For those of you who haven’t read my previous blog, God is having me pray over every sick and disabled person I see on the street. With a city of 12 million people that’s a lot of prayer. Tonight, however, was a bit different . . .
It was around 10:30 at night and I was with three of my squadmates: Andrew, Courtney, and Alyssa. We decided to pray to God and ask if He wanted us to do anything. (Now this entire time I have been praying over people, I haven’t gotten anyone specific, simply the command to pray over all the sick I see without exception) Basically, I figured I would tag along with my brothers and sisters and pray over as many people I could as God directs them to a more specific destination.
So here we go…prayer time. I close my eyes and BAM, “Go to the Jazz Club” pops in my head. I’m thinking, “What…the Jazz Club? Why walk there, it is so far away. Maybe someone else will get something.” Then the prayer ends and I just decide to say, “Let’s walk to the Jazz Club, I don’t know what will happen, but let’s go.”
Walking….I usually love walking, but this was a really long walk which allowed a lot of fear entire into my mind. I’m not afraid to pray over people, but I couldn’t stop thinking why we were going to the Jazz Club? What if nothing happens….
Right then, as I was asking questions to myself, my sister Courtney says, “Hope the place we are going isn’t too expensive.” I then looked at her and said, “No, we are not going to the Jazz Club, just near it. There is a woman with her son sitting in the trash. That is where we are going, to those two.”
So, I just kept praying to God as I walked, submitting my doubt to His sovereignty and singing songs of praise. Then peace rolled over me. So much peace, and that’s when I saw what was ahead; a woman with her son sitting on cardboard next to a trash bag! We then began to talk to them, pray over them, and love on them so much. Then a man missing a leg showed up behind me and I got to explain to him how much Jesus loves him. I got to pray over the pain in his leg, and then tell him how he is not forgotten but loved, and how through Christ the kingdom of heaven is his! He then shook my hand and hugged me and smiled and laughed so much…divine joy. He really loved to put his arm around me.
As we got done praying for everyone my squadmates where stoked because what God told me came true! But then I turned around and looked at them and said, “No, that wasn’t the woman and son we where suppose to meet. It met the description, but that’s not them. This was glorious, don’t get me wrong, but this isn’t it.”
WHAT!!!! Where the crap did that come from! I just had an out! But no, I had to open my mouth again and say that we must keep going, that there is more. I’m an idiot, I could have gone home and gone to bed, but now I will look like a fool.
So we started walking again and all I could do was pray. After walking for I bit I saw them. . . the two most beautiful people I have ever seen.
A woman hauling about 8 trash bags with her little boy sitting amongst the trash is what met my eyes. I felt it, I felt it in my gut, I knew it was them. I walked straight up to the boy and heard, “Give the boy the Oreos and candy that is in your pocket.” I thought to myself, “What Oreos and candy…” but I reached in my pocket and guess what…I had cookies and candy! So I gave it to him and told him that Jesus loves him sooooo much! Then the mother saw us and I started talking to her with my squadmate Alyssa.
I kept trying to explain who Jesus is, how He told us we would find you, and how much He loves you, but the language barrier was too extreme. I laughed out loud and said, “Man I wish there was a way you could understand me!” Right then a Vietnamese girl sat down next to us and said in perfect English, “What you guys are doing is wonderful! We don’t even help these garbage people, but you foreigners are.”
God just gave us a translator! Yes!!! So Alyssa and I had this girl translate the gospel to this woman and her son. We explained who Jesus is, how much Jesus loves them, how much we love them, and we kept declaring great things over them. Then the girl translating stopped, looked at us with amazed eyes, and said, “Wow…Jesus is beautiful. This is beautiful! You two are the most beautiful people I have ever seen.”
Yes!!! The gospel is beautiful! It is so amazing what Jesus has done, does do, and will do! This Vietnamese girl heard about Jesus and her soul was blown away by the beauty of it all! This girl then joined in and started loving on this woman by carrying trash bags for her. So here we all are, Vietnamese and Americans walking down the streets with huge trash bags in hand with so much love in our hearts.
Alyssa and I then got the Vietnamese girl’s number and we are meeting up again to share more of the gospel with her and her brother! It also turns out that the little boy’s birthday is tomorrow and he is turning 4 years old. I guess that’s why I was told to give him cookies and candy!
So in the end, we left with a family knowing the love of Jesus Christ and how they are not forgotten. They know that the kingdom of God is for the poor and that there is so much hope. Also, God blessed us with a translator that has experienced the beauty of God and wants more!
God is good!
