Our drop off driver had just warned us, grimly, "This is a bad neighborhood" in a very cautious tone. "The neighborhood has a bad reputation" I told Ron "But that doesn't mean it has bad people."
Case in point, the carload of young gangbangers who pulled up shortly after I got to the corner and set up (I brought approximately 100 Bibles, handed out 75 in about an hour - whole Bibles, except for the kiddie ones, and I only had 10 of them).
Mom and Dad are going to read this... let's just say the light changed unexpectedly and a car flew by at a high rate of speed while I was still in the middle lane. I jumped, and looked over my shoulder for more before I headed back to the safety of "my" median. 4 young men in the car, they each wanted a Bible, and I had NICE ones, beautiful fake leather covers, gilded pages, lots of helps, Bibles I have dreamed of handing out, especially there.
Anyway, I was startled. "Don't worry" the young man smiled at me, showing a couple of gold teeth "You're doing God's work. He's going to protect you!" I grinned and thanked him, told the whole group I'd be praying daily (that is, like, sacred to me), and they went on their way. He was right. I had another scare later but am here typing away.
I did 3 carloads of gangbangers. I did some walk bys. "If they're rubbernecking" I told Ron "They'll take a Bible". Especially if I give them a big grin and wave them over as if I've been expecting them. On the way home, I gave one to a lady at the bus stop who almost cried.
One guy parked the car (he was driving the other way and saw Ron's sign, which he faces toward the northbound traffic, while I handle the southbound traffic), crossed two streets, and came over to get two Bibles, one for his Mom. I asked if he had kids, and gave him 4 kiddie Bibles too.
The Kid Bibles were, as expected, a huge hit. They went pretty fast.
One of my favorite interactions involved an older Spanish grandmother. She stopped, and I gave her a Spanish Bible. She exclaimed, and I gave her two more, one for each child accompanying her. She had a discussion with the oldest, in Spanish, who returned the Spanish and requested an English instead. I was happy to oblige.
I had one Spanish fellow at the T end of the intersection. I waved him over and he gestured he'd come when he could. He did, and when I realized he was Spanish I handed him some New Testaments, which he loved.
I took several whole Spanish, and handed nearly all of them out. People are always delighted to get a Bible in their own language.
One lady began shrieking out a car window when she saw the sign. They pulled up. She does evangelism in the neighborhood. She wanted 2 adult, women's Bibles. (The KJV were pink so I handed them out to the women, the NIV were turquoise so I handed them to the men - and they went extremely fast). She also wanted 5 more, if possible. Of course. As I was handing them over and querying her about kiddie stuff, we heard a police siren.
The policeman decided to pull up behind this lady, this evangelist, getting Bibles from another evangelist (me). Really, you think he'd have been HAPPY people were getting Bibles in that area. No. He wanted her to "Move along" because the light had changed.
Really.
"He's not a friend of Jesus" Ron said sadly. She came back, though, and I gave her what I had left of the kiddie stuff, some World Missionary Press booklets, and information on obtaining lots of free booklets from World Missionary Press.
"Can I hug you?" She asked, her eyes alight. "Of course". We had a good hug and she left.
I still can't believe the policeman. Ron and I did agree we need to do this again, another Saturday around dinnertime.
It's a good thing he hadn't seen me earlier, when God had the whole intersection at a standstill, literally EVERY car at the light wanted multiple Bibles. I was running! It took me minutes to get my breath back. It was a heck of a way to start the Handout, and complete validation I had come to exactly the right place.
Within an hour I was completely wiped out. I had one Bible left, which I gave to the lady at the bus stop.
We took the bus home rather than wait an hour. We believe in using common sense.
Happily, I have plenty more at home. I definitely want to go again.
I had to go today, even after a long day at work, due to severe weather all next week. I was exhausted, it was one of those "God this all has to happen in Your strength" and of course He supplied it.
I do wish I could get a portapotty on the median, though. LOL It's a hard line, staying hydrated in a neighborhood with no public bathrooms!
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