So yeah, a wonderful YWAM group from Denver came to stay with us during Mardi Gras. Last night was our first night to go out to the streets, we did not walk far until I notices some hippies sitting on the sidewalk and one of them had a really cute kitten in her lap, I glances over at them and they said hello, so I went over and set down and Benjamin told me for a buck he would share a song with me, I did not have any cash, so I told him “if you share with me a song, I'll share with you some of my art”. He created a beat on his drum and sang for me an amazing song, it had a really good message and afterwards I pulled out some drawings that related to his song, but this was quickly interrupted by a girl with “f--- You” written of her fist attacking Ben and accusing him of stealing some money, eventually she would walk off and then come after him again, she broke his glass and he kept insisting his innocents, screaming “I don't #$%^& steal, I am not a @#$% thief!!” I did not know what to do, a crowd was gathering. Finally the accuser walked off for good and I asked Ben what the girls name was and we gathered around and prayed a blessing over her. And then enjoyed several hours of fellowship together, I often relate and connect with street people because of there honesty and nonreligiosity, even though I am not a alcoholic or a drug addict, I still can relate to lack of control, the power of addiction and the longing for God's deliverance. I had a really meaningful time with Benjamin and another girl on the Denver team really ministered to his girlfriend and even gave her camera away as an act of love. If I was writing a book, I would share Ben's stories, how God made Himself real to him when he was a hardcore atheist and heroin addict. God has continued doing so much in his life and continues to speak to him. Today, I picked them up in the French Quarter and had them over to my house and traded his 10lbs bible for a small backpack bible, and after spending part of the afternoon together I drove them to a truck stop where they were going to continue hitchhiking to California.
If you would, say a prayer for Ben, that God would continue to bring Christians in his life to encourage and help him along in his newly found faith. And that maybe he could even get connected with YWAM, and I think it would perfect for him.
Feb 21st 2009