Lisa Bloomquist is the director of the Waves of Hope healing room in Grand Marais. After seeing the power of prayer on mission trips to Guyana, Ecuador and Africa, Bloomquist felt called to pray for people here in Cook County. Along with her Waves of Hope partners Rosie Gilmore and Patty Meyer, she works to make a difference in people’s lives with prayer.
Lisa Bloomquist of Grand Marais is a Christian with a mission. She has been on mission trips to Guyana, Ecuador, and Africa. She has prayed for people and seen amazing results, and when she was serving at an orphanage in Mozambique, she felt directed to go home and pray for people.
For prayer or more information on Waves of Hope Healing Rooms:
. Call (218) 387-9099 and leave a message or call Lisa’s cell phone at (218) 370-9293
* Email wavesofhope@gmail.com;
. Visit the website at wavesofhope.com where prayer request forms can be filled out and submitted
. Stop by 1818 West Highway 61, Grand Marais, Monday evenings between 7 and 8.
The building is available for use by other ministries as well. “Maybe you are looking for a place to have a knitting club, a singles group, a marriage ministry, a Bible study— the possibilities are endless,” Director Lisa Bloomquist said. “Contact me if you would like more information.”
Lisa takes her faith and her mission seriously. She received training at the International Healing Center in Brooklyn Center, has a diploma from Heart for the Nations Bible School in Brooklyn Park and a certificate of missions from Iris Ministries (an international mission and relief organization) and is ordained and licensed through the International Association of Healing Rooms (IAHR).
In 2007, Lisa opened Waves of Hope Healing Rooms, a prayer ministry affiliated with the International Association of Healing Rooms. Based out of Spokane, Washington, IAHR has over 1,000 healing rooms around the world, with the nearest to Grand Marais in Duluth and Thunder Bay. Lisa is the local director who partners in this ministry with Rosie Gilmore and Patty Meyer. She describes them as “simply sisters who love the Lord Jesus Christ. We have experienced His love for us and have been healed.”
The three women are available by phone to receive prayer requests and meet regularly to pray for needs in the community. They also have a drop-in prayer time every Monday from 7 to 8 p.m. at 1818 West Highway 61 in Grand Marais. They will go to people’s houses and pray for them if they are sick and can’t get out.
The prayer sessions are free of charge and confidential. “We do not share any information with anyone else,” Lisa said. “We need to be trusted or there will be no ministry. We are a donation based ministry. Freely give, freely receive.”
Waves of Hope follows a format proscribed by IAHR and keeps within boundaries set by IAHR. On Monday evenings, people there for prayer will meet first with Lisa, Rosie, and Patty. Then the three women pray together in a separate room, listening for direction from God regarding what they should pray about, and finally get back together with the person there for prayer and pray with him or her. The person being prayed for does not need to pray out loud. The process takes about 20-30 minutes.
The women often find that illnesses people struggle with have roots in emotional events in their past. “You’ve got to get to the root,” said Lisa, “otherwise stuff will come back.” They ask how people are doing, because they really care. They don’t need to get into personal details of people’s lives, however. “It’s easy,” Lisa said. “You just have to come.”
“…I myself have been set free from pain and trauma of abuse in my childhood,” Lisa said. “God has used me to heal others. One was a cross-eyed boy in Ecuador. [Others include] a young girl who had a stroke, a baby with a hole in his heart, [and people with] headaches, backaches, sleeplessness, dislocated thumbs, barrenness, and emotional issues.
“…We are not counselors and are not allowed to counsel a person. We will never tell a person to go off medications. That is between them and their doctors. We simply believe that prayer works,” Lisa said.
“One lady came in for prayer who hadn’t slept through the night in two years. We prayed for her and that night she slept all night long. Another man had severe back pain. He could hardly walk. We prayed and he was instantly healed of any pain. …I have prayed for a lot of ladies who have wanted to have babies and so far every one of them has one. [To] one lady I simply said, ‘Lord, open her womb,’ and the next month she was pregnant.
“We are no different from anyone else. Anyone can pray for someone. We simply believe that prayer works and healing is for today.
“…My heart goes out to the lost, the lonely, the poor and to those who are experiencing pain and trauma from diseases and abuses they have suffered and continue to suffer,” Lisa said. “Waves of Hope was founded with a desire to see people healed and set free from emotional, physical, or spiritual bondage by our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Master Healer.”
Lisa has great compassion for women who have experienced sexual abuse. She said one of the goals of Waves of Hope is “to see women who have been sexually abused be set free from their pain and trauma and walk in forgiveness and freedom.” All three women are willing to spend time talking, listening, and praying.
Lisa wishes more people who have been abused and are sick would come for prayer. “We just love people and want them to be loved. We want people to be free,” said Lisa. “It’s just love.”
Lisa knows that the holiday season can be very difficult. “Don’t go this holiday season alone, lonely, depressed, or suicidal,” she said. “Come in and let Patty, Rosie, and myself pray for you.
“To all of you who have supported us so far, a huge thank you and many blessings poured out on you.”
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