#7 The Art Fair 10/11/08

The OV Community Beach was the site of an annual Art Fair on Saturday. When I showed up about 1pm the place was packed. I got excited thinking how many people would hear the Gospel read to them. The day was absolutely gorgeous, but really windy. I read for about an hour before ending the session. A couple of folks approached me and took some literature, but nothing outwardly eventful took place. I say 'outwardly' because I'll never know who is listening to the Words as they walk by and what impact they may have on them.

As I was walking around checking out the art work, I ran into Yvette and Juan - the couple from Chicago that I took to the homeless shelter last week. They were doing great! Juan was working and both of them had qualified for food stamps. They had gotten bus passes and were hoping to save some money to buy a car. The only bummer was that Yvette had lost her ID card and would probably have to return to Illinois to get another one. As we were talking, Juan suddenly dropped his back pack and began running towards the bath house yelling something about his wallet. Unfortunately, he had set his wallet on a top ledge in the men's restroom and had forgotten it. Of course, it was gone by the time he returned. Along with the $24 he had, his ID, Social Security card and bus pass were gone. Distraught is a lame word to describe how he felt. We searched all the trash cans in the area, thinking that maybe someone took the money and tossed the wallet. We prayed for help but after an hour of searching with no luck, I gave them the last $8 I had for bus fare and took Yvette to the bus stop while Juan went to see his son. Please pray for them. I will check on them this week.

I spoke with George over the weekend (the Security Guard) and he's doing OK. He starts a new job this week. Please pray for him, too. Have a great week and God Bless all of you!

#6 Suicide, Police, Yvette & Juan 10/4/08

Another gorgeous Saturday at the OV Community Boardwalk! Lots of people walking around - and I was reading God's Word out loud to all the passersby. I am so blessed! A group of 'beach guys' was hanging out at the bench not too far from where I was set up. You know the kind; tall, tan, fit, and trim - guys that hang out a LOT at the beach. After a bit one of them came over and yelled out to me, "Read Psalm 24." I asked if that was a favorite verse of his. He said "Yeah" and tried quoting some of the 23rd Psalm - "yay, though I walk through the valley . . ." and couldn't remember it. I recognized what he meant and read it out for him, along with the 24th Psalm for good measure. Then I turned to the Gospel of John and he came over to me and asked if he could read some, too. I said, "Sure", handed him my Bible and stepped down from my stool. I told him to get up on the stool and he said, "No, I've been drinking." Well, I didn't quite know what to do so I just prayed for him while he read a few passages. After a moment, one of his buddies came over and also asked to read. He, too, had been drinking but somehow it seemed like this was supposed to be happening – that it was God-directed. After the friend finished, they told me what was going on.

Sadly, one of their good friends and a member of the 'beach guys' club had committed suicide the night before and all his friends were gathered together mourning him. I felt so bad for them as they shared their loss with me. No wonder they wanted to read God's Word - they wanted some comfort and peace! After a bit they walked back to their friends and down the boardwalk. I pray they'll draw near to God during this very tough time.

After about 30 minutes, a well-dressed man came over and blessed me and put some money in my tract display and kept on walking. I yelled 'thank you and God Bless you' and kept on reading. Turns out it was $20! Well, I thought, God's got something in mind today. On occasion, I seem to be a conduit for money. At one point, a police car came rolling down the boardwalk and stopped right in front of me. I got down and offered them a Pocket Guide. They refused and said they just wanted to listen to me. So, I continued where I was and after a bit they yelled "Good bye" and drove off.

I was there about an hour when Robert came by - the young man who got saved a couple weeks ago and is a junior policeman. He was hungry and I had $2 that someone had donated and I gave it to him. He was tickled and went to get a burger. I thought about giving him the $20 bill I had gotten earlier, but God didn't prompt me to. I'm glad I was paying attention.

When I finished, I hung out at the beach for about an hour and just soaked up the sun and the water and just the magnificence of the day. As I was leaving, I was stopped by a small woman who had a story to tell: Her name was Yvette and she and her boyfriend Juan had come from Chicago in search of a better life. They had run out of money and had nowhere to stay. I called the Union Mission in downtown Norfolk and they asked to speak to Yvette. They asked her a few questions, said they had one bed left on the women’s side and that she could have it. On the men’s side, they had plenty of open beds so Juan would get one. They asked me if I could bring them down and I told them I’d be delighted to. As we drove down to the Mission, they told me more about their trip from Chicago and what they had encountered since they arrived here. Seems they were living in a small motel and Juan was working for the motel. But, after a full 12 hours of work, they didn’t give him any money – just allowed him and Yvette to stay in a room. Then I remembered the $20 bill and realized it was meant for them. They were so grateful! We got to the Mission and they checked in – relieved that they weren’t going to be sleeping on the streets and anxious to get a meal. Please pray for them . . .

It would appear that God is putting me in a position to help some of the homeless people I am encountering at the Community Beach – and there are more than a few. I believe He wants me to do some volunteer work with the Mission which I will be inquiring about later this week. Pray for me as I expand this ministry from reading the Life-Saving Gospel of Jesus Christ to helping meet some people’s physical needs. God Bless!