FIRST RESPONDERS PRAYER TIME...EVEN ICY AREA!

        Last night we were at a murder site in the eastern portion of Omaha.  No surprise to me.  Several years ago the Lord had me walk in a variety of those areas and praying and looking at the homes and dealing with what the Lord told me to do, where to go.  I've also driven for about 5 years through those areas, also.  NOW, since legally I can't drive anything b/c of the increase of dementia, it breaks my heart a bit.
        Anyhow, when we were told that a man had been murdered, a couple days later we were at that location.  It was snowy and icy all around the street, and very cold.  My husband took me, since I couldn't drive, and he stayed there and prayed and encouraged. [Dave and I have, usually, other God-jobs so we are rarely hitting the road together.  Now he's doing it any time if at all possible at the murder situations.  That's a blessing to me!]
        The amazing piece jumped at us.  When Dave and I got there... a little more than 3 miles from our house... we were among the earliest who had arrived, and so shocked and surprised to see a bunch of guys that walked into the house where the man had died.  It was a broken house for a length of time and he was, according to the news, someone who walked in our town without a place to stay, so the police/news people had said he had just popped in. 

Well, we heard things a bit differently shortly after there. We discovered that the guys were from a strong and special place in Omaha called Open Door Mission.  When one of their leaders spoke to us and said that Derek, who was 55 when murdered, was with their group and had been moving around sometimes to see people who didn't have homes, and he had been in this empty place and had lead some to the Lord.  He had prayed for some of the men.  Anyhow, we don't who and/or why, but he was murdered. The only good thing we know joyfully is that he is in Heaven.
        There was a stretch of time when about a dozen of the Open Door Mission guys had come from that part of town and about a dozen of us... First Responders people... even though the road was icy and hard to walk on ... we stood on a snowy side at a yard portion of another broken home.  Then, after some sharing from them, a couple of our main pastors who are leaders, told the guys to get in the center so we could lay our hands on them when the praying was being done. And to encourage them, even though this situation had confused and confused them.  We saw some tears.   I had a couple right in front of me and I put my arms around them. 

Joshua on the left.  In my heart!!

         When I was putting my arms around, Dave held my 2 canes and held my back so I couldn't fall.  THEN when the time was finished, I grabbed the guy/kid I'd been touching... think he's in his 20s ... and I asked his name.  He said he is Joshua.  So, since I'm reading the portion of the Bible right now, I told him I'd be praying for him.  And I have been!  Won't ever see him again I'm sure, but just lifting to the Lord. 
        When leaving, Dave and I were blessed and encouraged by a few people. 
        Anyhow, last night was cold and sorrowful in a lot of ways.... but the Lord broke into a lot of us and a lot of others in a kind way that night.  Usually, we pray for families, etc., when someone has been murdered.  However, we don't know much of anything about Derek's history, but we expect that he will know family and friends when he's in Heaven.