#59 Salvations & Healing Amidst the Chaos on Main Street

“When we pray, ‘Come, Holy Spirit,’ we are praying for a greatly increased sense of the presence of God to come among us. This is what we so often experience when we pray that prayer.”  Nicky Gumbel

     Twenty-Two folks showed-up to minister this week.  Most of us started on Main Street.  Jackie Penner had made two large tote boxes full of peanut butter and jam sandwiches from bread that was left over at a food bank earlier in the day.  Kevin added a case of potato chips, a case of water, and a case of pop.  In addition to that Ed brought dozens of croissants that were also left over at the food bank.  When we arrived there were only a handful of people on the street, but once we started handing out food dozens of people showed up.  Some of the team members also bought pizzas and gave slices away.  Very busy time.  As people took food we would ask them if they needed prayer for anything, and several received prayer – see reports below.

    When we arrived there was a guy who had been beat-up laying on the street being attended to by paramedics.  Shortly after we arrived a taxi and a passenger bus had a collision right near us.  Then about 2 blocks from us a man was stabbed to death, and a woman who was also stabbed was in critical condition.  Amidst the feeding frenzy, and the chaos people were healed and saved – see the reports below.

      Before we arrived one of our team members who was waiting for us, intervened in a street altercation, and she was pushed around and threatened.  Other street people protected her, buhas looked pretty shook-up.

     We then went to Portage Place and Central Park.  Across the street from the Park in front of the Mosque was a sign; ‘Who Is Jesus?’  ‘What Is Islam?’  And the Iman was out on the street engaging with people.  A man with no name was following me around and he kept telling me that what we were doing was wrong, and it was a mistake to try to get others to believe in God.

     I found it to be a full intense night and somewhat overwhelming – but already I am looking forward to next week – what’s that about?

     As I write this 5 of our team members have gone to Brandon for the weekend (Tom, Kevin, Lorraine, Trevor, and Erdman).  They are going to be teaching a church there how to do this outreach ministry, and taking teams out on to the streets of Brandon.

     Some highlights of yesterday evening were:
Pamela could not lift her arm above her shoulder for 4 years but could freely and easily lift it up high after Kevin’s handkerchief trick and prayer.  She was with her niece, and Kevin asked if he could pray for her eye that was obviously blind (you could only see the white of her eye). Rose was touched by God’s love and hope went into her heart as Kevin ministered to her.  However there was no change in that eye during our encounter.
There however was a man sobbing on the side, distraughtly sharing about seeing his friend just stabbed on a nearby street. Dianna, Ed, Michele, and I sat with him and ministered to him as he was reeling from the shock. He shared a lot of his story with Ed and Dianna and they shared God’s love and hope with him.
Later as Jackie, Kevin, Sarah, Les and I were walking on Ellice, we encountered Victoria. She mentioned it was her 20th day. We sang happy birthday to her and that touched her. She said her diseased grandparents were the only ones that would wish her happy birthday, so us saying that to her blessed her.  She had glasses on, and of course Kevin asked about her eyesite, and giving her a gift. She could not read things close up, and Kevin prayed for her twice. When he asked her to read the card and how her eyesight was now, she said, “it was fuzzy, but now it is clear as hell.” (See photo just below in Sarah’s report)
It was one of the more intense evenings I have been part of for a while, with seeing a lot of sadness and brokenness. I am so thankful that we were there to show love, pray and see blind eyes receive sight, and bless the birthday girl.  Such a privilege.

     At Main Street a soft spoken man, Norman had many questions about Jesus and Christianity. I shared the gospel as best as I could. I also was very happy to finally witness a miracle with my own two eyes watching Kevin pray for several people whose eye were healed (or eyesight improved).  (This was Sarah’s 2nd time out)
Pictured below in center is birthday girl, Victoria, the girl who saw ‘clear as hell’ after Kevin prayed for her.  Sarah is on the left, and Victoria’s boyfriend is on the right holding a sandwich.

       Our group consisted of Michelle, Ed, Andy and myself.  We were handing out sandwiches on Main Street.  There was lots of action, fire trucks, ambulances, fights going on.  Prayed for Freda who had a heel spur and it was healed immediately (picture below ).  Prayed for a girl named Jenna who had pain in various parts of her body. As we were praying she said she felt a pressure in her chest and felt like crying.  She was kind of freaked out that God was also doing a work in her heart.  She left before we could minister more. Melissa had broken toes, pain was 9 1/2, after praying it went down to 3, then just in the tip of her toe and finally gone. She was very glad to have met up with us tonight. We also prayed that she would find safe and affordable housing. Andy and Ed asked Norman how we could pray for him.  He said he wanted a good life. Andy shared that he could have that if he accepted Jesus. After some discussion he did just that!  We sat for quite some time ministering to a young man named Shane Turtle who had just witnessed his friend being stabbed in the chest.  He was very distraught. He was open to prayer and he definitely had some bible knowledge and questions.  He was torn between Christianity and Native Spirituality.  I had a word of knowledge about how he had used his hands for evil in the past but Jesus took nails in His hands to take away the guilt and penalty for that sin.  He was very open and confirmed that to be true.  We drove him home as he wasn’t sure how to get there from Main. An overwhelming night for sure.  Many other encounters as well.