Mardi Gras Mission Trip 2016 ~ Part 2

Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Psalm 51:8

Let me crudely break down this scripture for you. We heard plenty of joy and gladness...I had more fun on this trip than all the past years combined.  I don't mean that in a bad way regarding past trips, they were wonderful and worthwhile and filled with amazing life-changing things.  But I got lots of both this year and I am not ashamed to say that.  As for the bones that you have broken part....ummm, we may have broken some things but not in a way many would understand unless you were there...let's say it was a "had to be there" moment(s).  And I may need to ask one or more of my team members for forgiveness along with the entire state of Mississippi.

My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips. Psalm 63:5

We had the opportunity to eat some really amazing foods and fellowship together.

I was not "in charge" this year which perhaps made me relax and enjoy every aspect of the trip.  My pastor went this year, he was the rookie on the trip but watching him had a great impact on me.  I have served with and under this man's leadership for several years now but seeing him love people on this trip gave me a greater respect and love for him.  He taught me how to be a better missionary.  And when we weren't "doing ministry" we had so much fun together.  What a great trip and awesome team.  God is good!

Mardi Gras Mission Trip 2016 ~ Part 1

My 4th year of going on mission to New Orleans during Mardi Gras did not disappoint.  We did things a little different this year, new ideas had been brought to the table, new people (ok, one person) were coming along, and a new sense of boldness.  Conversational evangelism was, I believe, the main goal on this trip although I had used it every year in the past whether during face painting, passing out tracts on bourbon street, you name it.  But this year we were more intentional in our pursuit of conversations with the people we would encounter.  We prayed ahead of time and during for a love and opportunity to share Christ with those God would place in our path.  We used interviews as a way to engage people in conversations that would hopefully lead to the telling of Jesus and His love for them.  Yes, we were shut down by some and appeased by others but the gospel was put into their hands with a little card that had our name on it and a website that they could go to see their interview when it was posted but first took them to our personal story and testimony.  God does the saving, we just have to be obedient in the telling.

We also did a breakfast ministry each morning, the original thought was to find those who were still around in the morning that had perhaps partied too much the night before or were left behind by their friends, etc.  We didn't find many of those but we did find a vast amount of homeless people.  On day one I met a young woman named Rachel, she had sores on her feet and one above her mouth, she had a sweet smile and countenance and I was immediately drawn to her.  I prayed to find her the next day and I did.  It was a little chillier and she had boots on and other layers of clothing.  She let me sit with her and pray with her.  She said she was a mom of four children (she only looked to be in her twenties), she said they were with family in Colorado.  Sometimes she made sense and at other times I couldn't follow her but I was able to tell her the truth about Jesus, that He loved her and that regardless of her circumstances she could have joy and peace with Him.  I told her I wasn't better than her and that she wasn't better than me.  I held her hand and prayed for her, she hugged me I think three times.  I gave her one of the cards that had my name on it, I told her I didn't want her to forget me.  I don't know whether she will ever be able to look up my testimony but I wanted her to look at it and remember when she heard about Jesus.  She seemed genuinely touched and just stared at the card mouthing the words on it.  She is still in my heart and on my mind and I hope I never forget her.  Maybe God will even place her in my path once again.

Mardi Gras Mission Trip 2015 ~ My Journal

The following are journal entries from this year's trip.

Friday evening, 2.13.15

After a crazy week of not feeling ready to even begin this journey this time around, here it is...day one of traveling is over and tomorrow we will be in New Orleans face to face with the people we will be ministering to.
Feelings of inadequacy and unpreparedness flood my thoughts along with ironically, pride and self-centeredness.  I'm the "leader" of this trip which is already a stretch but I better take hold of it and do one of the things I do best, boss.  The last two times I came on this mission trip I was very introverted for the most part with my team members and I didn't realize quite how much until one of my current team members made an innocent remark about me that I was mindful of my lack of community amongst my own team.  This leadership thing has forced me to engage more, God is using me in different ways this go around and I'm eager for the journey.  To God be the glory!
*It's all about Jesus - not about me winning people to Him ( I can't do that, only He can), not about me even leading this team, nothing good can come from any part of Christy Hoagland.  If there is any good in me it is because of the redemptive work of Jesus.

His grace is sufficient, His mercies are new every morning, Great is His faithfulness!

2.16.15

This has been a weird trip.  Please move in my life, Lord.  I feel very under attack, spiritually and emotionally.

Distraction - whether the enemy's whispers in my ear or issues at home have been difficult for me to overcome.  I feel like I am able to talk with people and share Jesus, because of the Holy Spirit, but I am not always as focused as I should be.

Lord, I need Your help, to finish this journey, to lead this group and to put You first in every situation.  Go before me today, give me strength and courage and discernment to do what You have put before me.  To God be the glory. I love You, Jesus!

2.17.15

We are back in our hotel room in Mississippi before we head home tomorrow.  This has been a stretching week, leading the team and making every stinking decision isn't all it's cracked up to be.  Nevertheless, Christ was exalted and proclaimed!  I am weary...

2.19.15

We are home safe and sound.  God has taught me a lot these past few days.  One being to be bold and authoritative in my decision making.  Although I am naturally bossy, I'm also a people pleaser and I'm learning I cannot make everyone happy and that I can lead people more graciously.

As for my personal struggle (which I really haven't shared but maybe will in the future)...my talk with my husband went better than expected.  He was gentle and gracious with me and I am so thankful for him.

Mardi Gras Mission Trip 2015 ~ The Mission

Why we go...

To share the love and hope of Jesus!  This year our worship pastor, Mark, came with us and he and I did some live music during the day in the French Quarter, this was one of my favorite things of the entire trip.  It was a blast.  He used a kick drum pedal to beat his guitar case while he sang and played his guitar...he is really talented.  I had the privilege to beat a tambourine against my leg while singing...I am only mildly talented, ha.  I did make a nice bruise on my leg but it was worth it.  Several people tried to give us money, some succeeded, we turned some away because that's not why we came but their persistence wore on us and the money we collected was donated to the Vieux Carre Baptist Church, our home base while in New Orleans.  I saw some people mouthing the words to some of the songs we were singing as they walked by, a sweet lady by the name of Brennie, who swore she knew me, stopped and sang with us for probably 45 minutes to an hour.  She was a blessing and an encouragement to meet.  A couple told Mark that they appreciated the way we presented the Gospel through our music.  I was so blessed.

 

Other members of our team did face painting.  Face Painting is a very effective way to have good conversations with people, we've never had anyone walk away with their face half painted, they stay and listen.  One young lady rededicated her life to Christ, another heard the story of Jesus for the very first time...we take for granted that people here in America have heard about Jesus, or that people that come to America will hear about Jesus.  It's just simply not true and many that do hear about Christ have a warped and skewed view of Christ and Christians because of the lack of love and grace shown by so many professing Christians.  This should call us to action, to tell the world about the God of love and redemption.

A couple of people in our group directed people to the face painting and talked with people on the street.  I think they thought they weren't useful enough but they were a valuable asset to the team.

And we all went to Bourbon Street in the evening...this was a battle for some.  It's immorality in your face with an 'I don't care about anything' attitude, especially Christians and what they have to say.  There are always the "condemners" with their signs and bull horns shouting at people and telling them they're going to burn in hell.  This year we saw a new approach, a group of 20 somethings came to the same corner we were on and she simply held a sign that read "Christians love gays".  People came up to talk to her and she was able to tell them about Jesus.  This is what I would like to do next year...flood bourbon street with Jesus' love.  I wanna do more music of course...just not on bourbon.

Mardi Gras Mission Trip 2015 ~ The Fun

This was an entirely different trip this time around.  First of all, I was put in charge of this motley crew (they really were quite lovely though, a little crazy, but fun loving servants of Jesus).  And the craziest thing...I volunteered to do it!  We stayed at a different place, we did a service project for a church...it was just different and that's ok.

I'm really writing this post for purely selfish reasons.  I don't want to forget some of the adventures we shared during our time there.  Here's just a few:

• Mark threw a baby alligator at me, a dead one...
• Vanessa was beside herself when I told her we were going to Duck Commander on our way back to Missouri
• Kaitlyn broke the shower knob off at the missions trailer we were staying at and my favorite part of this story is that it came off right away but she took her shower anyway, lol, and then proceeded to get help, but hey, I don't blame her
• Mark thinking that Dava may have put said dead baby alligator in his bed one night
• Someone letting one rip in the bathroom while the majority were having their quiet time one morning
• Driving around for 45 minutes to an hour for a parking place and ending up paying $40 to park right across the street (several chipped in so it was ok)
• I ate a donut bacon cheeseburger just like Guy Fieri on the Food Network at Memphis BBQ
• We all ate grilled alligator at Mulate's, a Cajun restaurant in New Orleans (we also ate calamari, crawfish, frog legs...)
• I saw no naked people...Praise Jesus

But the best things....

• A rededication to Jesus
• Someone hearing the story of Jesus for the very first time
• Jesus Christ being exalted and praised
• Love through service
• Love through sacrifice
• Love through surrender

Mardi Gras Mission Trip 2015 ~ The Heart

 

Love people in the every day...this is probably one of the biggest things I learned during our mission trip.  Missionaries from all over the country come to New Orleans during Mardi Gras to share Jesus.  We met a young man that was part of a group called "mardi gras invasion", it's a good description of what happens during this time each year.  It seems to me that "Christians" are becoming part of the show or routine here during Mardi Gras.  Lost people, those that come year after year, expect to see us.  And I wonder...do these partyers ever see or hear anything about Jesus in their every day lives?  Is this the only "Jesus" they have any contact with, which can be sad because there are many here with only words of condemnation and no salt in their speech, no telling of Jesus' miraculous love and grace, no hope.

And once again I am reminded about why this trip is so good for me and important for me.  It makes me see people's souls a little more, makes me love them a little deeper, makes me want to share Christ with them anywhere.  I bet I looked into the faces (really looked into the faces) of 5-10 people in Wal-Mart today.  I stared at the cashier's name tag "Kim" and wondered "does she know my Jesus", I began to pray for her.  I'm going to seek her out every time I walk into Wal-Mart, at least I hope I will, I will pray for a divine appointment and maybe I will get the opportunity to tell her that she is dearly loved and that the One who loves her died to give her life.

NOLA 2013 ~ Mardi Gras 3

Monday, February 11, 2013
Bourbon Street
Many in our team went to Bourbon St tonight, we passed out a lot of tracts, I talked to several people.  Had a good conversation with a young man about the Lord, talked to an older gentleman and asked him who Jesus was to him and he said that Jesus was his Lord and Savior and that he would be going to church on Wednesday.  This is the attitude of many who come to Mardi Gras.  Most of our group left, I stayed and along with two others from our group went further down Bourbon Street.  The bars got rougher, strippers and the like.  I saw a young black woman with her little girl in tow, she was probably around 7 years old holding her mama's hand.  She had beads around her neck and was very wide-eyed.  I tried to give her mama a tract but she said no and walked quickly away.  The little girl, still holding her mother's hand, turned her head back to look at me.  I won't forget those big brown eyes with a look that was pleading for someone to rescue her.  How many times has she seen the vulgarity here?  Will she continue to grow up in this culture that says "sin, repent, repeat"?  Will she ever know there's more to life than this, that God loves her and sent His Son to die for her and save her from all of this?

Zechariah 10:2
For the household gods utter nonsense, and the diviners see lies; they tell false dreams and give empty consolation. Therefore the people wander like sheep; they are afflicted for lack of a shepherd.

Mardi Gras in New Orleans is like entering another dimension, it is a difficult trip to go on mission.  I found myself praying without ceasing and I realized that after I was home and at a basketball game that I hadn't been constantly praying.  Although we know people all around us are lost, we don't take the time to look at each individual as if they were and we don't look at people and act like we even care that they may be heading to hell and an eternity without God.  Why are we so calloused?  This is why I go on this mission trip, to step outside my normal every day, to have the Lord fill me up, to make me broken for the people that don't know Him, to share His love and come back to my amazingly blessed life to my family and friends that still don't know Him and share the gospel with them as well. 
Romans 13:12

The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.

NOLA 2013 ~ Mardi Gras 2

February 10, 2013
Some things I wrote in my journal...
Psalm 91:14-16
14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. 15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Psalm 25
1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

2 O my God, in you I trust;
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies exult over me.
3 Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all the day long.
6 Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O Lord!
8 Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
11 For your name's sake, O Lord,
pardon my guilt, for it is great.
12 Who is the man who fears the Lord?
Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
13 His soul shall abide in well-being,
and his offspring shall inherit the land.
14 The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
and he makes known to them his covenant.
15 My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged;
bring me out of my distresses.
18 Consider my affliction and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider how many are my foes,
and with what violent hatred they hate me.
20 Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!
Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
for I wait for you.
22 Redeem Israel, O God,
out of all his troubles.

"When you can't find common ground, it's kinda like pig wrestling, you're both gonna get nasty and the pig likes it." - Jack

2 Timothy 2:24
"And the Lord's servant[a] must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil"
-this scripture goes with the above quote from Jack.

Today...I met some interesting people, I still don't feel like I'm doing enough, although I believe God would speak the right words into my heart if I needed to say more.  I do know that I need to be in the Word more, just soaking it in.  All of the sudden, I'm exhausted.

NOLA 2013 ~ Mardi Gras

Day 1 in the French Quarter
Prayer walked today, it wasn't raining this year!  Last year it was very overwhelming, hearing about it through other people's experiences, seeing things on tv, etc. an never prepare you for being in the middle of all of it.  I knew "kind of" what to expect this time, there's always something shocking or new.  Gay men kissing, nudity...darkness everywhere.  The hardest part to swallow (there are many) is the mockery of Jesus, whether it's outright rejection of the gospel or other "christians" condeming people, showing no grace, mercy, or compassion for the lost; the pure evil here, it's unnerving - I just pray without ceasing as I walk by the tarot card readers, fortune tellers, you name it.  Today we prayed in front of an occult store...what can you say?  So many being misled.
Tonight I went to Bourbon Street to hand out tracts and maybe have an opportunity to talk to people, someone.  Some are polite and take a tract and then move along, some will ignore you, some will blantantly reject you, it comes with the territory.  I met a man tonight that wouldn't take anything with Jesus on it because he was drinking.  Most of these people are very aware of their sin, they just simply don't care, they don't want to see the truth.  I looked around at all these people, all the sin and despair, and felt so blessed.  Blessed that my Lord protected me from every having a life-style like what I've seen tonight.  Not that my sin is less than theirs, just that I didn't have to experience these things before He bacame my personal Savior and Redeemer.  Tomorrow my prayer is for hearts to be opened and soft and for me to be an effective witness for my King.

John 3:16-20
¹⁶ “For God so loved the world,^[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸ Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ¹⁹ And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. ²⁰ For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

Long Journey Home

I went to Mardi Gras again this year on a mission trip and I met a man named Dean, he was a new addition this year from the Branson group that we partner with.  He has been completely transformed by the gospel and it beamed from him, I was drawn to him.  I asked him if I could share his story on my blog and he said, of course.

From the gates of Hell to the Grace of God

By Rocky (Dean) Proctor

aka Dogface

There have been a lot of things happen in these past few years.  I feel it necessary before I go further to say some things on behalf of my Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus.  For without Him there is no doubt in my mind I would not be here writing this story, which by the way is a true one.

The fact that I still have a working mind, with brain cells that still work if proof beyond measure of what God has created, and what He has done for me.

At this moment, I am sitting in a federal prison cell.  I have been locked up for the past five years.  For some of you readers it might be hard to understand how a man in this situation could come from the heart when he says "I'm blessed and highly favored."

There is not a day that goes by that I don't thank God for taking a hand in my life.  The Bible tells us, He will not leave you or forsake you.  My name is Rocky Dean Proctor, and I am living proof, that is true.

When I was a young man, of my own free will, I chose drugs (all of them I could get my hands on), alcohol (all I could drink), and all the other hazards that come with a fast and hard life.  I stayed on that path for more than thirty years.  The paths it took me down, the places Ihave been and seen, I would not with on anyone.

Over the past thirty years, I have found myself addicted to and hooked on every form of "speed and/or methamphetamine," that has been made in the United States.  I am not real proud of this fact but I am being honest and this is a true story.

I have smoked it, inhaled it and mixed it in a spoon.  And over the years, I have "shot" literally pounds of it.  Through all of those times, God has been with me.  Praise the Lord!  I have said it before and I will say it again:  "It's not over until God says it's over and not one moment sooner."  This is why I believe in my heart, I am still alive, and daily, I thank the Lord for my life, the lives of my family and loved ones.  I pray and will continue to ask, and make myself available to Him.  The Lord has truly spared my life.

I have talked to many people since 2001, many of who have accepted Christ Jesus as their personal Savior.  I will gladly share my experiences with anyone who will listen.  My message is that there is a better life, you can have true happiness, it is a gift to you, and it is free.  But the price paid, was paid in blood and flesh, for they nailed my Jesus to a tree.

It is a very personal relationship I have with the Lord.  He is more than just a story or a religion to me.

In 2001, I found myself surrounded by the Federal government, facing drug charges.  My addiction and life style had finally came to a screaming halt.  I hit so hard and fast it was more like a train wreck, than an arrest.

This has been an almost 20 year long, non stop run.  My health was gone and my wife was almost dead.  Our life was over.  Our marriage was a mess, the drugs and alcohol had finally won the race, or had they?

It may sound anyway you want to take it but I am not trying to impress you.  I am just being honest with you.

Most people try to do it on their own and nearly every single one of them have failed.  And.  In most cases by the time they realize this, if they do before it kills them, then, and then alone, will they cry out to God.

I was no exception in that aspect.  I was, however, an exception to God.  He has saved my life, my marriage, my soul, my children and every single person who has asked for His Mercy and has accepted His Grace.  Everyone I know, who has called on the name of the Lord, both those individuals and their families are doing great, they have been healed of their addictions.  Once again, I say praise the Lord.

When a person shows up without even so much as their hat in their hand, how are you going to treat them?\

That is how I came back home to my Jesus, on my knees.  My legs were swollen to twice their size, the veins were all shot out of my arms, legs, and hands.  The blood was literally running down my arms.

This is not easy to write, and to most everyone who knows me this will be the first time much of my story has every been told or heard.

I have decided to look back this one last time.  Not because I miss it, because as God is my witness, I do not.  But to look it in the eye.  I have always thought that was important and still do.

Being in federal prison, needing serious medical treatment, is a lot like being homeless with no health insurance.  I have been in both situations, at least on the street you can go to an emergency room and they will treat you, not so here in federal prison despite the stories you have heard.

I want to talk to you about the healing power of God.  The human body is wonderfully made.  God made no mistakes.  However, it can be destroyed.  That is where I was when I called on the Lord.  Black and blue, and in a pile.

When I arrived here at this prison in 2002 I weighed 289 pounds.  I am 5 feet 6 inches tall.  I could barely walk, but by the Grace of God I was still on my feet, barely.  The last thing I had done before being brought here was talk to the Chaplain and the Christian Administrator of the Green County Jail, Mr. Frank Reynolds and Mr. Charlie Cameron.  I had been studying the Bible with them there for the past 14 months while I awaited trial.  They knew my story; we had many long talks about God and life.  They knew I had been baptized when I was a child and that I had spent my whole adult life back sliding.

I want to get something straight here.  I love the Lord, and I know now where I stand with Him.  But at the time, I was unsure on some issues, so I asked their advice.  They are both men of God, of that I was sure.  I wanted to rededicate my life to Jesus, to be baptized again as an adult.  But was not sure if that was proper.  After talking to both of them, they assured me that it would be proper if I was a sinner, and I surely was.  So a couple of months before I was sentenced by the federal government, I was baptized as an adult.  That has been over 4 years, and even being in prison, I will have to say I feel truly free, spiritually free and in 4 more years, Lord willing, I'll be physically free.  Home with my wife and family.

Since I had been locked up, the Lord has allowed me to be part of one of the greatest things every to happen in my life.  My wife has accepted Jesus as well.  We now read the Bible and worship God together.  That may not sound like much to some folks but most folks have not been as far gone as we were.  It is both a blessing and an honor to be in the presence of the Lord as man and wife.

Amen.

Mardi Gras ~ Part 2

Gospel tracts...I used to think of them as not very effective, I guess I just thought that wasn't enough but God uses all sorts of things to draw people to Himself and who am I to say otherwise.  We heard a testimony of a beer truck driver that delivered to the French Quarter, one morning he spotted a tract on the street and picked it up and was saved.  Hearing this testimony gave me hope for every single tract we put in people's hands and everyone that was tossed on the ground as well, and there were many.  Perhaps someone took a tract, stuck it in their pocket forgetting all about it and then when going to do laundry or just digging through their pockets later on, they pulled out a few verses of God's Word and a seed was planted or even they were made aware of their lostness and saved!  God's Word never returns void!

This is David and Lisa, they live in New Orleans, this is their city.  7 years ago, David was going through a difficult time, he didn't know what to do with himself, he asked Lisa to go to one of the Mardi Gras parades with him.  She said, oh please, no...she did not want to go, they never go...but he continued to plead with her to go and she agreed.  They were there for only a few minutes and he said, are you ready?  She said, okay.  They went to a restaurant on Bourbon Street for dinner and upon leaving the restaurant he spotted a wooden cross being held by one of "our" missionaries.  He fell to his knees, several others in the group rallied around him to minister to him and he prayed to receive Christ.  The image of the cross brought him to his knees, God is so amazing!  David told our group (this year's group, Cornerstone's first year) his testimony the first night we arrived.  He thanked us again and again for coming to "his" city and continuing to come.

The Power of the Cross

On Mission at Mardi Gras ~ Part 1

Interesting picture, is it not? 

Take a closer look...Mardi Gras beads, trash, a cigarette butt, a thrown away gospel tract...look at the reflection in the water...yes, that's a cross.  This picture pretty much sums up my entire mission trip to Mardi Gras.  I saw lostness, in your face lostness, I know...sin is sin and I knew what Mardi Gras was like.  I've watched COPS, ya know.  And on Bourbon Street it was just that...like a COPS episode...nudity, homosexuality, transvestites, and lots of drunk or high people.  But there were children with their parents, senior adult couples, disabled people....didn't expect that.

Standing in the middle of Bourbon Street, a lady in our group handed an unsuspecting homosexual young man a gospel tract, he took it because it said 'Mardi Gras' on the front of it.  He turned it over and saw that it was about Jesus and looked her in the eye with disdain and wadded it up in his hand and threw it on the ground all while still holding her gaze.  It struck me as as huge statement of rejection of Christ.  Some were polite and took whatever we had to offer them, some wanted to talk to us or were at least willing to, some laughed and scoffed, some cussed, some ignored, some....wept, some....were saved.  Mardi Gras is like evangelism boot camp, get out there and share your faith, share the love of Christ and His salvation!  It made me ache...but it was empowering, I see people a little 'more'...I've always loved the song "Give Me Your Eyes" by Brandon Heath, listening to the words (really listening) makes me cry.  This is my home, my country, my city, my town, my neighborhood...I want to share the love of Jesus with them, I want to see their lives changed by the gospel.  This month at our church is Local Home Missions Month, this Saturday we are visiting a retirement "village", singing, talking with them, loving them.  Next Saturday, door-to-door evangelism...and I can't wait :)  This is how we are supposed to live, to look into every face we come in contact with and share Jesus with them.

We did free face painting to draw people to us so we could love on them, share with them, and pray with them.  I painted this entire family's faces (except dad) he wasn't up for that, lol.  But I got to have fun with these lovely people and pray with them.  I painted lots of faces.  The last day we were there, "Fat Tuesday", I painted a young woman's face, her name was Kaitlyn, she had just caught her boyfriend cheating, she was very tender, genuine, and broken.  I didn't lead her to Christ but was able to pray with her and the friends she was with, she carried a gospel tract away with her.  They left down the street and about a block away another young man (from a different church group) met these same ladies, talked with them and later told me that these girls talked about how we had prayed with them and they felt the love of Jesus and then he said Kaitlyn just started weeping.  Seeds were planted and watered...please pray for Kaitlyn's salvation.

There were many times when I thought I should've done more, I prayed to just be led by the Spirit and be obedient to whatever God would have me to do or say.  To me...I was very serious on this trip (which is strange because I am not at all a serious person, rather silly even) but God was molding and changing me in all sorts of ways to which I am so very thankful and humbled by.