Our night began around 9pm in the middle of Rails Park,
which is located right in the heart of Byron Bay, and lasted until 9am the next
morning. The thought behind the park ministry was to pray over the community
and the individuals traveling through the city. We hoped to develop
conversations with either the people walking through the park or the “Parkees”
(people who live in the park). Although it was a lively night, there was not
much foot traffic in the park. We only spoke to about five people, but they
were each amazing opportunities to minister and learn.
It was
interesting to meet all the various personality types. Initially, we met one
person who declared himself a believer. Yet, 30 minutes later, when his friend
showed up, the two of them begin to bash Christianity. Another man actually
came up to one of the girls in our group and held a serious conversation about
the Lord and his life, which almost ended in tears of joy. Furthermore, we met
a guy with schizophrenia. Although his symptoms did not first show upon our
communication, we definitely noticed that he was struggling towards the early
hours of the morning. He informed us that he was in fact schizophrenic and that
it was a tough night for him because of his lack of sleep. Finally, we spoke
with a man who struggled greatly with alcohol and smoking. He shared with us
difficult stories of his past about severely abusing his grandchild, him
shooting another person, and all the guilt that he carries along side those
memories. We spent approximately 7 hours speaking with this man about life and
the Lord.
I am not sure
of the impact that we had on the lives of each of these people but I know that
we shared Christ’s love and that we planted a seed of hope.
