Rocio, Marvin, family
I was on my way to do a bible study with Cristopher in San Francisco, Cartago when I discovered that he and his family weren't present at his house. I then started looking for somewhere else nearby that I could walk to so that I didn't waste an opportunity to share the word. I soon came to a house with people outside and thought that this could be a good chance to get to know a new family. It was Marvin(dad) and his sons who were talking outdoors. I introduced myself and soon found myself sitting in their living room on an old couch in a handmade tin house.
We began discussing the bible and various doctrines when it came out that Rocio(mom) was diagnosed with epilepsy. Doctors had prescribed a medicine called Dilantin where they had her taking two pills in the morning and two in the evening to try and control the attacks. When Rocio was very young, her mom died from an epileptic attack when she fell onto the ground and unconsciously breathed in a lot of dust and sand. Rocio has had Epileptic attacks since she was 12 yrs old usually about 3 or more episodes per month.
Rocio told me of some stories where she went into epileptic convulsions/seizures. One time, she was in the street selling roses to those who pass by when she was attacked by a seizure and was thrown into the middle of the road where a large passenger bus barely kept from running her over. At another time, when Rocio was seized by convulsions, they took her to the hospital and she woke up tied to the bed. The staff told Rocio that she went into a fit and began attacking the nurse and scratching her face with her finger nails. When these epileptic seizures happen, Rocio doesn't have consciousness or control and never remembers what transpires during an attack. Another story that Rocio told me was about a time when she was pregnant and a convulsion came on and she fell straight down face first into a mud puddle filled with water. The puddle quickly changed color as the blood flowed from her mouth. She had lost her four upper front teeth which one can clearly see today.
It's worth noting that Rocio's kids, who are adults today, told me that when she has her epileptic seizures her facial features and body look more muscular and menacing.
We began discussing the bible and various doctrines when it came out that Rocio(mom) was diagnosed with epilepsy. Doctors had prescribed a medicine called Dilantin where they had her taking two pills in the morning and two in the evening to try and control the attacks. When Rocio was very young, her mom died from an epileptic attack when she fell onto the ground and unconsciously breathed in a lot of dust and sand. Rocio has had Epileptic attacks since she was 12 yrs old usually about 3 or more episodes per month.
Rocio told me of some stories where she went into epileptic convulsions/seizures. One time, she was in the street selling roses to those who pass by when she was attacked by a seizure and was thrown into the middle of the road where a large passenger bus barely kept from running her over. At another time, when Rocio was seized by convulsions, they took her to the hospital and she woke up tied to the bed. The staff told Rocio that she went into a fit and began attacking the nurse and scratching her face with her finger nails. When these epileptic seizures happen, Rocio doesn't have consciousness or control and never remembers what transpires during an attack. Another story that Rocio told me was about a time when she was pregnant and a convulsion came on and she fell straight down face first into a mud puddle filled with water. The puddle quickly changed color as the blood flowed from her mouth. She had lost her four upper front teeth which one can clearly see today.
It's worth noting that Rocio's kids, who are adults today, told me that when she has her epileptic seizures her facial features and body look more muscular and menacing.
The following bible story is about a boy who had epilepsy
Mathew 17:14-18 (ASV)
14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a man, kneeling to him, and saying, Mark 9:16; Luke 9:37; [Mark 9:17]; 15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is epileptic, and suffereth grievously; for oft-times he falleth into the fire, and oft-times into the water. 16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. 17 And Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him hither to me. 18 And Jesus rebuked him; and the demon went out of him: and the boy was cured from that hour.
Mathew 17:14-18 (ASV)
14 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a man, kneeling to him, and saying, Mark 9:16; Luke 9:37; [Mark 9:17]; 15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is epileptic, and suffereth grievously; for oft-times he falleth into the fire, and oft-times into the water. 16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. 17 And Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him hither to me. 18 And Jesus rebuked him; and the demon went out of him: and the boy was cured from that hour.
It's worth noting that the ESV, NBLH(Spanish) translations uses the word epileptic in the passage as well. Some translations like the Geneva, KJV, Reina Valera(Spanish), and NASB translations use the word lunatic where we find that the Greek definition of lunatic is epileptic. The HCSB translation uses the word seizures.
When Rosio had her epileptic demon possessions, the demons were trying to kill her so that her soul would go to hell. She tells that when an attack would happen that she could see a fantasm in the form of her mother telling her that she was going to help her. You have to understand that souls don't return to their homes or any where on earth because they are now permanently either in heaven or hell - see Job 7. However, demons can take on the appearance of a former loved one.
Job 7:9,10
9 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. 10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.
9 As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away: so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more. 10 He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.
The day after meeting Rocio, God told me to get ready and go back to her house and share the bible with Rocio and her family. Upon arriving at her house by foot, she told me that, the night before, God had told her in a dream that he was sending me back to her to share the bible with her and her family again. Upon arriving at her house, I shared with her what I found in the bible in the book of Mathew about epilepsy.
A few weeks later, a small team came down from Trinity Point Baptist to spend a week doing discipleship and evangelism with me in Costa Rica. Little did they know what they were getting into because God spoke to my heart saying if you will go to Rocio with this team and pray over her then Jesus would cast out the demon that was causing the epileptic seizures. I told the team what God had spoken to me about and they were more than willing to go. We went and prayed over her and Jesus cast out the demon. I then asked Rocio if she felt anything during or after the prayer and she said that she felt a heat inside her and then a cold vapor came out of her mouth. All praise to God because Rocio has now completed almost a month and a half without having anymore epileptic seizures.
Rocio and I had a long discussion centered on the bible and at the end of the day she rejected Mary and the saints of the Catholic church. She is now believing in Jesus as her only Intercessor, Savior, and Lord and is hungry for the gospel and is telling others about Christ.
God is Awesome!!
A few weeks later, a small team came down from Trinity Point Baptist to spend a week doing discipleship and evangelism with me in Costa Rica. Little did they know what they were getting into because God spoke to my heart saying if you will go to Rocio with this team and pray over her then Jesus would cast out the demon that was causing the epileptic seizures. I told the team what God had spoken to me about and they were more than willing to go. We went and prayed over her and Jesus cast out the demon. I then asked Rocio if she felt anything during or after the prayer and she said that she felt a heat inside her and then a cold vapor came out of her mouth. All praise to God because Rocio has now completed almost a month and a half without having anymore epileptic seizures.
Rocio and I had a long discussion centered on the bible and at the end of the day she rejected Mary and the saints of the Catholic church. She is now believing in Jesus as her only Intercessor, Savior, and Lord and is hungry for the gospel and is telling others about Christ.
God is Awesome!!