Listen…

   

   For training camp, we were sent as teams to listen to the Holy Spirit (“Ask The Lord” or “ATL” for short).  Some people may not know what “listening to the Holy Spirit” means, so the best way I can describe it is feeling like you have this need to do or say something that only God could have put on your heart.  After praying about it, we felt like we should go to a fountain where there were kids.  We decided that Centennial Park in Atlanta was where we felt like God was leading us.

   Team Arrow arrived at Centennial Park and broke up into three groups of two people each.  The men from Team Arrow, Dex and Phil, tried to talk to people but no one seemed very receptive so they walked around the park and across the street.  While they were walking, they saw the Atlanta Union Mission but kept walking. 

   Mary and I walked around but did not really feel like the Spirit was talking to us so we decided to find a bench (in the shade since it was 100 degrees Fahrenheit and really muggy) to pray for wisdom.  When we found an open bench in the shade, there was a young couple (Malcolm and Jackie) who were sitting at the bench next to us.  Mary began a conversation with them.  They were in Atlanta because he had been at a training camp for the Army.  This was his day off so they were spending time together. 

   As we talked, we compared camping stories since he had been camping out the past week and we had spent a night camping out under the stars.  As we continued to talk, we found more similarities.  It turns out that they attend the same Church Mary had attended when she was in College.  Also, Jackie and Mary are both teachers.  They were born and raised in Illinois where my Dad was born.  He may be transferred to a military base in my home state.  We asked if we could pray for them.  We prayed for their protection, their future, and their marriage.  Thank you to all of our troops who are willing to lay down their lives to try to keep us safe!

   While we were doing this, Rebecca and Lindsay had also been listening to the Holy Spirit.  They walked around until Rebecca felt like God was wanting them to talk to two teenagers who were sitting on some benches.  Since I do not want to spoil their blogs, please make sure to read about their “ATL” experience when they write them because God is amazing! 

  As a team, we went to lunch (the women above showing that we are Team Arrow) and talked about our experiences.  While at lunch, we felt like the Holy Spirit was telling us that we should serve as a team at some sort of mission organization that afternoon.  We tried calling two mission organizations but they were both closed since it was Saturday.  That was when Phil and Dex remembered seeing the Atlanta Union Mission sign.  We decided to walk over there and see if we could help out. 

 

   When we arrived there, we were told that they did not have anything for us to do since the Atlanta Hawks Shooting Coach Mark Price had come that morning to help paint with a group.  Then someone else said that they did have something for us to do after all.  We were brought upstairs to put together the hygiene kits (soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, etc. into a plastic bag) for each new visitor to the mission.  We were praising God with our iPod worship. 

   One of the workers from the mission, Vinny (in the white t-shirt), came and talked to us.  He thanked us for coming and told us his testimony.  It was amazing.  We were so blessed by what he said and by how the mission helps people!  He prayed for us and we prayed for him.  Another worker also came in and told us his story and prayed for us.

 

   When we went back to the park, we saw a couple of World Race squads with signs for free hugs so we talked to them.  While we were there, we met a recent Georgia Tech graduate from France named Florian.  We talked to him for awhile about the World Race and God.  We also gave him our blog information so he could stay connected with us.  We look forward to what God will do in his life.