed if he came. I remembered him as the side of his face was paralyzed and droopy. He said there was no feeling. That night I ministered to him for his dizziness and his foot. All were healed. He had not been able to ride his motorbike because of the dizziness.
Later he showed up at the orphanage on his motorbike. He said he wanted total healing so that he could testify to his family about the power of Jesus. I laid hands on his cheek and after three or four times, complete feeling was restored. It turned out he was a civil engineer and could help the orphanage to design and build the needed addition without charging for his services. God is great. Healings for the staff and children included intense red eyes, pain in their feet, and the Director’s back that had plagued her for several years.
Checking out the local “giants”
One of the motives for going to Indonesia was to check out the “giants” and to see the challenges for moving and basing ourselves there for possible ministry. There is a huge need for The Elijah Challenge course and for folks to learn English. Rose’s heart was really moved as she could see the need for her involvement in this area. For those who are wondering how they can be involved in the Great Commission, I can say that teaching English is a fantastic tool. With the contacts we have made in Indonesia we feel we can channel folks to many areas that would more than welcome someone to come and teach English. Plans to start a “Missions Club” here through our church will help prepare those that are interested in this strategy for reaching the lost.