New Orleans

Hey ya’ll, Greetings from Alabama!

We are venturing into our second week of this tour and I must say that is has been road quickly traveled for me. God has been working deep within my heart, especially these last couple of days as I have struggled in seeing the people I witness to as more than mere mortals. My fears and insecurities, I have come to realize, are hindering me from loving them. In every place visited, I only asked the question of the day and never went further with the opportunity to speak with them about the gospel. However, there was one person I spoke with in Oklahoma City. We went back and forth on our beliefs, mostly he led but I tried hard to direct the conversation toward the gospel and get his own beliefs instead of that from History Channel or what he heard from friends. Mostly the conversation was superficial, never going anywhere within meaning. And what was worse, I walked away not really giving the man an idea of our Lord Jesus Christ or a reason for the hope that is in me. What a foolish thing! I was afraid and felt insufficient because I could not give an adequate response to what he said or asked.

In our long hours of driving from place to place, I journaled and prayed fervently that God give me eyes that I may see what He sees. Furthermore, I finally just put all my faith and trust in God’s promises. If I am confident in God, as insufficient that I am, I know the Holy Spirit will guide me in my conversations with people, His people whom He loves dearly.

With all this written upon the tablets of my heart, I drove into New Orleans with a new heart and a renewed faith grounded in truths.

In New Orleans I still failed in witnessing to everyone I met, which grieves me considering I knew they were people of divine appointments, but the people whom I did speak with touched me, especially one in particular. His name was Mr.M and he happened to be a tarot card reader. The question was, “What is the biggest problem man faces?”
He said the biggest problem was finding one’s soul mate. The answer confused me because it is definitely not an answer I have ever heard before. How the conversation went is a little vague to me. I recall him telling us he was a pantheist. He continued to tell us about what he thought “God” was and how “God” worked. Alex and I countered what he said with scripture and tried to line his ideas and character according to the scriptures, but to no avail. I soon realized what his main issue was. He claimed to grow up as a faithful Catholic/Protestant. He had a wife and lost her, due to what I do not know. He said he couldn’t believe in a God who would take his wife away, whom he loved so much-thus his response to our question. I concluded that being a pantheist was easier for him to accept his wife’s death. I quoted to him Romans 8:28, “As we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, who are the called according to His purpose.” At that moment, Mr.M walked away. He wasn’t willing to hear the gospel, but I know that God is still working in Mr.M’s heart and I pray that he remembers a good God, the one true God that is faithful, loving, and never forsaking those who put their faith in Him.

If there is one thing that I constantly being reminded of is God’s love for all these people. If they are still alive then God is gracing them with time to receive Jesus and to have eternal life with Him. These men and women are eternal, immortalized after death. If we aren’t living to our calling, then these men and women are going to be separated from God for eternity. Our team and all brothers and sisters in Christ, must use their time to share Jesus and understand the power and life of the scripture and God’s hand in bringing forth the harvest of souls.