Hey Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope your day was blessed today walking with the Lord. I had a good day on campus today DeAnte and Kaylin prayed to receive Jesus and yesterday Zach and a girl named Miracle prayed with me to receive Christ.

DeAnte was sitting in the Mac Arts Building on the second floor at a bar height table looking down at the lounge below. He was working on a sketch with about 20 colored pencils strewn around a drawing of a face. He had a rough afro that came to multiple points the side shaved in a fade. He had a pale grey-blue t-shirt on and jeans and was tall and lean. He said he went to a Baptist church sometimes. He had full features good looking guy and thought he had about a 50/50 chance of going to Heaven. When I asked him why God should let him into Heaven he said, “I have no reason to go to Hell.” He followed right along with the Gospel and knew Jesus had died to take away our sins. I asked him if he wanted to be forgiven trusting in what Jesus had done or if he thought something else he simply and he said, “I would want to be…” pointing at the circle with Christ on the throne of his life.  I said if he wanted to trust in what Jesus had done on the cross he could pray a prayer and I talked through it with him and asked him if it was the desire of his heart reading the words and he nodded so I told him he could pray it silently to be forgiven. He prayed then and received Christ. I gave him a Bible Study and got his e-mail and a copy of 20 Things God Can’t Do and wrote “By the Spirit’s power” and the date he’d been forgiven in the front having explained living the Christian life “inside out”. Saying that if he trusted in Christ’s righteousness to be his the likelihood he would go to Heaven was 100%. He thanked me and I said I admired his gift of drawing and he thanked me. “God bless you” I said. “Have a good day” he replied. “Thank you I will.”  I walked off down the hall to go out the back of the building.

Kaylin is a shy, petite girl, cute with straight hair falling down on the shoulders. African American wearing a hoodie that was two shades of blue. When I asked her what she would say to God to get into Heaven she said, “That’s a good question.” And she thought for a while and said, “I don’t know.” She struggled a bit more to think of something to say and said, “In the heat of the moment I don’t know what I’d say.” She thought she had an 86% chance of going to Heaven. She said she occasionally went to church with a great aunt who went to the Catholic Church but when she went with her parents they went to a Community Church. I began to go through the Gospel and I asked her what the big thing thing was that Jesus had done to take away her sins and she couldn’t think of anything. So I explained that Jesus had died to pay the penalty for her sins and His blood had become a power in the world that purifies her from her sins and his righteousness was a gift to her. I asked her if she would want to be forgiven and she said she would so I offered her the prayer to pray explaining it and saying she could pray it silently. She thought for a moment with a “Humm” and then took the booklet to pray finishing she said, “What time is it? I have to go to class!” We were sitting outside her classroom it was 5 minutes before the hour but she hurriedly got up holding the open booklet. I took it and explained trusting in the Spirit to her and gave her the Book 20 Things God Can’t Do. “God bless you I’ll keep you in my prayers,” I said. “God bless you too” she replied and hustled into her class.

Yesterday Zach was sitting at the end of the PE hallway on a bench that empties out into the MAC Arts building outdoor arena. He had a ball cap on, big guy, plays offensive line, he hoped to play football at a D1 school. He wore a hoodie and cargo shorts and sandals was unshaven with a bit coming in here and there, kind of a dough boy face, nice friendly guy. He went to Catholic Church here and there but always on holidays. He knew Jesus had died to take away sins but hadn’t applied it to himself as when I asked him what he would say to God to get into Heaven he said, “That I’m a really nice person to a lot of people.” He listened closely to the Gospel and understood everything. So I asked if he wanted to be forgiven with Christ living inside him or if he thought something else. “The first one.” He said pointing at the circle. I offered him the prayer he could pray to be forgiven trusting in Christ saying he could pray it silently and begin a relationship with God. “Hm…” he said thinking. “Umhum,” he said agreeing and prayed to receive Jesus. I gave him a a Bible study and a copy of 20 Things God Can’t Do writing “By the Spirit’s power” in the front and explained a symbolic remembrance view of the Mass. “I’ll be praying you get in a D1 school,” I said. “Thank you.” I told him some of the other players had said one of the coaches had a Bible study on Monday nights and it might be a good way to meet some people. He thought he might check that out.

Miracle was sitting in the SE corner lounge of the 2nd floor of the BIC. She’s an attractive black girl with a wide face and broader features, her long wavy hair fell just past her shoulders. She had a decorative print hoodie on and gray leggings. She said they had gone to a Catholic church in the city but since moving to Joliet her mom had not found a church. She was just beginning to start a subway sandwich but seemed to lose interest in it as we talked. I asked her what she would say to God as to why should let her into heaven. “That’s a good question, Maybe because I counted on you to let me in, good or bad, evil or worse.” She was sure she would go to Heaven when she died. I began to go through the Gospel and asked her what Jesus had done to take away her sin. She really seemed to have no idea. But she believed the Gospel when I finished and said she wanted to be forgiven so I said, “Well it seems like you haven’t put all this together before?” She shook her head that that was true. So I said if she’d like to ask for forgiveness there was a prayer she could pray. I talked her through it. “Not so I would hear you but silently in your heart God would hear your prayer and you could begin a relationship with God based on what Jesus has done,” She laughed and said, “You won’t even look.” but she took the booklet and prayed as I looked down and she receive forgiveness from the Lord. She didn’t have a Bible so I gave her one writing her name in it and the date she had been forgiven and showing her the “Where to Turn” section answering life questions with Bible verses. I gave her a symbolic view of the Mass saying she could use the time to thank the Lord for dying for her so she’d be forgiven. I gave her a Bible study and 20 Things God Can’t Do writing By the Spirit’s power” in the front and explained the Christian life living inside out. She began to wrap her sandwich back up and I said, “I’m sorry you did not get to eat your lunch.” “It was worth it,” she replied, “I can eat it at home. Thank you.” “You’re welcome,” I said getting up to leave. “Thank you so much for everything,” she replied.

So thanks for your prayers for the ministry and for evangelism today if you had a chance. God has truly blessed this year 57 people have prayed to receive Christ this fall.

In Him,

Bob