Our day with started Bethaney’s idea for a prayer walk at our campsite.
I chose Kellie and Kristen to prayer walk with. I thanked God for all the men and women who fought to gain our independence as a nation. We can worship freely and the squad did last night at the pavillion!
We not only prayed for the campers but prayed with a couple!
Then we had our all squad devo time led by our coach, Randy Shaw. He was talking about the “God who sees (El Roi)” when Susan came out of her camper next to us. We got to talking to her and then her husband comes out. We get the chance to pray with them before they left for the day.
We had team debriefs and then all of us went for a few hour visit to Manitou Springs.
As we all unloaded out the van, “K” walks up and asks “What is World Race America?” He read our logo on the side of the van. I walked to tell him. Then another girl comes up and asks the same question. “K” said he liked “Fear God and live” sweatshirt and then introduced me to their friends.
One was “C.” He liked my sweatshirt too. Eva, from the squad, joined me. He told me our eyes shined and mine especially like I was focused. I asked if he was a Christian and he said “spiritual”….all roads lead to God….it’s like everyone I have shared the gospel with in Colorado has said the same thing….tell me culture doesn’t affect beliefs.
I shared with him that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and that no one goes to the Father except through Him. Eva shared with him too. Then towards the end of our time, he said “I feel my energy getting high” so I am going to go in the van. (His van)
I imagine the pressure he described was the Word of God piercing past bone and marrow. They might like your sweatshirt and see you shining, but encourage them to exclusively worship God and all bets are off.
Next, it was pouring down rain and Eva and I walked to an art market. We asked to stand under a tent to stay out of the rain. “L” said we could and I asked God “Should I share with her?” And I heard (something like) “Yes, I care about her faith.”
“L” also said she was spiritual but we eventually found out she was Jewish. She was pregnant for the first time and told us she had started reading the Bible to know the why behind the rules.
I shared about Jesus with her. Encouraged her that her name meant “Consecrated to God.” She told us her new baby’s name and I asked if we could pray over her. She said yes and joyfully was agreeing as I prayed to Jesus the Messiah.
Next, I walked by another tent and heard “Stop and talk to him.” So I stopped with Eva at a chair pillow massager tent. “T” was working. He has just moved here and was helping with his brother’s business that he started after being hurt in Iraq in the military and having 30+ surgeries. I noticed his brother’s backpack with “infidel” on it and asked if I am supposed to talk to his brother? I heard “No, you are here for “T.”
Ends up “T” became a believer after his pastor let him live with him. He joyfully showed us his sister getting baptized today from a picture on his phone. We invited him to our small group on Thursday and church on Sunday. He was eager for community, you could tell.
His brother said he didn’t have any faith. When I asked “Was it the event that caused the 30 + surgeries that made you think ‘Why did God let this happen?” He said he didn’t want to talk about it.
It’s amazing how God saw “C” who thought he knew all the ways to God but was shaken that we were sharing a more exclusive narrow road. Then God wants us to share with a Jewish soon to be momma that is searching for truth. Then God leads us to a believer that just moved here….that needs Christian community!
In the evening, we ate dinner together back at the campsite and had deep discussions and laughs, then had worship in public. We invited a family of a mother, daughter and her children…..to our squad’s worship outside the pavilion right next to everyone’s RVS, etc.
I walked with the oldest teenage boy from our campsite (Ryan had invited him to our dinner) to the pavilion for worship. He told me he wanted to be a pastor. I talked with more of the family before worship. The teenage daughter got saved at 10 years old. Her grandma told me she had pictures on that day. I encouraged the grandma that she is doing exactly what God wants us to do in sharing about Jesus with her grandkids.
Ryan stopped us while we were worshipping to see if we could pray for this family. That the teenage daughter wants to be a missionary. Ryan was excited of all the generations represented in them and how this is revival.
We prayed and I knelt down to pray over first the girl who wants to be a missionary. I felt the Lord say to “pray the armor (Eph 6) over her”. She wept as we prayed.
Then I prayed over the grandma, then over the eldest grandson.
We then worshipped to “Blessing” by Kari Jobe and stood in a circle as we declared this song, me personally singing it over the family we just met.
It was amazing. The Lord reminded me during worship that HE is the reason we are free. We capped our worship with “God bless America” and I heard His still small voice say “I have.” I sense the issue is, like the Israelites, we entered the land and got blessed and forgot about our God who did it.
After worship, I walked back with Rebekah to the camper. Then thought to ask if the eldest son had a Bible. He didn’t, so I gave him one….he’ll need that to be a preacher:) I also gave one for his soon to be missionary sister. I had Dawnette give them to them as I crashed. We live a full life here in America.
10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. 11 Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15 He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. 16 He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. 17 You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” 18 But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
19 If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. 20 Like the nations the Lord destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the Lord your God. (Deut 8)
