Tuesday Morning Outreach

I love Tuesdays! I have to admit, I do not love it when I am waking up Tuesday morning... But something happens as I get out of my comfort zone and ask God to help me, guide me, and work through me. I pray this prayer - especially on Tuesday Mornings.
Rachel joined us today. Rachel is my dear teenage friend (who many have asked if she is my daughter as we outreach together). It is a compliment! She gets a note from her mom and skips her favorite class to reach others for the Lord Jesus.
Another lady joined us who felt led by the Holy Spirit to call Donita and ask her for outreach ideas...She did not know about our Tue Morn Club :) I was blessed by meeting her today and was awed how God led her to us!
The usuals were there who are all wonderful ladies - I just felt led to share these two women's stories with you today. Not sure who is reading. I know Grandma Carma is and I know she will love hearing how God is working in Roanoke! :) You all are terrible about leaving comments by the way - I like to write on here though, thinking one day I will print it off and give it to Conor and Erin and whoever else joins our family.
Back to today. We went down by the Rescue Mission. Some of us worked in the second hand store and some of us 'hit the streets' as we like to call it :) Rachel and I had some interesting converstaions. One man asked us to bring him a large print king james version Bible. We are coming back tonight so we will be honored to do that for him. Another guy moved here from Colorado two months ago. I asked if he had family in CO. He said no. His mom died two months ago and he got on a bus and arrived in Roanoke, Virginia. Wow! How sad... to be all alone with no family, job or money in a new town and state. And grieving the loss of your mother.
We talked to James. God led us to him and it was an amazing forty minute interaction! He said he got one of our Bible tracts a few weeks ago in the park and he said he got to talk to a really cool guy (you don't know how happy I am when people say they have seen us 'SBC' before!) I love it that the homeless people in Roanoke are starting to know who we are, what we are about - that we sincerly care for them.
He told us how he has been shot six different times and how the last time changed his life forever. He said God saved him that day and he has been trying to serve him ever since. He has a son in prison. Please pray that his son will accept Jesus and change his wicked ways. He said his son will be an old man when he gets out of prison. I asked if he has visited his son and he said he cannot because he has spent time in prison and that means he can never visit the prisons. You could see how sad he was for his son and how he felt he was in some way responsable.
While we were talking to him a group of rough men walked up and started to talk to us. It was a not so good situation. Rachel knew I'd be freakin out! I remained calm :) James told them sturnly that we were talking about the Bible and they apoligized and walked away. That, my friends, is the power of God. I will add that it was broad daylight and other members of our group could see us so we were not in real danger... James thanked us for stopping and talking to him. He thanked us for praying for his son. Please pray for a job for James and spiritual freedom for his son.
The other ladies ministered to a crying mother who seemed worn out. She is going to college full time, has three children and lives at the Mission. Lord, please bless her heart and use us to do that.
It was a great day! Tonight, we get to go back and have a church service with the women of the Mission. I love seeing them and know I am doing what God has me to do today. Galations 2 says to minister to the poor. James 2 says the poor are rich in the things of the Lord. They seem to know Him more than the people who have money. I'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today! Please join me in reaching out to the poor...