Street Ministry Report - Middlebury/Aspenwald 5-5-9 & Marion/Harrison Street 5-7-9

This has been a very busy week and I'm behind on my reports. . .

Middlebury/Aspenwald 5-5-9

Again I was alone this week as Terry Wallin is continuing to have back problems.  He broke his back a number of years ago and periodically it flares up in pain and gives him a great deal of trouble.  Please keep Terry in your prayers.

The evening was cool and somewhat overcast.  Not lots of people were out.  I stopped and prayed with David and Zoe.  As I passed the apartments at Prairie and Middlebury there was a large crime scene taped off with a number of squad cards and two large step vans, one of which said 'CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION'.  The rumor on the street (later born out by the newspaper article in the Elkhart Truth ) was that a young man had been stabbed in the neck and a woman cut.  Both were taken to the hospital.  Both survived.  There was lots of attention toward that.  People were concerned and upset.  Three young men sitting on a car, talking on the sidewalk about what happened.  I joined them and spoke with them for maybe 10-15 minutes or so.  I have no idea of what the conversation would have been without my presence, but with me being there God was repeatedly brought up. . .again and again it was mentioned how lucky the young man was.  How much blood he had lost and how close the knife was to his jugular vein. . .How God surely must have been protecting him. . . only a fraction of an inch difference in the knife wound and he surely would have been dead.  These three young men, to see them. . . their demeanor and general appearance. . . would make you wonder. . .make you possibly feel uneasy. . .These three young men. . . I anointed them and we joined our hands in prayer there in the parking lot. . .we prayed for the victims of the knife attack. . . we prayed for these young men to find jobs. . . for God to guide their lives. . .

I ended up praying with and talking to quite a good number of people in the apartment complex.  It ended up being a very good night. . . lots of young mothers with their children were out.  Numbers of kids interested in coming to Sunday School. . . I had just begun on Aspenwald when my wife called me to come to the church for a meeting. . . so I rather rushed back.

Marion/Harrison Street 5-7-9

This was just a grand night.  It had been spitting rain most of the day and I was wondering if we would be able to go this evening, but about the time we started at 5 p.m. the skies cleared.  The temperature was in the low 70's and somewhat cloudy.  Carey Slack accompanied me.  He pulled the wagon.  Carey likes to help.

I stopped at Blessing Bob's.  He wasn't out, but he came to the door at my knocking and told me that his roommate wanted to see me.  He had received a letter he wanted me to read to him.  

This is Blessing Bob's roommate.  I read the letter for him.  I anointed Bob and his roommate and prayed with them.   

Quite a number of prostitutes were out.  I spoke with two or three.  Gave them fliers and Bible verse cards.  Told them if they needed me to pray for them or for anything in their lives that I would be glad to do that.  I watched from Bob's porch as an older man, looking to be in his sixties, in a very nice large car with a handicapped license plate and a large dog in the back seat looking out the window, picked up a prostitute. . . so very sad. . .

I spoke with so many people.  I don't want to exaggerate, but I think I easily spoke with 50-75 people tonight.  A  man and woman, a married husband and wife, just moved in the neighborhood.  They have 8 children between them.  They invited me into their home and asked me to pray for their family.  I anointed them and we prayed in their living room.  They want me to stop back each week and pray with them.

I am pushing more this year, trying to be more assertive in getting them hooked up with LTC.  I spoke with a Spirit filled lady over on Harrison street whom I had prayed with last summer.  She is laid off, but her two sons are home from college for the summer and are helping her out financially. . .things will be OK.  She had wondered where I had been over the winter, not realizing that I stopped doing street ministry when the weather got cold.

I filled a page up in my notebook with prayers and prayer requests. . .

Just as I started onto Harrison Street my phone rang.  I thought it was my sister, but it was my nephew using my sister's phone.  He wanted the phone number of my mom's former boyfriend (Mom died in Feb. 2008).  A few minutes later again my phone rings and again it is my nephew.  He and I are not close.  If I see him or speak to him every two or three years that would be a lot.  He just poured his heart out to me talking and talking about things going on in his life.  He needs to get hold of my Mom's boyfriend. . . My Mother's boyfriend, George, lives in a house on an alley on Harrison Street, not two blocks from where I am then standing. . .Thank you Lord!!!

I went to George's house.  He is very hard of hearing.  I pounded and pounded on his door while at the same time calling him by my voice and on the phone, but no one answered.  I left a flier and one of my Chaplain's cards on his door and continued down Harrison Street.  A few minutes later I'm headed back to the car and walking on Marion Street, a car behind me half a block away begins honking and honking its horn.  I don't recognize it.  I wave and continue walking.  They round the block and it's George (Mom's boyfriend) and his friend Steve.  We have a great talk.  I haven't seen George in several months.  I tell him about my nephew's wanting to contact him.

These two old gentlemen are hard core Democrats, both of them life long democratic precinct workers.  I smile broadly and shake my finger at Steve (the driver of the car that was honking at me).  I tell him you know we elephants (referring to my being republican) have such long memories. . .I still remember. . . I still remember.  He grins, but looks puzzled.  I remember you telling me that day in mom's hospital room, how you were going to come to church with me one day. . . That wonderful day a couple of years ago.  Mom, George, Steve, and I prayed together.  Steve confided to me at that time. "No one in Elkhart knows this, but I too have been filled with God's Spirit and have spoken in tongues."

George and Steve have been friends, I believe since WWII and George had no idea that Steve was spirit filled. . .Steve told me that day that he would come to Life Tabernacle Church. . .I'm believing in the power of God to change lives. . .

It was just a great great night.  This is all that I have time to write now. . .So many wonderful people. . .God is moving. . .

Thank you my Lord. . .

Thank you my God. . .