Weekly "Fishing" Report (04-13-08)
Street fishing on Saturday was a good time. There was some type of "murder mystery" contest going on downtown where people would register and then go from business to business gathering clues. Some cast members were also dressed in costume and outside on the sidewalk where they'd talk to people in-character. Though we hadn't planned it in advance with Dave, Darrin and I wearing our black Fishin-Fools shirts and passing out What If? tracts it must have looked like we had something to do with the event. People readily took the tracts and often even said "thank-you". Rarely have tracts gone out so easily. We went through 250-300 that afternoon.
One of the kids that hangs out downtown
put a tract on her skateboard.
We came across Amber and Ashley with some of their friends. I first talked with these girls over two years ago and have been able to continue sharing tracts and other things with them. They wave and say "hi" when they see our team. Once or twice, Ashely has told some of the teens to pay attention and listen to me as she passed by while I was in a one-2-one. The two of them have also told me they've gone to my website to listen back over the MP3 from that first witnessing encounter, so I've in effect been able to share the gospel with them all over again. (Click here for the audio.) Amber had her skateboard sitting beside her and I noticed she had one of the What If? tracts glued to the bottom of it. It was tattered and worn, so I gave her and Ashley some new ones. One of the guys with them saw the tracts and asked for one himself. As I said, the gospel tracts went out very easily that day.
The most amazing encounter came as we passed the Dutch Bros coffee house. As usual, there was a bunch of young people hanging out on the patio and in the parking lot. I made a pass through them to give out some tracts. A girl at one table said she'd already gotten a What If? tract, so I showed her the Curved Illusion cards. The group at the table all took some. As we were leaving, a guy called out and came after us. He wore a black t-shirt, with big spacers in his earlobes, a nose ring and closely shave head. However, when he caught up to us he asked if we knew where he could get a Bible. You just can't judge a book by its cover. His name is Matt. He at one time felt close to God but has since fallen hard into drugs and alcohol. He's fighting to be free and is seeking God but the Bible he had fell into some water and he can't even turn the pages now. I gave him a Gospel of John that I had with me and also my card. I asked him to call me and since I'm off work on Monday I'd make it a point to get a Bible to him. He said he'd call and that I could usually find him just hanging out there at Dutch Bros.
When we left, we headed over to see if I might have a New Testament in my car. However, after just a block or so I changed my mind and told the guys I wanted to just go down to the Evangel's Christian bookstore and buy a Bible for Matt. The store was only a few blocks away and I wanted to put it in his hands as soon as possible. After buying the Bible we scooted back up to Dutch Bros, but I was disappointed to find that Matt had already left. All I could do was trust to the fact I told him to call me since I'd have a Bible for him on Monday, and I prayed God would bring him back across my path.
Cut to Monday. I headed out to run some errands and since I'd be walking downtown I put the Bible in my pocket, hoping I might come across Matt. I made a point to pass by Dutch Bros, even though it was only 11am and I didn't expect to find him there. However, there he was sitting by himself on the patio. I gave him the Bible and he was really appreciative. Since he was alone, he was able to be more open and talk this time. Just two weeks ago, he'd had a radical blue and green moh awk and seven more piercings in his face. He was trying to clean up and tone it down. He's seeing a probation officer of some sort and was honest in telling them that they'd be disappointed with finding alcohol and marijuana in his recent urine test. However, he says that's come a long way from where he used to be on cocaine, heroine, and other such drugs. He admits he has an alcohol dependency and he seems to recognize that God is the only one that can set him free. He was heading from there to Walmart to get a phone. He made sure that he had my number and promised to call me once he got it.
We parted ways and I headed over to the bank. After that, I stopped in at Evangel's just to see what was new. Matt was there! He was still carrying the Bible and one of the employees was helping him check on some Christian books on addiction. I said I'd help him look into some resources too, but also reminded him that he's got the best book on breaking addiction and bondage right there in the Bible. He said he understood that and commented that it was the Bible saying to honor your father and mother that had lead him to get rid of those other piercings he used to have. I got to talk with him a little bit more outside the store. I could relate with him some from my own drug use in the past. I told him how I'd gone for at least two years smoking pot where I never saw a sober day; it was how I coped back then. He said that was him with drinking. In fact, he confessed these last two days were the first he'd been sober in a long time. The most touching thing he shared was that he'd just recently cried out for God to bring someone into his life because he was about to give up ... then we met on Saturday. God is good!
Matt headed off to get a phone and called me about a half-hour later to give me his number. I told him I'd be available to perhaps meet on Mondays over coffee just to talk and go through the Bible. He's even wanting to come out on some Saturdays with us for the fellowship and to grow in God.
One of the kids that hangs out downtown
put a tract on her skateboard.
We came across Amber and Ashley with some of their friends. I first talked with these girls over two years ago and have been able to continue sharing tracts and other things with them. They wave and say "hi" when they see our team. Once or twice, Ashely has told some of the teens to pay attention and listen to me as she passed by while I was in a one-2-one. The two of them have also told me they've gone to my website to listen back over the MP3 from that first witnessing encounter, so I've in effect been able to share the gospel with them all over again. (Click here for the audio.) Amber had her skateboard sitting beside her and I noticed she had one of the What If? tracts glued to the bottom of it. It was tattered and worn, so I gave her and Ashley some new ones. One of the guys with them saw the tracts and asked for one himself. As I said, the gospel tracts went out very easily that day.
The most amazing encounter came as we passed the Dutch Bros coffee house. As usual, there was a bunch of young people hanging out on the patio and in the parking lot. I made a pass through them to give out some tracts. A girl at one table said she'd already gotten a What If? tract, so I showed her the Curved Illusion cards. The group at the table all took some. As we were leaving, a guy called out and came after us. He wore a black t-shirt, with big spacers in his earlobes, a nose ring and closely shave head. However, when he caught up to us he asked if we knew where he could get a Bible. You just can't judge a book by its cover. His name is Matt. He at one time felt close to God but has since fallen hard into drugs and alcohol. He's fighting to be free and is seeking God but the Bible he had fell into some water and he can't even turn the pages now. I gave him a Gospel of John that I had with me and also my card. I asked him to call me and since I'm off work on Monday I'd make it a point to get a Bible to him. He said he'd call and that I could usually find him just hanging out there at Dutch Bros.
When we left, we headed over to see if I might have a New Testament in my car. However, after just a block or so I changed my mind and told the guys I wanted to just go down to the Evangel's Christian bookstore and buy a Bible for Matt. The store was only a few blocks away and I wanted to put it in his hands as soon as possible. After buying the Bible we scooted back up to Dutch Bros, but I was disappointed to find that Matt had already left. All I could do was trust to the fact I told him to call me since I'd have a Bible for him on Monday, and I prayed God would bring him back across my path.
Cut to Monday. I headed out to run some errands and since I'd be walking downtown I put the Bible in my pocket, hoping I might come across Matt. I made a point to pass by Dutch Bros, even though it was only 11am and I didn't expect to find him there. However, there he was sitting by himself on the patio. I gave him the Bible and he was really appreciative. Since he was alone, he was able to be more open and talk this time. Just two weeks ago, he'd had a radical blue and green moh awk and seven more piercings in his face. He was trying to clean up and tone it down. He's seeing a probation officer of some sort and was honest in telling them that they'd be disappointed with finding alcohol and marijuana in his recent urine test. However, he says that's come a long way from where he used to be on cocaine, heroine, and other such drugs. He admits he has an alcohol dependency and he seems to recognize that God is the only one that can set him free. He was heading from there to Walmart to get a phone. He made sure that he had my number and promised to call me once he got it.
We parted ways and I headed over to the bank. After that, I stopped in at Evangel's just to see what was new. Matt was there! He was still carrying the Bible and one of the employees was helping him check on some Christian books on addiction. I said I'd help him look into some resources too, but also reminded him that he's got the best book on breaking addiction and bondage right there in the Bible. He said he understood that and commented that it was the Bible saying to honor your father and mother that had lead him to get rid of those other piercings he used to have. I got to talk with him a little bit more outside the store. I could relate with him some from my own drug use in the past. I told him how I'd gone for at least two years smoking pot where I never saw a sober day; it was how I coped back then. He said that was him with drinking. In fact, he confessed these last two days were the first he'd been sober in a long time. The most touching thing he shared was that he'd just recently cried out for God to bring someone into his life because he was about to give up ... then we met on Saturday. God is good!
Matt headed off to get a phone and called me about a half-hour later to give me his number. I told him I'd be available to perhaps meet on Mondays over coffee just to talk and go through the Bible. He's even wanting to come out on some Saturdays with us for the fellowship and to grow in God.
posted by Jim Jones at 8:15 PM
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