Today we did a lunch outreach at Circle Center mall downtown. Michael Villoria did table illusions and HSE split into small groups and shared the gospel with people we were sitting next to.  As Michael did table illusions, he was able to draw a young man’s attention.  Absalom started to speak to him in spanish and found out his name was Gerardo.

Michael did an illusion where he took the Gerardo’s $1.00 bill and turned it into a $100.00 bill.  Amazed at the illusion, Gerardo started to talk to Absalom about the illusion.  Absalom explained how in the world’s eyes, Gerardo may be a $1.00 bill.  BUT, in God’s eyes, he’s worth far more than $100.00.  Absalom told him that hat God loves him and Gerardo thanked him and went on his way.

A couple minutes later, Gerardo came back and started to talk to Absalom again… within minutes of Absalom sharing the Gospel, Gerardo accepted the Lord as his Lord and Personal Savior.  Praise God, we have another brother in heaven!

Along the same time, several groups went to Panera Bread inside the mall. Stossi, Ezekiel and Shannon met a guy named Julian from Paris, France. He said that he was raised Catholic, but his beliefs lined up with relativism. Basically, he believed all truth is relative to a person and situation. Stossi wrote a poem in response to this conversation:

How will they know what love is after man has misrepresented?

Centuries later, it only gets worse;

Deceit has only become better versed.

How will they know what love is when Your church continues to ruin it?

No one can be perfect, or once again,

Is that just relative?

You are love; of this I’m absolutely certain.

Wondrous truth, please consume this place where Your truth has been disgraced.

Lies replace the power that I know is in Your name.

Please consume the relativism with Your absolute truth.

My God, my God, He is love.

My love, my love, He sent His son,

And I have failed a thousand times to love the way He does.

They all failed just like me,

But it doesn’t change why Jesus bore the wrath of God

Out of love on that tree.

I won’t stop telling of Your love.

I won’t stop laboring for Your truth.

I will be here at Your feet.

Please use my life to usher the lost and blind

Here to rest with You in the shadow of Your wings.

My God, my God, my God is love.

My love, my love, my love sent His son

To live, to die, to pay the price

For all that was reserved for me on that tree beside the murderer and the thief.

Consume the lost with Your truth,

Show me how to love like You and pick up my cross,

Then they will know You are love and see how You are so wondrous!

Nothing we can say or do can change the truth that is in You.

You are absolute.

Yes, Jesus, You are absolute.

Every knee will bow, every tongue confess,

You are beauty, You are love, You are glorious.

 After lunch, we had individual reflection time. Jeff asked us to ponder two questions:

  • ‘What has God taught you about yourself on practicum?’
  • ‘How will this impact my life when I return home to San Diego?’.

Then, we broke into men’s and women’s groups and shared with one another. Andrew, Kristin’s eight-year-old son, participated too without us knowing. We found his response written on a journal sheet: “God tot me: God tot me how to lisin to people that need help.”

That evening, the HSE women went to an illusionist show with Michael Villoria at Sheltering Wings, a battered women and children’s shelter.  The HSE Men went downtown to evangelize.  As the women were leaving, Chaz called and said everyone had to have an ID to get in the facility.  That posed a problem for Anna, her wallet was lost during our 40+ hour van drive to Indy.  Amy suggested that Anna must have a divine appointment waiting for her with the men.  So we drove back and dropped Anna off with the men before they left.

And Amy was right.  Anna had a very powerful encounter with a young woman who we will name “Sydney” for confidentiality. She saw Sydney sitting at the food court, filling out job applications. She felt God put it on her heart to sit down and ask her how she was doing. Almost immediately, Sydney began to open up to Anna. A rape victim at 13, she is 19 years old and has a six-year-old daughter. Sydney lives in a garage with roommates and her daughter lives with her family.

After talking for a while, Anna shared the gospel with her and led her in a prayer to accept Jesus as her Savior. Sydney was overcome with joy. They went on a search through the mall to find a Bible for her, but with no success. However, they were able to give her a gospel of John.  Please pray for Sydney as her journey as a new believer begins.