Our church made a plan a 40 day plan last Sunday (November 21). We put out a sign up sheet for whoever wanted to commit to walk through our neighborhood each day and pray. We are asking God to come and get more involved with us.
On Wednesday Anni told me one of the guys had “prayer walked” three times in one day. Earlier that day his brother-in-law died of gunshot wounds.
Charlie was signed up to come to our Encontro Retreat while he was still in jail. He had participated in our Cristoval Retreat during the Carnival holiday. He was now more serious about correcting his ways. “I am done with this kind of life. From now on I will learn to live for Jesus.” A day after he got out of jail a gunman in dressed in black clothes, wearing a black helmet, riding a black motorbike rode up and starting shooting at him. He was hit while he was jumping over a wall and ended up in intensive care. This was about two blocks from our house. In the hospital Charlie prayed with a pastor. With tears in his eyes he repented of his sins and gave his heart to the Lord.
Some weeks ago everyone in our church was challenged to pray for someone who needed Jesus. A young girl started praying for Charlie. This was before he got shot. While he was in the hospital she continued to pray for him. When she heard he gave his heart to the Lord before he died she was kind of awed at how God had directly answered her prayers.
Since Charlie could not come to the Encontro he sent his brother, who was also his best friend. In his words, “This has been the best week-end of my life”. His wife’s first husband was also gunned down in a similar type killing. These are young people, in their late teens and early twentys. Revenge and fear of dying are big issues here.
I realized on the way to the graveyard that we have been to quite a few funerals with our neighbors. None of the funerals have been for old people. And we have not been to one wedding. I have never even heard of a wedding in more than two years since we moved here. The concept of why we are praying for our neighborhood for 40 days is easy to grasp: There are too many funerals, not enough weddings.
About thirty people from our church signed up for the challenge to pray / walk for forty days. The last day will be December 31 when we will start three nights of special meetings in our new church building. We are expecting God to show up. Many of our neighbors will meet Him at these meetings.
END
It’s heartbreaking that so many young people are being lost, so young, with so much potential. The Lord hears the blood of these people crying from the ground, Lord I pray for revival for these young gang members that they will come to know the presence and saving power of our Lord Jesus Christ, fall mightily upon these people Lord. Come Holy Spirit.
Amen
barb mckee
Thanks for sharing these stories Rick. It is a constant reminder of the difficult work you do. How sad that he died so young but also how glorious that he was able to give his life to the Lord and be able to meet Him. I’m sure this may be a struggle for some to understand…that he gave his life to Jesus and then still got shot. I pray that the Lord will will open the eyes of all these gang members that they may see the truth of living a life with HIM. Blessings upon you and all your family and those you are ministering to.