You never know...

Last week was crazy. We really worked hard and were very busy. Organizing families and youth to go on missions all over the city takes so much logistical planning it makes my brain hurt. Lee had much of the responsibility, but there were at least 30 people all working hard to coordinate this effort. At the last minute, I was needed to help plan the kids camp that children of the families would go to while the parents would come together for prayer and meditation and discussion in the morning before heading out. It was not especially camp-like, more like fancy babysitting :). We did a few crafts and played some games and by the last day I even had fun myself. There were some wonderful 7th grade girls who volunteered to help out and most of them didn't even ask me to sign their service hours sheets!

On Saturday morning, as she was dropping her kids off, I asked one of the moms how their day went on Friday. She smiled and began to tell me three amazing encounters her group had. Her group was in a poorer area of town, walking around and just knocking on doors. One very young woman asked them to come in and see her two month old twin daughters. She was a lapsed Catholic and as the conversation continued she related how lonely and exhausted she was. She asked for their prayers and wanted information on the church and the missionaries were able to pray with her and get her the contact information for some help and support at the parish. They also got her information so the church could follow up with her too. Then this group set out again and walked further into the neighborhood. They came upon some teenage boys playing basketball. They approached these guys and talked awhile. At first the boys were impatient and wary, but soon they opened up and they prayed together and exchanged some information. As the group continued to walk on, a car pulled up beside them and motioned for them to stop and wait. An older gentleman in his 70's perhaps got out of the car with the help of his cane. He emotionally told them how he had been praying everyday for those boys at the basketball court and when he saw them together he was filled with hope and he said, "No one is gonna believe me, but Jesus is here!" He teared up as he was talking with them and asked to pray with them as well.

This experience is only from one group on one day! Mostly, we just said knocked, said hello, talked for a minute and moved on. But every day, at least one of the groups would have an encounter that could only be described as supernatural. I also know that just by going by and saying 'hi' we may have made someone's day. Isn't it nice just to know there are good people out there who really do care about you, just because you are you, a unique human soul? I think it is.