For Catholic Evangelization team in Boise, Idaho - SPSE

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Thank you again, everybody, for your prayers for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization team. God continued to bless us last week. The following is from their report.

Sometimes it’s easy for us life-long or long-time Catholics to forget how very bewildering it can be to learn to pray the Rosary. Usually our Rosary makers select contrasting colors for Our Father and Hail Mary beads. [And, please ask God to bless these generous people who make and donate the Rosaries we give away?] But this time, one of our Rosary makers had made us one Rosary with large lozenge-shaped beads for the Our Fathers in addition to the usual small round beads for the Hail Marys.

A man approached our table who seriously wanted to learn to pray the Rosary. He originally chose a green one with white Our Father beads. But, as the explanation of the Mysteries proceeded and he began to understand the groupings and the structure of the Rosary, he asked to exchange his original choice for one “beginner’s Rosary” with its large Our Father beads. He explained that it helped him tell the difference between the beads. [This Rosary maker was able to make us several more Rosaries for this week. I noticed she made at least two more “beginner’s Rosaries”.]

Another man (“Jesse”) who stopped by was a committed Catholic, and he is seriously trying to evangelize a non-Catholic Christian friend of his. The friend’s name is “Caleb”. Jesse seemed well versed in Catholic apologetics. And so he asked us to join our prayers to his that Caleb find his way all the home to the fullness of the Faith in the Catholic Church.

Please pray for us again this week? We plan to head downtown in just a little while. Please pray that God will send people to us with hearts prepared and open to see their need for Jesus Christ and His Church in their life now. Please pray that God will send workers for the harvest. Please pray that He will grant us the words, the wisdom, and the manner to reach each of these precious souls for Him. Please pray that much fruit will come of our efforts today.

Thank you so much! And, may God continue to bless you and yours!
Get involved! Start a St. Paul Street Evangelization team in your area, get involved with an existing team, become a Supporting Member and a prayer warrior! For these things, or if you would like to learn more about the Faith and about evangelization in your daily life, visit stpaulse.com/ibelieve/
 
†

Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Amen. †

Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the Fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of death.

Amen. †

Saint Michael, the archangel, defend us in battle,
be our defense against the wickedness and snares
of the devil, may God rebuke him, we humbly pray.
And do you, O’ Prince of the Heavenly host, by the
power of God thrust into Hell Satan and all the other
evil spirits who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls.

Amen. †

St. Thérèse of Liseux Prayer From “Story of A Soul”

May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received,
and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones,
and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise, and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.

Amen. †

Lord, thank you that you are with me right now.
Your love surpasses all fear.
I give you the anxiety I feel.
I surrender all my worries to you.
Clear my mind;
Calm my heart;
Still my Spirit;
Relax my being, that, I may
always glorify you in everything
I write, speak and do.

Amen. †

:signofcross: :blessyou:
 
†

Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Amen. †

Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the Fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of death.

Amen. †

Saint Michael, the archangel, defend us in battle,
be our defense against the wickedness and snares
of the devil, may God rebuke him, we humbly pray.
And do you, O’ Prince of the Heavenly host, by the
power of God thrust into Hell Satan and all the other
evil spirits who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls.

Amen. †

St. Thérèse of Liseux Prayer From “Story of A Soul”

May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received,
and pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones,
and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise, and love.
It is there for each and every one of us.

Amen. †

Lord, thank you that you are with me right now.
Your love surpasses all fear.
I give you the anxiety I feel.
I surrender all my worries to you.
Clear my mind;
Calm my heart;
Still my Spirit;
Relax my being, that, I may
always glorify you in everything
I write, speak and do.

Amen. †

:signofcross: :blessyou:
 
Thank you, Pier, for your posts! And thank you to each of you who prayed for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization team this week. We really appreciate the encouragement. And, most of all, we appreciate your PRAYERS and your intercession before God for us – because, without Him we can accomplish nothing. So, on behalf of the team and of all those who encounter us, I cannot thank you enough!

Last week, three evangelists were available. God granted us pleasant weather after an unusually intense hot spell. Plus, the fountain in the park had been turned back on and a few picnic tables returned – so there were more people about and a leisurely atmosphere.

One of the conversations the team had was with a non-Catholic Christian man, who had recently received a wake-up call from God. He told us that on Mother’s Day a few weeks ago, he had been picked up and thrown a quarter-mile by a tornado. He considers it miraculous that he not only survived, but that the only injury he suffered was three non-dangerously broken ribs. He evidently was currently content to be a member of a non-Catholic Christian faith community, but he accepted a Rosary from us and its brochure. He even risked the impatience of his companion and took a few extra minutes to hear a slightly more in-depth explanation of the Rosary and how it’s prayed.

Another man, “Christopher”, stopped by with his son. He had started out life Catholic, but due to his parents’ divorce ended up in an LDS (Mormon) environment. He had very negative experiences of both. Yet, he was evidently drawn to the Rosaries. He accepted one and tried to convince his son (late teens? early twenties?) to take one, but the son refused. The dad took one for him. After they left us, discord becoming more evident between them, the team quietly prayed for them to be freed from the enemy’s influences and to ask Our Lady, under the title of “Undoer of Knots, Unknotter of Tangles” to pray for them.

This led to one team member’s admitting his concern about being the recipient of curses from a certain unbeliever who knew him and knew of his commitment to the Faith. This led to a discussion among ourselves of who we are in Christ, and how the enemy has no power to harm us (although we can let ourselves be tricked into thinking otherwise). Then we prayed for our fellow evangelist for freedom and for peace of mind.

Please send up a prayer for each of these people? And, please, pray for us again this week? We plan to head downtown in just a little while. So far, only one evangelist has indicated availability. So, would you please pray for us for workers for the harvest? And then that God will send people to us with hearts prepared and open to see the need for Jesus Christ and His Church in their lives? And that He will grant team members the wisdom, the words, and the manner to reach each of these precious souls for Jesus Christ?

Thank you! In turn, may God bless you and yours!
Get involved! Start a St. Paul Street Evangelization team in your area, get involved with an existing team, become a Supporting Member and a prayer warrior! For these things, or if you would like to learn more about the Faith and about evangelization in your daily life, visit stpaulse.com/ibelieve/
 
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death. Amen.
 
Thank you, chero23 and each of you who prayed last week for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization apostolate! God is so Good! He granted us the joy of introducing about 20 more people to the Catholic Church through the Rosary. That is always exciting and heart-warming.

Only one evangelist could be “on duty” for the entire hour last week. However, another team member took time from his luncheon date to stop by and introduce the young lady with him. She has had experience on several mission trips with youth groups, so they both have a heart for the Gospel. Please, keep them in your prayers?

One man, a nicely dressed repeat visitor with a foreign accent, said he had 5 daughters and asked for 5 Rosaries and a full-color Rosary brochure to go with each one. He also accepted one of our used Bibles. However, he has often stopped by and asked for multiple Rosaries as well as for any new items we might display. So far, though, the Rosaries seem to be what he repeatedly values. * Our evangelist gave him the Bible in hopes it might fall open and the Lord speak directly to his heart. He knows what this man truly needs.

But, the team had also been given a few more of the “beginner’s Rosaries” with fancy beads and extra-large Our Father beads. Our evangelist reported that she had started to put them all out on the table, but “something” made her keep one in reserve. Our previous visitor had scooped up both of the Beginner’s Rosaries still on the table. After he left, she put the remaining one out. Our very next visitors were two skateboarders who were happy to be offered free Rosaries. One of them also seemed to be seriously seeking spiritual Truth. He had also been immediately drawn to the Beginner’s Rosary and accepted it and its pamphlet. Then he paid close attention to a brief explanation of Rosary, and also accepted a copy of our “Good News” pamphlet, which presents the kerygma. His companion then hurried him off before we could have a more in-depth discussion.

One woman stopped by early in the session and accepted a Rosary and Miraculous Medal. Then she not only came back several more times, but also sent others to us. She was temporarily homeless due to violating a house rule and was dreading confessing the incident to her parole officer come Monday. But she also told us she had been near despair the previous night but that now her hope had been renewed. [Dare we hope that this was due in part to our team’s being there to remind her of her Savior?] One of the men she sent to us for a Rosary she had found lying passed out in the hot sun from too much alcohol, and she had awakened him and gotten him into the shade. Once he was a little more alert, she sent him to us. So, please pray for her – and for those she ministers to?

Please pray for us again this week? We’re planning to head downtown again in just a little more than an hour from now. Please pray that God sends people to us with hearts prepared to see their need for Jesus Christ and the Church that He founded, that God will grant us the wisdom, the words, and the manner to reach each of these precious souls for Christ, and that He grant us workers for the harvest.

Thank you so much! May God bless you and yours!
Get involved! Start a St. Paul Street Evangelization team in your area, get involved with an existing team, become a Supporting Member and a prayer warrior! For these things, or if you would like to learn more about the Faith and about evangelization in your daily life, visit stpaulse.com/ibelieve/*
 
Thank you for your prayers for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization team last week! It was an awesome session. Here are some highlights, as remembered by the two evangelists who were available that day.

There was a woman from Scotland, who had just come from Mass at our local cathedral. She took a Rosary for her mum and information about starting a team back home.

A woman traveling through the United States had forgotten her Rosary at home, and so was happy to take one of ours. Another woman and her daughter had just started going to church again after not going for awhile; they accepted Rosaries a map of parishes in the area. The children of a Hispanic family who had walked by returned and took Rosaries for themselves and their parents.

A “god-bump moment” (although we weren’t shown why the gooseflesh) was when a woman with a brain-injured man (her brother?) stopped by. She helped him select a Rosary and then they left without saying anything else. The encounter just left us with a sense that a major Holy Spirit encounter had just happened.

There were some awkward moments when nominal Catholics who knew one of the evangelists passed by a couple of times, trying to duck eye contact. We also had a private moment of rejoicing after two older men each accepted a Rosary and it turned out they were NOT a “couple”.

Finally, there were two boys who said they were Christian and accepted Rosaries after hearing an explanation. A little later, they passed by again. This time they were accompanied by a woman who was clutching their Rosaries in her fist and seemed more than a little agitated. One of our evangelists cheerfully offered her a Rosary for herself, but she stammered a “no thank you” reply. As she continued across the plaza, we prayed that she wouldn’t ditch the Rosaries in the nearest trash can. She didn’t.

Please send up a prayer for each of these people? Please also pray for us again today? We’re planning to head downtown again in less than an hour, but a weather advisory is out due to extremely high temperatures. So, would you please ask God to protect the people who are outside? Would you also please beg him to send people to us with their hearts prepared and open to receive the Good News about Jesus Christ and His Church? Please also beg him to send workers for the harvest (so far, only one evangelist has indicated availability and willingness to go out today)? Please also ask him to grant us the wisdom, the words, and the manner to reach each precious soul He sends to us?

Thank you! In return, may God abundantly bless you and yours!
Get involved! Start a St. Paul Street Evangelization team in your area, get involved with an existing team, become a Supporting Member and a prayer warrior! For these things, or if you would like to learn more about the Faith and about evangelization in your daily life, visit St. Paul Evangelization | I Believe | St. Paul Street Evangelization
 
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women
and blessed is the Fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen
 
Thank you, chero23 and everyone who prayed for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization last week! God heard you! Praise be to God!

Two things were interesting. First, before a second evangelist arrived, there were almost NO visitors at the table. But that gave the first evangelist time to actually finish praying an entire Rosary (started earlier in the day) for the conversion of Boise. Then, just as the second evangelist arrived, people began POURING past and that continued until she checked her watch and said, “It’s 3:02” [our regular closing time].

Second, the weather service said it got to 107° that day [extreme heat for our area; a weather advisory had been issued, cautioning people of the great danger of heat-related illness]. My computer said it was “only” 102° during the team’s outing. Just as our team leader was getting ready to head downtown, she received a telephone call from a womn who is a nonbeliever, who said, “You’re not going out today, right? It’s too hot.” So the evangelist explained to her that she was trusting the Lord to take care of us, since He had also protected us from extreme cold. [Please pray for that woman, for the gift of Faith?]

When the team leader got downtown, she set the table up under a little tree that didn’t really give much shade, just dappled the sunshine some. During the session, she reported that she sometimes touched a Bible or pamphlet on the table, and they were HOT! But the two evangelists were not. It was like it was only 88-90 degrees for them, instead of more than 100. And, although some sunlight reached them, neither got sunburned – which recalls the Scripture, “The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night” (Ps 121:6).

Only one specific conversation was reported. We had a repeat visitor from a month or so ago. He asked about divorce. In addition to the pamphlet on marriage and annulments, the evangelist offered him the one on suffering. He seemed puzzled. She explained that she offered it because he was facing divorce and most people find divorce painful. He declined the pamphlet. But then soon returned and asked for it. [Please send up a prayer for this man? He seems quite confused about many important things.]

Once God started sending people to us, it was a typical session in total. So, how many is that? In less than an hour: a couple hundred people were offered Rosaries, about 20-40 accepted, about 5-6 engaged in conversations of any length. God is so good!

Please pray for us again today? After a record-breaking 10-day heat wave, God has moderated the weather and it is relatively pleasant out today! High overcast to block the heat, but dry and bright. So, lots of people should be out and about. The team plans to head downtown again in just a little while. As usual, please pray that God sends people to us with their hearts prepared and open to receive the Good News about Jesus Christ and the Church that He founded. Please, beg God to send workers for the harvest! Please, also ask Him to grant us the wisdom, the words, and the manner to reach each of these people for His Kingdom?

I can’t thank you enough! May God bless you and yours!
Get involved! Start a St. Paul Street Evangelization team in your area, get involved with an existing team, become a Supporting Member and a prayer warrior! For these things, or if you would like to learn more about the Faith and about evangelization in your daily life, visit stpaulse.com/ibelieve/
 
Thank you for your prayers for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization team last week! This is God’s work and we rely on Him for its effectiveness.

For last week (the day after nation-wide US Independence Day celebrations), one of our Rosary makers made us a few spectacular red-white-and-blue Rosaries with fancy multi-faceted beads. They found homes quickly.

The first ones went to a family who may not have stopped to talk otherwise. The fancy Rosaries caught the eye of the man, evidently a nonbeliever. He and his son (about 4 years old) each took one and then they urged the woman to also take one. It turns out the woman was an inactive Catholic, who now attends a nondenominational Christian community. The woman asked the evangelist to remind her how the prayers went: first, the Glory Be, and then the Hail Mary. The words seem to come back to her easily.

The evangelist then encouraged her to pray the Rosary together with the dad and boy, letting her know that people often experience a sudden increase of peace in the house. This seemed to catch her interest. She took a Rosary for herself and a couple copies of the brochure with color pictures of the Mysteries. She was reluctant, though, to accept a map of area parishes and the invitation to return to the Sacraments. She said she was afraid she’d “get confused”. But then she did accept the map, with its list of Reconciliation and Sunday Mass times. Please pray for her and her family? Confusion is not a fruit of the HOLY Spirit.

A couple of different nonbelievers stopped by long enough to accept a Rosary and a copy of the Good News *kerygma * pamphlet. One of them “used to be a believer” but couldn’t remember why he had walked away. In looking over our materials, he seemed to remember (perhaps a “lifestyle” issue?) but remained polite, and took with him both a Rosary and pamphlets.

A member of a local non-Catholic Christian megachurch stopped by long enough for an explanation of what the Rosary really is and its roots in the Bible. In answer to his question on whether we were supposed to “rub the beads”, the evangelist was able to explain how the beads were just a tool to help us time our meditation on the events in Jesus’ life. The man’s party had continued down the street without him, so he graciously accepted our brochure on the Rosary and hurried off to rejoin them.

Due to sporadic sprinkles of rain, we had set our table up under the construction boardwalk. This put us right outside the patio dining area of a restaurant. This also means that people enjoying their meal on the patio got to hear an hour of people being offered free Rosaries. One woman, on leaving the restaurant, made a beeline for our table. She confronted the evangelist with whether we were “sanctioned by the Church” to do what we were doing. The woman was unfamiliar with the term “lay apostolate”. This gave the evangelist the opportunity to give the history of recent popes’ call for a “New Evangelization” and of the St. Paul Street Evangelization movement (which is now world-wide), as well as assure her that Church authorities were well aware of our activities and were supportive. Because the woman said that “her mother is Catholic”, it made the evangelist wonder if the woman herself is in need of prayers to return to active participation in the Sacraments. Please, pray for her?

And please pray for us again this week? Our team plans to head downtown in just a few minutes. Please pray that God sends workers for the harvest, that He sends people to us with their hearts prepared to receive the Good News about Jesus Christ and the Church that He founded, and that He grant us the wisdom, the words, and the manner to reach each of these precious souls for Christ.

Thank you! May God bless you and yours!
Get involved! Start a St. Paul Street Evangelization team in your area, get involved with an existing team, become a Supporting Member and a prayer warrior! For these things, or if you would like to learn more about the Faith and about evangelization in your daily life, visit stpaulse.com/ibelieve/
 
Thank you for your prayers last week for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization team. The following is [mostly] from the team’s official report.

One of SPSE’s earliest teams — in Boise, ID — has hit the streets weekly for nearly three full years now. And they continue to meet people in need of Jesus Christ, their Savior. [The two evangelists] mention one such encounter.

The team had set up near the fountain in the central downtown park. They were next to the path through, but were careful not to force people to walk past their table or talk with them. Picnic tables had been returned to the park from storage, and several people were taking advantage of the unusually pleasant weather. [One evangelist] went over to talk with two young women seated there.

One of them spoke up. “I’m not religious because I’m a homosexual. I understand that if I were religious then I’d have to go to hell.”

“That’s not true,” [the evangelist] responded. She explained that there’s no condemnation in having feelings of attraction to people of the same sex. The problem, she said, is only when someone decides to act out on those feelings.

After thinking for a moment, the young woman asked, “But, if I don’t act on my feelings, then what’s the point in being homosexual?”

Indeed.

The young women happily accepted SPSE’s pamphlet, “Homosexuality”. It gives a solid yet charitable presentation of Catholic teaching, and addresses common misunderstandings. [The evangelist] also recommended they watch the video, “Desire of the Everlasting Hills”, available free on the internet. She told them it was well done and gave her a deeper compassion for the challenges facing these young women.

Even the touchiest subjects can be talked about — and hearts opened — when approached with love, humility, and the Truth. [So, please, pray for these women?]

[And, please also pray for the few people who did stop at the team’s table last week? One of them was “Luis”, a repeat visitor who requested a Spanish-language Bible (although in the past he made it clear that he already had one). The evangelist at the table apologized for not being able to carry more materials, and suggested he look at the area second-hand stores, now that he was working steadily. She explained that that was where she got her Bibles for the team to give away.]

Please, pray for us again this week? We plan to head downtown in just a couple of hours. Please, beg God to send workers for the harvest? Then, please ask Him to send people to the team with their hearts and eyes open and prepared to see their need for Jesus Christ and the Church that He founded. Please also pray that God will then grant the evangelists the wisdom, the words, and the manner to reach each of these precious souls for Christ.

Thank you so much! May God, in turn, bless you and yours!
Get involved! Start a St. Paul Street Evangelization team in your area, get involved with an existing team, become a Supporting Member and a prayer warrior! For these things, or if you would like to learn more about the Faith and about evangelization in your daily life, visit St. Paul Evangelization | I Believe | St. Paul Street Evangelization
 
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now
and at the hour of our death. Amen.
 
Thank you for your prayers for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization effort last week. One evangelist was available.

Things were fairly slow at the team’s table, although many families brought children to play in the walk-in fountain. Some of the families did come by our table after they had finished playing.

One family group, seated on the opposite side of the fountain the whole time, had a brindle-colored great dane with them. Late in the hour, the dad took the dog for a walk that brought him near our table – although the man looked like he would prefer to avoid contact with us. The evangelist called out a compliment on the dog, and that broke the ice and started a short conversation. Then when she offered the man a Rosary, he gladly accepted. Afterwards, the children in the family group made a beeline for our table. A girl reached us first. She accepted not only a Rosary but also a Bible, since she said they didn’t have one in the home. Then the other children arrived and also accepted Rosaries.

Then a man stopped by and asked for Spanish-language materials for his wife. He took several Spanish-language pamphlets on various topics, and also accepted a Rosary for his wife. Then the man from last week, “Luis”, also made a return visit and gladly accepted the Spanish-language (non-Catholic) Bible the evangelist had brought along. While Luis was still at the table, the first Hispanic man returned and asked for a Spanish-language Catholic Bible, since the only Spanish Bible they had at home had been given to them by the LDS (Mormons). Unfortunately, the evangelist had no more Spanish Bibles, Catholic or otherwise. But explained the difference between Catholic and non-Catholic Bibles, and encouraged the family to check back with us in following weeks.

Other families with children also accepted Rosaries. As the evangelist was packing things up at the end of the session, one of the families returned because the little boy (perhaps 3 years old) wanted a Rosary like his older sister’s instead of the green one he had chosen. The older sister had taken one of the fancy ones made by the one Rosary maker, and no two are alike. Fortunately, we still had one that was similar to the sister’s Rosary. They left happy.

Please pray for us again this week? I forgot to even go look for Spanish-language Catholic Bibles, much less found any I felt I could afford. I feel like such a poor tool for God’s work. Still, we plan to head downtown again in just a couple of hours. Would you please pray that God, Who blesses and multiplies what we do offer, will provide what is needed for the people who encounter us this week? Please pray that the Holy Spirit will send people to us, with eyes and hearts prepared to see their need for Jesus Christ and the Church that He founded. Please also beg God to send workers for harvest, and that He will grant us the wisdom, the words, and the manner to reach each of these precious souls for Him.

Thank you so much! Your prayers make a HUGE difference. And remember, God is outside of time – so if you see this later, just ask Him to back-date your prayers. Thank you again. In return, may God richly bless you and yours!
Get involved! Start a St. Paul Street Evangelization team in your area, get involved with an existing team, become a Supporting Member and a prayer warrior! For these things, or if you would like to learn more about the Faith and about evangelization in your daily life, visit stpaulse.com/ibelieve/
 
Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

†
 
Thank you, Winston_Smith !] and all of you who prayed for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization team last week.

Mea culpa. I still haven’t researched or ordered any Spanish-language Catholic Bibles. I won’t offer excuses, but I do ask your prayers [please!] that I can “get with the program” and get it done this week.

There was only one evangelist available again last week. And mostly we just had one visitor, although other people stopped by briefly – just long enough to grab a free Rosary and run. So, we ended up giving away the typical 20 Rosaries per hour.

Our visitor was a maybe-30 year-old, stylishly dressed woman. She came up to the table early on and then stayed the entire rest of the session. She gave her name as “Kegen”. Her mother is a non-Catholic Christian, her father professes atheism, and her stepmother is Catholic. She first accepted a Rosary and brochure. Then, when offered other literature on frequently asked questions about Catholicism, she chose the one on homosexuality. And read it on the spot.

Her reaction was, “That’s a different take on the subject”, referring to how the Catholic Church neither blames nor condemns someone for feeling attracted to persons of the same sex, that the problem comes with acting on the feelings. She said that was the opposite of the attitude in her mother’s church. She also said she wasn’t sexually active. With encouragement, she also accepted a copy of our pamphlet on sexual purity, which gives a nice “theology of the body” presentation of the proper place of human sexuality in God’s plan for us.

She also asked about how the Catholic Church viewed pagans, especially the “goddess religions”. The evangelist assured her that we saw all religions of good will as having partial aspects of the truth. This led to a brief discussion of our responsibility to be good stewards of our environment and the evangelist suggested she look up Pope Francis’ latest encyclical. She accepted a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church,

By the end of the discussion, she had also accepted a copy of a couple more pamphlets answering frequent objections. And, she accepted our “Good News” pamphlet, which presents the kerygma. She stayed until closing and helped the evangelist pack things up at the end of the session. [Please pray for Kegen, that God touches her heart and brings her home to the Catholic Church?]

Evidently, the evangelist was concentrating so hard on the one visitor that she missed others. For example, she received an email later from someone who had been in the park at the same time but was unable to find the team’s table.

And please pray for us again this week? We plan to head downtown in just a little while. Please pray that God sends people to us with hearts open and prepared to see their need for Jesus Christ and His Church, that they feel attracted to Jesus Christ? Please also pray that God grants team members the words, the manner, and the wisdom to reach each of these precious souls for God? Please pray, too, for more workers for the harvest?

Thank you so much! In return, may God greatly bless you and yours!
Get involved! Start a St. Paul Street Evangelization team in your area, get involved with an existing team, become a Supporting Member and a prayer warrior! For these things, or if you would like to learn more about the Faith and about evangelization in your daily life, visit stpaulse.com/ibelieve/
 
Thank you for your prayers for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization team last week. One evangelist was available.

Our most memorable visitor was the man we have dubbed “The Merchant”. He has visited us often, asking for 5 Rosaries at a time, a full-color brochure for each, and a Bible. He speaks almost no English, but it’s pretty clear that he’s not “using up” that many items each week by using them for prayer.

Last week was different. After he asked for his batch of 5 Rosaries (he always chooses the nicest), he returned a second time. This time, he explained by gestures and broken English that he was trading the Rosaries for food in a nearby cafe. The fast-food napkins in his pocket gave some credence to his story. He, of course, asked for 5 more Rosaries and our last Bible.

But, in the course of the “conversation”, he let slip a “sehr güt”. So, I have cobbled together a German-language brochure on the Rosary for him. [Please pray he attempts the prayer, so Our Lady can lead him to Jesus and His Church? (instead of merely “the food that perishes” — Jn 6:27)]

Please pray for our team again this week and those who encounter us? We plan to head downtown in just a couple of hours. Please pray that God will use us to draw people to His Son and to His Church? Please ask Him to grant us the words, the wisdom, and the manner to reach each of these precious souls for Jesus Christ? Please also beg Him to send us more people willing to work the harvest?

Thank you! In return, may God bless you abundantly!
Get involved! Start a St. Paul Street Evangelization team in your area, get involved with an existing team, become a Supporting Member and a prayer warrior! For these things, or if you would like to learn more about the Faith and about evangelization in your daily life, visit St. Paul Evangelization | I Believe | St. Paul Street Evangelization
 
Thank you for your prayers last week for Boise’s Catholic street evangelists. One evangelist showed up.

“The Merchant” did nod when the evangelist asked him, in German, if he spoke German. Unfortunately, she forgot to actually bring the German-language materials with her and, in her embarrassment, all of the German phrases she had tried to memorize also escaped her. But, she brought along a vintage (Pope Paul VI era) Catholic coffee-table Bible that had been donated and he gladly accepted that for his private fund-raising efforts – as well as 10 more Rosaries.

The evangelist had brought one Spanish-language Bible with her, in case one of the two families who had requested one showed up again. They didn’t. But a woman, who was clearly Spanish-as-second-language begged for the Bible (after explaining just how quickly she loses every Bible people give her). Somewhat reluctantly, the evangelist handed it over. (So much for the “cheerful giver” that Our Lord is looking for, huh?)

Please, keep us in your prayers again this week? We plan to head downtown in just a couple of hours, but we can accomplish nothing without the Lord. So, please pray that He will send people to us with hearts prepared to recognize their need for a Savior and for His Church? Please also pray that He will grant the evangelists the wisdom, the words, and the manner to reach each precious soul he does send our way. Please, too, beg Him to send more workers for His harvest?

Thank you! And may God bless you and yours!​

“We bless you from the LORD’s house. The LORD is God and has given us light.” (Ps 118:26-7)
 
Thank you for your prayers for Boise’s Catholic street evangelists last week. We needed them.

Two of us were available, but both of us were quite disheartened. Waiting for the team to show up was our regular non-Catholic visitor “Luis”. But he insisted on receiving two blue Rosaries (a rare color for us to receive from our Rosary makers–may God bless them!). This makes the third chronically homeless person who has begun to use us as (probably) a source for free trade goods. None of the three men show any interest in PRAYing the Rosary.

Two women from London stopped by to ask directions to their hotel and about things to do for entertainment in downtown Boise. They were going to be in town for another six days for some unnamed convention. They deftly ignored all attempts to steer the conversation toward matters of Faith and eventually left.

The evangelists offered Rosaries to some of the very few people who passed by on foot, all of whom politely declined. Our friend, “The Merchant”, stopped in. He accepted our German-language materials on the Rosary with the comment, “Oh, German”. The team refused his offers of cookies and of bread from his copiously filled grocery bags. He took three Rosaries and brochures.

Feeling ineffective at spreading the Gospel, the evangelists mostly discussed between themselves what approach or location might be more effective. There was one little girl (under two years old?) playing in the park’s walk-in fountain while her parents took turns watching their belongings at the picnic table behind where the team had set up. The team was so disheartened that they hadn’t even offered that family Rosaries.

But God had other plans. Just as the team was beginning to think of packing things in early, since things were so slow, the mother came to the evangelists’ table. She said her husband was Catholic and so were some of their friends, but she had some questions about the Faith. She had been raised LDS (Mormon).

A lively conversation ensued. The evangelists took turns offering her information and literature, all of which she seemed glad to receive. She accepted a Bible and finally agreed to start studying it in the Gospels. Before she left, she thanked the evangelists and told them that no one among her family and acquaintances had been able to explain the Faith to her before. She also accepted a map to her parish and how to contact them about RCIA.

It turns out that this was a significant encounter for the teammates. As the week progressed, both team members received attacks precisely on their calling to evangelize strangers. But, because of the last encounter of the session – and precisely because the woman had come to them on her own and not through any sales pitch from the team – each evangelist received encouragement. One team member was able to point out to the other how the second evangelist had suddenly become full of energy and enthusiasm as she answered the woman’s questions. The first team member, in turn, received encouragement from her family afterward when they commented on how “alive” she always was when she came back from a session of street evangelization.

So thank you for your prayers! The enemy almost took out the entire Boise team last week. That said, and because we absolutely do not want to play any part in enabling an underground trade in sacred goods, we are not planning to set up at our usual spot today. Instead, we are planning a “prayer walk” as a way to ask Our Lord’s guidance on where and how He next wants us to spread the Good News of His Son. Please pray for us?
 
Thank you so much for your continued prayers for Boise’s Catholic street evangelization effort. It’s been a few weeks of intense prayer for us, leading to a bit of “retooling”.

While you have been holding us up in prayer, one of our team members felt the need to act out our cry for God’s mercy on our people by starting a prayer walk. The prayer walk turned into a symbolic “Jericho walk” (see Joshua 6) around key points of the city. It continues.

Meanwhile, God has blessed the team with a new level of support at the first parish included in the walk. A couple has stepped forward who are willing to be “catchers” for the people the evangelists send their way – actual human beings willing to meet with folks and get them connected to the parish community, whether it’s with RCIA, returning Catholics, or parish ministries to become involved with. Please pray that we are able to find similar people “on the ground” at each of our other area parishes?

The Boise team is also trying out a new time for street evangelization: the lunch hour on Tuesdays. The evangelists hope to reach some of the many business people crossing the park at that time. Please pray for us, that God will open eyes and hearts to our message about His Son and the Church?

We are also experimenting with a new approach, a new “opening line” for our efforts. There is not a consensus among the evangelists yet about the exact wording, but we hope it will be more directly Christocentric than leading with the Rosary seemed to be. Please pray for us about that, too – for the wisdom to know God’s will for us in this, for unity among team members, and for effectiveness in proclaiming the Good News about Jesus Christ?

As mentioned above, we plan to head downtown again in just a few hours. Already team members are experiencing “interference”, so we could really use your prayers – for protection and well as for effectiveness.

Thank you again for your prayer support. We are totally dependent on it. Without God, we accomplish nothing. In return, may God rich bless you and yours!
Unless the Lord builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain (Ps 127:1).
 
Thank you again for your prayers! Who would have thought that a simple prayer walk could spark a frenzied reaction from a certain group of people? sigh

Last Tuesday, 9/22, was the day our walker was scheduled to walk the final seven rounds through the neighborhood at the northwest corner of the city. On round 3, two things happened: First, when she passed the parish church building, she felt her energy renewed and her spirits lifted. That was very welcome, of course. But then, second, as she neared the end of the loop she couldn’t help but notice a certain car zooming back and forth beside her – especially since she kept having to wait for it pass before she could cross a street. Then, as our walker completed the next 3 laps, more and more cars joined in the circling. She says she was reminded of the Scripture, “They surrounded me on every side; in the LORD’s name I cut them off. They surrounded me like bees” (Ps 118:11–12).

The next day, the same cars intercepted her and followed her to her new prayer site, fourteen miles away at the southwest corner of the city. Since they had also followed her home, after the prayer walk that day she led them to the Sheriff’s office where she had a nice long chat with the deputy about Idaho’s anti-stalking law. The deputy, a fellow Christian, thanked her for what she was doing.

After that, she usually saw each car only once during the prayer walk each day. Still, she also worked on memorizing license plate numbers since the Sheriff’s department had asked her to. But, to say the least, it has all been quite distracting to the prayer part of the prayer walk. Then, yesterday, “coincidentally”, all of the familiar-looking cars had removed their front plates. Two had even replaced both plates with colorful dealer placards. But she has also, thankfully, noticed the presence of Sheriff’s department cars at least on the main roads of the area.

Our intrepid prayer walker plans to report the odd license plate behavior to the Sheriff’s office today before heading out, as well as keep them informed on when her next 7-round day is to occur. But, PLEASE, send up prayers on her behalf? For her protection, of course, but mainly for 1) the ability to complete the walk that she thinks the Lord is asking of her, and, 2) and most importantly, for its “success” – that is, that the Lord will grant His mercy to all the people represented by it. Also, please pray especially for those who seem to have taken offense by the prayers – for their conversion and healing and peace.

Thank you again for your prayers and for all of your encouragement. The active street evangelization part might be less “tame” when it resumes, but please join us in asking the Lord that it bear even more fruit than before.
"ecause of the increase of evildoing, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world as a witness to all nations" (Mt 24:12–14).
 
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