Saturday, March 23, 2024

Handout update!

 I had done up my cart on Thursday so all I had to do today was roll it to the bus stop. It was pretty heavy with 50 whole Bibles on it, 25 of each, plus my tote bag which had additional Bibles and my candy bag with tracts done up with candy.

Final total today: 47 whole Bibles, one New Testament, 3 Scripture booklets, 4 tracts in bags of candy. I had done up the Bibles with personal notes letting the recipients know, in English or Spanish depending, that I would be praying daily. My Spanish coworker who is a very good bilingual said it was "very good" so I am confident about that.
Yo estoy orando por ti diariamente!
So I got there and it was already a little warm and I had brought my jacket. I put the jacket in the cart and took out the English milk crate full of Bibles. I left the Spanish in the cart but it was easy to get them and I used them up first.
Whatever you want to say about the immigration crisis, when Spanish speakers get here they are looking for a Bible! And I had them! I had one guy wanted a Bible and the light had changed, he didn't care, he angled his car across 3 lanes of a very busy street (Antoine) so he could get it!
I had two cars where young Spanish speaking women had stopped the car dead in the street to get Bibles, which of course I gave them. They were thrilled to hear I had Spanish.
I had one sweet lady about my age. She had her window down and I approached, smiling, because she was grinning at me. "You're back again, sweetie? Yes, I'll take one." She was not the first recipient I've had to drive past me repeatedly before she took a Bible. One man, years ago, told me he had driven past me "All up and down Antoine" for years before "Today's the day!" and he took the Bible!
I had a member of the Brown Berets socialist group tell me I had to lay aside my religious beliefs and join the movement. I figured I was probably an oppressor being a homeowner so I passed, but he did take a Bible and I encouraged him to read 2 Timothy Chaper 3 as he kept going on about the terrible state of the world. I thought it might encourage him to read this was prophesied 2000 years ago.
The weather was perfect, sunny, light breeze, low to mid 70's so a lot of people had their windows down. That gave me an opportunity to give away more Bibles.
I had one young Latina lady say she was a teacher and she would "take anything (I) got" so I gave her a couple each Spanish and English Bibles. I had lots of people wanted 2 Bibles, thinking about it. I had one car with two older, cynical, black guys but they took 2, one each, and gaped at me when I solemnly told them I would pray for them every day "That's sacred!" I told as many as possible that I would, but I also had the notes in each Bible. I gave away all 25 of the Spanish pretty quick and only had 3 English left when I finished. I left the sign on the cart but I didn't hand out any more whole Bibles.
I went by the taco truck (3 Scripture booklets) and the grocery store (1 New Testament she was very excited about it), and also handed out 4 bags of candy including one with a tract on drug addiction and freedom from it, to another passenger at the bus stop.
I had a lot of troubles getting from the venue to the grocery store (took about an hour and a half not counting the 20 minute bus ride) but other than that it was easy!
Thank you so much for praying for the recipients!

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