You know what? It is so much fun on the streets, even if you don’t have any big miracle’s and stuff, hanging out around other Christians is so rewarding. Sid, Denzel, Ryan and I went straight to Portage.
We prayed for ten people, Three of which had a partial healing. We spoke with Sandra who started crying a bit after we prayed for peace in her life(She has mean neighbors). I should’ve taken a before and after picture of Timber Brook’s face which was lit up with joy after we prayed for… well joy! Timber Brook stuck around for a bit after we prayed and his smile was huge. A regular, Rob came to tell us about his day, his boot cracked and his feet were wet and he had a blister. He went to Siloam mission to get a new pair, but they didn’t have his size. (size 13) so Rob prayed and he told Siloam mission he would be back the next day and as he was leaving, someone came in with his size of shoes!! He simply couldn’t believe it.
Ryan wandered off and spoke with Tiffany and two others. Tiffany’s Dad died the night before and she was in so much shock that she couldn’t even cry. Ryan prayed that she would be comforted by the Holy Spirit.
My highlight of the evening was with Mary who had 10 out of 10 pain everywhere in her body. Sid and I asked her if we could pray and she was willing. We prayed and she said it’s half better! ( 5/10 ) we prayed again and it went down to ( 3/10 ) we prayed again and all pain was gone!!!
Remember you can do Street ministry anywhere (not just on the streets) and anytime (not just Thursday evening)
We are spreading God’s love like wildfire!
She told us that she was filled with the Holy Ghost when she was 12, and that she knew God but that she was trapped. As we talked a young man came and stood to watch the three of us on the bench. We asked him if we could pray for him as well, and he immediately said no, I can’t go there with the God talk. I could see that His heart was soft to the things of God and said that to him. He almost started crying right there, and we exchanged a few more words with him and then turned back to minister to Janaye.
I remember asking her if she was self-harming (a very quiet word of knowledge as only later did I realize she had fresh blood stains on her clothing and coat to indicate she had very recently been cutting herself.) A group of Janaye’s friends then came up to her and asked her if she was okay. One was a beautiful Tunisian girl who gave Janaye $20, called a cab for her, and told her to make sure she gets into that cab and does not use the money for drugs. It was very touching how they hugged and loved Janaye and cared for her. Gaylene’s comment “There is an honor on the street. It’s broken and misguided, but there is honor there.” (We witnessed that love and care and found out later that that whole group had gone to high school together and known each other for some time. Some of them were involved in the gang/drug scene. Praying God breaks into that whole group!)
I noticed Tyson sitting close-by and went and sat with him, and asked him his story and to pray for him. The whole broken story tumbled out, of drugs, a child was taken away, anger, domestic abuse. He had heard about God from Janaye, and up to a few weeks ago cared nothing about God, and was now broken-hearted at his child being taken into care, and his own issue of anger, and feeling utter devastation at their lives. Gaylene had a word of knowledge in the midst of that, that he was a man of integrity. Turns out he had grown up in an alcoholic home, oldest of 5 kids, 2 had died, and he had often taken care of his siblings for weeks at a time, even when he was just a child himself.
It was one of the most dramatic, unusual encounters I have had for a while, and it was clear to us that God had orchestrated that encounter to show Tyson and Janaye His love and His care for them in their utter desperation. I told Tyson I believe I was in that mall that evening to tell Him that God loved him, had not abandoned him, and was calling him to choose to follow Him. We ministered to them for about an hour, until the cab came and they had to leave. We told them we were there every Thursday.
Tonight’s report will be a bit different as I cannot tell you all the people we talked with and ministered to since there were so many, even though in many cases we spent short amounts of time engaging them all. Ed, Erdman, Al, Audrey, and I were out this night. Initially, went to Main Street where we engaged with a variety of people and handed out sandwiches and hot soup to people we encountered. It was extremely cold outside so this act of kindness was greatly appreciated. (and thank you to the Lord prompting a beautiful woman in Zion Church on Sunday to make the healthy soup and sandwiches! God is good! We prayed for a few people, and at one point we met a woman in a wheelchair and tried to help her get into a building. She was cold and we provided a scarf and a warm hat for her that matched the colour of her jacket! She was very grateful both for the hot food and the help. There were some other encounters, including a connection that Ed made with a gentleman he met.
Awhile later we traveled to Siloam Mission for the duration of the evening. We chatted and engaged many people, including many that we have met earlier on other trips there. I handed out Christmas cards that some people had put together for those we were with. It was much appreciated! Ed served hot chocolate to a number of people who were standing in line to get a warm bed for the night. A few people stand out in my mind: Al, a man we met outside Siloam Mission, waiting near the beginning of the line. Al was a kind-hearted man who was walking with crutches. I offered him a Christmas card and any warm clothing he might need that we were handing out. He seemed okay with what he had. As it turned out Al was on crutches because he had a back injury that gave him trouble and made it hard for him to walk. His hips and back joint were not aligned and he said he had pain as a result and could not walk properly. I asked if I could pray for him which he agreed to. I did not notice anything significant happen immediately, but often we pray for people and we find out that they were healed later on. Al was very kind and grateful for the prayer. I could see that the Lord had softened his heart.
Our team engaged a man named Barry who was holding open the door to the shelter for people to come in for the night. As it turned out Barry was a believer in Jesus. He had asked about the filling of the Holy Spirit but felt very unworthy. It turned out that Barry had this wrong belief that somehow he had to get his life together and make things right before God would do anything for him, especially being filled with the Spirit. We gently told Barry that it isn’t necessary to have your life together before God would do something because He loves him just the way he is now. If we all had to have our lives together before God touched us, even in this way, none of us would qualify! During the course of the conversation, Ed and Barry made a connection and they made arrangements to have lunch together the next day! Barry seemed very enthusiastic and grateful for this!
We also met Sam who was struggling with the effects of a stroke. His left side and arm were not very usable since then. I asked if I could pray for him and gave him a Christmas card and we replaced his mitts with some brand new men’s gloves (he was only wearing one mitt initially as he had lost the other one). He was very grateful for our gift.