Day 5 July 27, 2011
“We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly.” 1 Corinthians 4:12-13a. This verse came to mind when reflecting on today’s events. We left the church a little before noon and headed to Brooklyn , right near the Brooklyn Tabernacle where we were Sunday. We broke into three groups; two of them used the paint boards to evangelize, and the third set up a prayer station. The group at the prayer station received similar responses as yesterday. Many people were blessed by the prayers that were lifted up for them, and three people accepted Christ as their Savior.
The groups that were heading up the paint board stations ran into some spiritual warfare, but with the Lord’s guidance, they were able to stand firm, “fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.” It seemed that one after another, there was someone from another religion that tried to distract the groups from they were there to do. The situation escalated when a black supremacist became vehemently and verbally aggressive. He was physically imposing and threatening, and tried to run us off and publically humiliate us. The teams responded wonderfully, not giving them a platform to dishonor the Gospel, standing bold and strong for Christ.
We finished our ministry in the projects in Queens , where we set up free kids programs again. Those have been a highlight for the team both days. It brings so much joy to us to watch the kids eagerly learning about Jesus. One of the little girls that came to the program and accepted Jesus as her Savior said that when her mom got home from work she was going to tell her about Jesus! What a way to bring our ministry to a close for the day! All in all, there are 15 celebrations in heaven tonight, and 68 seeds planted in hearts.
It may sound repetitive, but please continue to pray for our safety. Pray also that our team will remain bold as we go out one last time tomorrow. Pray that God will do even more amazing things tomorrow, as only He can! A brief update on the van situation, it is still not fixed, and we are planning on leaving Friday morning, please pray that God will provide a safe way home for us.
