We’re catching up on the last number of weeks. Here are some brief summaries — praying for these beautiful people:

Two young gals at a local cafe bakery: They were doing a Bible study together at another table. The one had just recently become interested in learning about Jesus for the first time, and she was considering water baptism. I got to share with the lady sitting opposite them, too, as she was also reading her Bible, and the three of them had been briefly talking about the scriptures. I had to summon the courage to approach and interrupt the two gals, but praise God that I overcame my hesitations. It was a great conversation!

Juan (already born again) at a local print shop: He had literally just prayed in tongues for the first time in many years that very morning. When Don started chatting with him about the Lord, Juan immediately perceived God’s miraculous hand upon the day. Don had decided to call into the shop spontaneously while he was out that way for something else. He ended up sitting in Juan’s office, chatting for a long time. Juan was very encouraged and humbled.

Ben & Felicia at the civic park: Don, Ellie, and I spontaneously decided to stop by the park on our way home from Ellie’s math tutoring. Don got chatting with Ben when he spotted Ben’s Christian ball cap. We ended up praying with his wife, Felicia, to receive the Holy Spirit (Ben was already born again). Felicia received! We were also able to counsel the couple on some issues, and they were surprisingly humble and open. They both could see God’s miraculous hand upon us meeting them that day.

Walmart worker: Don got chatting with a worker in Walmart as he was restocking shelves. Don began to help him as they chatted (so the worker wouldn’t get into trouble for talking too long with a customer). Don shared some encouragement with the worker regarding praying in tongues, and he, in turn, shared some amazing stories with Don. One story was about how God saved him from being electrocuted (to death). The guy said he literally felt two strong hands behind him, yanking him off the bar he was stuck to. His co-worker watched helplessly as his workmate suddenly flew violently backward onto the ground. Yet, the co-worker testified that there was no one else around — it was just the two of them! Praise God — it was either Jesus or an angel sent by God to save the man!

Spirit-filled lady in the Aldi parking lot: Don helped an old lady back to her car with her groceries. I think she said something about “blessing,” so that’s how they started chatting about Jesus. When Don discovered that she’s been Spirit-filled for many years, he was able to encourage her about praying in tongues more intentionally and more often. She felt very encouraged and grateful.

Naomi: Don was out doing errands when he overheard Naomi speaking with someone. I think she mentioned something significant about Jesus because Don felt very moved to turn back to speak with her (even though he was running behind for the day, and he had already passed by her). They chatted for a long while, and Don showed Naomi part of one of our videos, which inspired her. She ended up coming back to our place to meet up with me as well, and after chatting some more, she was ready to pray with us. It was a huge overcoming for her, given her fears and past negative experiences (with churches and people). Nevertheless, Naomi was filled with the Holy Spirit incredibly powerfully. She had already been water baptized (unto Jesus) not that long ago, and now she was certainly ready for the next step. She came back that night to take a stroll with me and the dog on the golf course, which was really nice. We got to chat lots more and ask/answer questions.

Gal at convention: Don and the guys were recently at a large convention, and Don got chatting with a gal as she was ordering her coffee. She was distressed, having just lost her passport. Later on that day, she stopped by the guys’ booth. (Don had invited her to come see them. She had resolved her issue, and she was passing some time before going to an evening event, so when she spied Don at the booth near the event entrance, she decided to come on over.) They ended up chatting about the Lord, and Don discovered that she’s been born again for many years yet had strayed from Jesus after her career started to develop. She welcomed Don’s encouragement and testimonies. She could certainly see that it was a message from God.

She had some amazing stories, too. One was when she felt God clearly tell her to go to a certain street corner to “save a baby.” She went, but there was no baby; there was only a poor lady who approached her asking for some change. The gal asked her over and over if she had a baby, and the poor woman kept saying no. Finally, it came out that the poor lady was pregnant and was about to have an abortion. The gal passionately shared from her heart what God had done — to send her there, to save the baby. The gal never found out what happened to the poor woman or her unborn child, but the gal was so thankful to have been used by God as a messenger in the situation. Wow!