Who believes that prayer works?

On the 30th december, brendan and I (with many people at home in the UK) spent the day praying for, and visiting stephen. A man who lives a couple of roads up from us in quinton but happens to be in prison here in nicaragua.

While praying that day, I felt that It may be really good to do some medical work in the prison. We had heard from stephen that healthcare there was not all it could be.
This thought kept nagging at me through the day.

We asked friends working here, and those who have visited the prison previously what they thought. We were told that the prison is incredibly beaurocratic and it can take a very long time to get anything organised. We had also seen for ourselves how unhelpful the staff can be, and had heard that the prison governor, whose permission I would need, can be particularly unhelpful.

We prayed some more and still considered it an idea worth pursuing, so the next day we went back with the prison armed with a letter explaining my ideas in my rather sketchy spanish.
I was met at the gate by the guards who called the prison doctor. He came straight away and seemed very pleased to meet me. He introduced me to the prison governor and we had lunch together (quite a tasty chicked dish with iced tea!). After lunch I explained (again in my most "fluent" spanish) my idea: I would be working three and a half days a week in ometepe, so would be free on fridays and could come and do a joint clinic with the doctor in the prison.

They semed very happy to accept this offer and all was agreed. The only problem being that they have few medicines in the prison, and not many of the prisoners can afford to buy them from outside.

There was minimal paperwork to be completed, and I was only in the prison for 40 minutes.

I have not heard of anything happen so quickly within the nicaraguan public sector, and I was amazed at the prompt and welcoming response of the governor.

It is to me too much of a coincidence that we spend that time praying and then this opportunity opens up in such a way.
We believe we are seeing the influence of God.

As such i am very excited about this opportunty - lets pray again and see what happens next!