A FUNNY THING HAPPENED TO ME ON THE WAY TO VISIT AND PRAY FOR SEVERALPERSONS

The Fervent Prayer of a Righteous Man Availed Much

This is an account of an incident that occurred during a house visitation with another church member, where we were to pray for the families, we visited. The day before our departure, I received a care package from a friend in Texas, United States, which contained a bottle of peanut butter and jelly—a much-missed treat. 

The following day, prior to leaving for lunch and then visiting the people on our list, I made myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Unfortunately, this decision led to unforeseen consequences. At the restaurant, the soup of the day was Chumpe de Camarones, a shrimp soup. Despite my dislike for it—owing to the unpeeled shrimp—I consumed most of the soup. 

After lunch, we proceeded with our visits. During the first visit, I began to feel increasingly unwell. By the time we reached the second family’s house, my condition had worsened significantly; I was experiencing severe stomach pain and struggled to maintain an upright posture. Upon arriving at the third house, my discomfort had escalated to an intolerable level. While my colleague engaged with the family, I silently prayed for relief from my pain and for him to conclude his preaching. 

Eventually, he finished speaking after approximately 20 minutes, and we proceeded to pray for an elderly man. Although I outwardly participated, my internal prayers focused entirely on my own suffering due to the intense pain. 

Upon completing our visit, I urgently requested that we take a cab back to the church instead of a bus, as the numerous bus stops would prolong the journey. Unfortunately, the taxi ride exacerbated my condition due to the erratic driving. Ultimately, I was compelled to lean out of the window and vomit. 

Once we returned to the church, I purchased a bottle of water and a lemon. In my room, I mixed the lemon juice with water, rested, and prayed for recovery until I eventually fell asleep. The next morning, I awoke feeling completely restored. 

The lesson I learned was to avoid consuming a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in conjunction with a bowl of Chumpe de Camarones soup.