Sue: We’re busy working on a short film project aimed at raising awareness of (and support for) the crisis-affected homeless. So for now, here’s just a brief list of people we’ve connected with recently. Each of them has a longer, beautiful story of how God has been moving in their lives!

1) Nicki & RJ: Don met them at the park as they were having a picnic there. They ended up coming back to the house to meet the rest of our family. They ended up getting water baptized, and each of them was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues. It was a beautiful afternoon together, and Nicki in particular experienced emotional healing from past trauma.

2) Mercy: She had recently relocated to Florida because she felt moved by God. Don noticed her reading a Bible on a blanket at the park one day. She was already filled with the Holy Spirit, so she was excited to start chatting with Don about Jesus. She ended up coming back to the house where we all sat and shared stories and scriptural encouragement. She stayed for dinner, and after learning about a heart condition she’d been struggling with since Covid, we all laid hands on her and prayed for healing in the authority of Jesus.

3) Patricia: Ethan got talking with her at a local coffee shop. She was already born again, and she was keen to learn about our Thursday night prayer group.

4) Fran: She is 86 years old, and she very recently moved back to the area after many years living elsewhere and participating in a large variety of international missionary endeavors. She was visiting the park one day when Don was there, so after hearing some of her amazing stories, Don asked her if she had received the Holy Spirit since believing in Jesus (Acts 19:2). She had never spoken in tongues in all her years of church attendance and missionary service, but she very much wanted to be able to pray in the Holy Spirit. She eagerly accepted Don’s offer to pray over her, and Fran was filled with the Holy Spirit virtually instantly. The timing was also perfect, because just as they were saying goodbye to each other, I pulled up to the park on my way back from getting groceries. Fran had joyful tears in her eyes as Don introduced us, and we hugged.

5) Sue: A very successful local realtor, she is a dear friend of one of our neighbors. Sue kindly offered to come by the house to help Ethan with some real estate plans, and that afternoon, we also talked very briefly about Jesus (as we learned that Sue has been going to a very large church in the area for many years). But it was only when Sue shared with Don (via a later text message) some life difficulties that Don offered to pray with her. Actually, first it was Sue who asked Don to pray. But, in response to that, Don suggested that we all pray in person back at our house. Sue later admitted that it was something she’d never done before (pray with others like that), but she said she felt moved by God to agree. That day, she was filled mightily with the Holy Spirit (she had already been water baptized), and since then, she has been beaming with joy and amazement at how it has made such a difference in her life in so many ways. Praise Jesus!

6) Aubrey: Don met her near the park as she was walking her dog. He found out she had been living in her vehicle for some time after a relationship breakup. She ended up coming back to the house as she was keen to pray for the Holy Spirit anointing. She had recently made a commitment to Christ and gotten water baptized at her church (just three weeks prior to running into Don!). Needless to say, Aubrey received the Holy Spirit very quickly, praying in tongues. Aubrey came to dinner the next night, and we chatted more about Jesus, Scripture, her future, etc. The Lord also started to immediately answer her prayers. She was able to find a big farm for her dog to live on, and God opened up temporary housing for Aubrey, too. Thank you, Father God!

7) Three ladies: About a week or so ago, Don was hanging out on the lake dock at the park, and three ladies (a mom and two adult daughters visiting from Atlanta) came out to enjoy the view. Don opened up a conversation with them (I think it started with our little dog who was hanging out with Don at the time), and he ended up praying with all three of the ladies right there on the dock bench seats – and they all experienced the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues! They had been going to church for many years, and to different churches at times. Actually, the oldest daughter admitted that she had briefly spoken in tongues a number of years ago, but she hadn’t really prayed in the Holy Spirit since. So for her, it was more of an igniting of the power of the Spirit of God already dwelling within her!

8) Katie & Raines: On my walk back home from the gym, I stopped by the park to say hi to Don and Pretzel (our dog) as they were hanging out there at the time. Don was already chatting with a couple when I walked up, so he introduced me. They (Katie and Raines) are both born again, and they have recently started dating. It was especially beautiful to hear that they are “keeping themselves" (morally – and don’t even plan to kiss until after their vows on their wedding day), all led by the wisdom and power of the Holy Spirit within each of them. How beautiful! Katie has also been joining in on our Thursday night prayer group, which is great.

9) Elliot & wife: A few days ago, Don met a couple (at the same local park!) and got chatting with them (again, I think because of Pretzel!). The husband (Elliot) was already born again, but his wife hadn’t yet been filled with the Holy Spirit. So, Don ended up laying hands on her and prayed as she also sought the Lord. She received, speaking in tongues, praise Jesus!

10) Married couple & young child: Yesterday, Don was at the park and got chatting with a dad with his young daughter. They wandered the park as the man’s toddler played and as his wife rested, reading her book. Don found out that the couple had been married at that park a few years ago, and they had recently been discussing water baptism. The man loved what Don had to say, so much so that both he and his wife wanted to get baptized right then and there in the lake – in their clothes! The wife also received the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, but the husband didn’t. He has continued to seek the Lord since his baptism, though. He texted Don some awesome messages, so they are keeping in touch.

11) Young man: The very same day (as #10 above), Don went for a bike ride in the evening and passed by the park again. He got chatting with a young man (in his early twenties, I think), and despite his church attendance for quite a while, he didn’t know much at all about the Holy Spirit. Don filled him in with lots of scriptures, and then the young man was keen to pray. He received the Holy Spirit pretty much instantly, praise Jesus!