When I booked the mission trip my friends in North Carolina were supposed to come also. And when my granddaughter heard of me going on another mission trip she asked me when I would bring her on one. So I added her also.
4 days before the trip my friends in North Carolina had to back out. At that moment I thought about dropping out myself. But I prayed on it and knew I had to be there. I made a promise to Adventures in missions and to my granddaughter.
So I go with the thoughts that the week will be spend ministering to children. Boy was I mistaken, the Lord had far greater plans. Yes we did do all that we came for and ministered to many children. But the Lord had me return to my passion for at least a few days. And that is working with the homeless.
And it was during the last night when we went to the worst part of Philadelphia that I got the memory that I will be sharing for years.
It was 9 pm on a hot 95 degree rainy night and 5 of us decided to go out one last time to share the Lord’s love with those that others want to cast aside.
We were out about 2 hours and getting ready to head back to the church after seeing and hearing things that made us all want to cry, that we decided to stop across to talk to a group of people standing there.
It is there that I met Bradley and Teresa. Both homeless and addicted to drugs. But Bradley wanted prayer for himself because in the morning he was starting a 90 day rehab program. So I prayed for him and as I was praying for him Teresa turned away.
So after I finished praying for him I went and was talking with her. She let me know that she was an atheist and has been her whole life. That she wants to be clean and hopes that rehab works for Bradley. But she has not been able to find a way to get clean. I asked if I could pray for her. She said no, that she does not believe in God. So I asked her if I could share my story. She said yes.
So I shared how in 1994 I tried to kill myself by taking over a 1000 pills and that with each handful I took I begged the Lord that if there was a purpose to please save me.
After I finished my story I told her that the Lord wanted her to know that he saved me so he could save her.
She asked what I meant so I told her if she would pray to the Lord he can deliver her from her addictions. After about 10 minutes she finally asked me to pray for her. While praying the Lord told me to tell her not only is he going to deliver her from her addictions but if she accepts him he will open the door for her to become the nurse she always wanted to be.
At this point she is leaning in my shoulder crying uncontrollably. I stop praying and she asked me how did I know she wanted to be a nurse. Told her the Lord loves her so much that he showed me.
She then asked me how does she find this love. So I told her just ask for forgiveness and invite the Lord into your life. So she did.
But what she did next is the part that I will remember and share. She called Bradley over and said she was done with drugs that she will see him to rehab and have a place for them when he gets out. That she is going to get a job and find out how to get in school to become the nurse she always wanted to be.
By Trip Participant William LaBombard
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