I would just like to preface by just stating how good God is.  He is the ultimate provider, and we really should not worry, b/c he knows exactly what’s going down.

Now, onto my recap of what happened to me on the streets of Daytona Easter Sunday night:

We rolled into the church at about 9:30ish, and we made our way downtown.  Me and Justin wanted a change of scenery, so we decided to go down where the clubs were.

The weather was pretty windy and slightly chilly, and there weren’t many people out.

The first conversation we got into went a little like this:

Man (M): You guys look like you’re up to no good.

Justin (J): Really? Why do you say that?

M: Well, you’re just walking around, sort of like me.  And I can tell that you’re up to no good.

So we talked to him a bit more, and eventually he got to the point:

M: Hey, I need some money for a bus fare.  Would you be able to help a brother out?

J: How much do you need?

At this point, Justin was looking to me a lot, b/c he didn’t really know what to do.  Personally, I never give out cash.  I will buy food or clothing or anything in person, but I will absolutely never hand out cold cash.  So I asked him where he was going and where he needed to be and where I could get a ticket for him.  He was vague, and changed his answers a couple times.  Once he realized we weren’t going to just dish out the money, he just left.  He didn’t even want to keep talking to us.

As we continued on, we spotted a homeless lady and told her about sunsplash park.  She didn’t seem like she was all there, but we reminded her again of it later, and hopefully she will show up sometime this week.  Her name is Miriam, so please keep her in your prayers.

We went down by the clubs, but didn’t see anyone we would be able to start a conversation with.

So we rounded the corner back onto the main road and began to head back.  Along the way, we spotted two more homeless guys and invited them to sunsplash.  And here’s where it gets good.

They were in disbelief that we would be handing out free food.  We convinced them that there were no strings attached, and that they just needed to bring their appetites.  Brad “Harley,” one of the men, asked if we need any help.  I told him that we were alright, and we had enough people to set up and clean up.  He pushed harder though, and told me he never liked taking free stuff.  He wanted to earn his way, and work for everything he got.

At this point, I just felt my heart speeding up.  I guess that’s how the Spirit talks to me.  I got all warm in my chest b/c I knew exactly the right question to ask.

“Do you of the one thing that you can NEVER earn?”

He looked at me, paused, and with a twinkle in his eye said, “No, why don’t you tell me?”

I knew that he knew what I was talking about, but proceeded to start sharing the gospel.  I say start, b/c I got about a sentence or two out before he took over and pretty much told me exactly what I was thinking about the gospel.  And he was DEAD ON.

I’m not sure if everyone of my readers (all 3 of you, thus far) have had any interactions with homeless people, but they’re not all crazy or not quite there.  Some are, but some are very intelligent people who have just had some circumstances go against them.  Harley was the perfect example.

He knew the gospel, and I think he truly believed it.  But he had some things not go quite his way and he had fallen into some very hard addictions.  He may be homeless, but he is no different than you and me in the fact that he is a sinner, he needs Jesus and he needs to be loved.

And as I continued to talk with Harley, Justin, went over and talked to the second homeless man, Michael.  Now this was Justin’s first really good conversation, and I could tell it was going well.  After Justin broke off into his own conversation, 3 spring breakers came up and talked with Harley a bit.

They had met earlier in the week, and we soon began to talk about March Madness.  They were Wisconsin fans, and soon our basketball talk was interrupted with Harley sharing the gospel, of his own accord.  I didn’t ask him, I didn’t even mention anything remotely related to the Bible, by Harley felt convicted to share on his own.

Soon our conversation moved on to spiritual things, and I began to share with them.  It didn’t help that the 3 college students were probably drunk, if not wasted.  But they sobered up a bit by the end, and we carried on some interesting and stimulating conversation.  I may not have convinced them of anything, but I shared with them my views and what I had read in the bible, and felt that I maybe had planted some seeds that would sprout later on in their lives.

I regret to say I didn’t remember their names in the hub-bub of it all, but I ask that you pray for these college students as they continue on to Tampa tomorrow.  After talking with them, I found that they had heard the gospel message, and knew all about Jesus, but didn’t feel that they need to move beyond belief at all.  I pray that God would reveal himself in a real way to them, so that they can truly experience what the Christian life is like.

I later found out that one of the fellows had his dad had pass away 2 weeks ago.  For him, the biggest question was is there a heaven and hell, and is there truly hard proof.  I could not offer him what he asked for, but I presented him with what I felt was a legitimate question.  If there was no heaven or hell, but we lived in anticipation of one, what did we lose?  Nothing.  But if there was indeed a heaven and hell and we lived as if there were none, what did he have to lose?  Everything.  And out of the 3 he was the most wasted, but I pray that once he sobers up he will thoughtfully consider this question.

And the story isn’t over yet.

While talking with this fellow, we had a man walk by and make a double take.  He asked in a hard NY accent, “Are you guys talking about religion?”  Upon my response, he asked what we were discussing.  I told him we were talking about the authenticity of the bible, but was soon cut off by the other college guy who said we were talking about if heaven and hell were really real.

Now this just stirred up something in this NY fellow, Kyle.  And he began to pour out his heart.  We learned that he had not grown up with the gospel, but God had brought several people into his life to speak truth to him.  He knew of Jesus and what he did for us.  And although he knew, he admitted that he still stumbled.  Upon asking us about our own problems, we admitted the same.

This truly hit him hard, and he just constantly gave us respect for what we were doing out on the streets and how we were living our lives.  He said that he was about to go to the club, and he felt that God had sent us to him to speak to him.  And he told us of how he had had these “3 page books” handed to him in NYC, and how some people would throw them away, but he always read them.  Although I had some tracts in my pocket, I didn’t think to give him one, but Justin, who was sitting beside me at the point, handed him one.  His face instantly lit up and said, “That’s it!  Stuff like that!”  He promised that he would later read it.  Although he is heading back to NY tomorrow afternoon, he said me might be able to stop by.

Please pray for Kyle in this important time in his life.  I feel that God explicitly send us out for him.  And even if I don’t see him later this week, I hope to see him again in heaven.

At this time me and Justin began to head back to the vans.  Justin expressed how amazing these conversations and how easy it came to him.  At the end, we didn’t even have to move, people were coming up to us to talk.  And for me, it was just so great so see God work in ridiculous ways.  Ways that I could never being to imagine.  I’m also encouraged b/c there were Justin’s first real conversations, and just to see him so excited was just so great.

Please pray that this fire will continue the rest of the week, and so that other members can feel the same joy and excitement Justin did.