GREAT NEWS!!!
I am nearly fully supported, and so THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP!!!
But I just found out that my friend Jon is not doing well with his support raising even though he is working hard on figuring out how to get the funds in.
So here is his picture. He is the awesome guy mixing the paint. I owe a lot to Jon because of his devotion to God and devotion to me this month as you’ll see in this blog.
So if you feel the need or desire to donate to Jon’s trip please click on this link. Or his picture above. SUPPORT JON!!
It was late Tuesday night last week when Simone, Miranda, and I were having an impromptu talk of how we were feeling about our ministry this month.
We were satisfied with digging ditches and pulling weeds, but at the same point, we knew that we had a lot more to give, and it was time to step up our game. If we leap, God will catch us.
It was at that point when Jon came up to me and said, “Alright bro, if you mean it, lets go 110% for the rest of the month.”
Cardboard testimonies are a unique idea. You go to a place with lots of people, and hold up a cardboard sign that has one word written on it that reflects something in your life that you have struggled with. This word should be personal, thought provoking, and ideally something that other people can relate to. Then on the other side of the board you write a word that describes your life with Christ.
It was sweet. We were able to talk for 30 minutes. She walked away still pagan. I walked away still Christian. We both had smiles, and I was able to share the love of Jesus Christ. It is up for us to spread the message, and God to do the work. I don’t know what people thought of us, I don’t care. God said go, we went.
oh crap.
1) I realized that if I say something, I got to do it.
2) I don’t mind going 110% in service projects, but talking to random people…ehh not so much.
3) Jon was kicking my butt by his ‘let’s go do this attitude,’ but I wasn’t going to let him show me up (good attitude right?, oh well whatever works) *deep breath* “OK I can do this.”
AND WE’RE OFF. Cardboard time.
Cardboard testimonies are a unique idea. You go to a place with lots of people, and hold up a cardboard sign that has one word written on it that reflects something in your life that you have struggled with. This word should be personal, thought provoking, and ideally something that other people can relate to. Then on the other side of the board you write a word that describes your life with Christ.
For example my life could be characterized by the word “GUILT.” For several years, I was a struggled with feeling guilty about sin issues or not being “good enough.” But then I realized that life isn’t about being GOOD ENOUGH its about being FORGIVEN by the love of CHRIST. And so on the other side of my board was the word FORGIVEN.
Jon and I didn’t exactly know where we should be holding up our signs to people, we just new we were supposed to go. So we just went to the center of the mall and held up our signs. Man it sucked. People gave us dirty looks, they wouldn’t talk us. I would smile and they would look away. But I knew that I was supposed to be there, and even though it was difficult, God wanted me to stay.
~~~~~~~~~~~Then I discovered how God started working in mysterious ways~~~~~~~~~~~~
After 30 minutes of humiliation with no conversations, I decided I wasn’t going to give up, and was going to stay as long as God wanted me there.
No joke, three seconds after that moment I got approached by a security guard. He brought me up to his office, told me how I wasn’t allowed to sell things without a permit. I explained how I wasn’t selling anything, I was just talking to people, he said he appreciated my kindness, but I had to leave the premises or buy something. Well I didn’t have any money, so I found Jon who had just as little success, and we left.
PROBLEM– We know we are supposed to keep going, but we just got kicked out. We prayed, asked God what to do, and as we were walking out of the mall, we saw a bus stop that was more crowded than where it was inside. There was a nice giant tree giving off shade, and tons of kids getting off from school. We turned to each other, smiled, and started telling 
people about Jesus.
people about Jesus.God’s Solution- Trust and Obey! We knew God wanted us to share HIS WORD, we just didn’t know where. But we had to get out there and just DO IT. We spent an hour in the wrong spot experiencing rejection, but it was good cause God tested our hearts and moved us when we were ready to go.
NOW FOR THE AWESOME PART
The streets were incredible. Kids from high school were open to having conversation, random walker-by-ers would ask us questions, and we were able to have fun with people. We went there every day from 3-5pm, and actually made some really good relationships to the point people would get off the bus looking for us to talk.
It was fun. One day we just bought popsicles and passed them out. I asked a lady if she and her kids would like a popsicle she replied “We are pagans, and began to walk away.” I replied, “Well even pagans like popsicles”
She was completely puzzled. This stranger wasn’t trying to argue her, he wasn’t trying to sell anything. As she stopped and stared at me, I just smiled and said, “Hey, Jesus has forgiven me and given me joy. If you want I would love to talk, if not we have strawberry and bubblegum flavors.”
It was sweet. We were able to talk for 30 minutes. She walked away still pagan. I walked away still Christian. We both had smiles, and I was able to share the love of Jesus Christ. It is up for us to spread the message, and God to do the work. I don’t know what people thought of us, I don’t care. God said go, we went.
Cardboard has never been so cool.
