Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

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My team, Trumpets of One, planned to spend the night with the homeless and feed them dinner. One of the other World Race teams, Wrecked, had already begun 24 hour prayer earlier that day in the park. We couldn’t have imagined what would take place that night…
                                                                
                                                   Dance party drew people to the park so we could talk with them.

It was like any other night. The sun had set and a cool breeze swept over the beach. People from all over the world sat in groups talking and having a good time. I could hear a million languages from every direction a little German here, a little Swedish there. I sat on the grass and started to “people watch” as I prayed. I asked God, “Who do you want me to talk to?” This month we were suppose focus on listening to God’s voice and be obedient, but I heard nothing. I saw a girl drunk and stumbling around. “Her, God should I talk with her?” Nothing. “Maybe those guys over there?”…nothing. 

Then Michelle sat down beside me and gave me some encouragement. Suddenly, I felt bold and something inside urging me to get up and start walking. The rest of the team was ready to go so we headed to the park where the homeless were.
 

When we got there I scoped out the area. I saw Wrecked at the picnic table talking with a man named Muhammad. There was a group of drunk homeless men sitting on the ground near by arguing about cigarettes and beer. Then I saw a man and a woman in their 20s talking with Jedediah (a World Racer). Even though it would have been easier for me to fade into the background at the picnic table I felt like God wanted me to talk to the people with Jed.

 
I introduced myself and they were suprisingly interested in my beliefs. I don’t know if I’ve ever had such a deep spiritual conversation with strangers in my life. I sat talking with Jerome and Haylie for a long time. (They weren’t homeless they were just waiting in the park with Muhammad for his bus at 2 in the morning.)

Jerome’s father and mother aren’t Christians, but his mother used to be. He told us that his sister was deaf and his mother prayed for her healing. Even though his sister was healed his family still didn’t believe it was God. Jerome believes there’s a higher power of some kind, but doesn’t believe that Jesus is the Savior.He thinks that being a good person is enough. I told him it’s not about works and there’s nothing you can do to deserve eternal life, but he didn’t agree. 

 
                                                               

                                                            Amanda, Ricki, Me, and Jonathan in the Rails park

Later that night we met a guy named Tarus. Tarus ate a few of our peanut butter sandwiches we made for the homeless and sat down at the table for a chat with Danny and I. Our conversation started like any normal conversation, but quickly escalated. Tarus had read up on various religions and seemed to be very confident in his beliefs. He told us that everyone is God and that God wants us to worship ourselves. He talked about aliens and dead sea scripts. Tarus said the Bible wasn’t true and that he might be Jesus. He said, “After all I like red wine,” as he drank it from his plastic cup.

Tarus believes you have to work to get to heaven and that there are different levels of heaven. He kept repeating, “You have to work, work, work and work some more if you want to get to heaven.” The conversation was going around in circles. Tarus was almost to the point of yelling to silence us. He had an evil look in his eyes as he spewed filthy lies out of his mouth with every word he spoke. I became uneasy as he glared at us and slandered the name of Jesus. Chills ran through my body. Thank goodness Danny was there. Danny started quoting scripture about who God is. God’s the way, the truth, the life. God’s all powerful, holy, blameless, the one and only God…I started praying hard core. I don’t know if there was a demon in him or not, but I‘ve never felt so strongly that I was in the presence of evil.

Tarus got up from the table and the more Danny spoke truth about God the more Tarus backed up from the table. He finally left and we had many more great conversations with other homeless people.

That was an unforgettable, uncomfortable, unexpected, crazy, wonderful night. This is just a little snapshot of the ministries on the World Race and there’s more crazy experiences to come.

Other ministries in Australia:
Partnered with YWAM and Eastgate Church:
Free bbq, volleyball tourneys, street evangelism, building relationships, painted the youth center, etc