Steve Ignowski says:The outreach was everything we prayed for and then some! Anytime you can go out where the people are and be the hands and feet of Jesus it is an exciting time…. It’s an awesome time! Jesus said the “harvest is plentiful” and that is for sure. Immediately we were knocking on doors and ministering to people.
God had the group I was with go minister on 5th street in Elkhart. 5th Street is dubbed “the hole, this area is known for high drug traffic and violence, the kind of place that Jesus has on His heart to target for souls.
Jodi, myself and Rich Rennier teamed up and ministered to several people and families. God touched many as we invited ourselves in to their homes with the food box and spoke with the people. God had it heavy upon my heart to share with the people Hebrew 9:27 “It’s appointed for man to die once and then the Judgment”. That was my springboard to start sharing the Gospel. Rich Rennier and Jodi joined in and we had powerful ministry.
One young man named Nick was so polite as we talked with him and ministered to him. God was really speaking to his heart. You could really discern the working of the Holy Spirit on this man. Praise God!!
One particular house we went to a lady open the door and we shared with her that we were here to bless her with this box of food. Her face just lit up and she smiled and began to tell us how she had “No food in the house” So we gave her two boxes. She had her daughter and two other people in the living room when we walked in. We started ministering Jesus and sharing the Good news. We had a great time testifying and sharing Jesus with these folk. The one guy that was sitting on the couch look at us like we were crazy. He’s somewhat right, we are crazy for JESUS!!..LOL..
As we were leaving that house another lady came running up to us. She heard we had food boxes and she didn’t want to miss out. Her name was Leena. She looked so burdened down. You could tell she had a rough life and a sinful life. Rich and I ministered to her for a while outside while Jodi went back to the truck to get her a Food Box. We talked with her for awhile sharing how God can make her whole and bring total deliverance. She started weeping and you could sense the Spirit of God moving on her heart. We prayed deliverance over her and prayed for God to continue drawing her.
I could go on and on but I need to stop. In short, the outreach was God touching lives in a tangible way. I am so happy for all the new people that stepped out of their comfort zone and shared Jesus with a lost and dying world. Several young people came out and helped with this outreach and I salute them! These memories will be with them forever and I believe it will be a stepping stone for a deeper walk with Jesus and a further passion to reach lost with the life changing Gospel.
God Bless
-Steve Ignowski
John Orsini says:My group, Brother Arturo's, went to two trailer parks and a few individual trailers and homes in the same area off Johnson Road.
I was with Carl and Dorothy. This was my first time doing this. I had never gone door to door in my life. Of course, I must admit that I am only born again 12 year and my time has been spent behind the wall ministering to inmates.
We arrived at the first park west of Johnson Road. It had fifty to sixty trailers. A small number of them were empty. Some of the people were not home. We did catch a few people as they came home. We gave out the food boxes and ministered to some of the people. All were surprised and they were also grateful for the food. Not all wanted prayer.Those who did, we prayed for specific prayer requests. One man John, Age about 55, asked for prayer for more work,(He was only working two days a week.) and for his blood circulation that the doctors were working to correct. When we prayed for him, he felt the presence of God on him. He was a little surprised at that. We assured him that was Holy Spirit letting him know that his prayer request was heard.
We caught a young couple coming home and gave them a food box right there on the front step. They were surprised and very thankful. When we asked them if they would like us to pray for them, they said that they were just coming back from the doctor, who had done a checkup for the wife's pregnancy. So, we prayed for the health of the baby and the mother. Again, they were thankful.
We got a separated for a bit and Carl and Dorothy were asked into a woman's home. I know they prayed together. One man, age 40?, came to the door. He took the box and said that he had attended Elijah's Fire Church a few times in the past. Without our encouragement, he said that he had been thinking about it and needed to come back to the church and would do so.
We went to the east of Johnson Road and there were about ten trailers. There was some ministering by other team members. Then we went to a small-scattered section of trailers and homes. We saw someone warming up their truck and hiked down the side street to them. The man, in his late 50's or early 60's stepped out of the truck. He was not too tall and had a full sandy white beard. He wife stayed in the truck. We gave him the box and asked him if we could pray for him. He said his daughter, just around the corner, could use prayer, that she was in the process of divorce. Well, that turned out to be true and the highlight of the day. We scooted around the corner with the last box of food. It was a dark charcoal bungalow with a small front stoop. The woman, about age 30, came to the door. She had a woman fried there with her. We explained our mission and ourselves. She explained her divorce situation. We talked there for another ten to fifteen minutes.
The topic turned to forgiveness. Dorothy shared about a situation of unforgiveness in her life and how when she forgave she was set free by the Lord. A few minutes after that, the woman accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord of her life and forgave her husband and others who had offended her. As we prayed together, the bitterness left her and her stomach felt better. God is sooooooo good. She was encouraged to come to church for support and prayer, and said she would do so.
We left the front stoop and headed back to the group, who could not see where we were. Our feet were somewhat numb from the cold, we had the shivers, and we praised God all the way back to the team, who were patiently waiting, and to our warm vehicles. What a blessed day for all of us. Seed were sown, some were watered, and God gave the increase. What a wonderful day. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!!!!
IN Christ,
John Orsini
RAY BEAN SAYS:
John Orsini
RAY BEAN SAYS:ON SATURDAY'S FOOD BOX OUTREACH, GOD ALLOWED US TO ENCOUNTER A SITUATION WHERE WE CAME UPON A HOME THAT WHEN I KNOCKED ON THE DOOR THE OCCUPANTS OF THE HOME OPENED THE DOOR AND A LOUD SMELL OF GAS CAME OUT TO HIT ME IN THE FACE. I IMMEDIATELY SAID TO THIS YOUNG LADY IN THE HOME THAT WE WERE THERE TO BLESS HER WITH A FOOD BASKET. AND AT THE SAME TIME I SAID TO HER YOUR GAS IS ON.
AS I LOOKED AROUND I NOTICED SHE HAD AN ELECTRIC STOVE. SO IMMEDIATELY MY THOUGHTS WERE THERE'S A GAS LEAK. SO I ASKED THE YOUNG LADY TO COME OUT OF HER HOME BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO CALL FIRE DEPT. BECAUSE WHEN CALLING FIRE DEPT. WE ALSO ALERTED THE GAS CO. AND BECAUSE WHEN YOU DO IT IN THAT MANNER THE FIRE DEPT. WILL COME AND THE GAS CO. USUALLY WHEN YOU CALL THEM WILL SAY WE WILL SEND TRUCK WHEN WE GET TIME. BUT IF THEY KNOW THAT FIRE DEPT. IS ON THE WAY THEY TEND TO COME ALOT QUICKER.
WHEN THE FIRE DEPT. ARRIVED TWO YOUNG FIREMEN GOT OUT WITH A LITTLE GREEN BOX. I ASKED WHAT IT WAS AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A CARBON TESTER. I SAID TO THEM THAT SHE HAS A GAS LEAK. THEY SAID IF THERE WAS ONE THEY'D BE ABLE TO TELL. SINCE I HAD BEEN IN THIS SAME TYPE OF SITUATION I KNEW THE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN USING. IT'S CALLED A SNIFFER. BECAUSE IT HAS A LONG WAND THAT REACHES UP INSIDE YOUR FURNACE AND WATER HEATER TO CHECK PIPE LEAKS. THE CARBON TESTER ONLY TEST FOR BURN -OFFS. SO THEY PROCEEDED TO SAY WE HAVE THIS UNDER CONTROL AND ENTERED THE HOME. THEY CAME BACK OUT SAYING THERE WAS NO LEAK. WELL I KNEW THERE WAS BECAUSE GOD HAS BLESSED ME TO BE ABLE TO DETECT THE SMELL. I SAID TO THE YOUNG LADY WE'RE STILL CALLING THE GAS CO.
WE ALL PRAYED FOR HER. AS WE WERE LEAVING I GAVE TO HER MY CELL NUMBER SO THAT I COULD FIND OUT WHAT GAS COMPANY FOUND WHEN THEY CAME. WE ALL MET UP AT BEGINS AND WITHIN ABOUT 15 MIN. SHE CALL ME STATING THAT THE GAS CO. SAID YES THERE WAS A LEAK AND IN FACT WHERE WERE 2 LEAKS. ONE COMING FROM INSIDE THE FURNACE AND ONE IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM AREA. AND SHE WAS VERY GRATEFUL THAT WE CAME BY THAT DAY. THANK YOU JESUS!!
-Ray Bean
