COMFORT HIS PEOPLE

YES.  ONE OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT GOD-JOBS IS

 TO GO TO THE MURDER SITES AND PRAY FOR 

THE NEIGHBORHOOD AREA AND

 THE FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT COME.  

WE ALSO PUT PRAYER SHAWLS ON THE LADIES WHO ARE CLOSE TO THE FAMILY LOSS.  

OFTEN, THE MOM OR AUNT OR SISTER HAS ARRIVED 

AND WE PRAY OVER THEM, 

EXPLODING THE LOVE OF GOD ONTO THEM, 

AND THE ENCOURAGEMENT THAT WILL REMAIN

 EVERY TIME SHE EVER SEES THE PRAYER SHAWL.

  THAT'S OUR HOPE.

MY HABIT ... FIRST RESPONDERS

I have several habits.  One is what the Lord laid on me about 3 months ago.  EVERY DAY post a photo on my blog with His Word on it.  And spread it onto FB.  Every morning when I wake up, that's the first God-job I do.  

Another habit.  Fill in whenever the Lord lays someone, someplace on me ... Bhutanese to a hospital, family/friend to see when they are in spiritual or physical or emotional need.  I'm a knee-jerk Christian.  Go forward and do.  Period.

Travel to and fro, whenever and wherever I am to be in our nation.

But this is one of the most important, and was attended recently when a 19-yr old boy, Julius, who had left the gangs, coming to the Lord, was murdered.  Can't not go if I'm in town.  Yes, it's a "habit".  

[The chocolate one is in my life too, and ice cream... but they aren't the important ones.]

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Today we went arrived at a very busy portion of Omaha -- for info to you who know Omaha, it was at 23rd and Vinton.  While driving in and out of the neighborhood, I remembered being up on the main street nearby a couple years ago when a murder had taken place.  Hard so often when we're looking around and about the town and are passing murder sites.  Makes my heart shudder with sorrow.

Today a number of people connected to Julius arrived.  Family, friends, people who had been encouraging him to leave the gang and grow in the Lord.  They'd helped him prepare for a job,  gave him wisdom.  And a number of us simply connected to First Responders and his family and friends came.

The prayer time was amazing.  Filled with blessings.  Oh, and a few of the police that arrived to keep a safe eye on us, which is their standard now, got out of the cars and came to our circles and prayed with us.  That happens occasionally and is a real blessing.  Partly, because the groups who have lost a member don't trust the police, and after these prayer times it begins to enter their hearts that they can trust the police.

A couple had left already.

At the end, I had a blessing.  I was able to get a couple of the prayer shawls out of my car and one was given to Julius's mother, but she was not with us, but the shawl would be taken to her by one of her family members.  The other shawl was given to

Julius's aunt, and she was with us, and I was asked to  "shawl" her and pray for her.  I handed my camera to a young fellow and just asked him to take a few.  He did.

 

So now you've see a number of photos of the carers, the prayers, the encouragers... and you've seen me.  

And I came home very tired, very cold, very physically/ mentally challenged... but filled with joy, because I know people were filled with the Lord, filled with peace.

FIRST RESPONDERS -- SAD AFTERNOON

At 2:30 today we began a prayer and encouraging and blessing service outside of a social hall where a young man had been murdered near midnight of Friday.  He was dancing with friends.  Jacquez, 21, had just been accepted at the Marines and was leaving next Thursday morning.  Suddenly, someone came inside and began shooting, no one aimed at, but bullets hit 4 of them.  A 14-year old girl is in critical condition, 2 men showed up at the local hospital with less-than-serious condition.  But Jacquez died nearly immediately on the dance floor.

The First Responders time was filled with people from his family, his friends, and our ministry-caring people.  One of our main spiritually intense ladies, Teela, was called at 1:30 AM by Jacquez's aunt to tell her.

Teela spoke loudly and prayerfully at the FR time.  And she introduced the parents and others.


 
His dad spoke for a few minutes about him and about the family and the fatherhood and the caring.  

 

He said Jacquez was not in drugs, not a dealer, and not in a gang.  That dads need to put 200% in raising their boys.

Jacquez's mom didn't speak.  Sounded like her throat was hurting.  But we were asked to lay a prayer shawl on her.  She was hugged by a niece.  Touched by ladies surrounding her.  I was blessed to help place the shawl.  Couldn't NOT not take a picture.  

Had a wonderful time hugging her later as I was leaving and told her I would be sharing their story in our town, our nation, and around the world.  She was rejoicing, thanking me.

It was a very large group of people.

One blessing?  It wasn't nearly as cold as recently so we could breathe together.  Another?  Three police officers came.  We almost always have officers nearby in a car, but this time these men got out of the cars to stand with us, to show true heart-filled caring for the families.  It was a blessing for me to be able to thank them and touch them gratefully.  

ANOTHER?  Prayer topics are passed around by the leader, certain individuals asked to pray, fairly short prayer-times, not going on forever and ever.  After a few, the next one was for all the kids that were there, that they be placed in the center to be prayed over. I saw him glancing around and then, the leader, Dave, said, "Joanne." So, I laid my hands on a young girl next to me, my heart so heavy, I nearly crying, and I prayed for a minute that they would be covered with the Lord's protection, that they would grow in Him and that His light would help them be in the right place, right time.  I don't remember exactly what I said, but some of that; my emotions were pretty intense, to say the least. 

Was only there for an hour, but my heart is still filled with this event.  We prayed in front of the door where the murder had occurred.  AND this happened right across the street from an elementary school.  Lots has happened in that area many times in these past years; I'm not happy this happened, but I AM happy it didn't happen during the day and when kids were going to see it or hear the screaming, sorrowing.

[AND, just a moment ago, as I was finishing this, a bit of "us" were shown on the news.  They showed dad holding his photo up and talking and then our leader speaking of our purpose to be there ... to always let the families, friends, and neighbors know that we -- F.R. -- are with them and  they are not alone.]

So, now, going to spend a couple hours snuggling on the couch with my hubby watching one of our comedy movies.

Need it.

Need you.

FIRST RESPONDERS -- GABE -- and baby coming

Buried in important and serious activities.  Some good, some stressful... all God-connected.

At this present moment, I am at our local hospital where I have been a baby-delivery helper for the Bhutanese.  Baby number 5 is probably arriving later today.  Can't take any photos until later when it's official, obviously.  Last night we arrived about 9:30.  I couldn't sleep on the couch here; hurt my legs/back too much, so I went home at 4:30 this morning and hit THAT couch and rested [didn't sleep much] until 8:30 this morning and came back.  The baby will probably arrive late today or overnight.  To prepare for sleeping more effectively, I brought a sleeping bag and can stay on the floor, if necessary.

So, now I'll hit the important element from yesterday.

==============

Our First Responders were needed to go to a part of town we have rarely, if ever, been in the 4 years I've been involved.  When I arrived, I talked to neighborhood people and they were so horrified.  On Friday night/Saturday morning, on their street, 4 people were shot, 2 were stabbed, and one died soon.  As his family and friends arrived the story about him was a real heart-toucher/breaker.

Gabe was 18, had been a writer, a worker, had graduated through GED, and had been a football player at the high school that is 2 blocks from my house.  His sister was holding his picture when she came.  I was given permission by his family to take a photo.

What could we do?  We prayed, we touched, we held, we encouraged, we loved.

I had a prayer shawl in the car and we were blessed to lay it over his sister's shoulders [she was small, it was small] and pray over and for her, and it looked absolutely lovely on her.  I so would love to have a photo of that, but praying and touching her didn't allow my fingers to be pulling out my camera at the same time.

When we left, the family and friends moved closer to the house where the tragedy had occurred.  All we could do was leave them behind, knowing their hearts were buried in Gabe.  Our prayers were that they would know that our Father could bring truth to the light, hearts to Him, souls and spirits to healing.  Will we know soon?  Probably not.  When will we know?  When we are in heaven.  We get an answer when someone contacts a church, but that rarely occurs.  What must we do?  What our Father calls us to do.  Period.

The rest of it is laid on His Hands and His Hands, alone.

Nothing else counts.

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I reached home about 4:00 in the afternoon.  Thought I would have a quiet evening, do some writing and post reading.

Life changed rapidly.  My tiredness was filled with adrenaline... and now I'm "on the road again."  [One of my main godly mottoes.]

[And, dear friends, if this is not perfect, please just put up with me.  I'm one tired cookie today and didn't want to wait until tomorrow or Wednesday after some rest.  Wanted to share so you would have hearts for these dear ones who have faced such critical and stressful phases in life.  Thank you.]