Saturday, July 2, 2016

Taking it to the Streets!

Fidei Defensor at Farmer's Market

     Today my family and I had the blessing of Evangelizing near the Saturday farmer's market in Green Bay.  What a blessing.  Again, as always, there was not a single negative conversation.  Quite the contrary we were struck so profoundly that:

My Family and I have committed to being at the farmer's market most, if not all, Saturday mornings we can.

Please Join us: bring your own lawn chair.  The only thing we ask from you is prayer, you do NOT have to talk to anyone... However...

  
 This was my wife's first time going out Street Evangelizing.  As we talked ahead of time, she was nervous.  What I told her was to just come out, observe and pray; she didn't have to say anything.  The first person to stop and talk with us after my wife came, was such a great conversation that my wife was right in there sharing as well.  Why?  She said it's so natural! 
     We had about six conversations of varying length in the 2 1/2 hours we were there. 
 
1) We had a man we'll name Matt who was career military and with his wife, daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren.  His daughter had been pressuring him to come back to confession.  Matt and I had a great conversation about being the leader of his family.  Showing them that this is what they need to get to heaven.  I asked Matt - who was a Sgt. - if he didn't know what the objective was, or where to go, could he ever lead his men there?  He agreed, understood where I was going with it.  He took a pamphlet on Confession including a examination of conscience.  He said he was just visiting in the area, but he was going to go to mass with his daughter and son-in-law the next day (and go to confession at his next earliest convenience).
 
2) Next was a man who did not give his name.  He came up to us with a pained look and said, "Can you pray for me?  I'm struggling with addiction, badly."  We prayed with him for healing and guidance.  I also told him of a friend of mine who is overcoming alcoholism with great help from the Rosary.  I gave him a pamphlet about Mary's intercession.
 
3) Next we had Pamela.  Pamela had just recently come back to the Catholic Church after decades away.  She stated she didn't leave over any of the teachings, she had been hurt and was very mad over that hurt.  It took her years to realize that the Catholic Church is made up of sinners in need of a Savior, just like everyone else; and the people who had hurt her had done so not because of Catholic teaching, but against Catholic teaching.  She was VERY interested in joining our group and even helped Evangelize the next man who came to the booth!
 
4) While talking to Pamela, an unnamed man came to the booth.  He was reluctant to say much, but through our non-pressure questions, told us he used to be Catholic but left because "I started reading the Bible" and some people showed him, from the Bible, how the Catholic Church was wrong.  I asked him what his biggest objection was.  The man said that Catholic Church doesn't believe that we are saved by "Faith Alone".  I agreed with him that we absolutely need faith in Jesus Christ, the Father and the Holy Spirit in order to be saved.  I told him a little of my story, of how reading the Bible, as a Protestant, I ran across the only place in Scripture where the phrase "Faith Alone" appears.  I asked him if he knew where that verse was.  He did not.  I showed him my Bible, James 2:24 which says, "So you see a man is justified by works and NOT BY FAITH ALONE."  I told him that the Catholic Church always taught that God's grace enables us to have faith and to do meritorious works.  Again, only by the Grace of God.  I invited him to explore what the Catholic Church actually teaches and invited him back saying, "You're welcome back anytime.  We need people like you."  He took a pamphlet on Faith Alone.
 
During this conversation, Pamela jumped in and told him her story about how she had been hurt, and came back through forgiving the people who hurt her.  SEE HOW NATURAL IT IS TO SHARE CHRIST?
 
5) We had a young man (20's) run up and take a pamphlet on "Why Be Catholic?" and leave right away.  He was with a group of men about the same age and my guess is he didn't want to be embarrassed by his friends by talking to us, but was still interested enough to take a pamphlet.
 
6) We had numerous people say they were Catholic and thanking us for being out there.  They told us to keep it up!
 
Please pray for us and all those people.  Again, if you want to join us and just observe, we'll be out at the Nicolet National bank (the drive through side) most Saturday mornings.  Come Evangelize with us!  Share Christ with a world living in quiet desperation.
 
God Bless,
Fidei Defensor