Jill Maresh

I had opportunity to go on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic, feeling called to do so after reading “Radical” by David Platt.  My life was transformed as I was used in so many ways by God to witness to women, children, and men.  In addition, our team fed, loved, worshipped, and prayed with those who had nothing.  And yet these believers who had nothing were so joyous in their nothingness.  Conviction overcame me regarding my own condition of entitlement.  Amidst this poverty, I saw a reverence for the Lord that humbled me and forever changed my heart.  I learned that God’s love is the universal language and what people need the most.  Although I could not communicate verbally with those in the villages, even now I can pray for them.  I’m surrendering to whatever God has in store for me.

Tom and Sue Wagner feed the homeless and offer them much more
(taken from cleveland.com)
See the full article here:

CLEVELAND, Ohio—A week before Christmas Eve, the flakes fell with such fury in downtown Cleveland that the shivering figures in line in a parking lot near East 18th Street and Payne Avenue seemed to be dim ghosts in an overturned snow globe. It is there, behind the office of Cleveland’s Mental Health Services for the Homeless, that Tom and Sue Wagner were handing out sustenance and warmth.

Care on the Square, a Christian ministry to the homeless and poor, which the couple has run for the past six years, served only about 30 men and women. The Wagners have served as many as 165 people before.

“It’s the first cold day of the season. The numbers will be down,” said Tom Wagner.

Leftover food is always taken to other Cleveland hunger centers.

A week before Christmas Eve, some of the needy were in wheelchairs. A few walked with the aid of canes. Others were without gloves or wore only threadbare ones. If a man or woman needed a blanket or gloves, they were available. Each of the 17 volunteers who were dispensing food had been given new gloves earlier in the morning and was ready to surrender them. Then they would tug on their own old ones, which they had stuffed into their coat pockets.

Care on the Square provides meals every Saturday, except for the second one of each month. The Wagners did not serve food on Christmas Eve, either, but only because many other agencies tend to the homeless on that day.

The couple began with a small operation out of their home, when Sue Wagner, moved by the homeless people she saw when she worked downtown for the Department of Defense, decided she had to do something to alleviate their suffering. The food consisted of two dozen or so sandwiches then, which the couple would give away to the hungry on Public Square. Although Care on the Square is no longer really on the Square, it is the same ministry, with a much larger potential for outreach now.

The Wagners are affiliated with the Cleveland Foodbank, which supplies much of the frozen food that is prepared at the Cuyahoga Valley Community Church from 8:30 to 9:30 on Saturday mornings. Under the watchful eye of Verna Plagge, 12 workers somehow bake and chop and dice in the church’s small kitchen. Meals are then kept warm in roasters placed in the church basement.

About 11:45 on Dec. 17, after Tom Wagner led the volunteers in prayer, a worker read a verse from Scripture, which she always prints out, 125 at a time, and passes out along with the food. The reading this day was from Revelation 7:1-17, including the passage about true believers: “Never again will they hunger, never again will they thirst.”

On Dec. 17, the food consisted of 82 cups of beef stew, 46 cups of peaches, 68 servings of chicken and stuffing, 14 servings of stuffing alone, 69 portions of green bean casserole, 125 Sloppy Joes, 70 hot dogs and 99 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Hot coffee and hot chocolate poured from four large urns.

Panera Bread in Brecksville donates leftover bread and pastries from its Friday menu to the Wagners for the sandwiches. The huge Panera pastries are cut into smaller portions. “It’s a great treat for them. Homeless people rarely get something sweet,” Sue Wagner said.

Tom, 54, an IBM engineer, and Sue, 49, say their work is not only about opening the hearts of those who feel forgotten; it also opens their own hearts.
Tom remembered a latecomer who arrived after all the food had been given out. One man who had two sandwiches gave one of them to the late arrival. “The sandwiches might have been all he owned in the world at that moment, but he was willing to share,” said Wagner.

Another time, a homeless man asked the Wagners what they were going to do with all the blue Giant Eagle plastic bags that held the containers of food.

“Throw them away,” they said.
“Can I have them?” the man asked.
Kneeling, he fixed bags around his shoes with rubber bands for protection from the snow.
“When you see someone who places that kind of value on a plastic bag, how can you not appreciate everything you have in your own life all the more?” Tom Wagner said.

Plain Dealer news researcher Jo Ellen Corrigan contributed to this story.

Margo Florian
As a nurse, I sometimes work in school clinics.  Recently as I was driving to work,  I prayed that God would use me.  A girl was brought to the clinic because she was feeling dizzy.  In assessng the situation, I sensed this girl needed to talk.  She shared that she had been hospitalized for depression/suicide attempt.  As I listened, I silently prayed, “OK God you set this up.  What do I say?”  I shared with her that my daughter has issues with anxiety/depression and that she has used her faith to help her.  She said she wasn’t sure what she believed.  I told her there is an amazing God who loves her and wants to be part of her life, and then I shared the Gospel with her.  She listened as tears streaked down her face.  I told her I had prayed for God to use me and that I didn’t believe it was by chance that we met.  I held her hands and asked if I could pray for her, then simply thanked God for allowing me to be part of His work.  I thanked Him for Sammy and prayed she would sense His love and peace; that God would reveal himself to her, so that she would have no question about who He is or the power He has to change lives.  I planted some seeds today; I may never see the harvest, but I am trusting God to place people in Sammy’s life who will lead her to Him.

Rick Duncan
A friend and co-worker invited her to CVC during the Missio Dei series.  She showed up and heard the message in early November about welcoming Jesus and sitting at His feet.  She thought, “I need that” and checked the box on the response card to indicate she wanted to receive Jesus.  A staff member made a follow-up appointment for the following Sunday.  She was abused as a child and said she struggled with why a good God would allow so much evil.  She also said that she realized something was missing in her life.  The staff member shared the gospel, and she went home with one of CVC’s Bibles and a challenge to read the gospel presentation in the back.  On Wednesday, the staff member contacted her with a thought and a question: “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person that can only be filled with Jesus Christ.  Did you pray to receive Christ?”  She wrote back, “I did spend a few days deep in thought about the lack of a spiritual side to my life and after much contemplating and self-analyzing, I prayed this morning for Jesus to enter my life and heart.  I am still on wobbly legs as I take this journey, but I am committed to it!”  She was at church this past Sunday and told her friend about her new relationship with Jesus.

Danielle Burrows
I realized through the Missio Dei teaching and devotions that we are not charged with “saving” people, but just being a kind and loving Christian example to those we encounter. I did this with someone who is now one of my closer friends. I shared hurt that was occurring in my heart with the mom of my son’s friend. She in turn starting sharing with me the hurt she had been going through. We prayed together.  Now we keep each other company during loneliness and support each other through personal challenges. I talked about my church and how I felt so supported.  She asked to attend with me, and has now attended 2 services and wants to keep coming back and bring her children.  It has been wonderful to learn that God is in control, not me.

Erik
I decided to take Chad’s challenge to pray that God would lead to me to at least one person that I could share the Gospel and my testimony with. I’ve also been feeling really unsatisfied at my job and have been praying for new jobs with more money.  At a recent dinner with a small group of coworkers, the conversation turned to discussing religion.  I got to hear most of their views (or more like their lack of belief). Then God elbowed me to answer both of the things I had been praying about:  I was really convicted about allowing my selfishness for more “stuff” to blind me to these people that need Christ and the real satisfaction and joy that come from working for God’s glory. Later, as I was working with one of the guys from dinner, he flat out asked me, “What do you believe?”  This gave me a chance to share how Jesus changed my life.  God could not have been any clearer in showing me the opportunities that are available to me.

Sola Oshunniyi  
After work on Wednesday, I headed for the elevator.  There was a lady also waiting for the elevator.  We exchanged greetings and continued to chat while in the elevator.  I soon realized that this might be the person God has prepared for me to share the gospel with. While we walked out into the car park, still talking, I asked her if she would mind if I asked her couple of questions.  She was initially hesitant, but agreed.  I asked, “Have you come to a place in your life that if you were to die today you would go to heaven?”  She smiled and said yes.  I went on to the second question:  ”If you stand before God in heaven and He asked why He should let you into His heaven, what would you say?”  She hesitated for a while.  She could not give a response, and then said she was not sure.  She asked me if I was sure, which I affirmed.  I let her know that she could be sure as well and then asked if she would like me to explain this to her.  She agreed.  Using the hand presentation, I shared the gospel with her and at the end asked her if she was willing to ask Jesus into her life.  She was ready and willing.  So right at the car park, with rain drizzling, she prayed to receive Jesus into her life.  There was a big smile in her face and I was likewise filled with joy.

Robert Berg
Last Monday,  October 24, I sat down with a young man whom I was sharing a leadership business with.  As I was getting to know him I learned that he was recently saved about 5 months ago. He had shared some very powerful testimonies with me and I could quickly relate to him. He had been living at “The Brothers House” , a Christian residence similar to a half-way house. The more I got to know him, the more I could relate to him.  I felt that God had put him in my path for a reason. This man had to walk to work.  Since I have a Chevy Monte Carlo that needs a little work sitting in my drive way, I offered this young man my car at no cost to him.  He was so grateful because he didn’t make enough to save for a decent car, and after bills he literally has nothing left.

Elena Golsch
As Halloween approached I thought about the Missio Dei series and how I might turn it into something to show the love of Jesus to people in our neighborhood.  I brewed some coffee, bought some donut holes and flavored coffee creamer and set up a small table at my doorstep.  At first I first hesitated because it was raining and I thought I could stay inside where it was warm; but as 6pm rolled around the clouds broke and it was a great fall evening.  Adults would typically would stand on the sidewalk waiting for their kids, except the really young ones.  Some of them came up for coffee and couldn’t believe it.  Comments were, “We’ve never seen anyone do this” and “What a great spirit you have.”  Some asked why I was doing it, so I explained a little about the Missio Dei series and how I wanted do something to serve neighbors.  They thought it was a great start!  Other parents started coming up for coffee.  So instead of scaring kids at my front door like a lot of the neighbors do, showing the love of Jesus with a warm cup of coffee was a lot more fun on Halloween night!  I plan on making this a tradition.

Chad Allen
Last Saturday Rica and the kids made fall cookies and put them in decorative bags with a nice note on them as well as an invite to a neighborhood mixer we are hosting next month. We then went around our court and part of our street handing out the cookies and connecting with neighbors. It was good on so many levels: we were able to enjoy the activity as a family, we touched base with neighbors we are trying to build relationships with and we were able to meet and chat with several new neighbors that we have not met yet. We look forward to seeing how this activity connects us to our neighbors and opens doors to share the love of Christ!

Rick Duncan
Scott Hewlitt from Northside Christian Church in Wadsworth called CVC. He likes our Missio Dei materials and would like to use them with his Adult Bible Fellowship (ABF) group of 50 people. Gary Nave explained to him how the material worked with our weekend messages, and Scott said that would work well.  His ABF members will go online and listen to the messages the week before that week’s daily devotionals and before that week’s group material.  It’s great that Missio Dei is having an effect beyond CVC!

Rick Duncan
After running through my neighborhood for a workout, I spent time walking and praying for my neighbors. I prayed, “Lord, bring hope where there is despair. Bring peace where there is conflict. Bring joy where there is grief. Bring love where there is hatred. Bring light where there is darkness.” May our Lord reveal Himself and His saving power to our neighbors who live on Maplegrove, Oakridge, and Thornhurst in North Royalton.

Felicia Oshunniyi
I worked with a gentleman who had recently undergone many surgeries. He said to me that he was fed up, does not want any more surgeries, and he just wanted to die.  I was concerned and felt the need to share the Gospel with him.  After a while, I went back to him and started our conversation with what he told me earlier.  I could see that he was open, so I asked him if he would mind me asking him a couple of questions.  He said, “Sure.”  Then I asked him, “Have you come to a point that you are sure if you die today you are going to heaven?”  He said, “Yes.” 

Then I asked, “Imagine you are standing before God in heaven and He asks you, why I should let you into my heaven?  What will be your answer?”  He responded saying because he was in a lot of pain.  I knew from his answer that I needed to share the gospel with him.  So I asked him if it’s ok for me to share some thing, and he agreed.  Using the hand presentation model learned at the Share Your Faith workshop, I shared the Gospel with him.  I then asked if he would like to accept Jesus into his heart.  To my amazement he said yes.  So I asked if it would be OK for me to pray with him.  He said yes, and I prayed with him.

Phil Snabel
I had a chance to witness to one of my supervisors the other day.  It was awesome and just amazing how the Holy Spirit opened the door for me to do this.  In addition, there was another employee present who was also listening to the same conversation.  Kind of like “two birds with one stone”!  It’s difficult to describe the feeling I had after it happened.  It was something like a “There, I knew you could do it” that came over me.  Felt sooooo good!!

Gary Nave
I love competitive sports and I love tennis.  I use to play regularly, but have gotten away from it.  So I decided it was a win-win in giving myself opportunity to live out being “on mission”.  I joined a tennis club and a tennis league.  Each week after we play, we sit down in a room outside the courts and talk.  Not only am I slowly getting to know the others involved, but every week after playing a spiritual discussion has ensued.  Recently we talked about all the different religions and how each one claims to be the only way, and whether or not some religions that incorporate Jesus into their doctrine are actually Christian, as well as insights into an orthodox tradition that one of the guys belongs to.  I talked with one man in particular who has come to the conclusion that God doesn’t exist. He believes Jesus was a good man and a great teacher, but he doesn’t believe He is God.  I challenged him by saying that Jesus could not just be a good man.  He was either a liar, a lunatic, or He is God. And in the process—I have lost 12 pounds and feel much better physically!

Rick Duncan
I saw a friend this morning who asked me, “How did your weekend go?”  I shared with him that I had learned something at a seminar.  Holding up my thumb, I said, “Heaven is a free gift that cannot be earned or deserved” and shared Ephesians 2:8-9.  Then I pointed with my index finger and said, “We are all sinners (I have three fingers pointing back at me) and cannot save ourselves” and shared Romans 3:23.  I then pointed to my tall finger and said, “God is merciful and doesn’t want to condemn us, but He is also just and must punish our sin” and shared Exodus 34:7.  Next, I pointed to my ring finger and said, “Jesus is God and man. He died and rose again to pay for our sin and purchase our home in heaven” (Romans 5:8).  Finally, I lifted my pinky and said, “We get God’s gift of salvation by faith.  It’s not just head knowledge or temporary faith, but trusting in Christ alone for our salvation.”  My friend was really intrigued by the “rotten egg story” that was shared on Saturday also.  I am grateful for the seminar!

Dean Siley
Our family has been looking for opportunities to meet and build more relationships with out neighbors.  The kids love to ride their bikes in the driveway, so we have taken the opportunity to say hi and introduce ourselves to all the dog walkers that stroll past our house.  We’ve met so many neighbors just by spending time out in our front yard.  And we’ve even been blessed to meet and have conversations with a few neighbors that profess faith in Jesus.  I’m praying that we can partner with these believers to win our neighborhood to Christ.

Jackie Puliafico
In talking on another subject with a relative, the conversation shifted and they brought up God and faith. Since they initiated, the Holy Spirit led me into a great conversation allowing me to share my faith and the gospel. This was the first time in all the years this person has ever showed an interest in discussing faith.  In past conversations it was not something they cared to seriously talk about.  I’m praying that this time it was and that now is their appointed time to believe, trust and receive Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.

Rick Duncan
I’ve been cultivating a relationship with one of the servers at a local restaurant. She told me that she hasn’t had a hug from her 17 year old daughter in a long, long time.  I’ve been praying for her at 10:02 - asking God to warm up the relationship with her daughter so that she gets a hug, and asking God to send other laborers into her life (Luke 10:2).  After purchasing a $25 gift certificate to Applebee’s, I gave it to her today and said, “My wife and I wanted you to use this to take your daughter out to eat.  I’m hoping and praying you get that hug.”  The look on her face was priceless.  She said, “I am sure she will now!” and she reached out her hand to squeeze mine just to say “Thank you!”

Frank Puliafico
I was the only person not busy at work, so I walked outside and sat on the bench outside my shop. I started praying and told God that there must be a reason for my momentary idleness and asked Him to show me why.  Right then I noticed an elderly couple, and the wife was trying to hold up her husband as he held onto the car in the parking lot.  I ran over to help.  At the same time the receptionist from inside the medical center also came to assist.  The man said he couldn’t move or feel his legs and it was obvious he was about to collapse.  With the help of myself and the receptionist, we were able to hold this man up and get him into a wheel chair.  This elderly couple was so grateful, and so was the receptionist who said she couldn’t have held him up without my help.  Praise God for using me!

Nancy Broadbent
I work as a massage therapist on the weekends.  A client of mine has roots in a traditional mainline church, but is also very involved in New Age beliefs and practices.  For the past several years, I’ve been silently praying over her and sharing my faith with her whenever the conversation turns to spirituality, which is often.  In the beginning, she would stiffen when I talked about my beliefs; but just this past week she told me that she and her husband want to move to Pittsburgh.  She felt led to look online for job postings and found one from a company stating they are a Christian organization that cares less about an applicant’s experience than about their values and heart.  My client told me she is sending them her resume (while crying tears of joy) because she feels strongly drawn to this opportunity and wants very much to work for this Christian company!

Jackie Puliafico
I was invited by a friend to attend a nutrition lunch/seminar in North Royalton. During the open discussion, one woman attending spoke of a struggle she had. After the seminar, as we all departed, I struck up a conversation with her that turned into a 75 minute conversation in the parking lot.  She shared many other struggles in her life and marriage. I asked permission to pray for her right there and she accepted. After I prayed for her, she thanked me and wiped away her tears. Then she asked me what church I attended.  She knew where it was as she used to live in North Royalton. When we departed, she gave me a hug and said that she feels like she’s always known me. Please pray for Maryanne and for life transformation.

Doug Back
Today, I had Doug Delfeld’s business partner come over to do some repair work in my family room.  I had prayed beforehand that the LORD would open Rich’s heart to receive the good news of Jesus.  Upon leaving, I gave Rich the tract by Max Lucado, “3:16 The Numbers of Hope”.  He was pressed for time, so I told him to read about the verse that is the most familiar in the New Testament.  He said “I need all the help I can get – I’m so up and down”.  I’m so thankful that God’s word does not return void and that Rich will take the time to pour over the tract.  Thank you again Jesus that I can be used by you to share the greatest story ever told.

Chad Allen
Our kids have had a growing curiosity in Catholicism since many of their schoolmates and neighbors are Catholic. So we sat down and taught them a little bit about the differences between a Catholic church and a Protestant church. We then attended mass as a family at a Catholic church so that they could have a personal interaction that would provide a deeper understanding of what their neighborhood and school friends experience and believe. It was a very enlightening experience for them and us.

Doug Back
I had an appointment on Oct 21 to have my furnace checked.  Having had Wednesday off, I called to see if there were any cancellations.  I received a call in the early afternoon that someone had cancelled and a technician would be out shortly.  2 hours later he left with a $500 payout.  I had needed several replacement parts.  I chatted with the technician most of the time while he was working.  As he was leaving, I gave him a gospel tract, “The Promise of Heaven” by John McArthur.  I told him I wanted to share with him what someone had once shared with me, that Jesus Christ had become my personal Savior from sin, and because of that, I have a home that is being prepared in heaven, forgiveness of sins and a purpose for living.  I told him I was really a missionary disguised as a businessman.  The technician didn’t say much, other than he thanked me because most customers yell at him when they have to have expensive repairs, but I didn’t.  I surely didn’t like forking over $500, but what concerned me most was, did he have a relationship with God.  I finally told him I believed with all my heart that this was a divine appointment.  God meant for you to be here today to receive this good news.  I told him to call me if he had any questions about the literature.  Thank you Jesus for allowing me to spread your fame. 

Chad Allen
We have been really prayerful and hopeful in connecting with our neighbors. This week one of my neighbors accepted an invitation to go see the movie “Courageous” with me. That opportunity gave us a shared experience that I felt built a stronger connection relationally. It was a direct answer to prayer!

Jane Rutti
I walk my neighborhood often, so the other morning when I did so there was nothing unusual in taking the walk itself.  What was different was that I deliberately and consciously prayed for various neighbors as I passed homes. It surprised me in this prayer time the various ways that I was led to pray in specific ways for people I really don’t know. God brought to mind their faces and some of their habits, and reminded me of the very minimal things I do know about them. I look forward to incorporating the habit of praying for those who live around me with every neighborhood walk I take, asking God for His continued prayer direction.

Rick Eimers
I’ve been praying Luke 10:2 often. As I’ve been praying that more workers would go out to the harvest field, one person keeps coming to my mind. I called him and asked if he had considered being “sent”. We’re going to meet for lunch next week and talk about it. Pretty cool.

Barb Hubert
Right now my “Missio Dei:  Mission of God”  is my family, as I’m the only believer. I wanted to take my mother-in-law out for a fun day on the Cuyahoga Valley railroad last week, as she is a new widow and I was thinking she is probably feeling lonely.  We ended up on the train face-to-face for 4 hours.  I’ve been reading “Heaven is for Real” by Todd Burpo, and felt like this might be a good “ice breaker” to talk to Grandma about her beliefs concerning God.  I have shared my faith with her before and have always been “shut down”.  Today, the Spirit again moved me to gently talk to her.  After about an hour of discussion and sharing my faith with her, she literally became quite agitated with me and said, “You are into that and I’m not.  I don’t want to talk about it anymore!”  Never before have I felt the Spirit come over me when witnessing to unbelievers like He did last week.  I felt His peace and I felt Him saying to me that I did what He asked and the rest was up to Him.  The message this past weekend titled “Responding to Rejection” confirms what I felt!

Meri Sikora
Just wanted to share some of the things that Renew Communities is doing to “live out” the gospel to our neighbors: We have a single mother who attends Renew who owns a mini golf course and restaurant in Columbia Station.  She works 70-80 hours a week in the restaurant and doesn’t have time left to maintain the golf course.  Our missional community group has spent several Saturday’s pulling weeds, cutting grass, and doing general maintenance for her.  It’s been a huge blessing to her, and it’s blessed our group as well as we’ve been able to spend time getting to know each other while we work.

One of the things that several people from our congregation have noted is how nice it is to be able to do “live on mission” while including whole families.  It teaches our kids from a young age that we are here to serve others, even when it’s something that’s a little out of our comfort zone.  Many of us have young children, and we believe it’s important to do things as families that live out the mission of Christ.  Our desire is to show them that serving others is a great way to meet needs in our community AND bring the love of Jesus to people who need Him. 

Gregg Jacobsen
Last Saturday I was getting a haircut when a young man came into the shop for the same thing.  He had just finished playing golf, saw the barbershop and just stopped in.  I overheard him sharing with his barber that he was from Pittsburgh and had moved to Cleveland for a job.  When I heard that, I started asking a few questions to get a better idea of what he did and where he worked.  Turns out he’s single, lives downtown and works in Avon at Poly One in the finance area (his story).  I was able to share a little of my background in business and told him what I do now (my story) and then invited him to CVC (God’s story).  Normally I would just have relaxed and vegged out during the haircut; but because of our increased awareness of others through Missio Dei, I spoke up.  I had also been praying for eyes that see how God is working around me and to join Him in His work.  Funny how that works!  After I left the shop, my prayer was that the seeds sown would take root.

Raquel Schors
My neighbor lost his wife to cancer this past spring so my husband Mike and I have been reaching out to him.  We try to talk with him every chance we get.  He’s been invited to our home several times, and we’ve invited him to church. Sometimes he accepts our invitations and other times he declines; but our hope is that he will view us as friends.  My next challenge is to try and get a better idea of where he stands spiritually and begin speaking with him about God.  I would also like to invite him to one of the classes at the church that help people deal with grief.

Gregg Jacobsen
My son Chris and I took a walk last night with our dog Cody. Homework was done, and my wife Michele was out with some friends so it was an opportunity to have some good one-on-one time with Chris.  We enjoyed the weather, the beauty of God’s creation and caught up on life (especially after Homecoming Weekend this past weekend). As we were walking down the street, I said “let’s pray for our neighbors”.  We lifted up a brief prayer asking God to help us get involved in our neighbors lives so we could build relationships and ultimately share God’s story.  To be continued…..

Rick Eimers
Walking our community and praying for our neighbors by name has been a great reminder to my wife and I that God has placed us where I where we are for a reason and a purpose. We’ve had opportunities to strike up conversations with many new families as well!

Denise Petek
As I have completed the Missio Dei study and prayed through where God was leading me to be on mission, I realized that my extended family is where I was most uncomfortable sharing my faith. My family is where I am most notably different, and the place I most want to fit in.  In an effort to be more available to them, I’m planning to host a party for them at the end of the month!  In the mean time, I continue to pray about how God will use me to impact my family.

Mary Hitch
Recently I was at DressBarn at Pleasant Valley Shopping Center.  As I entered, the clerk came up to me and addressed me by name, which surprised me. Then she asked if I was still trying to lose weight.  Again, I was very surprised and at this point I didn’t know her name.  I told her I was still losing weight but that I had added a book study called Made To Crave that was taking place at my church, Cuyahoga Valley.  I told her a little of what the program was - basically a faith based weight loss program. She replied that she had heard of faith based programs that worked.  It was just a casual conversation; but she accepted me talking about my faith.  And now I also know her name - Ann.

Rick Duncan
On Monday, I was in a restaurant and saw a young man, Bobby, with an iPad. I thought, “Here’s an opportunity for me to strike up a conversation with a stranger. so, I asked, “Is that an iPad 1 or 2?” He said, “It’s a 2.” We talked about the differences for a few minutes. I was thinking, “OK.  I’ve built a bridge. The next time I see him, I will see if the conversation turns to spiritual things.” Then he said, “I use my iPad mostly to study the Bible.  I am a preacher!” 

Here I was excited about building a bridge into the life of a person who needed Christ and I actually found myself a little disappointed to find that he was already saved! Yikes!  (I know. I know. That is something to confess and I did!)  What now? I am talking to this young man about whether or not he is called to be a church planter.

John Campbell
After the Missio Dei message titled “Sent”, I began setting my phone alarm for 10:02.  I wanted to pray at that time each day for God to put people in my path and use me in His fields.  No one was coming to mind. A few days after I started doing this, the first devotional of the third week was to list a few names of people I wanted to approach.  Still no names came to mind.  So I prayed at 10:02 that day again for God to put someone in front of me, a name on my heart, so that I could use my hands, my voice, my actions in whatever way needed to be a laborer for Him. 

At 10:08 that morning, an old friend called me. I’d known this person for over 30 years.  We would speak regularly, but not on any spiritual level.  He told me the hardship he was having with his health and some concerns about recent challenges. I quickly realized this phone call was not meant to be the usual one I would have with him.  We spoke for a few minutes.  Then I asked him if he would like me to pray for him and he agreed.  Now I pray that this is the first of many encounters God has in store for me.

Rick Duncan
Last week, I asked a “barista” at McDonald’s how her morning was going. She said, “Not so well.” I simply told her that I hoped she had a better afternoon.

Today, I saw her again. I called her by name and said, “I remember that last week you were having a bad morning. I hope things are going better for you.” She said that they were going better. She showed me a rose that a customer had given her. Amazing! Then she said, “My daughter is 17 and she hasn’t even given me a hug in a long time.” I said, “Well, I hope she does. In fact, I am going to pray that she does give you a hug.” So, I am going to pray for her at 10:02 every day.