Dec. 4, 2017 Fires Begin Nearby
That first night I prayed until 3am because the fires were threatening one of our board members farms. In the morning I awoke to find out that her farm had been miraculously saved against unbeatable odds! Then it spread to the mountains in my area. We are in a valley and the mountains are so close it had the appearance of being right in my back yard. The local Post Office got an order from their superiors to evacuate, so I originally thought it was for all of us. Later I was told by two fireman that it was not for us and we could stay put until further notice. Some neighbors decided to leave anyway, but I felt God say to stay and pray, so I spent the entire day in prayer.
As I was doing a "Rain Dance" suddenly a very strong wind whipped up and began blowing the fires toward the ocean and away from my house within a matter of 10 minutes. Then the sky was bright red as it burned Casitas Springs - Johnny Cash's home town. So I began to intercede and was saying "Remember Johnny!" And within 10 min.'s or so the red sky was gone leaving only brown skies. Then it changed direction again and headed up the mountain. The entire mountain appeared to be on fire. (I took the video from my driveway!)
Then the smoke situation was such that it was impossible to go outside and the inside was not healthy either. I diffused essential oils for a while and was going to get an air purifier the next day...if I could even get out. However, I decided to leave due to the intensity of the smoke.
The Shock of What I Saw...
On my way out of town I got a view of the fires up close and personal! Fires right beside my car! And those majestic mountains surrounding our sweet little town were ALL ON FIRE! It was beyond words! I started to shake. How could this be real! It felt so eery and Sci-Fi. My heart was broken to see my town burning and it's beauty charred. I love living here. Hundreds have lost their homes. We don't know yet if any lives have been lost.
Why I Stayed So Long
Many people thought I was unwise for staying so long, but I couldn't listen to anything but what Papa had already told me to do. This one thing I know beyond any doubt - I cannot lose if I live inside the Kingdom. I cannot be robbed or tormented. So when I finally left that night I was in tears because I felt so disappointed that I couldn't bring the rain and stop the fires. I've actually done that in several countries I've been in. It's like a gift I have to bring in optimal weather or something, but why didn't it work this time?! I was devastated.
However, after assessing the situation the next morning, I suddenly realized the truth - my town was surrounded by fire and by evacuations in towns all around us, yet we were never evacuated. The town of Oak View is NOT burned, only the mountains surrounding it. So, in the end all that prayer looks like it DID make a difference! It was like Oak View was in the Eye of the Storm, which is exactly what I had prayed.
I'm so glad I stayed and prayed. I would do it again in a heart beat! And I thank God for friends like you who fueled my spiritual fires and strengthened my knees to keep on praying!
*Please keep us in prayer. It's not over and the winds can change suddenly, but I will leave in full confidence that He who began a good work will complete it.
Theresa, Trekking inside Ps. 91 Forever!