All Things Are Possible When the Spirit Leads

as told to Anne Early
Sep/Oct 2007

Our hearts have been touched by the many ways God has worked to bring attendees to the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services (ICCRS) conference which Christian Healing Ministries, Inc., co–sponsored in Jacksonville. We wish we could share all of them with you. Since that is impossible, we have asked Maria De Souza for permission to write a brief summary of her experiences, as God gave her an understanding that she was to attend the conference and opened the doors that led to her finally arriving.

Maria is a laboratory assistant who lives in Calangute, Goa, India. Several weeks before the conference began, she thought about the possibility of attending. Feelings of excited anticipation alternated with days of discouragement as situations occurred to get in the way of her plans. Maria’s mother prayed for God to reveal to her daughter whether or not she was supposed to go to Jacksonville, and if so, how He would lead her there. Maria’s mother speaks only one language, Konkani, which is the language of Goa, the region of her home. During the days of praying, however, and while Maria struggled to overcome obstacles to her preparations for the trip, God gave her a few significant words in English as she prayed — words that showed the way for Maria to proceed.

The greatest obstacle seemed to be the obtaining of a visa — an extremely difficult accomplishment for a single woman in India. Maria had to go to Mumbai, a day’s journey from Goa. She made an appointment with the American Embassy, paying the $100 fee. When asked why the conference was being held in America, Maria told the consul that Catholic charistmatic renewal had started in America and spread from there to the rest of the world, and, also, that the speakers for the conference would be Americans. Maria said that if only she could obtain a visa for eight days that would be sufficient. The person conducting the interview would not yield. Maria was given a 214(b) status, denying her request.

Maria was terribly discouraged, but her mother continued to pray. She received two English words as she prayed — “visiting visa” — and asked Maria what they meant. Other words flowed from God as she continued to pray: “They are going to worship God in tongues, and many bondages will be broken.” After some time of praying, she said there was going to be “generational healing and many souls . . . would be released into heaven.” Finally, another word, “consul,” came to her as she prayed. The message was: “The Holy Spirit will come on the consul and the visa will be granted.”

Maria felt that God’s word to her mother meant that a visa would be granted, so again she paid the $100 fee and applied for another appointment at the U.S. Embassy. All appointment times for April and May were blocked out; none were available. Since Maria had to work, her sister went online for two or three hours every day to watch for an opening that might occur as a result of a cancellation, because a new opening would be taken within five minutes or less should one become available. Finally, her sister was online when a scheduled time for April 25th opened up. (The first appointment had taken place on March 29th.) Maria’s brother flew to Bombay to submit her forms. Maria went to Mumbai for the second appointment, confident that she would get a visiting visa as God had given the word to her mother during prayer.

Maria’s second appointment at the U.S. Embassy was very different from the first one. She had promised God that if she got the appointment she would testify there about the reason for her going to the conference. That she did, telling the woman who interviewed her about God’s love, his saving grace, and how she was going to learn about his healing power. When the woman pointed out in amazement to Maria that she would be spending an amount comparable to her salary for one year in order to go to the conference, Maria assured her it was worth that much to her. (Maria’s mother had been healed through prayer a few years before.) She said, “After all, were it not for the charismatic movement, I would not have my mother. My mother is worth much more than that!” And, to her surprise, a ten–year visa was granted!