Tuesday March 17

Tuesday  March 17  

We were invited to join Pastor Boehm's Catechism class for an opening devotion this morning before heading out for a morning of canvassing. He asked us what we would do if we came to a door, rang a doorbell, and the door opened slowly with an ominous creaking noise, and what appeared suddenly in the doorway was...a zombie! In a sense, that is what happens when we have a door answered by someone who doesn't yet know Jesus as Savior. And that is what we were before our baptism. "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins." (Ephesians 2:1)  In other words, the walking dead. "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions." (2:4,5)

And so we went out to try to connect people to Jesus. On the way to the neighborhoods we canvassed, we drove by the Edwards Cinema theaters where The Way has been gathering for worship once a month. 

As you might be able to see, the launch date is March 29th, after which they will meet weekly for worship at the theater site.
Once in the surrounding neighborhoods, paired groups began knocking on doors.

We have been joined by one of the teens from Shepherd of the Hills church, Bruce. He was paired with me for the first two mornings. The only two not pictured are Mr. Raasch and Collin. No one was left to take their picture, but they were out there.
We were able to gather contacts for at least 12 people who were interested in finding out more about The Way and being kept updated on news related to the mission start. We have also noted that we are encouraged by fellow Christians on the other side of some of the doors...we are not alone. I am sure they are encouraged to see Christians out on the streets, especially young Christians, boldly representing their Savior in their neighborhoods.
We have not had (nor did we expect to have) any doorstep conversions on a visit, but we understand that we may be a link in a very long chain of contacts and events that may eventually lead someone to Jesus. When you look at a single link, it can seem pretty insignificant, but when looking at entire chain, your realize that if one link is broken the chain falls apart (another illustration we heard from Pastor Boehm).
The personality of the group continues to grow and get clearer definition. Olivia and Abby definitely are holding their own as freshmen. Olivia is quiet and thoughtful, and Abby is...wait, you're guessing this will be a comparison by contrast, right? Nope. Abby is spontaneous in all the good sense of the word.
Collin is really sharp with one-liners. Our students are building a strong bond with Pastor Boehm. He has a gift for making that happen. During lunch today, one had asked Pastor Boehm what Chaldeans were (we have met a good number in our visits). After a two minute or so explanation Pastor Boehm remarked that it was probably a longer explanation than what we were looking for. Collin's comment? "Actually, I thought it was going to be a lot longer than that."
I'll comment on others in the next two entries. For tonight, our students were tired at the end of the day and looking forward to a good night's sleep.