Band of Survivors Team Update 8

Today has been a battle won against the forces of darkness. It’s a life changing experience for me.

First, we started the day at the Evangeline Booth Lodge for homeless families once again we were able to serve the homeless lunch. It was so awesome. To see the smiles on the face of just one person when you show them you care about them is just so fulfilling. I was able to sit down with a family that I served food with and share a conversation with them. I was able to be a part of their life for the day. Then we left to come back to the CFOT. We went into a time of passionate worship and prayer. You knew the Holy Spirit was present, we prayed that God would open our hearts to love the homeless and the poor and needy. God tells us to love everyone and sometimes it can be hard to do, but God makes all things possible. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13. I was also praying that God would give me courage and boldness because we were about to go into the streets of Chicago and talk to homeless people.

It’s amazing how God is.

Earlier in a one hour prayer shift in which we have been waging war against the devil and defeating him through prayer, God gave me the verse in 2 Timothy 1:7 “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, love and of self-discipline. This reaffirmed the boldness I was seeking.

We were divided into groups of two to go down different streets and find homeless people. The challenge was to get as much of their story out of them as we could. We were also given McDonalds gift certificates to hand out to those we talked to. I was paired with Lindsey Bailey. We went out into the street we were assigned and walked as far as possible and found no one so we turned around. On the way back we looked down one of the cross streets and saw a man sitting on the steps leading to a church. WE walked around the corner of the nearest building and began to debate if this man was homeless of not. After a while of indecision I decided we would walk by and see if he would ask us for money. So we began to walk towards him. There were two people that walked in before us and he didn’t ask them for anything. I thought to myself, “Ah, man! He must not be homeless.” So Lindsey and I decided at least we’d say hello and ask how he was doing with that. He shook his head as if saying “No” and said "not good." There was the opportunity to be Jesus to this man. We both quickly sat down and began to talk to Victor. What a man of God we found out he was. He shared that his son had been killed just recently, selling guns and drugs. This affected him so much that he gave up his job and eventually lost everything he had. This is his second time on the streets as a homeless person, but he has faith and is claiming victory in Christ that he will find the exit to his homelessness. He told us of his hunger pains and how hard it must be for him. I can never feel the pain of not eating for many days. He told us a few of his testimonies that he has had as a homeless man in the past two months. One really stuck out to me. He told the story of a day he was sitting down and witnessed another homeless man steal a woman’s purse. He decided to go and help. He caught the man and gave back the purse. The woman was so happy that she pulled out $300 and gave it to him only to give it back. He said, “It’s not about the money. It’s about right and wrong.” He said he didn’t want the money, what he wanted was to see that right was done. Not every homeless man would do that. Only a man of faith.

He was such a joy filled man. He said he uses his present state to witness to others. He said that God had a purpose for all of his troubles. That’s hard to even fathom, that a homeless man could and would say such a thing. WE handed him our gift certificates to McDonald’s and held hands with Victor and I was able to pray for him. He said, “I know the Lord will provide” and he shook the gift certificates in his hand as to signal the blessing and provision he had received. Praise God! As we fed him we fed Jesus. What an overwhelmingly joyous experience. This man has a heart for God and he will remain in Lindsey’s and my heart forever. We were able to give him a hug and then departed for the CFOT.

If I can say one thing to all who read this is pray for God to use you wherever He wants you because He will place you in the right place at the right time to do His will. Don’t be afraid to do His work. “I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed.” 2 Timothy 1:12.

Alberto Carrion