Salvation
“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. ” Romans 10:9-10
a heart turns to jesus
There was a man named Gino. As we met we first talked small talk. Later, we asked what he likes to do. He said that he loves to read, and he especially loves this certain book. We shared oh yes we have heard of this book, but we couldn’t remember from where. As he began sharing, we remembered that it is a well-known ‘new age’ book that has many concepts of witchcraft and searching for spiritual enlightenment through various mediums that are ancient forms of witchcraft. From there, we asked about the meaning of life. He shared how he has always been on the search, but recently he has been questioning it all, and he thinks he is close to finding the truth. We shared that we are going to share a message with him that will change his life. He got really excited. As we shared the gospel with him, Gino listened with such focus. We shared it from an angle of someone who is searching for the meaning of life. As we shared the uncompromised gospel, we also talked about how following Jesus means that you renounce all other religions and spiritual beliefs and put all your trust in Jesus. We talked about what it means to follow Jesus with all our heart, what repentance looks like, how life changes when we belong to God, and the cost of following Jesus.
When we finished sharing all this. Gino did something that changed his life forever. Before we even asked if we could pray together, Gino closed his eyes, and he said, “Jesus, I choose you.” He was saying to Jesus that he chooses Him instead of all the different religions and spiritual beliefs in the world. As we continued praying, Gino prayed to Jesus, repented of his sins, renounced all new age beliefs, and made Jesus the Lord and Savior of his life. It was a beautiful moment as he was praying to God. We gifted him a Bible and in a time of discipleship, we spent time talking about God’s Word, the next steps in the faith, and more. Gino said, “Today, I prayed to Jesus for the first time and this is the first Bible I ever had.” What a joy to see lives touched by God from the inside out. God’s promise is true that when we seek Him, we will find Him. (September, 2024)
A new name
We met a man named Noland. He overheard us talking to a man about Jesus, and we then started talking with him a bit later. We asked him if he has pain in his body. He then shared yes in my heart. By the way he looked at us, it was clear that he was talking about emotional pain. We asked him to share more of his story. Noland then shared how he struggles with guilt and shame. He said that he misses his son so deeply. The problem is that he didn’t do good as a dad, and the last time he saw him was when his son was 10 years old. Noland said that now he is 16 years old, and he tried to find him in Florida to make things right, but he didn’t have his exact address. He shared how he hopes that his son is doing well, and how he just can’t help but feel so heartbroken.
We then shared with Noland how sorry we feel for the sadness he feels and that he is going through this difficult season. He said yes it has been incredibly hard and lonely. After talking some more, we shared with him that facing our own failures can cause pain in our hearts, but it's important to acknowledge, know, and be able to say where we fell short. We told him how God loves an honest heart, and God can work really well with those who humble themselves. We shared that we all have fallen short and have made mistakes. Some mistakes have bigger consequences but when looking at God we all stand in the same place. We all need forgiveness no matter how many and what big sins someone has done. Noland said how horrible he feels thinking about his son. We then shared with him that God loves his heart for his son, but that God does not want him to carry the guilt and shame about his past mistakes anymore.
We shared how when we repent and put our faith in Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we can receive God’s forgiveness. It is not earned or deserved, but it is simply grace. We shared that on this earth it is beautiful when others forgive us for our mistakes, but it is even more important that we have been forgiven by God. This forgiveness is only possible because of Jesus’ finished work on the cross. When we put our faith in Jesus, it becomes more than just knowing about forgiveness; it involves receiving it in faith. When we believe in the power of Jesus’ blood who washes us, we can be set free of guilt, shame, and condemnation. When we do, we can walk in freedom and walk in the ways of God. It is hard to walk upright and in the identity of a son or daughter when we carry the heaviness of the past. Noland said, “It is so good to hear that.” After a time of praying to Jesus, Noland said something so special.
He said, “I feel peace.” After that, we also prayed for his son, not with the burden of shame but simply as sons and daughters of God who have been forgiven by Him. As we prayed, we had on our hearts that God would call him by a new name. We asked him if this is his street name or if his parents named him that. He said that this is his birth name. Although the name can have different meanings, we then shared with him that in God’s eyes, he is not someone with no land, no home, or no place to belong. He is someone who belongs. We shared with him that he is seen by God and that we believe God would call him a name that means loved by God. We then found a name that just fit him perfectly, Amadeus, which means “lover of God” or “loved by God.” We then asked him what do you think about that name. He looked at us, and he said, “I love it.” It was so special how a smile came to his face. We then started calling him Amadeus as we kept on chatting. Before we said bye, he said, “I really love it. Thank you, I needed this.”
This was such a precious time. We are looking forward to seeing him again. Isn’t it amazing that God calls us His children when we belong to Him. He does not call us by our past, our failures, or our mistakes. He calls us His very own. What a kind and gracious Father we have. (September, 2024)
a radical encounter with JESUs
We met a 21-year-old young man named Noe. He was so young, and we wanted him to know that God sees him and there is a hope and future. As we started a conversation we got to know each other. He shared about his family and that he still lives with his parents, but he came out here. From the outside, Noe seemed to do pretty well, but we knew that he is missing the greatest gift one can have, to know Jesus. We started to talk about the way God loves him so uniquely. A love so wide, so high, and oh so deep. We shared about how Jesus showed His love to us in that He lived a perfect life. Then died on behalf of all our failures, and He overcame them all when He rose from the dead. How He took upon Himself all of our guilt and all of our shame, and He conquered it all through his death and resurrection. What greatest love God has shown to us. We shared with Noe that God truly sees and knows him. He doesn’t just know his story, but He also knows him to the core. As we were talking more about God’s thoughts towards him, the gospel, and what it means to become a follower of Christ, Noe said something that would change his life. He said, “I want this. I want Jesus in my heart.”
In a time of prayer, Noe called upon Jesus. He told Jesus how sorry he is for his unbelief and all his mistakes. He asked God to forgive him and give him a new life. Noe made Jesus his Savior and Lord that day for the first time in his life. When we opened our eyes, we saw tears rolling down his face dropping to the ground. We asked him how he is feeling. Noe said, “I feel such love.” We then started praying for him asking the Holy Spirit to fill His son with His power. As we prayed for this, Noe started to manifest under the oppression of darkness. We asked him if he wants to be free, and he said yes. As we declared freedom over him in the name of Jesus and all darkness to flee from him, the fight was clearly visible from the outside. But just a bit later Noe received freedom from Jesus. Noe opened his eyes, and he said, “I feel such joy and I feel such peace.” At that moment, more tears began rolling down his cheeks. It was a powerful time where Jesus touched and changed Noe’s life.
Just at that time when we were about to do our discipleship session, another young man who had tried to disturb us before came to us very angry and told Noe to come now. The man pulled Noe, but Noe said, “I can not come, I need to do this. I now have Jesus. I want to stay with them.” The man became even angrier, and soon we were unsure if he would try to harm us, but thankfully he went on his way. We were so moved by how Noe took a stance for Jesus right after he received salvation. In a time of reading the Bible and talking about important next steps in the faith, Noe asked questions. We talked for a while, and Noe said multiple times how thankful he is for what just happened to him. He shared that he does not like crying, but he could feel how true it all is. As we continued the conversation, another man who was watching us came asking what is happening. Then Noe took the Bible we gifted him showing it to the other man sharing about Jesus and how he needs Jesus too. Isn’t it amazing how such a young man had a radical encounter with God. He was set free from darkness, and He experienced the love that can only be found in Jesus. What a gift it is when God’s love becomes so tangible that hearts and eyes are opened to see who He truly is. (September, 2024)
sowing seeds & a life changed by jesus
We met a man named Rick. We were walking around, and we saw him limping and in much pain. We asked him what happened. He shared with us that just three days ago he was attacked by a bulldog. After he was attacked, the owner and the bulldog ran away to avoid any consequences. He said that he was in the hospital for three days until they released him. After that, the hospital paid for a taxi to drop him off again at the same place where he slept on the sidewalk since he was experiencing homelessness.
He shared with us how angry he is about all the injustice. He was angry that the woman and her bulldog ran away and got away with this. He was angry that the hospital didn’t let him stay longer because he can’t even walk on it. He was angry that the hospital didn’t give him any pain medication to take with him. He was angry that the hospital didn’t pay for a hotel, but instead just dropped him off back on the streets.
While we were chatting with Rick, it also seemed that he was angry at us although we just met. We shared with him how sorry we are that he had to go through all of this and continued the conversation. We asked if we can pray for his leg. He said sure, but I don’t really believe in God. We asked if he can show us the wound. He lifted his left pant leg. We saw that it was a large wound on his left thigh. When we saw what a serious injury it was, we were concerned about the risk of infection. We shared that it can be life-threatening if that wound gets infected and is not cared for properly. We prayed for his leg and offered him some resource connections. After that, we started sharing the gospel, and he said, “All due respect but I don’t really want to hear about it.” We said that it is no problem, and we asked him to please not forget how much Jesus loves him and that God has open arms for him.
One week later we saw Rick again. We asked him how his leg was doing. He lifted his pant leg, and he showed us the wound. The wound was severely infected. We told him that he needs to go visit a doctor right away. He said that he doesn’t want to go. We asked if we can pray together. He said sure. After praying he shared ok maybe he will go to a doctor. We wanted to share the gospel with him, and he listened. When we asked him if he wants to give his life to Jesus and follow Him, he said, “No, I am not ready for that type of thing.” We shared more about God’s love towards him, and we talked about some next-step options, and we went our way.
The next time we saw him was now about four or five months later. We were really excited to see him. As soon as he saw us, he showed us his leg. We could still see the entire scar, but it healed perfectly. We shared wow, remember when we prayed for it. Rick shared I don’t really understand, but I really think it made a difference. We shared yeah it is hard to know because it wasn’t an immediate healing, but it is incredible how well it healed’ all I see is a scar, and it looked really good.
We then shared the gospel with Rick. This time, he listened very carefully. After we finished sharing the gospel, Rick shared that he wants to make Jesus the Lord and Savior of His life. As he repented of His sins and called upon the name of Jesus, it was so touching how God was moving. Even others who were passing on the sidewalk stopped to watch what was happening. After the prayer, Rick smiled and said, “I feel really good, blessed, and I feel peace.” We told him that he is now a new creation in Christ Jesus. We then spent a time of discipleship where we gifted him a bible, read a passage together, showed him how to use the audio bible on his downloaded phone app, and other such things. As we read scripture together, it was so beautiful to see Rick learning about His Word. He asked us important questions, and he was receiving revelation from the Lord.
Before we left, Rick expressed his gratitude, saying, “I am so happy I am now a Christian.” He shared how crazy it is that it took him his whole life of being lost to now come to Jesus. We laughed as we talked about how God used the bulldog bite to bring us together, and how without the bite we would probably never have met each other. We shared how glad we are that we met him and what God is doing in His life. Rick was so touched by everything that happened, holding his new Bible close to his chest. It was so touching how God was moving in Rick’s heart in such a beautiful way and that his journey with Christ had only just begun. (August, 2024)
LOST SON COMES TO JESUS & DISCIPLESHIP
There was a man named Issay. We met him for the first time a while back. After multiple months, we saw him again. We were talking with someone in front of his tent, and he was watching and listening the entire time. He heard how we shared the gospel with the other person. Issay also witnessed how the person outside of his tent was fully healed by Jesus. We noticed how he was peeking out of his tent and watching us. We thought that we might try to spend some time with him after.
A bit later that afternoon, we sat down to Issay. We asked him what he was thinking regarding what happened earlier. He said it is pretty crazy that this guy got healed since he also knew him. We then talked about other things such as a little about our story and then his story. He shared that he has not seen his family in a long time, and they don’t know where he is. Issay from the outside seemed as if he is doing pretty good, although he was living on the streets, but the more time we spent with him, the more his heart opened. And he like many others have been broken and hurt. He has been dealing with rejection and feelings of abandonment. We shared with him how deeply loved he is by Jesus. That God is much bigger than his questions and his experiences. Issay then shared that he believes in a higher power or a form of a god. Although we knew that he heard us share the gospel sometime before with someone in front of his tent, we now shared with him the greatest message, the gospel. We shared it from a lens of someone who feels abandoned and unwanted.
We shared with him that because of sin we all would have deserved to be rejected by God, but out of God’s great love He did not want to abandon us. He wanted us to be close to Him. For that Jesus, the Son of God, came for us while we were yet sinners. He died in our place. He took all our guilt and shame upon Himself. He rose again. Jesus is alive. With the work Jesus did for us, He defined our price. He set the price for our lives the highest He could. That is how much value we have to God. What a loving Father. After we shared some more and spent more time with Issay, we asked if he is open to pray together. He said yes. In that time, we just told him to close his eyes for God wants to reveal Himself to him. We spoke God’s truth over him, and we just kept on saying, "Thank you God for loving Issay. "
That day Issay, a lost and broken son, came into the loving arms of God. He changed his belief from thinking there might be some kind of God to believing in the God of the Bible. He also came to the revelation that Jesus is the only way to the Father. When someone puts their faith in Jesus and surrenders, it is truly life-changing. That day, Issay received Jesus as Savior and Lord. What a joy. We then spent our first time of discipleship where we talked about topics such as forgiveness and how to take steps with Jesus to live a life for His glory. We read the Bible together and talked about how to grow in the faith. We can only imagine the joy Jesus has when a lost sheep is found by Him. That day Issay turned away from rejection and received acceptance from our heavenly Father. A love and acceptance that only God can give. (July, 2024)
MANY SEEDS SOWN & SALVATION
We met a man named Tony. The first time we met him, he said I like talking with you guys. At one point, Tony started talking about something really hard, and we asked if we can pray together. He said. “No, I don’t do prayer that is not for me.” Then he would shut down the conversation and sit pretty quietly until we left. A few times later, we would chat about something ordinary, and as soon as we started talking about God he would say something like “No, I don’t talk about God.” Something throughout over a year, this would happen about 12 times. He would also often see or overhear what we talked about with others on the streets.
This month, when we saw Tony, he was in a different part of town in his tent. When we sat down beside him on the sidewalk, he seemed really sensitive. We asked him about some of the people that we both knew that also lived on the streets. He started sharing some hard things that recently happened to him. Like we did so many times before, we asked can we pray together. For the first time, Tony said “Yes.”
We looked at each other, and we knew that something incredible was going to happen. As we started praying, God did something so special. Tony encountered the love of God the Father. This was such a beautiful moment.
At this time, we shared the gospel. We shared it in very much detail because we knew that listening from a place of an encounter with God allows the gospel to go to a depth that can change his life. After this, we shared about what it means to follow God, how it takes everything to follow God, and other topics like that. At one point, Tony said,“Yes, I want this, I want Jesus to save me.”At this time, we shared with him how prayer is talking to God heart to heart. As Tony prayed to God, He repented of his sins, he asked Jesus to forgive him, he spoke of how He believes in Jesus as the Son of God, and He said Jesus be my Lord.
After Tony gave his life to Jesus, he put some things from different parts of his tent into a to-go restaurant box. We knew that he was putting action behind his words. Together we walked to a trash can where Tony threw away the things that he knew were going to hold him back from following God wholeheartedly.
As we walked back to the tent, we gifted him a Bible. Together we read in the Scripture a beautiful passage from the book of John. As Tony began reading he would stop and say ‘Wow.’ He kept reading and reading. He shared how some of it he understood, and some of it he didn’t understand. He said that at the same time, he felt like he received so much while reading the Bible. It was so beautiful seeing Tony take his first steps with Jesus as he was learning how to study the Word of God. He asked us questions about the passage, and we were able to continue speaking into his life. Isn’t it so encouraging what all God can do with seeds sown. No one is too far away to be reached by Jesus. (July, 2024)
YOUNG RAPPER SAVED BY JESUS
As we were going through the streets, we saw a very young man walk by. He looked so young, so we quickly stopped him asking how he is doing. He said that his name is Yves. He said he is just walking through the streets but that he is not from here. We asked him how old he is since it concerned us that he was in this area. He said that he is 19 years old and lives in Texas but is currently traveling through. We knew that God really wanted to reveal himself to this young man. As we talked more with Yves, he shared that he has dreams such as he hopes to make it as a rapper, but he does wonder about the meaning of life. He said that it does feel a little like he is on the search.
At one point in our conversation, we started sharing with him how deeply loved he is by God and about how wonderfully God made him. We shared the gospel, and what it means to live in a close relationship with God and follow His ways. Yves looked at us and listened. When we shared more about what Jesus did for us and how He wants to give us a new life with Him and for Him, it seemed to touch Yves. He said, “I know where a church is where I live, but I never went the way with Jesus.” We asked him if he is open to pray together which he agreed. We prayed for God to reveal Himself to Yves, to show him His love in a tangible way, and we spoke God’s truth over him. Afterward, Yves shared how crazy it is that we stopped him, and he does feel like it is time to come to Jesus.
After talking more about the change of path this means, he said “Yes, I want that and need that.” He also shared that he will go to the church he knows back home. We told Yves how amazing that is because we all need other believers around us to grow in our faith. That day Yves prayed to Jesus and called upon His name. He put his faith and trust in Jesus. Yves came into the loving arms of God as a son. A son loved by God. A son seen by the Father. A son with great purpose. Yves was just traveling through, but God was just waiting to reveal Himself to him right there and then. (June, 2024)
RADICAL MUSLIM PAST TERRORIST TURNS TO JESUS
Background
There was a man named Malik. The first time we met him he had a white bandana around his head. We went up to him, and he pointed his finger at us saying I don’t want to talk to you. We said no problem, and we went further. The second time we saw Malik we greeted him saying remember me. He said no I don’t think so. We said we remember you good to see you again. After a few moments chatting we said that he reminds us of someone we know from Eastern Africa. He said yes, I am Eastern African. He said that he has only been here in San Diego for a few years. We asked more of his story, and he said it is really hard to talk about it maybe another time. We then started sharing the gospel with him, and he suddenly got very angry. He said no, Jesus is a prophet not the son of God. We shared the gospel again, and he said no I don’t want to talk to you anymore.
The third time we saw Malik, we started talking about something really funny that we saw a few minutes before. We talked for a bit and asked how his day is going. Later, we shifted to the topic of the gospel. Malik looked around to the people around him, and he said I can’t talk about this right now but another time.
Shared About His Past
The fourth time we saw Malik, he was really excited to see us. He shared with us that he has been looking for us. We were surprised. He started sharing his story. He shared how he and his sister were playing on the street in Africa. And then a radical Muslim group came by his city. He said they did terrible things to his city. And they did unspeakable things to his sister, and then they took him. He said that they forced him to become a radical. Many years later while he was working for the Muslim radical group, he said he was arrested by the US military. He was then detained and taken to the USA. There he was detained and interrogated for a long time, and since he cooperated and helped in many ways with the government after multiple years of prison time he was released. Now he was living on the streets of San Diego till he finds out what he wants to do next.
Life Changed by Jesus
After he said all of this, we shared with him how God sees every part of his story, and Jesus is waiting for him to follow Him as Savior and Lord. That Jesus is not just a prophet but the Son of God and the only way to heaven. We shared with him more about the gospel, and we asked him what his response to Jesus is. Malik then thought for a second, and he said something that would change his life. He said, “I want Jesus in my life.” He said that he knows he has to turn away from Islam if he wants to be a Christian. We kept on talking for a while, and then all of a sudden Malik asked us a serious question. He said, “Will Jesus forgive me for the terrible things I have done?” He said, “I had to do many horrible things that I regret, will Jesus forgive me for that?” We talked about how when we give our lives to Jesus and repent of our sins Jesus washes us clean from all the things of the past.
Then he said something really powerful. Malik said I now know that Allah is a false god, and I now know Jesus is the son of God. Malik said "I want to believe and pray to the God of the Bible from now on." We spent a long time praying together. It was such a touching time. During the prayer, Malik also prayed to Jesus by himself. It felt so special like a child who was talking to his father for the first time. He renounced all Islamic beliefs, and he asked Jesus to forgive him of all his sins. He made Jesus the Lord and Savior of His life. Close to the end of the prayer, Malik said Jesus “I will worship you and pray to you from now on.”
Discipleship Sessions
We have been having discipleship sessions with Malik since then. We have had sessions where we also spend some time breaking lies, how to speak the truth of God. We talked about how important it is to forgive those who have done us wrong whenever we feel unforgiveness towards them. We had multiple times where we read the Bible together, and times where we just prayed together.
It has been so touching seeing Malik learn more about Jesus and his identity as a child of God. Isn’t it amazing how a heart that was so closed off became soft. A lost son who was tangled up in so much guilt and shame over his past now forgiven by Jesus. This is the transformative power of the gospel. How beautiful when a heart is so deeply touched and changed by Jesus. (June, 2024)
a heart turns to god
We met a man named Tony. He shared that he believes in Jesus, but it turned out there was a big problem. As we continued chatting, he shared some of the encounters he had. As we listened it was very clear that Tony was speaking to spirits that were not of God. As we talked about it more, it became clear that by mistake Tony opened himself to the New Age. This deception lead him into being able to communicate with spirits and other practices that the Bible calls divination.
As he shared this, we asked if we can pray for Jesus to encounter him. He said sure. We shared the gospel message, and we spoke to him in honesty and love. Then we prayed with him. During this time something incredible happened. The spirit of conviction began to fall on Tony. First Tony began to become very emotional. He didn’t exactly know what to say. But he was experiencing the conviction of God. He said “Oh I really don’t want that. I need to get right.”
After the prayer, Tony did something life-changing. He renounced New Age beliefs. He cried out to God to forgive him for doing witchcraft and divination. He asked God to forgive him of the sins he has done and for doing things that were not of God. He repented to Jesus, and he said, "Jesus I didn’t know until now I am sorry, and Jesus now I will live for you."
We spent a while together talking about how to study the Bible and about resources on how he can grow in his faith. We talked about the next steps, and we are looking forward for him to grow in his relationship with God. It is such a gift that the Holy Spirit is our helper, and He also corrects us on this journey with God. The Bible says that God disciplines those He loves. It is true love that God corrects us when we shift from walking in His ways. He longs for all of us to know the truth and to walk in His truth as loved sons and daughters. (May, 2024)
a long awaited prayer answered - off the streets
About two years ago, we would regularly see a woman named Ruby. In the beginning she was more closed off, but over time she opened up more. Different conversations over time and gifting her with a tent and blankets helped with the relationship-building process. She would share with us that she wants to get off the streets, but she is so frustrated that she still was not able to. We would encourage her to get on the housing list and to not give up hope, and we would pray with her. We would pray together for Jesus to open up the door. Some of the other topics we talked about with her were about forgiveness. She had experienced much hurt and anger towards those that have done her wrong. Along with those things, we would often pray together for God to open a door to get off the cold pavement.
We haven’t seen Ruby for a long time. It must have been almost a year ago when we saw her the last time. This month as we were going through the area, we all of a sudden saw a familiar face. It was Ruby. She said friendly hi. Ruby looked especially put together, and we told her how great she looks. We said that we haven’t seen each other for so long, and how happy we are to see her. She then said that she still has no phone but is getting there with all the other stuff. She looked at us very excited and said that she is now off the streets. She shared that every once in a while she comes here with the bus to say hi to her friends that she has known for a long time. Ruby said that she is so thankful because she is now able to live with relatives. We were so happy, and we thanked God for answering her prayer. She smiled and said, “Thank you so much for being around here and encouraging people. It really makes a difference.” Isn’t it amazing how God works in these precious lives.
Oftentimes when a person receives healing from Jesus and surrenders to God, then we later hear stories of what else Jesus has been doing in their life. Many of them we might never hear about, but how beautiful when God lets us see how He cares for His children. For some it happens quickly, and for many others it is a process. A process worth fighting for. What a patient and kind God we have. (April, 2024)
discipleship on the streets
Some of the most special moments happen when we have times of discipleship and studying the Bible on the streets. Whenever we see individuals again that have given their lives to Jesus, we spend a time of discipleship. We read in the Bible, talk about what God is speaking to us through the Scripture, ask God about the next action steps, pray together, and encourage them on their journey with God.
In this particular discipleship session, see photo above, we had on our hearts to read about the parable of the wedding banquet out of Matthew 22. We talked about how God has opened His invitation to not only certain groups of people but to everyone. Jesus died for everyone, and His invitation is for everyone to follow Him. Yet, this world offers many distractions and worldly things that can hold someone back from coming to God. We shared that as believers we have accepted that invitation to be invited to the banquet and have eternal life. But this Scripture speaks to us. We still must make sure to not let any excuses sneak in, but we must always be ready and live fully surrendered to God. When we talked more about God and His heart for us as His people, Estefan said, “I feel so much joy, ooh I can feel God’s power so much.” Isn’t it beautiful how the Holy Spirit reveals himself to us and helps us to grow in our faith. Our relationship with God is the most important thing to have, and we want to treasure it with all that we are. (April, 2024)
turns away from buddhism & surrenders to jesus
We met a man named Jaquan. We started talking about his day, and he then shared some of his story. He said that he landed on the streets because of some bad decisions he made. When he shared, we could tell that he regretted it. We told him that no matter if we have done the worst mistakes or only done one single mistake, we all need God the same way. We need salvation from sin the same way. We shared with him how much Jesus loves him and that God has not given up on him. When others have put a stamp of failure upon him, God is inviting him to surrender at the feet of Jesus. When we shared the gospel with him, he looked into our eyes the whole time, and he just listened.
He said how nice it is that there is still hope. Jaquan said that he never really knew what to believe but some years ago he started to believe in Buddhist thoughts. He shared that it is hard to figure it out. We knew that Jaquan needed a personal revelation of Jesus. One that only the Holy Spirit can give. We asked him if he would be open to have a time of prayer where we just pray over him in Jesus’ name. He said yes, sure. He closed his eyes, and we started praying for Jaquan. We just simply invited the Holy Spirit to reveal himself to him, and we waited as we had our hands on his shoulder. We just waited. After some time, we started to pray for the love of Jesus to tangibly touch him.
When Jaquan looked up a little later, he said I feel such a peace. He said "I believes that I need to come to Jesus too." We told him that Jesus will accept him with open arms. We asked him if he is willing to repent and only follow Jesus from now on. He said yes I need to change and give my life to Him.
That day, Jaquan prayed to Jesus. He told God that he is sorry for his many bad choices, and he renounced all Buddhist beliefs. He asked Jesus to forgive him and be his Lord and Savior. It was such a special time of a lost son being found by God. What a gracious Father we have!
We then spent time declaring God’s truth over him. After talking about next steps in the faith, we gifted him a Bible and read in God’s word together. We spoke about how to hear God’s voice and how the word of God is a light to our path. Jaquan said that he will read it every day. He also shared something that shows the power of salvation so beautifully. He said, “I feel so light.” It is the lightness that comes when the burden of sin and shame is broken off. When the heavy yoke of living in the world is exchanged with the yoke that is easy and light. What a powerful God we have. He can reach any heart. No one is too lost to be found. (April, 2024)
agnostic man touched by the love of god
We were walking through the streets looking for a woman that God had encountered some days ago. We were looking for her to follow up and hear how she has been. We stopped at some tents and asked some individuals if they had seen her. When walking back, we passed a young man. We said hi, and he asked if we are looking for someone. We told him that we are looking for a woman that we prayed for some days ago, and we are wanting to check on her and see how she is doing. He said, “You are really good friends, that is so nice of you.” We told him how sweet that is, and we started talking and getting to know him.
His name was Justin, and we got to walk with him for a while. He shared that he has been on the streets for three years, and it is very scary for him. He said that the scariest thing about it though is that he has gotten so complacent with it. Justin said that in the beginning he would feel shame carrying trash bags and seeing how people would look down to him. But now, he does not feel that shame anymore as if he has no hope or strength to even think of changing. He said that this is a scary place to be.
We told Justin how God loves an honest heart, and the best place to start with God is always honesty. We found it amazing how reflective he was, and how he shared his deep feelings with us. It was as if there was trust between us from the beginning. Justin said that he has never thought about it like that before. We then shared with him how deeply God loves him and how Jesus came on this earth, died, and rose again to save us. He came offering true hope and salvation for everyone that would humble themselves before Him knowing our need of a Savior. When we realize that we can do nothing out of ourselves or save ourselves out of our mess, it is a key to start receiving from God. We shared with him that believing we do not need God is pride and pride holds people back from surrendering to God. But knowing our need for Jesus is humbling ourselves before God. Right there is where we can receive God and give our all to God. Justin listened and asked questions. Most of them were “So what does this mean” or “How does this look like.” Later Justin shared that he does not really know what he has been believing but the closest thing would be agnostic.
After talking some more, we were able to pray for his back since he had back pain. We prayed for Jesus to heal him, and Jesus removed pain. He smiled afterwards as he was testing his back saying how incredible it is that he has no more back pain. We shared more about the gospel, and Justin said something that would change his life.
Justin said that he wants to come to Jesus and be a child of God. Our hearts rejoiced. What a glorious day. Justin’s heart was so tender as he prayed to Jesus committing his life to God. He asked for forgiveness for his unbelief in the past, for his shortcomings, and he made Jesus his Savior and Lord. As we prayed for the Holy Spirit to fill him with His power, Justin smiled. He said, “I feel relieved.” The relief that comes when shame, guilt, and condemnation is washed away by the blood of Jesus. The relief that comes when a son is made new from the inside out. In our time of discipleship and talking about God’s word, Justin said that he now feels hope to believe for his life to change. He feels strength to take steps in order to see his life turn around. What a day of celebration. We hugged him, and we celebrated. Justin said “Thank you, really thank you. I really needed this.” (March, 2024)
turning away from new age & discipleship
We met a man named Jo who was gathering his things. He was about to head out, but we shortly began talking to him about how his day was. He shared that he is doing ok, but we could tell that he was having a hard time. We began sharing a little about us and after a while, he also began to open up more. Jo said that he just tries to have good energy about it. From there we asked if he believes in new age, and he said yes that it is all about energy. He said that this is the kind of thing that makes sense to him.
From there, we were able to share with him how deeply loved by God he is. That God is a loving Father but because of sin, man has been lost. The only way for us to be saved and have eternal life is through Jesus dying the most brutal death. By Him giving His life as a pure and blameless sacrifice for us. By Jesus overcoming death by resurrecting from the dead. With that He offered true life to all who believe in Him. To all that deny themselves and follow Him. We shared with him that there is no other way, no energy, no amount of good works, no amount of striving that could earn the gift of salvation and eternal life. The only way to receive it is by turning away from all other beliefs and surrendering only to Jesus. Jo said, “This is incredible. So, if I come to Jesus, He will accept me no matter what I have done?” We told him, yes you come as you are with the willingness to give it all.
We shared that because of sin, shame came into the world. Shame that makes you believe you must hide and carry the burden of guilt. But the truth is that Jesus came to carry our guilt, our shame, and our condemnation. He came to give life, true life. He came to set us free. Jo asked some questions, and after a while, he said, “So all the other stuff is not the way right?” We said yes you are right. The only way is Jesus. It was as if the Holy Spirit gave him revelation of the gospel. We told him that the gospel is not to be caught by your mind but by faith. You catch it by faith. That day, Jo said that he is willing to stop all the new age and from now on follow Jesus and His word. Jo surrendered his heart to Jesus and renounced all new age. He told Jesus that from now on, he wants to belong to God. That day, Jo became a found son of God. Found in the loving arms of our Father.
Friends that can grow together in the faith
Just some steps away, someone was in the tent that we knew. Weston gave his life to Jesus a few months ago and whenever we see him, we have a time of discipleship together. We waved at him and said that we will do a Bible study. Then Weston said that Jo is his friend. We were so happy. We told Weston that Jo decided to follow Jesus from now on. Jo smiled at Weston and said, “Yes bro, I have now a fresh start.” Weston smiled so big and said, “I have been waiting for this moment.” When he said this, it touched our hearts. Weston has been waiting for his friend Jo to come to Jesus as well, for he knew what it meant to belong to Jesus. He was so excited for now they can do Bible studies together and encourage each other as they are taking steps in the faith. We shared that they can now also pray for each other and that this is what we do with our friends all the time. We shared how powerful it is when we pray for each other and stand together in faith. Weston was so happy and said how great that is. We celebrated how God revealed His love to his sons in such a special way. What a good God we have. (March, 2024)
never heard the gospel before
As we were walking through the area, we saw a middle-aged man. As soon as we saw him, we felt that God wanted to show His love to him in a special way. When we approached him and introduced ourselves, we realized that he did not speak English but Spanish. Quickly, we went around to find a translator. With the help of the translator, we were able to have a conversation.
This man’s name was Petro. He shared that he recently came from Mexico, but it has been hard. We got to ask him questions and get to know some of his story. At one point, we came to the topic of hope, and we started sharing the gospel. We shared why Jesus came, what He has done for us, and what it means to have Jesus as our Lord. While we shared the gospel, we could tell that Petro was so focused. When we shared in English he was already looking at the translator waiting to hear it in Spanish. Then Petro said something that moved our hearts. He said, “I have never heard this before. If He died for me, I want Him in my life.” Our hearts were gripped with such thankfulness that Petro was able to hear the gospel. He said that he never heard that we could be forgiven because Jesus died on our behalf. Petro said that he wants to start living for Jesus and wants to follow him. After sharing some more of what it means to walk in faith and to repent, Petro called upon the name of Jesus. He told Jesus that he needs forgiveness, that he wants to make Jesus the king of his heart, and that he wants to follow him for the rest of his life. It was a time of repentance. A time of receiving. A time of being changed by the power of God. Petro then said, “I feel so different.” It was a special time where Petro experienced the love and acceptance of God.
When we see our need for Jesus, humble ourselves before Him, and give Him the ownership of our lives, truly everything changes. In a blink of an eye, we are pulled out of darkness into the kingdom of light. In a blink of an eye, we are transported from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. This is what Petro experienced. That day, he fell into the loving arms of God. We were then able to share with him about the next steps in the faith such as telling him about resources, and we had our first discipleship session. We gifted him a Spanish Bible and read the word of God together and spoke about important truths to walk this path of life victoriously in Christ. What a joy when ears hear the gospel for the first time. What a celebration when a heart responds with full surrender. (March, 2024)
from rejecting jesus to accepting him
Many times, we have seen a man named Joey. Whenever we would see him, he would come very close to us. He would often come and disturb the conversation we were having with individuals. He did not like it when we would pray for individuals or share that Jesus is the only way to the Father. Sometimes, we were able to connect with him though and share with him about God’s love to him. We also shared the gospel with him before, but he did not like it and just walked away. We always felt God’s heart for him and how much Jesus wants to reveal himself to Joey. We kept on sowing seeds whenever we could knowing that God can do a lot with simple seeds.
This month, we saw him again. This time he seemed different. He was not agitated but looked sad. We asked him how he is doing. He then said that he is hurting on the inside. He opened up about the pain in his heart. We told him that Jesus came for the broken. He came for those in need of a doctor. We shared with him that because of sin, we all need a heavenly doctor and how we can only be restored through salvation in Jesus. We told him how there is nothing in this world that would fill the emptiness of his heart except Jesus who gives eternal hope. After sharing the gospel and what it means to follow Jesus with him again, Joey made the most important decision of his life,
Joey decided that he wanted to give his whole heart to Jesus. We were amazed how God worked on his heart with His loving kindness and patient love. That day, Joey humbled himself before God confessing his need for a Savior. His need for Jesus. That day, we baptized him, gifted him a Bible, and we encouraged him to take the next steps in the faith. Whenever someone decides to follow Jesus, we have a time of proclamation. We share with them about how Jesus fought the lies of the enemy with God’s word in Matthew 4. We share how we also can fight the best if we have God’s word in our hearts and proclaim it with our mouth. Joey said out loud “I am a loved child of God,” and we celebrated how true this is. (February, 2024)
a radical touch of god’s love & salvation
The week before this meeting with Rony, we saw him on one of the times when we were still out in the dark. He could hear what we were talking about when we were spending time with a woman beside him. He was cleaning his tent, so we did not get to talk with him long after. But about two weeks later, we saw him in a different area working on his bike. We recognized him, and we started talking about his bike and what he was working on. Shortly after, we asked him if he has any pain in his body. He said that his left arm is hurting him. He said that he has nerve damage and because of that he can only lift it a little bit. He said this is why he is also a little slower with getting the work done on his bike. We asked him to show us how high he can lift his arm. When lifting his stretched-out arm, he was able to lift it up to where his hand was almost the height of his hip. He said that more is not possible for him. After chatting some more, we asked him if he is open to pray for his arm. He agreed.
During a time of prayer, Jesus touched Rony in a special way. As we were praying, we included the gospel message, and we spoke God's truth over him. As soon as we said amen, we asked him to test it. He said that he felt pain go away. He then lifted his arm up, and he was able to lift it so high that his hand was at the height of his head. It was incredible what Jesus was doing in his life. We all could not stop smiling. When we shared the gospel and what it means to have Jesus as Lord over our lives, Rony said that he wants Jesus and wants to follow him. In a time of prayer, tears came to his eyes as he prayed a heartfelt prayer to God. It was a very special time of God revealing Himself to Rony. We are so grateful for the way God loves and cares so deeply. We gifted him a Bible and spent time reading God’s word together, encouraged him to get on the housing list, and we talked about important topics on how to grow in our faith. It was a day of celebration. What a feast there is when a lost son comes home into the loving arms of God. (February, 2024)
jehovah witness turns to jesus
We met a young man. His name was Mike. He was going through the area, but he didn’t live on the streets anymore. He shared that lately he is able to stay with some friends in an apartment, but he is still getting back on his feet. He shared that he comes around this area every once in a while since he knows a couple of people who are still living on the streets. We shared with him how exciting it is that he has a place to stay and that he is no longer on the streets.
Mike began sharing his life story with us. He was so very open and friendly from the beginning. He shared with us that he was born in Mexico. He grew up in a very broken household where he was beaten up many times. Although he wasn’t homeless as a child, he said that he very much lived a street life when growing up. His story moved our hearts, and we felt such compassion for him. It was amazing to see that he somehow kept his heart tender.
We started sharing the gospel and about God’s love for him. He then shared that he is a Jehovah’s Witness, but lately, in his Jehovah’s Witness study times, he feels such confusion. He said that it sometimes feels as if something is not right. We then shared about God’s heart for him and how God wants to reveal Himself to him. We shared the gospel and how it truly takes faith to trust in who Jesus is and to follow the word of God. It requires repentance to turn away from any other beliefs and religions that are not of God. Mike then said that he now has to make a choice himself and that he is sure of this.
Mike decided to turn away from Jehovah’s Witness beliefs and to turn to Jesus and become a Christian. He said that it always felt like a religion but when hearing the gospel, it is like he can come to Jesus as himself. We shared with him how true it is. Jesus made a way that we can come to God the way we are but with the willingness to change it all for the sake of Jesus. This is what it takes to be a follower of Jesus. We come to God, and we surrender to Jesus and His Lordship over our lives. We get to be a child of God, learn from Him, and be more and more transformed. Mike said, “I know that you are sent by God so that I would come to Him.” After sharing more about Jesus and what it means to walk with Jesus, Mike wanted to fully surrender his life to Jesus, and He renounced all the past Jehovah’s Witness teachings. We had a time of prayer where he called upon the name of Jesus, repented of his sins, and confessed with his mouth what he believes in his heart. It was so beautiful. We felt the Presence of God in such a special way. Mike's tender heart was met by the love of Jesus.
After a time of prayer, he said that he feels peace. This is the peace that only comes from Jesus. A peace the world can not give but that can only be given by God. What a gift! We discussed the next steps in the faith, talked about Scripture, and shared with him biblical Christian churches that he could go to. Mike wrote it all down and said that he is looking forward to going there and that he will try to get some people to come with him as well. We spent some more time with Mike, where we talked about some questions he had. Later, before we said bye, Mike said “I really needed that, thank you so much”. The same way we all do, he needed Jesus, and he found our wonderful Savior that day. What a gracious God we have!(January, 2024)
weeping and turning to jesus
When walking through the streets, we saw a precious woman sitting on the cold pavement. We asked her what is your name. She looked up and said Malia. After sharing our names, we sat down next to her and asked how she was doing. She shared that life has been hard, but she is trying to push through. As we were sitting with her and talking, God’s love felt so tangible. We could feel how deeply God loved and cared for her. We looked into her eyes and said, “You are very very loved by God. He has not forgotten you.” And we shared more of such things that were on our hearts. She looked into our eyes the whole time, and it seemed as if she was soaking up every word of encouragement.
In that time, we shared the gospel with her and how we can become children of God. We saw how tears came to her eyes, and all of a sudden, she started to weep. Immediately, I took her into my arms, and Malia wept and wept. I was just holding her and praying in my heart for her. After a while, I started praying out loud again and asked the Holy Spirit to touch her and let her experience the tangible love of God. As we were with Malia, she was crying in my arms. She experienced something that she could not describe. As we were sitting there, it felt as if God was calling His girl back home.
At the same moment, I felt the love of God in such an incredible way. In the time God was encountering Malia, we also were touched by the love of God and the power of the gospel. Tears came into my eyes. His revelation was filling my heart. The love of God is without boundaries. The love of God meets us in the most vulnerable places. The love of God truly sees who we are. God does not only love, but it is who He is.
Later, Malia shared that she knows about Jesus, but she has been living away. She said how she felt so lost. She was ashamed of her failures, but God met her in her brokenness. We spoke to her about how the enemy will use shame and condemnation to keep people away from the Father. The enemy comes with the lie that you have to fix yourself first before you are accepted again. But oh how wrong this is. Oh how different the gospel is. The gospel is the power and beauty of the most undeserved love. A table that is set for all those that come. A loving Father waiting for His children to return.
That day, Malia had an encounter with God. Tears of sadness became tears of repentance. And tears of repentance turned into a smile of acceptance.
Malia, a precious daughter called upon Jesus and fell into the loving arms of God that day. What a remarkable day it was. We gifted her a Bible and spent time reading God’s word. We spoke about the next steps in the faith and gave her connections to resources. Malia said, “Thank you for coming to me. Thank you so much.” It moved our hearts. Oh how seen she is by God. Oh how loved she truly is.(January, 2024)
tears after hearing about god’s love
We greeted a precious woman, and she smiled back at us almost a little confused. We then said oh, we have never met, but we are Naomi and Eliel. She then said, oh I wasn’t sure why you said hello. We asked what her name is, and she said Nathalie. When talking with her, we could tell that she experienced a lot of hardships, so we spent time listening to her story. She shared about her family, children, and also some good memories. When talking together, we had the impression that she never felt known or seen. So, we started to talk about the way God loves her so uniquely. A love so wide, so high, and oh so deep.
We shared about how Jesus showed his love to us in that He lived a perfect life. Then died on behalf of all our mistakes, and he overcame them all when He rose from the dead. How He took upon Himself all of our failures and all of our shame, and He conquered it all through his death and resurrection. What a great love it is, that we would be able to respond to Him by surrendering our lives at His feet. He already paid the highest price, and now we get to respond by giving Him our whole heart. We shared with Nathalie that God truly sees and knows her. He doesn’t just know her story and everything that happened, but He also knows her to the core. He knows every single part of her life and everything that she has never even told anybody. As we were talking more about God’s thoughts towards her and the gospel, tears started to roll down her cheeks.
We asked her how she is feeling. She then said how touching this is. We asked her if it is ok if we pray together since God was touching her heart already in such a special way. In that time, God was revealing His love to Nathalie in a special way. We just stood there holding hands in prayer for a while, as tears were still rolling down. After a little bit, Nathalie said that she really can feel God’s love and how He cares for her. She said that she believed there was a God, but she never really knew Him, opened her heart to Him, or surrendered her life to Him. But that day, she gave Jesus her full yes. She gave Him her whole life, and she made Him the King of her heart. She then started smiling, and she said how good it feels to finally feel accepted and loved. Isn’t it amazing that Nathalie knew about God, but she didn’t know Him. She didn’t know His heart for her until she truly was met by God’s love. This is something only God can do. What a gift when His love is so tangible that hearts and eyes open up to see who He truly is. (December, 2023)
steps of faith & discipleship
We met Kyle a few months ago. He saw us helping a woman who was pregnant on the streets, and he asked us why we are doing this. This opened the conversation to the topic of God’s love for every single person. How God truly cares, and how He longs for all of us to know Him personally. Kyle stayed around till we said bye to the woman.
We then started talking more with Kyle. He shared that he is just living life, but sometimes he doesn’t really know why he is running. He said that he doesn’t really know what he wants in life either. After getting to know him more and hearing some of his background and family history, we shared more about Jesus. We shared with him about the price Jesus paid for us so that we can know Him. We also shared about how we all need God the same way, and only through Jesus we can be forgiven. Kyle asked a few questions on how it all works. We talked about faith and what it means to become a follower of Jesus. A little bit later, we asked if we could pray for him, and he said yes sure.
During that time, Kyle was very quiet. Afterward, we asked him if he was sensing something. He then said that he wants to turn to Jesus. It was such a special time where Kyle saw his need for a Savior. He repented of his sins, and He asked Jesus to forgive him and help him to live after His ways. That day, we gifted him a Bible and had a time of discipleship. We gave him the contact information to get on a housing list, and we encouraged him to take the next steps in the faith.
This month, we saw Kyle again. He greeted us with a big smile, and he introduced us to other individuals in the area. We spent time with him asking how his time since our last meeting has been. He shared that he is thankful to now have Jesus as his Lord and Savior, and he was very excited to share that he did the required steps to be on the housing list. We celebrated and encouraged him. Kyle asked some questions, and we had wonderful talks about the Bible and about this walk with Jesus. Isn’t it amazing how God drew Kyle's heart to Him and how he is now on this journey with Jesus. It touches our hearts that God truly cares about every individual so deeply. He is a God that pursues the lost, and He longs for the lost to be found. (December, 2023)
no barriers for the gospel
We met a man named Cristiano. We saw him from a distance, and we had it on our hearts to talk to him. When we greeted him, it seemed like he was very sad. His shoulders were hanging low, and he was looking at the ground. We went to him and said hi. He didn’t say anything. We kneeled down. At this point, he lifted up his head. We asked him what is your name. He looked at us, but then he looked at the ground. We asked him again. He said something in Spanish that we didn’t understand. We then went to find someone who could translate into Spanish for us. A few moments later we found someone who could translate.
We asked Cristiano how he is doing, and if there is something heavy on his heart. He shared that I don’t feel good at all and there is not much hope for me. We asked him to share some of his story with us. He shared that he came from across the border hoping for a change in his life. Yet, he said that it seems not to happen. After listening a little longer, we asked him if he would like to know about a hope that is supernatural.
Cristiano looked up, and with a quiet voice, he said yes. From there we started sharing about the Father’s love. That God is a good Father who cares for his children. Whether his children are lost or found, God cares for each one. We talked about how God goes out to look for the one, and how much He rejoices when His children come to Him. The word of God says that we all should come to God like children. We are to come with a humble heart like a heart of a child. Truly when we see our need for God and put all our faith in Jesus, we can inherit the Kingdom of God.
While we shared the gospel and the translator translated it into Spanish, Cristiano said a short phrase multiple times that the translator didn’t translate for us. We asked the translator what is he saying between the sentences. The translator then told us what he was saying. He was saying “I have never heard this.”
At this time, we asked Cristiano if he has any questions for us. He asked us multiple questions that were on his mind about faith in Jesus and what a life with Jesus looks like. He was so open to hear what we had to say, and he was so eager to learn.
Whenever we meet individuals who have never heard the gospel, it hits our hearts. The gospel is the most powerful message because it is God’s love letter to us. What Jesus has done for each one of us is the answer to a life with God. Eternal life. Undeserved. Freely given by Jesus.
After we spent time praying with Cristiano, he said that he wants to put his faith in Jesus and start a life with him. We talked about what it means to be a disciple of Christ and with tears in his eyes he said, “I need Jesus.” That day he made the most life-changing decision. He called upon the name of the Lord, and he surrendered his life to Jesus.
From that day on, Jesus became his Savior, his friend, and his Lord. What a glorious day. We then had our first time of discipleship, reading Scripture, connecting him to resources, and we baptized him with water. After the baptism, he said, “I feel joy in my heart.” How wonderful. This is the joy that only God can give. A joy that has nothing to do with outer circumstances, but a joy that comes from being right with God. The joy of Salvation. (December, 2023)
a lost son comes into the father’s arms
We met a young man named Jakai. We chatted a little bit, and after a while, we asked if we can pray together. He said that as a child he believed in Jesus, but he doesn’t believe anymore. We then prayed together, and we then spoke some truth of Scripture over him.
While we were praying, suddenly Jakai began weeping and weeping. After some time, we asked him why he is weeping. He began sharing with us that he has been feeling so lost. We shared the gospel message with him and that Jesus came on this earth so that we can be found by Him. We shared that our true home is found in the loving arms of God.
At this point, Jakai decided to make the best decision of his life. While he prayed to Jesus, it was such a special moment. It was different from anything else we had ever experienced. As Jakai repented of His sins and prayed to Jesus for forgiveness, there was such a special Presence of God. One that felt like a child talking to his dad after not having spoken to him in a long time. After this, we shared some truths found in Scripture about how God is a loving Father, and we shared again about what it means to follow Jesus with everything. In this time, Jakai made Jesus the Lord and Savior of his life as he prayed and called on the name of Jesus.
We then spent time doing our first discipleship session together where we talked about next steps in the faith, read Scripture together, and talked about how he can receive practical help such as getting on the housing list and more.
Jakai was so touched by God and said: “Thank you, I needed to know this.” Isn’t it wonderful when a lost son comes back home. It is a great celebration. It is the beginning of a new life with God. We thank Jesus for the way He revealed Himself to Jakai and for what He will continue to do.(November, 2023)
Weeping about his sins & turning to jesus
We met a man named McDonald. He was in his tent with his friend. After chatting for a few moments, we remembered that we met him before. We shared with him oh yes we remember you. He said yes yes I remember you very well. We found that interesting since the first time we met him we only chatted briefly because back then he wasn’t interested in chatting at all.
That day though, McDonald was very definitely wanting to chat. We shared a bit about ourselves, and then we asked him and his tentmate if they have anything that they would like to pray for together. Both shared some things that they would like to pray for although they said that they are not walking with God. He shared that he feels very hurt from his dad and brother. He said that he felt mistreated and that the relationship is broken. When he shared about it, we could tell how sad and heartbroken he was over the situation. We asked him where his dad and brother live, and he said they all live in a house in San Diego. Yet, he is not wanting to go to them because of all the pain. He said it would be very hard to face them after all that happened. A friend of ours was also with us, and together we then spent time praying for him and his friend.
After the time of prayer, we started sharing the gospel. We began by talking about the fact that we all fall short of God’s glory. If a person has only made one mistake or if the person has made mistakes impossible to count, we all need forgiveness the same way. While sharing the truths of the gospel, we talked about Bible stories such as the story of the prodigal son. When we shared this story, it seemed to resonate with McDonald in a special way. It was also connected to his father wound, and it seemed that it was very much like he felt his life was. We talked about the meaning of this parable, and how we can come into the loving arms of God.
We shared about the passage in Luke 15:7 that there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not repent. McDonald was truly amazed about this Scripture. He said “Is that true? He celebrates when a sinner comes to Him?” We could tell that the Holy Spirit was doing something special in his heart. Shortly after, McDonald started weeping and weeping. Tears falling down his face, he kept on saying “Jesus, I am a sinner, I have sinned.” The conviction of the Holy Spirit was so tangible. It brought tears to my eyes.
In that time, McDonald repented of his sins, and he made Jesus the Lord of his heart. He accepted the gift of Salvation. What a glorious day. It grips our hearts that truly we need to understand the weight of our sin in order to see our great need for a Savior. Jesus came for the lost. So when we know that we are lost, we truly can be found in Him. After some time passed and he was able to process a little about what just happened, we gifted him a Bible. We then had a time of discipleship where we also read a passage from Matthew 5. He then said, so from now on I don’t get drunk anymore, and I will read the Bible right. We said yes. This is the power of the gospel. It changes us from the inside out and gives us the desire to live in God’s ways.
We then also asked McDonald if there is someone that he has not yet forgiven. He then said yes, I need to forgive. He then forgave his dad and his brother. It was such a special time. Afterward, we talked about the next steps in the faith, and he also decided to be water baptized.
When we baptized Mcdonald, he was giggling, and he cried out of happiness. We asked him what he is feeling. He said, “I feel God’s love I feel God’s love.” Oh, how wonderful. From crying over his sins, to becoming a child of God, to experiencing the love that God has for him, he was forever changed.
Afterward, we gave him a new shirt, and two people walked by. McDonald stood up from the sidewalk, and he went to them. He greeted them with a hug, and he said with a big smile “I just gave my heart to Jesus just now.” Immediately, he became a witness of what Jesus has done for him. And while this is just the start of a great journey with the Lord, he truly has been marked by God for His Kingdom. (November, 2023)
Healing & salvation
We met a man named Carter. We talked about ordinary life and some other small talk topics. At one point, he then started to talk about how he was always wondering about what is the meaning of life. We asked him what he thinks. He said that he has searched, but still he does not know. At this point, we shared the gospel and what it means to have true meaning in life as a child of God. We talked about what Jesus did for us. How through repentance and faith we can receive salvation. How through Jesus and the Holy Spirit we can become a child of God.
While we were chatting, Carter moved his upper body and made a grunting sound. We asked him if he has any pain in his body. He said that he has strong back pain, and it makes it really hard for him to sleep. Together we prayed that Jesus would heal him. We then asked Carter to test his body. He then began to stretch and twist his upper body.
Carter received a full back healing. He didn’t show any emotion at first. He just said it is good again while staring at the floor. He sat there for a moment longer, and he then asked us a question. He asked could someone like me belong to Jesus. We shared the gospel again, and Carter decided to make Jesus the Lord and Savior of his life.
It was incredibly touching. A man who could barely make eye contact, who could almost show no emotions after receiving a full healing. A man who felt rejected by the world received the greatest of all - Salvation and true acceptance from our heavenly Father. We are looking forward to everything that the Lord has in store for him. (September, 2023)
prodigal comes home
We met a man named Bill. When we met him, we felt so strongly that God was reaching His hand out to him. We encouraged him, and we shared the gospel message with him. After that, we asked if we can pray together. He said sure. After the prayer, we just looked at Bill curious to hear what God was doing in his heart.
At this time, Bill shared with us that as a little boy he gave his life to Jesus. However, in his teenage years, he began to hang around some bad friends. Soon after he decided to walk away from God and live the life he wanted to live. He said he was kicked out of the house, and he began to live out on the streets. He said that since then he has done terrible things. He looked at the ground and just stood there silently. We just stood there watching him as we felt such compassion for him. Bill was experiencing what many experience, an internal struggle.
We shared more about the way Jesus lived on this earth. We talked about how He reached the broken and the lost. We explained that Jesus is inviting him to turn away from his old life. We emphasized the importance of starting to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. The arms of the Father are open. We shared about the story of the prodigal son in the Bible and how this applies to him. That day Bill made a decision that shifted the course of his life.
Bill decided to come back to Jesus and rededicate his life to Him. After years and years of living without God, he asked Jesus to forgive him, and he said Jesus I want you to be the Lord of my life again. He said Jesus I want to be your child again. It was such a tender moment. One that we will never forget.
How beautiful it is when a child comes back to God. Oh, how heaven rejoices over each child coming into the loving arms of the Father. It truly is the greatest miracle and the greatest choice to celebrate.
We gave Bill a Bible, and we spent our first time of discipleship. In that time we also encouraged him to take practical next steps and connected him to local resources. Bill said how grateful he is that God accepts him and that he can now go forward with God. (September, 2023)
many seeds sown & now off the streets
A little more than a year ago, we met a man named Sean. When we met him, he asked us if we ever get angry towards God. We asked why he was asking this question, and he started opening up about his life. He shared experiences from his childhood up until now. Sean grew up in a Christian family, but he experienced a lot of pain and injustices throughout the years. Some of that made him angry at God, and he decided to not live for God anymore. He said that he has been away from God for a long time now, and he had been living on the streets for years. We spent a while with him that day where we talked about life, and where we shared the gospel with him. We also talked about the story of the prodigal son and what it means to return to Jesus.
Sean later shared that he has back problems and quite a lot of back pain. We asked if we could pray together, and he said yes. After prayer, he bent down and twisted his upper body back and forth. He said that there is no more pain. We remember how shocked he was that his back was healed. We told him that it was Jesus who healed his back.
The next time we saw Sean, he said that he has thought about coming back to God, and he was ready to change his life and put his trust in Jesus. It was so beautiful how the Holy Spirit worked on his heart and how Sean decided to turn to Jesus.
The next couple of times we saw him, we had times of discipleship where we read the Bible together, prayed, and talked about the next steps to encourage him on his journey with God.
Then, for many months, we had not seen Sean. We didn’t know where he was. But this month, we were walking through the streets and there we saw Sean working in the front of a house. We were so happy to see him. He said that for multiple months the owner of the house has let him stay here, and he is working for him. It was so wonderful to hear that he is now off the streets. We caught up, read in the Bible together, and talked about the things God put on his heart for this season. God is so merciful. He is patient. He is kind. (August, 2023)
young man comes to jesus
We met a man named Silvester. He said that some call him Siler, but he likes Silvester more. He shared with us how he was in a wheelchair since birth, that he grew up in a broken family, and all he has ever known is hard stuff. We chatted with him for a bit hearing his story. After a while, we shared the love of the Father and the gospel with him. We asked him if he ever heard this gospel message before. He said no he has never heard this message, and he didn’t know that you could have a personal relationship with God. He shared how while we were sharing he just knows in his heart that he really needs this change. We talked about what it means to follow Jesus and what it means to give Him everything. Silvester said that he wants to make Jesus the Lord of his life.
After we prayed together, we shared with him how he can talk to Jesus, and we encouraged him to pray to Jesus out loud. As Silvester prayed to Jesus it touched our hearts because he was talking so sincerely and in some ways like a child. It was precious and so touching. God wants us to come to Him as children. Just the way we are, humble ourselves before Him and simply trust in Him.
We asked Silvester if he wants to come with us and pray for others. He said that he has never done that before, but he would like it if others could also experience this. We then met another woman named Trixie. She was laying on the ground. She shared about some challenges in her life. We then shared with Silvester that now as a child of God, he has the Holy Spirit that works through him as he prays. When someone is touched, it is not our work, but it is the work of the Holy Spirit. Silvester then prayed for Trixie out loud, and after he said amen, he smiled. It was a wonderful time of encouraging Silvester to be a witness for Jesus wherever he goes. We talked about next steps in the faith, and we had a time of discipleship afterward. He said how grateful he is that he now has hope. Jesus truly is our hope. Praise the Lord! (July, 2023)
from laughing at following jesus to accepting him
We met a man named Andres. We met him for the first time about a year ago. When we shared with him the gospel he would laugh at us. He would often say things about Jesus that most would consider blaspheme. We would tell him that we find this inappropriate, but we could tell that he had pleasure in doing so. We would see him from time to time, and we would shortly chat and build trust through relationship. He would regularly sneak in statements that were either perverse, profane, or inappropriate. Every time we finished the conversation, we would pray for God to reveal himself to this man. We could feel how lost he was, and we prayed for a miracle in his heart.
This month when we met Andres he was in a whole different place. He shared with us that the last few months had been really hard for him. His heart seemed to be soft and tender. We shared the gospel with him again, and Andres decided to make the most important decision of his life. He said that he doesn’t want to live this way anymore and that he wants to change his life. We shared with him what it means to follow Jesus and that a big part of that is to leave the old ways behind and walk in God’s ways. It means letting God completely transform us and to walk this life with Jesus. He said, yes, I need God, and I want to become a follower of Jesus.
After the many conversations we had, and the many prayers we prayed for him, it was so beautiful seeing Andres recognize His need for Jesus and that He acknowledged who Jesus is.
That day, he made Jesus the Lord and Savior of his life. After this special time, we spent a while together. We talked about important topics for a new believer, and we spent time where he forgave those that he had not yet forgiven and more. Since then, Andres is now on the housing list, and he is now walking this journey with Jesus. We gave him our next steps in the faith card, and we are excited for this fresh start he has as a child that came into God’s loving arms. Isn’t it beautiful that those hard moments of life can create windows where we can recognize even deeper our great need for Jesus. Although we need Jesus every day the same way, it is a gift when the revelation of our need for God hits our hearts. This is what happened to Andres, and we pray that we all get to be filled with a greater awareness of our own need for Jesus every day on this journey. (July, 2023)
many seeds sown and now a life changed
Many months ago, we met a man named Evander for the first time. The first time we met him we spent time building relationship and getting to know him. Over the months, we saw him every now and then, and we would also share with him about Jesus. He said that he was going to think on it, but he thinks it is not for him.
This month we saw him again after multiple months of not seeing him. He said I am pumped to see you. We chatted for a bit touching base, and after a while we shared about Jesus and how much God loves him. This time as we shared he seemed very interested. Evander asked us numerous questions, and he was eager to learn more about what it truly means to follow Jesus. He shared with us that he knows multiple individuals that died in the past weeks due to shootings nearby. This has made him think a lot more about life and death. Evander said that it is his time to get right with God and to start following Him.
That day marked the moment where Evander made the best decision of his life. He made Jesus the Lord and Savior of his life. After he prayed to Jesus, his face was glowing. We asked him how he felt, and he said I feel like a new man. It touched our hearts when he said that. That is truly what happens when we are washed clean. We become a new creation. What a miracle it is when a life turns from darkness to light.
We met again with Evander, and we gifted him a Bible. He said that he wants to read it every day, and he said that he is looking forward to learning more about Jesus and His Word. We also went through our next steps in the faith card together. We are beyond thankful that Evander is now following Jesus. Each seed sown God nurtured. He is faithful, and He will always be. (July, 2023)
son comes into loving arms of the father
We met a man named Theo. As he was cleaning some things around his tent, he seemed to be busy and not much in the mood to talk. We felt how God wanted to give him hope and true meaning. So we stayed there and talked with some individuals who passed by. Theo could hear what we shared with others and at some point we asked him what he thought about that. From there, he stopped cleaning and spent time talking with us. He said that it is very interesting what we are sharing about God, and he shared some about his story and his life. He said that it has been hard just going from day to day and yet to keep going.
We shared with him the gospel, how deeply Jesus loves him, and other truths of Scripture. Theo called his friend from the tent to come out and also listen about Jesus, but she said that she is not interested to hear about God. So, we continued talking with Theo and after a while, we asked if he is open to praying together. He said yes. We held hands, and we prayed for the tangible presence of God. We prayed for Jesus to reveal Himself to Theo and to show him the great love He has for him. God was moving in a beautiful way.
Theo said that although his friend that lives on the streets with him doesn’t want anything to do with God, he himself needs forgiveness in his own life. He said that he wants to be right with God. That day, Theo repented and decided to turn and follow Jesus with all of his heart. He made Jesus his Lord that day. Theo came into the open arms of the Father. We spent more time with him, and we had a time of discipleship. We encouraged him to take the next steps in the faith such as connecting to some resources, joining a local Bible group, getting a phone, and we are excited to see all that God has in store for him. (June, 2023)
from hopelessness to peace
We met a man named Cliff. We could tell that he was very sad by the way his shoulders were hanging and how he just stared at the floor. We started talking and asking questions. Cliff shared that life has been very hard for him and that he has been on the streets for a few weeks after he could not renew his apartment lease. He shared that everything was too much, and he has been struggling with hopelessness and disappointment. Cliff started to open his heart more and more, and he shared with such honesty. We listened, and we spent time with him. He said how good it feels to share and talk.
In the course of our conversation, we then shared with him about God’s great love for him, the gospel, and what it means to follow Jesus. Years ago Cliff said he visited different churches, but since it was not such a positive experience for him he never gave his life to Jesus. He connected God mostly to church and also to negative experiences. We shared with him how God loves the church, the body of Christ, but we are all not perfect and are still learning and growing in Him. We said that this walk with Jesus is all about our personal relationship with Him. It is not another person or a building, but it is our heart before God. We also shared that still God intended for us to grow with other believers. A part of that is to find a place where we can serve God and live in community with sisters and brothers in Christ. We told him that God loves when we come with an honest and open heart before him and when we invite Him to show us who He really is.
We shared with Him the truths of the Bible. About how God reveals Himself through Scripture and the different stories and that redemption is only possible through Jesus. After sharing the gospel, we asked him what he personally wants to do with Jesus. He looked up and said, “I want Jesus in my life”. It was such a tender moment before God. He was willing to make Jesus his Savior and to surrender everything to Him. He was willing to lay aside hurt, forgive, and put his faith in God. It was so beautiful. His heart was so receptive to the Lord. In the time of prayer, he called upon the name of Jesus to save him. He made Jesus the Lord over his life and the King of his heart. After this special time, he shared that he feels such peace on the inside. It is a peace that can only come when we are washed by the blood of Jesus! Oh how glorious Jesus is and how amazing when a child comes into the loving arms of the Father!
Cliff just started living on the streets a couple of weeks ago where it seemed like he was losing everything. But that day, he gained everything that matters for eternity. He received true life in Jesus. He received a peace that only God can give. It is a peace that surpasses all understanding. It is a peace we can only have because of the price Jesus paid for us.
Cliff is now on a housing list and already taking steps in the faith. What a gracious God we have. We are so grateful for each child that comes into the kingdom of God. We give our good Father all the glory and praise! (June, 2023)
first time hearing the gospel & radically saved
We were on our scooters going through the streets. One of the individuals that we met was a young woman. She had her head bowed low. When we said hi to her and asked for her name, she seemed very shy. With a quiet voice, she said my name is Liliana. After talking about life and sharing some things, she started to open up more. We sat down together, and we asked how long she had been on the streets. She shared that she has been on the streets for a couple of months. She came from Mexico where she had a very difficult life. She experienced a lot of hardships, pain when growing up, and also as a young woman.
We spent most of the afternoon listening and getting to know her story. We also shared with her about God’s love for her. She said that one person that lives on the streets told her once that he believes in Jesus, but otherwise, she doesn’t know much about it. She has never heard the gospel. She did not know why Jesus came, what He paid for, and that we can have new life in Him. We shared with her stories of the Bible and how Jesus revealed Himself throughout Scripture. That He came for the lost to be saved. That we all have fallen short of the glory of God, but Jesus came so that we can be restored to our loving Father. If we repent and follow Jesus as our Lord, we are forgiven children of God.
Throughout our conversation, she looked at us with focused eyes. She was very eager to hear more about Jesus and what it means to have Him as our Savior and Lord. It was so beautiful seeing Liliana’s heart receive the word of God and to see her spiritually so thirsty. She asked questions such as how to talk to Jesus and how to get to know Him. Up until that time, she had been searching but that day she found what she was looking for all along. True acceptance. True love. True forgiveness.
Her thirst was filled by Jesus as she responded to Him saying “I want to have Jesus as my Lord.” A beautiful daughter came into the loving arms of Jesus and found true acceptance in Him! What a glorious day it was. That day, she experienced God’s love and His kindness. She received the gift of salvation and a new life in Christ. After Liliana prayed to Jesus and surrendered her life to Him, she said “I feel relieved like things fell away.” This is the relief only Jesus can give. When the burdens of sin fall away because of Jesus’ forgiveness. Jesus said that He removes the heart of stone and gives us a heart of flesh. He gives a new heart to those that humble themselves before Him. To those that receive Him.
After that, we gifted her a Bible, and we had our first time of discipleship. She decided that she wanted to be baptized, and we baptized her in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We spent time reading Scripture, talking about forgiveness, and discussing next steps in the faith. One of the steps of faith we always encourage individuals that live on the streets to take is to get connected to resources such as a housing list. Liliana said that she now feels a hope inside of her that she wants to take these steps with Jesus. What a gracious God we have. He reveals Himself to the broken and to the thirsty. He brings truth and gives new life. He shows His love in tangible ways, and He invites us all to walk this journey with and for Him. (June, 2023)
a heart touched by god’s love
We met a man named Brody. He shared with us how he made a bad decision which led to another bad decision that eventually landed him out on the streets. We shared the gospel message with him. He looked at us with tears in his eyes. He said that he grew up as a Christian, and he gave his life to Jesus at four years of age. Then he started crying even louder. He continued by saying, but then as an 18-year-old, he turned away from God. Brody looked at us with such regret. He shared that all these years he has been living life without God, and he regrets his decision more than words can describe. We then shared how much God loves him and that His arms are wide open for him.
After a few minutes, Brody began looking at us with such excitement in his eyes. We asked him what is on his mind. Brody said that he believes with all his heart that God sent us to him right now so that he will return to Jesus. We asked him what do you mean with the intention of him elaborating on what God was doing in his heart. Brody put his hand on our shoulders, and he said God sent you to me so that I will return to Him.
Brody then prayed from the bottom of his heart a prayer of repentance and rededicated his life to the Lord. Brody decided to give his life back to God and to turn away from his old ways. After we prayed together, Brody shared that he feels a hope and a strength that he knows can only come from Jesus. Brody shared that he remembers hearing about being a new creation (after giving one’s life to Jesus) growing up, but now after what he just experienced he really believes he is now a new creation in Christ. We talked about the strength that God gives to follow Him and to also take steps in the faith. We are excited for everything that the Lord has in store for him.
Isn’t it so amazing when a lost son comes back to our loving Father. God’s arms truly are open for His children and His love is greater than we can fathom. Our heavenly Father wants us to receive from Him and to truly know the love He has for us. May we all grow in our revelation of the love our good Father has for all of us. What a gift it is that we belong to Him. (May, 2023)
from lost to found
We met a man named Lev. He shared that he is from Mexico, and he has only been on the streets for a few months. He said that he had a hard life, and it began as he was a child. He grew up in an orphanage, and he shared that it was only the beginning of a life full of pain and heartbreak. He said how throughout his whole life he felt lost and hopeless. We spent time with him, listened to him, and we felt God’s desire to comfort him.
We asked if we can pray together. Lev said I am not interested because God doesn’t care about me. We stayed there a little bit, and we started talking with some other people around us. The other people left, and we shared with Lev that we really want to pray with him. Lev said ok you can pray for me I guess.
As we prayed, something incredible happened. God invaded Lev’s life. Out of what seemed like nowhere Lev began to weep and weep and weep. As we continued praying we began to notice that God was revealing His love to him in a unique and special way.
After the prayer, we asked Lev what he felt. He said that I have never felt something like this before. We asked him to share more. He said I don’t know I somehow feel whole. We then began sharing the greatest news in the history of the world which is the gospel message, and Lev decided to make the most important decision of his life.
Lev decided to make Jesus the Lord and Savior of his life. He decided to follow Jesus. What a feast of joy. All of heaven celebrates over each one that turns to God. Lev experienced an encounter with God, and he also received true comfort through salvation in Jesus. His life will never be the same. We encouraged him to take the next steps and connect with some resources. Since then we had a time of discipleship with him, and it is so beautiful seeing Lev on his journey with the Lord! Praise God!
Lev once felt lost but now he is found. He once felt hopeless but now His hope is in Christ. Lev once felt that God doesn’t care about him, but now he is found in the loving arms of the Father. (May, 2023)
he who seeks will find
We met a man named Martez. As we shortly chatted we realized that there was a clear language barrier. We then went around to find someone who can translate for us that is willing to translate correctly and accurately. Once we found the right person we came back to him. We asked if he ever heard about Jesus.
Martez said that he always knew there is a God out there, and he is looking to find him. After we chatted a little more, Martez looked at us very seriously. He then said that he thinks that God sent us to him to share a special message with him. We looked at each other thinking that this is quite an easy way to begin sharing the message of Jesus. We then shared the gospel, and Martez asked us multiple questions. After we answered his questions the best that we could, we then shared the gospel message again. This time something amazing happened.
Martez decided to give his whole heart to Jesus. As Martez prayed to God to forgive him of all his sins, he paused, and he kept on saying thank you Jesus thank you Jesus thank you Jesus. Martez made Jesus the Lord of his life that day.
After the prayer, we asked Martez how he feels. Martez said that I finally feel that God is not far away but right here with me. Martez said I will walk with Jesus, and I am so thankful so very thankful that Jesus will walk with me. Hallelujah. (April, 2023)
strong swelling disappears in seconds - knee healing & salvation
We met a woman named Eula. She was sitting on the floor. As we were chatting she shared that she has to schedule a surgery for her knee. We asked her what happened. She said I am not sure but look. As we looked at her knees we saw that her left knee was at least twice the size of her right knee. We said oh yes we see how your left knee is very very swollen. She said yes look at how not only the knee is swollen but all of the area around.
Eula then began to share about how she cannot walk on it well at all and that she just wishes the pain would be gone. We then shared the gospel, and how Jesus loves her so much. At one point, we noticed that she was staring in the distance. We then said well if Jesus touched your knee and healed it would you be willing to test it. Eula looked at us and said of course. We then said ok let’s pray. We prayed for God to heal her knee. We prayed for a while together. Then we asked her to test it.
Eula began to walk and all the pain was gone. As we looked at the knee there was absolutely no swelling anymore. It was incredible. She was completely healed. This touched Eula to her core. She then made the most important decision of her life.
Eula decided to follow Jesus and make Him Lord of her life. Praise God! (April, 2023)
Never heard the gospel - salvation
We met a woman named Jale. We started some small talk, and after some time we started sharing the gospel. She shared that she has never heard the gospel before or knew about what Jesus has done. We then shared more about Jesus, and she began feeling so touched by the Lord. She decided to give her life to Jesus. As we prayed for the Holy Spirit to fill her, she said that she felt a peace that she has never felt in her life before. It was such a special time. We gave her a Bible, and we read some Bible passages together. She said that she will try to read it from now on every day. As we said goodbye, Jale said that this is a time that she will never forget in her life. We also got her phone number and connected her to some resources and a local church near her. We are excited for everything that the Lord has in store for her. Isn’t it amazing how Jale heard the gospel for the first time and responded by giving her heart to Jesus. She put her faith in Him and decided to follow God for the rest of her life! It moves our hearts when we meet individuals who have never heard the gospel before. It is the only way we can be restored back to God. There is no one like Jesus. No one else could wash us clean and forgive us of our sins. No one else could give us a fresh start and a new life in Him. What a Savior we have in Jesus! (April, 2023)
Hand healing & a heart saved
We met a man named Joel. We didn’t recognize him from the past. Joel shared that we once prayed for his hand, and Jesus healed his hand. We asked him if he is sure we prayed with him, and he said yes absolutely I am completely sure. He said it was maybe two years ago.
We then shared the gospel with him, and we asked him what his response to Jesus is. He said that in the past he wasn’t ready to follow Jesus although he experienced a supernatural healing, but now he is ready. We prayed together. He repented and made Jesus the Lord and Savior of his life. We then also invited the Holy Spirit to fill him with His power, and we talked about steps in the faith.
After that, we talked about how to pray when he is alone. Joel felt that he doesn’t know how to talk to God. After explaining a little more, Joel prayed to God by himself. The way he spoke to God was so personal and so intimate. The Presence of God was so tangible, and Joel said it is amazing because he does not feel alone anymore. We shared that since he gave his heart to Jesus he now belongs to God, and the Holy Spirit is now with him. We talked about what he felt is actually now his new reality. From now on, he gets to journey through life as a child of God. This is true belonging. This is true acceptance. What a good Father we have! (March, 2023)
A muslim had a dream and became christian
Backstory
We met a man named Victor. He seemed to be busy when we first met him because he was cleaning around his tent. We started talking with him about his day. A few moments in Victor shared with us that he is Muslim. He also shared with us that he is from Cuba, and he had to flee many years ago. He came to America as a refugee, and he shared other parts of his story with us. We felt God’s heart for him, and we wanted to tell him about Jesus. Jesus the only way, not a prophet but the Son of God and our Savior. So, we shared the gospel with Victor. We shared with him the difference between Islam and following the true God. The God of the Bible. This meant to be very straightforward but that is what the gospel does to all of us. It pierces our hearts, but the truth of God sets us free. There is only one name that can save, and it is Jesus.
Dream of Jesus
After we shared this, Victor told us about a very personal dream he had. He said that he had a dream where Jesus came to him, and where He took Victor’s finger and put it in the wound on His side after which he woke up. When we heard this, our hearts jumped. How beautiful is it that Jesus was revealing Himself to Victor in this dream, but he was yet to find out why. Victor said that he doesn’t know why he had this dream or what it should mean.
We shared with Victor that the reason Jesus came to him in a dream was because He loves him so very much. Jesus showed him the wounds and the price He paid on the cross for him. So that whoever believes that He is the Messiah and follows Him will be saved. That there is only one way to God the Father, and it is only through Jesus. We shared with him that he has a choice in how he responds to Jesus. If he wants to follow Him and put all of his faith only in Jesus the Son of God, then this means to turn away from Islam and from the ways of the world. It might mean that others would persecute him. It might mean that he would lose all his friends and family. Victor said that he will shortly go across the street to throw something away. We waited right there, and he came back saying something that changed his life forever.
Salvation
Victor said that he wants to start following Jesus and that he is ready for this. We held hands and Victor prayed to Jesus. He asked God to forgive him and wash him clean. He put his faith and trust in Jesus, and he made Jesus the Lord and Savior of his life. Victor told God that from now on, he will no longer believe in Allah or believe the Koran, but he will from now on believe in Jesus and the God of the Bible. Victor renounced Islam and accepted true salvation in Christ, and he prayed to Jesus saying that he will follow Him with all his heart. We prayed for the Holy Spirit to fill him with his power and love. Oh how wonderful this day was. A day of celebration.
An Encounter With God
After the prayer, we asked Victor how he felt. Victor looked at us with a large smile and said I feel clean. That is the power of the blood of Jesus. Victor came from religion but now found himself washed clean by the blood of Jesus. Now, he found himself in the arms of the Father.
That day Victor became a son of God. A part of God’s family. Victor then prayed with us for someone else, and it was so wonderful to see him already being a vessel for God to work through. We talked about the Bible, exchanged phone numbers, shared with him about a local bible group he can go to, and we also encouraged him to take other steps in the faith.
Follow-Up
Since that day when Victor renounced Islam and gave his life to Jesus, we reached out to him. We called him to meet for a Bible study when we had friends with us on the streets. We had a wonderful time talking about Scripture, praying together, and Victor got water baptized. We are excited about all that the Lord has in store for Victor, and for all the ways God will use him to build His kingdom. (March, 2023)
A muslim had a dream and became christian
Backstory
We met a man named Victor. He seemed to be busy when we first met him because he was cleaning around his tent. We started talking with him about his day. A few moments in Victor shared with us that he is Muslim. He also shared with us that he is from Cuba, and he had to flee many years ago. He came to America as a refugee, and he shared other parts of his story with us. We felt God’s heart for him, and we wanted to tell him about Jesus. Jesus the only way, not a prophet but the Son of God and our Savior. So, we shared the gospel with Victor. We shared with him the difference between Islam and following the true God. The God of the Bible. This meant to be very straightforward but that is what the gospel does to all of us. It pierces our hearts, but the truth of God sets us free. There is only one name that can save, and it is Jesus.
Dream of Jesus
After we shared this, Victor told us about a very personal dream he had. He said that he had a dream where Jesus came to him, and where He took Victor’s finger and put it in the wound on His side after which he woke up. When we heard this, our hearts jumped. How beautiful is it that Jesus was revealing Himself to Victor in this dream, but he was yet to find out why. Victor said that he doesn’t know why he had this dream or what it should mean.
We shared with Victor that the reason Jesus came to him in a dream was because He loves him so very much. Jesus showed him the wounds and the price He paid on the cross for him. So that whoever believes that He is the Messiah and follows Him will be saved. That there is only one way to God the Father, and it is only through Jesus. We shared with him that he has a choice in how he responds to Jesus. If he wants to follow Him and put all of his faith only in Jesus the Son of God, then this means to turn away from Islam and from the ways of the world. It might mean that others would persecute him. It might mean that he would lose all his friends and family. Victor said that he will shortly go across the street to throw something away. We waited right there, and he came back saying something that changed his life forever.
Salvation
Victor said that he wants to start following Jesus and that he is ready for this. We held hands and Victor prayed to Jesus. He asked God to forgive him and wash him clean. He put his faith and trust in Jesus, and he made Jesus the Lord and Savior of his life. Victor told God that from now on, he will no longer believe in Allah or believe the Koran, but he will from now on believe in Jesus and the God of the Bible. Victor renounced Islam and accepted true salvation in Christ, and he prayed to Jesus saying that he will follow Him with all his heart. We prayed for the Holy Spirit to fill him with his power and love. Oh how wonderful this day was. A day of celebration.
An Encounter With God
After the prayer, we asked Victor how he felt. Victor looked at us with a large smile and said I feel clean. That is the power of the blood of Jesus. Victor came from religion but now found himself washed clean by the blood of Jesus. Now, he found himself in the arms of the Father.
That day Victor became a son of God. A part of God’s family. Victor then prayed with us for someone else, and it was so wonderful to see him already being a vessel for God to work through. We talked about the Bible, exchanged phone numbers, shared with him about a local bible group he can go to, and we also encouraged him to take other steps in the faith.
Follow-Up
Since that day when Victor renounced Islam and gave his life to Jesus, we reached out to him. We called him to meet for a Bible study when we had friends with us on the streets. We had a wonderful time talking about Scripture, praying together, and Victor got water baptized. We are excited about all that the Lord has in store for Victor, and for all the ways God will use him to build His kingdom. (March, 2023)
first time hearing the gospel
We were walking on the street when a young man came towards us. He asked us if we knew a particular place he was looking for. We shortly talked directions, and then we went into a personal conversation. He shared that his name is Percy. He came from Mexico one day ago, and he said that he is now living here on the streets till things get better. We could tell that it has been hard for him to get here and to now find himself in a new city on the streets, which he later confirmed. We told him what a joy it is that we got to meet him. His story revealed many hardships throughout his life, but he seemed to be on the search for answers.
We shared with Percy about our good Father, how much He loves him, and the price Jesus paid for us. We shared with him about the weight of sin and that we all fell short of the glory of God. But, if we believe in Him, turn to Jesus, and repent, He will wash us and give us life in Him. Percy listened so closely as if he never heard the gospel or who God really is. He later shared that he didn’t know all of this, and he then looked at us waiting to hear more. So we shared more about God’s heart towards him and what life with Jesus as our Savior means.
After we talked about what it means to give our whole heart to Jesus, Percy asked us an amazing question. He asked us how could I do that. He said I want to follow Jesus too.
We then had a time of prayer and calling on the name of Jesus. Percy confessed his shortcomings and that he needed Jesus to save him. He asked God to forgive him, wash him clean, and be the King of his heart for the rest of his life. We personally got touched by God in that time. God’s love was so tangibly present that we were all so moved by the Lord. We then prayed for the Holy Spirit to fill Percy with His power, and He truly did touch him so wonderfully.
Percy experienced the infilling of the Holy Spirit in a manifest way. He was weeping in the Presence of God in response to what God was doing in his heart. He said that he felt power go through his entire body. We explained to him that what he experienced was what can best be described as the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
How amazing is it when God meets a life in such an incredible way. It cannot be earned. It is a true gift. Percy received Jesus as his Lord, and he had an encounter with the living God. After that, we gave him a Bible, and we read in Scripture together. We talked about the importance of our daily walk with God, how we can grow in Him, and how we can learn more from Him every day. It was such a glorious time.
Percy previously didn’t know about the love God has for him and what it means that Jesus gave it all for him. But that day, he heard the greatest love story of all, the gospel. He received Jesus as his Savior and got marked by a supernatural touch of God. We are so thankful for God’s mercy and his kindness in pursuing the lost so that they can be found in Him. (March, 2023)
Salvation & God’s strength
We passed a woman who was sitting on the ground. We said hi, and she looked up. Her eyes seemed so sad. We stopped, and we then knelt down beside her. We asked what her name is and how her day was going. She said her name is Loua. She started sharing not about her day but about her life. She said that she needs someone to listen to her and that she almost doesn’t have the strength anymore. She shared how the hardest thing is not necessarily being on the streets but something else. Loua shared that the hardest part is that she feels so weak, and she doesn’t have much hope. We listened and tried our best to comfort her. When hugging her, she started weeping. We asked if we could pray together. She nodded her head.
We prayed with all our hearts that God would comfort her, touch her, and show her who He is. We spent a while together, and we kept on praying. At that time, we also shared the gospel. We shared what Jesus has done for her, how we can receive Him as our Savior, and what it means to follow Him. She stopped weeping after a while, and we talked more about God’s thoughts about her life. We shared about the price Jesus paid for us to have life in Him. A gift that cannot be earned but that can only be received. She shared that she wasn’t so sure about God and if she could trust Him. She also shared that it is hard for her to imagine surrendering her whole life to Him. We prayed again for her and prayed that God would show her the greatest love of all and that He would show her this amazing love that He has for her.
Tears rolled down her face. It was not like at the beginning when she was weeping due to pain in her heart. This time, with tears in her eyes she said that she feels God and that she needs Jesus to save her soul. She then prayed to Jesus and called upon His name to forgive her and save her. She surrendered her life to Jesus and made him the King of her heart.
Afterward, we asked her how she feels. Loua then said that I feel such a strength inside of me. It is so different than how I felt before. We then talked about the gift of the Holy Spirit and how God gives us strength to follow Him and walk in His ways. We then read some Scriptures together, and we talked about how we can stay in truth. We also encouraged her to take steps in the faith.
Before she felt so hopeless and alone, but now she said she feels the strength to take steps to change her life such as getting on the housing list. Before she wept because of pain, then she wept because of her need for a Savior. Now she has the Holy Spirit to comfort her and be with her through everything that she goes through in life. What an amazing God we have. Only He can bring hope to the hopeless. Only He can give strength to the strengthless. Only Jesus can save and give eternal life. (February, 2023)
From questions to saved
We met Mya multiple months ago. She often asked us questions about the gospel, and we always treasured the times with her. Mya also heard about one of her friends who was healed supernaturally during one of the times we prayed for her friend to be healed in the name of Jesus. This time when we chatted with Mya, she responded very differently to the gospel message. Somehow she was understanding the things that we shared with her in the past. Not only that, but Mya made a very large decision that changed the course of her life.
Mya decided to follow Jesus that day. She accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior of her life. She repented from her sins, and she gave her heart to the Lord. It was a glorious day, and we celebrated together. We then bought her a Bible, and we talked about Scripture and how we can learn more about our heavenly Father when we read His Word. God always wants to show us something new about Himself. He wants to pour His word into our hearts and fill our minds with His truth. A life with God is an adventure. Just like Mya now has steps to take in the faith, we also all have the opportunity to take steps in our relationship with God. The Holy Spirit shows us where we can grow, and He is the best helper we can have! (February, 2023)
When the translator wants Jesus
We met Miguel, but a few sentences in we quickly noticed that there was a language barrier. We asked some individuals nearby if someone could translate for us. A man named Jagger said yeah of course. Because of his help, we then were able to have a conversation with Miguel and get to know him. After some time talking, we shared about the way God showed the greatest love in giving His Son, Jesus. We shared the gospel and what it means to follow God. Miguel said that this might be true but he didn't want to follow Jesus. Yet, someone else was ready to follow our amazing Savior.
Jagger, the translator, said I want and need Jesus. He knew that he was in need of forgiveness and a Savior. Jagger dedicated his life to Jesus that day. It was such a precious time. After we prayed together, I asked him what he felt. He said I felt something really good, but I'm not sure what it is. I listed a few things to see what he felt. Then he stopped me at one of the sentences I said. He then said yes I feel washed clean yes that is what it feels like. Praise Jesus! Jagger was first translating, and by the end of the conversation he became a child of God. He encountered the Savior. He decided to make Jesus Lord of His life and to follow Him wholeheartedly. (January, 2023)
one chooses to follow and one delays
We met two men named Petro and Jano. When we spoke with Petro, he shared that he believes in Jesus, but he shared that he has not surrendered everything to the Lord. He said he will do that when he is older. We shared that Jesus paid the highest price so that we can live life with Him. We shared how God longs to have our entire hearts, and we discussed a few other points of the gospel. Petro seemed a bit irritated by what we shared with him. He said with a stern face like I said I am going to live my life and follow God when I am older.
At this point, we asked Jano if he has ever heard the gospel. Jano shared that he never actually heard about the gospel or about Jesus really. We shared the gospel with Jano for the first time in his life. We then asked if we can pray together. It was such a special time. It was like Jano was receiving a taste of what communion with God can look or feel like because of the Holy Spirit who brings revelation.
After we prayed, we shared what it means to follow God and what it means to give our whole heart to Jesus. We spent more time sharing the gospel for a second time and the power of salvation in Christ. This time when we shared the gospel it was like he was really understanding what we were sharing.
Jano then said I want to give everything to Jesus. After we prayed together, we shared the gospel a third time to ensure that he was understanding what it means to follow God. We shared what it means to give God our whole life. At this point, Jano said I want to follow God with my whole heart. Jano became a child of God that day. He gave his life to Jesus. His life was changed forever. We talked about next steps, reading the Bible, getting connected to other believers, and we are excited for all that God has in store for him.
Before we left, we shifted the conversation back to Petro. He said again I will give my life to Jesus when I am older. He then explained that there are some things that he wants to do as a young man that he knows he can’t do if he followed Jesus. This was his reasoning behind giving his life to Jesus when he is older. We talked about some topics such as the cost of following Jesus, the decision between this world and God, and more while we tried our best communicating God’s great love for him. We then asked if we can bless him in the name of Jesus, and he said ok but only quickly. We then blessed him with all our hearts, and we went on our way.
We thank God for how Jano received salvation that day! He understood that what this world has to offer is nothing compared to the Lord. We pray that Petro will also receive the revelation from God that true life is found in Christ not in the things of this world. We are excited for all that the Lord has in store for each of them. (January, 2023)
when an encounter changes everything - salvation
We met a man named Nick. Nick shared how he grew up in church, but he never really felt ready to give his life to Jesus. He said that he just wasn't ready and that he still isn't ready. We then shared the gospel with him. Afterwards, we shared some specific words that we felt God highlight to us. Nick was amazed about what just happened, and he said that this spoke into his exact situation in life. We could tell that this really caught Nick off guard. He wasn’t expecting to be so touched by these words. We realized that what happened wasn’t just that he was touched, but he received a touch from God. At this point, Nick said for the first time in his life he feels like God sees him. Although Nick previously said that he was never ready to become a child of God, he said that this experience now really made him want to become His child.
At this point, Nick’s heart was wide open. The Holy Spirit was touching his heart. Isn’t it beautiful that it is always God’s work when a life gets touched. God knows Nick better than any other person. We then were able to speak truth from Scripture into his life. It was as if God touched the brokenness in his heart and brought healing there. After this, something else amazing happened. Nick had a second encounter with God. It is difficult to explain or describe. It was like the Holy Spirit was speaking to Him in a personal way while we were talking about the truth from Scripture.
A few minutes later, Nick looked at us with watery eyes, and he said this changes everything. Nick decided to give his life to Jesus that day. As he prayed to the Lord, tears were flowing down his face. Nick experienced the greatest joy of life. The gift of salvation in Jesus.
Isn’t it so beautiful that God was eager to touch this precious man although he had said no to Jesus for so many years. As long as there is breath in our lungs, we have an opportunity to turn and follow Jesus wholeheartedly. God is inviting all of us to surrender to Him over and over again. To trust Him despite questions and to never leave that place of devotion to Him. (January, 2023)
Touched by the presence of god
We met three men that were walking on the streets. When we were chatting with them shortly, we shared about how we can have true life in Jesus. After sharing a bit, we asked if we could pray together. We formed a circle with them and while praying, we asked that God would touch each one in a unique and special way. After the prayer, we asked them what they experienced. The first guy said, “ I felt this tingling in my hands.” The second guy said with a surprised facial expression, “me too, I felt a tingling in my legs.” The third guy said how crazy it is because he also felt a tingling in his legs. They looked at each other and afterward didn’t say anything but just looked at us as if they were waiting to hear what that was. At this time, we shared about the Presence of God, the Holy Spirit, and the gospel again. We talked about what it means to follow Jesus. After this, we asked each one if they wanted to follow Jesus. One of the three said that he wants to give his life to Jesus and follow Him with his life. He was so bold. Despite the other two friends not responding to the Presence of God, he wanted to receive Jesus as his Savior. While we prayed together, he made Jesus Lord of his heart. After this, we invited the Holy Spirit to fill him. We then asked him how he is feeling. The man said that “I feel a love for God, and I have not felt this before.”
Isn’t it so beautiful that as he received the love of God for him, he also received a love for God. A love that is willing to follow him and a faith in his heart that is willing to choose Him even when his friends didn’t. He had an encounter with the Father that created Him. He went from lost to found! (December, 2022)
ankle healing and salvation
We met a man named Brook. He was sitting on a little stool. We asked him how he is doing and how his day has been so far. We also asked him if there is anything that he wished for to be better. Brooke said that he has strong ankle pain (level 8 out of 10, when 1 is being the least and 10 is being the most). It was hurting him, and he was hoping that it would get better soon. We asked if we could pray for Jesus to touch him. He agreed, and Jesus did touch him in a special way.
First, the pain went down to a level 6. Brook was already excited because it felt better. We prayed a second time, and Jesus completely healed his ankle. He was able to move it and stand on it without any pain. He was so amazed at the work Jesus did. We shared the gospel and how Jesus not only came to bring healing to our bodies, but He draws hearts to Him. Jesus came to restore our relationship to the Father that was broken due to sin. He calls us to believe in him, forsake our old lives, and follow Him as our only King. Brook was moved by the gospel and what Jesus has done for us so that we could be a part of the family of God. He decided to surrender his life to Jesus, trust in the work He did for him, and to follow Jesus. What a glorious God we have! His love and the gospel can reach hearts like nothing else. The work Jesus did on the cross is deeper and more powerful than we can fathom. One revelation and one glimpse of the price He paid for us can change a life forever. (December, 2022)
healing, deliverance, and salvation
We walked through an area where we met a woman named Maia. We knelt down beside her and asked how she is doing. She smiled and said with a high-pitched voice “you remind me of my daughter.” She started hugging Naomi and kept on giving her hugs. Maia said how she misses her daughter as she showed us a folder with a picture of her on the cover. We got to know her and her story. Her heart was wide open from the beginning just because Naomi reminded her of her daughter. We asked her if she has any pain or sickness in her body. She shared that she has so much back pain and that has been the case for a long period of time. She shared about a disk problem and since then she has been dealing with a lot of back pain. We asked her how strong the pain is, and she replied by saying that the pain is currently at a level 8.
We prayed together, and Jesus immediately healed her. She jumped up because she felt the pain leave, and she bent down till her hands touched her feet. She smiled with tears in her eyes, and she said how incredible this is. We then shared more about the gospel and what it means to follow Jesus as the King of our lives. She saw her shortcomings, and she felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit that she needed a Savior. Maia then said that if Jesus can forgive her and accept her, she wants to follow Him. While praying together, her eyes were visibly showing that she was in bondage. So we started praying for her freedom and as Jesus was setting her free, her eyes changed. She surrendered her life to Jesus, and her eyes started lighting up. Maia said how incredible and different she feels. The power of Salvation was so visible. We were both touched by the Presence of God and how His light changed everything. When someone comes from darkness to light everything changes. The light and love of God transforms us from the inside out. We are changed not because of our own works but because of the power of what Jesus has done. What a glorious God we have! No one can save except our Savior Jesus! May we always be in awe of the great gift of Salvation and our Savior! (December, 2022)
salvation & off the streets
We were on our way to the streets. While we were driving we stopped at a gas station to fill our tank with gasoline. There we met a woman named Daniela. She was sitting on the sidewalk under the cold rain. Her hair and all her clothes were drenched. We went up to her and complimented her regarding her pink sweater that fit her so well. A few minutes into the conversation we began to share the gospel. We really felt that the Holy Spirit was moving in her heart.
After we prayed together, Daniela said tomorrow she is going to give her life to Jesus, she is going to leave her past behind, and she is going to find a place to sleep and live off the streets. We told her that she doesn’t have to wait till tomorrow but that she can choose that now. Daniela was insistent. She said she will do it tomorrow. She said how she wants to make sure that she makes this decision wholeheartedly. We shared with her that God knows everything about us and He loves an honest heart. We encouraged her with the truth that God’s arms are open for her.
The next day we saw Daniela again. She had her hair done, had clean clothes on, and she looked like a whole different person. We went up to her and asked her how she is doing. She said you won’t believe what happened. She shared with us that yesterday night some hours after we chatted with her someone that was traveling through came up to her and shared about Jesus, as well. We never had a story like that. We were so happy that she was able to hear the gospel twice on the same day! Daniela said you were the ones that did that and then that night someone else from out of town did the same thing. She said that she remembered at that time what she told us. Although it was only a couple of hours ago when she told us that she is ready to follow Jesus from tomorrow on, she knew that God was after her and so she decided that same night to make Jesus her Savior. Daniela shared with the person that she is ready to give her life to Jesus and leave her past behind. That day, she became a daughter of God forgiven by the blood of Jesus.
Daniela made Jesus the King of her heart. Through a series of supernaturally open doors, one day later, she found a place to live, and, when we saw her, she was looking for jobs in the area. She shared with us which places she will be applying to. We are so excited for all that is to come for Daniela. Hallelujah. God rescued Daniela through His supernatural hand, and He gave her eternal life in Him. Praise the Lord!
Isn’t it amazing that each seed sown can make a difference. It is always worth it sharing about our Savior. He pursues hearts. He is such a loving Father, and all of heaven celebrates over every soul saved! (December, 2022)
salvation & he found a best friend for life
We met a man named Mike. We started talking with him by asking how he is doing. As he was speaking, we had to focus to understand what he was saying because he had a strong stutter. As we were chatting, we could tell that He was feeling lonely and that God wanted to reveal to Him that He wants to be His best friend. We later shared with him the gospel and how God wants to be His very best friend.
Mike shared with us that he is a bad man. He said that he feels like he doesn’t deserve God’s love or His help. The more he shared the more we realized that Mike was tangled up in the lies of the devil. There were so many lies that he was believing that it was painful to listen to. We then took a few moments to ask God for help as we prepared to share the truth of the gospel. We then asked Mike if he wants to hear the truth that brings salvation. The things he was believing kept him in chains, but if he believes the truth he can receive salvation in Christ. The truth is we all do not deserve God’s love or the eternal gift of salvation, but it is a gift. It is to be received. So, we asked Mike if we can pray together. While praying, we rebuked the lies of the devil, and we invited the Holy Spirit to speak to Him and touch Him with God’s love.
After the prayer, Mike said that if God can accept Him, he wants Him too. If he only knew how wide the arms of the Father are. God is waiting for his children to come to Him and put all their faith in Him. As Mike prayed to Jesus and made Him the Savior of his life, something wonderful happened. The stutter became all of a sudden way less. So much so that it was easy to understand him. It was so wonderful. After Mike finished praying, he looked up, and his smile touched our hearts. We could see the joy of salvation written on his face. There is nothing like it. He said that he will ask a family member nearby to go to a church together, and he is excited to read the Bible daily. This is just the start of a beautiful journey Mike will have with God. A journey of discovering more about this love that we can’t earn or deserve but that changes our lives forever. (November, 2022)
a touch from god that changed a life
We met a man named Makai. When we met him for the first time, we found out in a longer conversation with him that he uses witchcraft on the streets. We did not share the gospel with him then, but we could tell that he knew we were Christians and that he also knew a little bit about Jesus. As we said bye to him, we also could tell that he was surprised that we were not trying to engage in a theological discussion or anything of that nature. Also, he was really curious about why individuals walking by knew us. Then a few weeks later, we saw Makai a second time. This time he was in a different place in life. He hit a place that he called rock bottom. At this point, we received a word of knowledge and asked him if he has shoulder pain. He said he had level 5 pain (1 being the least and 10 being the most). We asked if we could pray together, and he said well you know (implying that he does witchcraft and does not pray to Jesus). We decided to do something that we rarely do, but we put our hands on his shoulders and began praying before he could say no. A few moments later, we asked Makai to test out his shoulders. To his amazement, he said the pain went down to a level 2. We shared the gospel with him, and Makai was in awe of what was happening. He said I have a lot to think about now, and at this point it was clear that he wanted us to leave. We then said bye and went on our way.
Now, a couple of months later we saw Makai again. He looked excited to see us. He shared with us that when we met the last time and prayed for his shoulders, his shoulders were actually fully and completely healed. Makai said that he knew that it was Jesus who did that. He said he had a lot to think about regarding what we shared and what he experienced, and he said that he knows it must be true.
At this time, we shared the gospel with him again, and Makai made the most important decision of His life. He decided to make Jesus Lord and Savior of His life and now follow him. It was amazing how God moved with a seed, then another seed, and then Makai was ready to give his life to the Lord and give everything. God’s ways are higher than ours! He is patient, kind, and all-powerful. Today, Makai is in a relationship with the Savior Jesus. The way, the truth, and the life.(November, 2022)
healing of feet pain & a heart saved
We met a young man named Dale. We introduced ourselves and asked if he is passionate about music which turned out to be his primary passion. We then talked about how we can hear everything about music but not understand music. From there we shared that it is the same way about God. We can hear so many things about God but not know Him at all. We then started to share the gospel and what it means to live a life with God. We shared how we are to let go of everything that is holding us back and surrender to follow our Savior Jesus.
After this, we prayed for Dale’s feet. Dale said that he had level 7 pain in both feet (1 being the least and 10 being the most). After the prayer, Dale tested out his feet. He jumped, stomped, and Dale said with such a happy smile that all the pain is gone. Jesus completely healed him. Praise God!
After this, Dale said that he wants to follow Jesus. We prayed for God to continue to touch Him, a prayer of salvation, and a prayer for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. After this, he said, “I feel relieved”. It was a spiritual relief. The weight of sin left him. The relief that comes when we are forgiven by God. The blood of Jesus is powerful. He cleanses us. He changes us. He removes our heart of stone and gives us a heart of flesh. Dale was so excited.
We are so thankful that Dale is now a part of God’s family! Thank you Jesus! (November, 2022)
salvation & a new beginning
We were driving in our car asking the Holy Spirit to lead us. As we were doing this we saw this man walking, and we felt that we are to stop and go to him. His name was Dane, and he was a younger man. As we walked up to him, the word “tell him that he is not alone” was on our hearts. We then started sharing that he is not alone. We shared with him about the love of God and that God knows exactly what he is going through right at this moment. Dane said with tears coming to his eyes that he was just feeling so lonely, and if we would know what day it is we would understand how crazy it is that we told him that.
We asked him what happened today. He replied by saying that he literally just walked out of prison and has lost everything. All I have is this bag I am holding in my hands. No one was waiting for him when he came out of prison. It was just him. He felt so alone, and he felt the pain from losing all the people that were close to him. Dane shared more about his story. As he was talking, we could feel the pain in his heart and the unforgiveness he has been dealing with due to the injustice he felt he experienced. We shared the gospel with him, and we asked if we can pray for him. During prayer, tears rolled down his face, and he knew that he needed a Savior. He understood that he is lost without God and that he has turned to the world instead of turning to God. Dane decided to receive Jesus as his Savior and surrendered his life to Him. As he put his faith and trust in Jesus, he also received freedom. The Holy Spirit touched him, and he was able to forgive those that hurt him. He received the love that God has for him.
That day he received the best friend and helper, the Holy Spirit. After a longer conversation about how we can grow in the faith, we then prayed that God would open a way for him to not be on the streets and to live the way God has for him. Only a few days later, we saw him again. He shared with a smile on his face that he now has an apartment plus a job and that he is doing good in his walk with God.
Isn’t it so beautiful that the day he got out of prison he was not only freed from prison, but he received freedom spiritually. He experienced the salvation that only comes through Christ. His sins were forgiven through the blood of Jesus. He was set free from unforgiveness and all his past sins. Then, God opened a door for him to get housing and a job in a matter of a few days. What a gracious and kind God we have. Jesus is the true freedom. There is no freedom outside of God. Jesus came to set us free so that we could be free indeed. (November, 2022)
a heart softened
We met a man named Kelvin. We carried on some very generic small talk such as talking about the weather. At one point, he turned to Eliel and asked if he could have Naomi for the evening, implying prostitution. Both of us were shocked, and we immediately started talking about the wickedness of man and what sin is. The conviction of the Lord came upon Kelvin, and we could feel how things in his heart were surfacing. Kelvin all of the sudden realized how he has fallen short of the glory of God, and how he has been choosing sin even right in front of our eyes. His heart became really soft, and we could see the sadness in his eyes. We then asked if we could pray together. At this point, we began sharing the gospel and what Jesus did on the cross. As we began sharing what it means to follow Jesus with our whole lives, Kelvin said I want this. Kelvin decided to follow Jesus that day and to choose him above all else.
The progression of the conversation was so quick. The conversation of normal small talk developed into a shock of a very awkward conversation, into Kelvin experiencing the conviction of his sin, and then into Kelvin dedicating his life to the Lord. To realize our need for a Savior is essential in coming to God. We all need a Savior. We need him the same way today as we did on the first day. He is the one that saves us, and through his grace, we get to walk this life with Him. Life with Jesus is such an adventure. (September, 2022)
Salvation of 2 young men
When we are on the streets, we sometimes also go to gas stations. Sometimes individuals that are experiencing homelessness hang around there. This particular gas station was common in the area for also having multiple drug dealers and panhandling. On one particular day, we were walking around, and we felt that we were to go there. When we arrived, we saw a tall man all dressed in red clothes that lived on the streets. He was yelling and shouting when we got there. We walked past him and just said hi. He was in such a broken place that he didn’t stop but just kept on yelling full of anger. We felt that we should just wait there. So, we prayed a couple of feet away for God’s peace to come.
Then 4 young men drove into a parking space beside a gas pump. We felt that God wanted to encounter them, but the problem was that the man in the red shirt was right beside them, and in the meantime, he was even angrier due to some others that did not like him being there. As the man in the red shirt reached under his shirt, we were not sure if he was going to pull out a gun. So, we kept on praying and went into the gas station quickly. Through the window, we saw that the 4 young men were still getting gas, and we felt God’s love for them in a special way. Yet, there was this man who was angry right there beside them that was distracting and bringing danger in a way that these young men looked scared.
We didn’t want them to leave without them knowing about the love of God and what Jesus has done for us. So, we shortly went out of the gas station store. We then called one of the four men asking if they can drive to the other side of the gas station. We shared that we wanted to share something with them. He nodded. We went to the other side of the store so that we were at the backside. As we saw that these young men were driving their car to us and parked where we were waiting for them, we were so happy. Why would someone drive to the back of the gas station just because we asked them to do so. We believe it was the Holy Spirit drawing them. They all got out of the car and stood in front of us. They were all about 20 years old. We then started telling them that God has a great purpose for their lives, that they are to dream big, and that the greatest purpose that makes everything worth it is Jesus. Jesus is the one that gives true purpose and life. We asked if we could pray for them and also asked if one has foot pain. One of them said yes. So, we prayed for him.
At that moment, Jesus healed him from all his foot pain. We then continued praying for God to touch them, and we shared the gospel. Then, we asked if they would like to turn away from their old life and start living for God and have Jesus as the King of their lives.
Two of them including the one that got healed said that they know this must be the truth, but they are not yet ready to give everything. The other two said that they want Jesus as the Lord of their lives. They surrendered their hearts to Jesus, and we asked the Holy Spirit to fill and baptize them. This group of young men was touched by God, we connected them to a church, and two received the most beautiful gift of Salvation. What a glorious God we have. He reveals himself and calls individuals to receive Him. He is a good God. A good Father that so longs after each heart. (September, 2022)
5 Friends that became sons of god
We saw a group of 7 men sitting in lawn chairs on a little piece of grass beside the street. They were lined up in a row, and it looked as if they were waiting for someone to share a story. We walked up to them saying hi and asking if we would be able to share a story. One of them said you need to ask my boss pointing to the youngest of these men. It was clear that they were involved in drug dealing. The boss just nodded his head. After sharing a metaphoric story, we then started sharing about the love of Jesus. Although all of them were originally from Haiti, we found out that only the boss and one other could speak English. The others spoke creole. One of the men seemed to not like hearing about Jesus, so we went to him to just get to know him. When he calmed down a bit and was not distracting anymore, we started sharing the gospel one-on-one with each person. The first one we shared the gospel with was the boss. His name was Momo. We asked if we could pray for God to touch him. During prayer, his heart was so tender, and he was not acting like the boss of the drug dealer group anymore. After sharing the gospel with him, He then said that he wants Jesus as his Savior in his life and that he wants to change the way he lives. After he committed his life to Jesus, the peace of God was so strong that it touched us personally as well. His first response right after were the words I feel forgiven. It hit our hearts. This is what the blood of Jesus does. He forgives us and washes us clean. He transforms us so that we want to live after His ways.
Momo was so touched, so he wanted his friends to know about Jesus as well. He became our translator so that we were able to share the gospel one-on-one with each man that was there. Multiple never heard the gospel before. It was so touching how God was revealing Himself, and how He encountered them in a way that they had the desire to receive Jesus as their own Savior, turn away from their old ways, and live for His glory. God touched each one uniquely and powerfully.
In the end, 5 of these men gave their hearts to Jesus. They all wanted to know how to grow in the faith. Isn’t it beautiful that when we receive Jesus as our Savior, we then get to walk this life with Him. No longer are we our own master, but we have the true master as our friend and King. The Spirit of God moves hearts in a way that draws them to God. When we empty ourselves from all the worldly things, we can truly receive a hunger and thirst after God and after His ways. We connected them to an international church where Momo offered to drive them to the gathering. We exchanged phone numbers, and we are so excited about all that God is going to do through their lives.
The boss, Momo, offered to drive so they can all together go to a church where they have many different nationalities. Regarding the man that was distracting in the beginning, he did not yet give his life to Jesus, but there were some seeds sown. In the end, he was no longer irritated, and he even thanked us for coming. God touched the group of men in such a powerful and life-changing way. We thank God for His transforming love that came over each one. 5 became sons of God and surrendered their lives to Him. Jesus is so kind and good. He is just and loving. He is glorious and wonderful! (September, 2022)
Knee healing & Salvation
When meeting James, he was using inappropriate language, and he seemed closed off in the beginning. We started a conversation by asking him if he has any pain in his body. He said that he has been having knee pain and that it is hurting him while standing and walking. We prayed for his knee to be healed in the name of Jesus. The pain completely left, and he started jumping on it without having any pain. One of his friends looked so surprised and James was smiling at what just happened. We shared with him the glorious gospel of what Jesus has done for us and what it means to follow Him wholeheartedly. James was filled with faith that Jesus is the Lord, and he invited him to forgive him and to be the King of his heart. We asked for the baptism of the Holy Spirit and as we were praying, God was moving in James' heart. We talked about some next steps in his life, and we are so thankful that he became a son of God that day.
No matter how closed off individuals are, the gospel and what Jesus has done softens hearts more than anything else. It is the most beautiful message we can carry for it is the work Jesus has done for all of us. We pray that we get to be fascinated at the price Jesus paid for us and that this truth would make our hearts jump each new day. (August, 2022)
back pain healing & salvation
We met a man named Hayes. We were carrying on some small talk and laughing together about some funny situations in life. At one point in the conversation, Naomi asked can I ask you a question. Do you have lower back pain? Hayes said how did you know that. Hayes was surprised also because he showed no indication at all that he has back pain, and he also hasn’t told anyone about it. He said that it is really special that you knew that. Hayes then said now I have a question. He then asked Naomi “do you have my back?” Naomi said honestly I am not always going to be there to have your back, so no. Hayes made a really serious face, and he shared how much it touches him that she said the truth. It was a trick question. Hayes shared that it really bothers and irritates him when someone says they have someone’s back, and they really don’t. Naomi said yeah I don’t always have your back, but Jesus is the One that is always there for you. Hayes’ heart was so open at this point that he just stood there wanting to listen to more. A few minutes later after praying together something else amazing happened.
Hayes’ back was fully and completely healed. Hayes was able to bend down to the floor. We all celebrated and laughed together. We even laughed that Hayes was able to bend down further than the both of us because Hayes is extremely flexible. Hayes was so happy about what he experienced, and he was excited to learn about Jesus who knows him and healed him. He started telling some around him what Jesus did for him. This opened up multiple conversations and times of prayer with others around him.
Although we all want to have each other’s back, we know that the One we need to set our trust in is Jesus. He is the One that knows the depth of our hearts. He is also the One that we need to lean upon. If we know that we are seen by Him and that He is our righteousness, then we also know that no matter what in the end it counts what Jesus says about us. It is not the world or the opinions of man that counts, but it is what God says over us that truly counts.
The next time we saw him. He decided to follow Jesus. He surrendered his life and made Him the King of his heart. We thank God for the way God has been touching Hayes throughout the weeks. (August, 2022)
a touch from god & prodigal son comes home
We met a man named Watende. After a few minutes of our conversation, he shared with us his story. He said that multiple years ago he used to do drugs with his girlfriend, but then they both got to know Jesus. After that, they turned away from that lifestyle to follow God. He shared that they got married, and they lived in a nice apartment just a few cities away. A few months later, Watende and his wife started having marriage problems. They continued to have lot of arguments, and they both searched for ways to cope with the pain of their hurting marriage. His wife turned to the Lord to heal the pain, but Watenda said that he went to drugs to numb the pain. About 2 months later, he was living on the streets. He said that he feels so much regret, and he feels so hopeless. We then asked if we want to pray together, and he said yes.
During the prayer, God was moving in Watende’s heart. He was touched by the Lord, and the Holy Spirit was moving on him. At one point during the prayer, Watende reached into his bag and grabbed a large bag of drugs. He walked over to the trash can, threw the drugs away, and he said I’m going to follow the Lord again. We prayed a second time together, and there was such an atmosphere of freedom around him.
Watende prayed a prayer of repentance, and he decided to rededicate his life to the Lord. He was filled with such a conviction of the Holy Spirit, and he thanked God for giving him a second chance. This was such a special time. At this point, God started speaking to Watende about His will for his life. He was confirming things in his heart that he was calling him to do, and God filled him with such hope for his life and his marriage. Watende encountered the restoration of God in his heart, and we are so excited for all that the Lord has in store for him in the future. (August, 2022)
Salvation & off the streets
We were driving in our car looking for an individual we met the day before. His name was Jonathan. We were praying God would bring us to Jonathan since we felt God wanted to do something in his life. We were driving around, and, when we were at the stop light, we felt that we should turn around. We then saw two men sitting on the floor. We passed them, and, as we turned around again, we felt that we needed to stop and go ask them if they saw Jonathan.
Naomi went out and walked to them. One stood up and asked what she wanted. She asked him if he knew Jonathan. He said with wide-open eyes, I am Jonathan. Although he was not the same Jonathan from the day before, he was the Jonathan that God was looking for. At that moment, the other man on the floor started crying although she didn’t speak with him yet. It was so clear that God wanted to touch them, so when sharing the gospel with them, God’s Presence was so tangible.
Both Jonathan and Will said that they want to follow Jesus and give him everything. We then sat down with them to pray. Jonathan had tears in his eyes, and Will was still crying from the moment we met. Will said that he has never felt like this in his life. It was the Presence of God touching him before words even reached him. God was already moving in his heart to receive the gospel. It was such a beautiful and powerful time as both gave their lives to Jesus. They made Him the King of their lives. Jonathan said that earlier that morning, he was hoping that somehow he could get off the streets and start over. He said that then we came and he knows that it is not a coincidence. He also said that now that he has Jesus in his heart, he knows and shared that he no longer wants a specific sin in his life and live that lifestyle. He shared with us that he is turning away from it because he wants to live right with God. He said that without us even knowing or saying anything about it.
Isn’t it beautiful that the gospel is so powerful that it transforms us from the inside out. This day was a day of salvation. Through one of our friends that works for a discipleship program across the country, we were able to get a greyhound bus ticket for Jonathan to go to a discipleship program. We spent time with him that afternoon till his departure at 9 pm at night. We spoke about God’s word, and Jonathan was so full of joy and excitement to learn about God. That night, we waved goodbye as he went on the bus to start a whole new life. God saw their broken hearts, but He came and brought restoration. The restoration is only possible through the blood of Jesus. He is the One that sets us free. He is the One that transforms us to live a life after His ways. We can’t wait to see all that the Lord is going to do through these two lives that were touched by God. (August, 2022)
Jesus saves hearts
We met a man named Banks as we were walking on the sidewalk. After we introduced ourselves, we started having a conversation. While he shared some different things about his day, we asked the Lord to speak to us. At one point, God gave us a particular word of knowledge regarding a hidden talent that Banks has as a singer. He was so surprised that we knew something that meant so much to him and that we couldn’t have known just like that. Banks said man how do you guys know this.
We shared the gospel with him. We shared that God is the one who knows and sees him. Banks was just shocked by what was happening. He was trying to understand that God shared with us these things about him because God wants to have a personal relationship with him. As we shared some more about the gospel, Banks asked us some questions. After a few more minutes, Banks made the most important decision a man can ever make.
Banks decided to dedicate his life to the Lord that day. He decided that he wants to follow Him. He repented of his sins, invited Jesus to be Lord over his life, and began a journey with the Lord that day. It was so special. The Presence of God was so strong. Banks experienced the love of the Lord so tangibly, and he received something so special from God that day. He became a son, and he was able to experience the love that only comes from our heavenly Father. (July, 2022)
SALVATION
We met someone named Jett. He was working in the area of town where we usually go around on our scooters. As we chatted a bit, he seemed open to prayer. During the prayer, he said that he feels such love and peace. Later in the prayer, the Presence of God continued to move so powerfully. He was touched by what was happening. At this time, we started sharing the gospel message. He kept looking at us with this serious face while continuously nodding his head at us.
Jett made the largest decision of his life that day. He decided to follow Jesus. Jett accepted Christ as Lord and Savior over his life. The encounter that he had with the Presence of God showed him how real God really is. The love of God that Jett felt supernaturally opened his heart to respond to this life-changing invitation with God. Jett had to get back to work, but we exchanged phone numbers because he said that he is not always in that area of town. We are excited for all that the Lord has in store for him.
Isn’t it so beautiful that God keeps on showing Himself to mankind? It is such a gift that He reveals His heart and His nature to us. We want to look at Him and keep on being fascinated by who He is. What a blessing it is to be His bride. We pray that in all that we do, we would be caught up by His greatness and his glorious ways. We pray that our love for Him would always grow and bloom. (June, 2022)
SALVATION - WATER THAT DOESN'T RUN DRY
It was an especially hot day. We noticed a man sitting on the ground all alone in a warm jacket. He was the only one on that side of the street because everyone else was either in a place where there was a breeze or in a tent. As we approached him, we noticed that his mouth was moving very slightly. We asked him if he is not hot with his jacket on. Again, he only moved his lips just slightly. We crouched down beside him to try our best to make out what he was saying. We then heard him say with a very quiet voice and fear in his eyes thirsty, water, thirsty, I need water. We asked him if he is not hot with his jacket on. He said again very quietly that he can’t take it off. We asked him what is your name? He said his name is Jase. As we touched his jacket to help him remove it, we noticed that it was completely drenched in sweat.
Jase showed symptoms such as dried lips, and we realized that he was suffering from severe dehydration. His body was so weak. He was unable to receive help before because those that passed him were not able to hear his cry for help due to his quiet whisper. We quickly went to get a large jug of water and food from a nearby market. As we returned, we guided the water bottle to his lips because Jase was unable to lift his hands to drink. We also served him food because he was not able to eat on his own. We asked him if he is willing to go to the hospital, and he said he is not willing to go (due to past traumatic experiences). We stayed with him for about two hours helping him to eat and drink. We were also monitoring his health to ensure that he doesn’t need medical support, and we kept on praying for God to fill him with strength. After some time, we noticed that he was getting some strength back. He was able to move his head a little bit. He spoke a little louder now because his body was responding to the water, and he said that he feels a lot better.
At this point, we started sharing the gospel with him. Jase then replied by saying that it can't be an accident that we came to him right on this day when he really needed help. He said that he has seen us praying with other people before, and we then asked him if we can pray together. He nodded his head, and he said yes, please. It was such a special time. After we prayed together, we asked him if he felt anything. He said that he feels something good in his heart. By the way he said it, we knew that God was encountering Jase, but he didn’t really know how to communicate it. After sharing the gospel in more detail and what it means to follow the Lord, we then asked Jase the most important question one can ask someone on earth.
Jase decided to dedicate his life to the Lord that day. He not only had an encounter with the Presence of God, but he dedicated his life to following Jesus. He prayed a heartfelt prayer of repentance, and he told God that I want to follow you all the days of my life. Afterward, we invited the Holy Spirit to fill him, and Jase felt God move in his body. It was an amazing moment and one that we will never forget. God is such a good father, and he became Jase’s Father that day, as well.
Isn’t it amazing that though Jase was literally first thirsting in a life-threatening way, later he was able to drink from a fountain that never runs dry? Jesus said whoever drinks of the water that I give him will never thirst again, referring to eternal life. Jase experienced the paralyzing fear of dehydration, but just a few hours later he experienced the joy of salvation. He experienced the fear of death, but just a few hours later Jase experienced the joy of eternal life. Praise the Lord! (June, 2022)
Deliverance and Salvation
We met a man named Jeremy. While we were chatting, we noticed that he was saying some things that didn’t make sense. It helped us discern that multiple things were just not right. We did not know what was going to happen just a few minutes later, but it made a lot of sense later.
As we started praying, Jeremy started shaking. As this happened, we noticed that we have a few different options. Either we stop praying, start wrapping it up, or we can continue to pray. If we were to continue to pray then the shaking would probably increase due to the manifesting battle of darkness and light. We decided to continue praying, and we started to speak God’s truth over him even louder, with more clarity, and with greater intensity. After that, Jeremy fell to the floor and started shaking very profusely. This happened for a few minutes until Jeremy suddenly stopped. He stood back up, and his face really looked different. Jeremy experienced deliverance from multiple demons that were afflicting him for years. Jeremy also noticed a difference and a change in his mind, emotions, and thoughts. We then shared the gospel with him, and we asked him if he wanted to make Jesus his Lord and Savior.
Just a few moments later, Jeremy decided to make Jesus Lord and Savior over his life. It was such a powerful time, and as he dedicated his life to the Lord it was just so special. He received forgiveness from Jesus for his sins, and through this, he was able to receive the greatest love of all, our Savior Jesus.
This was a new beginning for Jeremy. We are so excited for all that the Lord has in store for him. (May 2022)
Jesus saves hearts
We met a woman named Katie. We talked about some different themes surrounding the topic of friendship. As we were chatting, Katie was sharing how one of her friends hurt her in a way that she will never forget. Katie told us more details explaining why her friend’s actions hurt her so deeply. At one point, we asked if we could pray together.
Right before we started praying, Katie said that throughout her life she knew multiple Christians. She said that she never could see herself following Jesus, but just recently she was thinking about it. We shared that we find that is the moving of the Holy Spirit. We talked about how God gave us free will to choose Him, and, at the same time, he also draws us to Him.
Katie asked us to share some more of the gospel message with her. We talked about the gospel, and we shared what it means to follow the Lord. As we were talking, Katie shared that she saw a picture. We asked her what did you see? She said that I was walking with Jesus at one of my favorite places. It was such a significant moment. We asked her did you see any other pictures? Katie sat there silently, and then she looked up at us again. She said that Jesus then took me into the fresh water.
After this incredible time, Katie dedicated her life to Jesus. She declared his Lordship over her life. This emotion-filled time was so unique. Katie responded to the Lord with such tenderness and sensitivity. It was remarkable what God was doing.
Katie stepped into that fresh water of relationship with Jesus that day. We talked more about what life with Christ looks like, and how we are called to live this journey with Him. We spoke of our dependence on the Lord no matter what season we are in, and how he is not only our Savior and King, but He is also our friend.
Jesus invites us all to step into His fresh water. He invites us to journey in discovering more of Him. There is always something new to explore in Him. In all that we do and are, we pray that we would always keep our hearts in the place of awe and wonder of our incredible Savior. (April 2022)
BACK HEALING & A NEW BEGINNING
Backstory
About five weeks ago, we met a man named Brexton. When we started chatting, he said that he has seen us walking around, and he said he knew our faces. We started and continued talking about a wide range of topics with him and his friend. At one point he shared about his back pain. We asked on a scale of 1 through 10 (1 being the least and 10 being the most) what pain level do you currently feel? He said that he feels a level 9. We asked if we could pray together, and he said yes.
Partial Healing
After we prayed, Brexton looked at us with an enormous smile. He said that the pain went down to a 5. Brexton said wow it feels amazing compared to before. He was so excited. We shared with him that we have seen God bring full healing throughout time sometimes. We told him that he should keep testing it out, and we encouraged him to thank Jesus for the full healing even before he sees it.
After that, Brexton shared that he used to pray a lot and believe, but he said that he stopped praying. We were then able to speak truth into his life, and we shared with him that the Father’s arms are open for Him. We encouraged him that he can come as he is to our Good Father and God wants to touch his heart. We also encouraged him to start talking to God again and that he should pray to Him.
Completed Healing
The next day we just happened to see Brexton again on a different street. We asked how is your back feeling? Brexton said that it is still a 5. We asked if we could pray again, and Brexton said of course. We prayed, and Jesus did something incredible.
Brexton’s level 5 back pain went to a 0. Brexton put his hand in front of his mouth just in awe of what he experienced. He kept on saying wow it is amazing. Brexton said I can’t believe my back is fully healed.
Encounter with the Power of God
We then prayed again for Brexton while thanking God. During the prayer, we could see tears coming to his eyes, and his body was shaking. We kept on waiting on the Lord to continue doing whatever He was doing. After the prayer, Brexton shared I really can’t describe what happened. He became so sensitive and emotional. He said I really cannot even describe the power I just felt, and I believe God just touched me. We chatted a few more minutes, and then Brexton went on his way.
Growth in His Relationship with God
When we saw Brexton again, he shared with us that he is now praying again. He said that he took to heart what we were saying and sharing about God. He said that he is now seeking Him. We were so touched by how the Lord moved Brexton’s heart towards Him and how he began to walk with Him again.
Discipleship Conversations
We had numerous conversations where we talked about the Scriptures and about God. It is so special to learn about God’s word together because there is new manna for all of us each new day. God’s word is nourishing all of us, and it is also what is now happening to Brexton.
God Confirmed His Calling
Brexton shared with us that he can already feel a difference since he started praying, and he feels how God has already been telling him something. We asked him if he would like to share what God is showing him. Brexton shared that when he was younger, he knew that he had a call to ministry on his life. Brexton shared that he neglected it really hard. He said that due to his experience now and what God has been calling forth in him, he now wants to live out this calling. He said that he feels called to the streets. Brexton shared that he is now going around and sharing with people about God.
Some Thoughts
Stories like these are so beautiful and powerful. It is so touching to see seeds that are sown flourish and even multiply. God healed Brexton’s back. This opened His heart to God again. Then Brexton had an encounter with the power of God. From there he grew more and more in his relationship with God. Then, God confirmed (even from his childhood) that He called Brexton to share the gospel on the streets. We are so excited for everything that God has in store for Brexton. It is just the beginning of a new season in his life. (April 2022)
SALVATION OF A DAUGHTER
We met a young woman named Kim. When we met her for the first time, she seemed to have a sensitive personality. We started talking and asked how are you doing? After we chatted a little bit, she started to open up very quickly about some hard things in her life. She shared how she felt so broken due to the disappointment. She shared how painful it has been for her to have trust broken over and over again. We continued talking, and we asked if she is open to praying together for God to touch her heart.
While we prayed, she started bawling. As she cried, we asked God to heal her heart supernaturally and for Him to touch her life. After some time, we asked her how her heart is doing. She said that she can feel such peace. We started to share how in this world many things tear us down, but the worst pain we can have is actually living away from God. We started sharing the most amazing story in the world, the gospel. We shared how true peace is only found in Him, and what she was glimpsing was a taste of the peace that is available through Christ. We explained that God’s arms are open for her, and, if she wants to follow Him, He will accept her in His loving arms. She said that she knows there is a God out there, and she feels ashamed that she wandered away from Him. We began to share the story of the prodigal son.
Kim responded by saying that she now wants to follow God, and she is ready to leave the past behind forever. It was an amazing day. A daughter accepted the love of the Father, and she was found in His loving arms.
After this powerful time, we had our first discipleship session where we talked about forgiveness. At first, she was not ready to forgive those who had hurt her. Her facial expressions showed that it seemed unimaginable for her to forgive them due to the pain they inflicted on her. After we discussed how much God has forgiven us and some other things surrounding the topic of forgiveness, Kim received a grace from God to do something that was just minutes ago too difficult. For some, it can take years to forgive those that hurt them. Kim received the gift of forgiveness, and she decided to extend forgiveness generously.
Kim spoke prayers of forgiveness over those who broke her trust and did very painful things to her. She walked hand in hand with the Father through this painful process of truly forgiving. In the end, she found herself free from the poison of unforgiveness. She was able to step into the freedom that God has for her.
Kim became a daughter that day, and she became truly free. We are excited for all that God has in store for her. (March 2022)
SALVATION
We chatted with Usher numerous times in the past months. He is very talkative, and usually pretty excited to see us. Nina, on the other hand, often sits quietly and seems like she is not interested in a conversation. She also sometimes shows in different ways that she is irritated when people, or maybe just us, are talking near her. Usher started sharing fun facts about countries and cities. While we were chatting, Nina was completely disengaged and probably wondering when we would be on our way. Eventually, we transitioned the topic from various countries and cities to how those countries and cities have different rulers. This led us to talk about how there is a King who will reign for all eternity. We spoke about the reality that there is a Kingdom of Light, but there is also a kingdom of darkness.
As we continued talking about that, Nina became attentive, which was out of the ordinary. This took us both by surprise in one way, but, in another way, it made a lot of sense to us. The kingdom of darkness is often very tangible due to some of the things that individuals experience that are living on the streets. Bringing up a topic like this sometimes really raises interest. This happened with Nina because we noticed that she was really listening.
At this point in the conversation, we began talking about the greatest love story, which is the gospel. We talked about how this all relates to the Kingdom of Light. After we shared more details about the gospel and what it means to follow God, Nina not only continued to listen, but she was looking at us in a way that she has never looked at us before. We paused because we thought maybe Nina would ask us a question or share something. Instead, Nina said, I want that.
That day, Nina decided to dedicate her life to Jesus. In response to what God was doing inside of her, Nina said that she wants to follow Jesus with all her heart. It was so special. Nina shared how she feels such a peace, and she was just bubbling with joy. This was just happening out of the overflow of what God was doing inside of her heart. Nina was able to experience what it feels like to step from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light. From searching for truth to finding the Truth. From experiencing darkness to experiencing life in Christ. (February 2022)
SALVATION OF A DAUGHTER
We have seen Lynn once before, and we chatted together. This time, when we saw her again, Eliel felt that God wanted to reveal how much He loves her. We were excited about what God was going to do throughout this particular conversation.
We talked in a lot of detail about how God is so proud of her. She asked why is God proud of me. We told her just because you are Lynn. We shared more about how God created her and chose her. Lynn didn’t know that God was proud of her, and during our conversation, we noticed that she was pensive. She was thinking and reflecting on her life. We were talking about the power of the gospel, and we discussed what it means to receive Jesus as our Savior and to follow Him.
After sharing what it means to follow God, we asked her if she wants to have Jesus as her Savior and make Him the King of her heart. She said that she really wants that. We prayed with her. We invited the Holy Spirit to fill her. We welcomed her into the family of God. We discussed how reading the Bible and talking to Him through prayer is a daily way that we nourish our relationship with Him. We are so excited to grow together in the faith whenever we see her. God has such great things in store for her, and it is just the beginning of God’s process of restoration in her life. Praise the Lord! For I was once blind, but now I see! I was once lost, but now I’m found! (January 2022)
WHEN JESUS SAVES & BRINGS HEALING
When we met Alec, he shared some things that happened in his life. Throughout our conversation, we talked about a particular Bible story, and how this story applies to our personal lives. As we shared the gospel and how we can follow Jesus, we noticed that God was stirring something in his heart since he seemed to become more pensive. He asked multiple thought-provoking questions and we could tell that his heart was soft and tender before the Lord.
After a deep conversation, Alec said that he wants to make Jesus the King of His heart! He said that he wants to follow Jesus his whole life long! Alec gave his life to the Lord that day which is something so touching and life-transforming. What a celebration when a son responds to the love and mercy of our good Father.
We asked Alec if he has any pain in his body or any particular prayer requests. Alec shared that he has pain in his knee, and he had issues for a while now. We asked him if he would be able to tell the difference after praying. He said, yes, he could definitely tell if it would be healed by testing it through walking, running, and jumping.
Through a short prayer, Jesus healed Alec’s knee pain so that Alec could walk, run, and jump without any pain! Alec was so filled with joy not just because he encountered Jesus in His heart, but also because he personally experienced Jesus heal His body. Praise the Lord! (November 2021)
SALVATION
We met a young man named Grant who was sitting in his tent. In the beginning, we carried on some small talk because we had a mutual connection of someone, we both knew who also lived on the streets. This increased the level of trust in the conversation. As we were chatting, he also noticed that some of the individuals walking by also knew us, and before we knew it, he began to share about his life.
Grant told us about some of the traumatic experiences that he had as a child. He said that he was constantly filled with fear, and his childhood was full of painful experiences. Most of the things that he shared involved his father. He said that their relationship caused so many wounds that it left him completely broken time and time again. When he was close to 20 years of age, he found out something that also led to what he called feeling lost. He found out that the man whom he thought was his father was not even his father. Grant shared that such experiences left him full of brokenness and insecurities.
He spent years trying to answer the questions that he had. He was eager to understand the meaning of life (etc.), and he went searching in all the areas he could think of. After having gone to various religions and having spoken to multiple religious leaders, Grant said his questions were still not answered.
After he told us all this, we decided to just share from our hearts, and we spoke truths over him regarding what God says about him. We shared about the love of the Father, and how He searches for His children. Many of the things that we said about God were new concepts for Grant. You would think that this would be overwhelming for him due to some of his intellectual needs of having questions answered. Instead, we saw Grant overwhelmed in a positive way.
Grant, having been touched by God throughout the conversation, was willing to make a life-altering decision that day. It was a well-thought-out decision that was the climax of his years of searching. Grant decided that he wants to dedicate His life to Jesus. He shared that he wants to follow the Lord and give His life to Him.
Following this most precious time where he gave His life to the Lord, Grant decided that he was now ready to forgive his father who hurt him so very deeply in his past. As Grant received forgiveness for His own sins, he was then also able to forgive those that hurt him in his past. This is the power of the Father’s love!
God is so good! He never leaves us or forsakes us. His mercy and love endure forever, and his faithfulness reaches to the skies. (August 2021)
WHEN A PRODIGAL COMES HOME
After a long day on the streets, we were on our way back to our car. We were thanking God for everything that He did that day, and we were praying sporadically for a few of the people that we met for the first time. During our prayer, we had someone pass us with colorful hair. Naomi gave her a quick compliment, and the woman suddenly stopped in her tracks. She stood there just making eye contact. Naomi, who wasn’t exactly sure why the woman stopped, took this opportunity to introduce herself and asked what her name was. She said her name was Laura. Naomi then introduced Eliel and then received an unexpected question.
Laura asked Naomi out of nowhere: “why do you have such a great marriage?” Naomi shared that every relationship takes work, but also the foundation of our marriage is Jesus. Laura shared that she does not believe in God and that she particularly does not like religion. Laura and Naomi began to carry on a conversation about a wide range of things. Among other things, Laura began to share about difficulties in her marriage and some other very personal topics.
Throughout the conversation, Laura’s demeanor was changing in a way, and Naomi felt that it was due to God’s Presence moving. At this time, Naomi shifted the conversation back to the topic of God. She began to share the story of the prodigal son. During this time, she could tell that this story was touching Laura. Laura began to share that she used to go to church as a little child, but she turned away from the Lord. She said that she didn’t want anything to do with God anymore. Naomi said that this story also pertains to her and that the Father’s arms are as open to her as to the son in the story. She continued to share more about what it means to come to God and follow him.
Laura said that she feels so touched that God wants her despite her past. She said that it touches her that He would forgive her. At the same time, Laura also opened up about the idea of following God is a little scary for her. It is indeed a life-changing step, but it is a priceless gift that we can belong to God. During this time in the conversation, it was clear that God was moving in her heart. God’s Presence was tangible, and just a few minutes later Laura said that she wants to follow God and be His daughter. She dedicated her life to the Lord that day.
After Laura decided that she wanted to follow Jesus and come into the arms of the Father, she prayed a salvation prayer. She then said with a glowing and smiling face “I feel so clean as if I just took a shower.”
Isn’t this so touching? This is exactly what God does when we give our lives to Him. He washes us clean. He gives us a new garment. He welcomes the prodigal home and lets us all feast at His table. We have an amazing Father that loves us so deeply, and He delights over His children. (July 2021)
SALVATION POWER
We met a man named William, and he was open for some prayer. At one point he put his hand to his head. He shared with us, that something won’t let him go. We asked him what he thinks it is. He said that he doesn’t know, but he kept on pointing to his head. We continued to pray together, and after some time William said it lifted off whatever it was.
Following that his body started shaking. His hands, feet, and stomach were being touched by the power of God. He wasn’t sure what was happening, but he said that he felt peace. We could tell that God was touching him in a significant way. This continued for quite some time. We had a conversation with him while he was still experiencing the power of God, and William decided to dedicate his life to the Lord that day. We prayed a prayer of repentance and a prayer where he surrendered his life to the Lord. What a great feast it is when a son comes home to our loving Father.
The power of God moves hearts to salvation. His power can remove that which hinders us, and it reveals His heart that desires personal relationship and communion with His children. We are so excited about what God will continue to do in William’s life. (June 2021)
SALVATION
Every time someone receives Jesus as their Lord and Savior and decides to follow Him, heaven rejoices with a mighty celebration. One of the most beautiful things in this world is when a lost child comes home into the loving arms of the Father. Jocelyne is one example of this. She has been on the search for her purpose throughout most of her life. When praying with her and sharing the gospel, she found her way to the Father. During the prayer time, she encountered the Lord, felt His love deeply, and she said that she would like to surrender her life to Jesus and follow Him. She found her King Jesus and with that her place in the family of God. We are so very excited that our good Father revealed Himself to Jocelyne and that she now has true life.
We thank you, God, for every person that hears the message of the Kingdom and for the ones who are willing to follow you with everything. (April 2021)
GOD SAVES HEARTS
We met Jake three months ago for the first time. From then on, we usually saw him a couple of times a week. We would sit with him, listen, and ask questions. We got to know him and his story better, and we were able to build up trust with him. Besides other things, he shared that he has a very hard time receiving forgiveness. This has been due to his past traumatic experiences. He also said that it is difficult for him to forgive others since there was a lot of injustice that was done to him. We were able to share the gospel with him and tell him about the forgiving heart of God. Over the months and the many times we had with him, our friendship grew, and the conversations kept on going deeper. Through the dialogue with him and sharing truth, he was able to grasp more of the ways of God. We shared that forgiveness is also available for him. God said that, if we ask, we will receive. Jake said that he feels so very encouraged to now forgive others although it is very hard. The Holy Spirit began to soften his heart more and more. God worked in his life way before Jake received Jesus as his Lord and Savior.
We often prayed that Jake would have a personal encounter with the Father. We prayed that he would experience the power of the gospel and the resurrection of Jesus. We prayed that his heart would open up for the Holy Spirit. One of the times we saw Jake in the third week of this month, we asked him if we wanted to pray for something together. He said that he has strong hip pain and that the pain is frustrating for him. On that day, we shared with him for the first time that God is also our healer. He heals broken hearts, brings restoration, and he heals physical burdens. After we prayed together, he stood up and jumped around without having any pain. He received God's healing from his hip pain. We felt the presence of God at that moment, and we could see that there was something different about Jake's demeanor. We saw something that we haven't seen with him before. He was deeply touched by the Lord. He realized that Jesus really cares for him and knows him. Our Father longs for his heart in the most passionate way we can ever imagine. On that very day, Jake decided to make the greatest decision of his life. God was waiting for him, and He received Him with wide-open arms. A son of God came home. While we were praying for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, his eyes were filled with tears, and his face was filled with the biggest smile. The joy that he now belongs to the family of God was indescribably beautiful. We have it on our hearts to now read through the gospel of John, walk in discipleship, and grow in our faith together. (January 2021)
Continued Story:
A few months back Jake dedicated his life to the Lord, and he is on a journey with Jesus. We have been walking in discipleship with Jake for the past few months, and we are so encouraged by the steps he is taking. He truly longs to live his life for God and for His glory. A few weeks ago, during one of our conversations about God and the faith, Jake asked us if we could baptize him. We scheduled a date on March 18th, but Jake didn’t show up to the baptism. We saw him a few days later, and he shared that he is mourning his friend’s death. Jake shared about how he was at the incident that made San Diego news on March 15th in downtown San Diego. The San Diego Tribune wrote that a driver, who was under the influence, “plowed into homeless people along the sidewalk, some camped in tents, where they sought to escape the rain and cold.” It was reported that 3 individuals were killed, 3 experienced ‘great bodily injury,’ a few more were injured, and 1 individual was missed. Jake shared with us that he was the individual who was missed. He shared that he believes that God saved his life, and he thanked us for praying for him and walking with him. He said that the car barely missed him, and he shared how he thanks God every day for saving his life. This experience made Jake even more eager and thankful to God for his life.
On March 20th, we baptized Jake in the ocean. He shared how many times God has saved his life and how thankful he is to now live his life for God. His testimony is marked by God’s supernatural miraculous power. Jake shared on our journey back to his tent that today was the best day of His life, and he shared that he will forever remember the day when he was baptized. (March 2021)
WHEN HEARTS GET SAVED
We were deeply touched by Alain's salvation story. He was very open to hearing the gospel, and he shared that he didn't know or ever hear the good news. During the time we spent with him, we were also praying with him. He experienced a touch of God, and he decided to receive salvation and follow Jesus. It is the greatest feast of joy when a son falls into the arms of his loving Father. The day before we met Alain, we bought a $40 guitar. We felt that worship is such an important part of our mission. After we prayed with Alain for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we spent time worshipping the Lord. Alain was singing with his whole heart for our great and merciful God. We now look for him when we are out on the streets since we want to walk with him in discipleship and encourage him in his faith in Jesus. (November 2020)
More stories from the streets of how Jesus touches lives with healings.