A group of four friends — Michael, Barbara, Carter, and Kim — decided to go on a trek up a remote mountain area to enjoy nature and seek a rare view. They had prepared carefully, bringing water, snacks, and a map. Their joint journey went smoothly for an hour.  Then a very mysterious fog began to envelope the mountain path, making visibility almost impossible. Carter, once a military captain, looked at the map with a puzzled expression.  “This is strange, according to the map, we should be at the old church by now. So where did this trail come from?” Alert, they continued cautiously, trusting God for every step.

The clouds covered the sun and they chose a narrow road that lead to an old rickety casa. They all stood silent under what seemed a dreamy moon shadow. The atmosphere grew hush and colder — there were no sounds except for a slight wind whispering through a forest of trees.  “This is so weird, why isn’t this path marked on the map?” Barbara asked, her voice laced with unease.  Despite their growing apprehension, the group decided to knock and ask for directions rather than continue following the map.  The casa looked abandoned, but they knocked on the door anyway.  The puerta creaked open slowly as an ancient face of a disheveled man with sunken, weary eyes stared at them. “No deberías estar aquí!” Translated, this was his warning. “You… shouldn’t be here.” His voice was hoarse, as if he hadn’t spoken in a long time. His name was Elijah, and he spoke with great authority.

Michael quickly asked, “¿Dónde está la ciudad más cercana?” Hoping for clear direction, the old man remained silent for a long moment before slowly pointing toward a small dirt road in the distance.  In Spanish he grumbled “Leave now. And don’t look back.” Without understanding why he said that, a sense of impending doom urged us to thank him hastily and leave at once.  The group kicked up their pace along the dirt road, then a wooden sign appeared before them, they froze in horror.  Unable to believe their eyes, they read “Ajijkc” This time, Carter used his phone to mark their coordinates and chose a different path. Affirming, we walk by faith, not by sight. As the fog lifted, the group walked in growing confidence. All were eager to just get back to their car.

Walking faster, but still utterly confounded, they had circled back to Ajijkc again!  Fear started to slowly seep in as the wind turned colder. The air thickened, pressing down on them as if something unseen was suffocating them.  The once familiar village began to creep them out as empty eyes peered at them from the growing darkness.  Kim clutched Barbara’s hand tightly, her voice trembling. “Someone is watching us.” Barbara quickly replied, “Yes, our  Father sees us and He surrounds us with His angels!” Michael turned to look at the old casa where the elderly man had first appeared. The door was still open, but… the old man was gone.  Instead, silent, vacant eyed figures stood unmoving at the dreary casa doorway. Was this a dream, or a glimpse of what the world will be like with the church gone? With oil in your lamps, keep vigilant watch. Rapture Gathering