Oh, the Joys of Going Door-To-Door

The last time I can remember going door-to-door (I thought) was in elementary school when we would go ingathering at church - asking for donations for poor and needy people all around the world.  However, I realized just now that I've gone door-to-door selling magazine subscriptions as a school fundraiser in junior high, but I never knocked on many doors.

This experience is very different.  In the ARISE application, one of the questions was about going door-to-door.  My response started with one word, fear.  I'm still not super excited about doing it but I see it as character building, and, once we are knocking on the doors, it's kind of enjoyable.  All the girls were partnered up with a guy, the remaining two guys were partnered and another group has three people.  Andrew and I were given a neighborhood called Friendly, about 15 blocks south of the church plant.  And most of the folks have been very friendly.

God definitely knew what I needed for my first experience because He opend the way for three study leads!  We scheduled the first two and the third person we will touch base with him this week.  God was so good that majority of the doors on which we knocked, people were home and willing to take the survey.  God was even better then that, and the third person we talked to was interested in understanding th bible better.  And in talking win Amiel, a guy with dreadlocks and multiple piercings, we found out that he occasionally goes to church when visiting his sister in Corvallis.  With that I mind, we invited him to church on the 13th for the official launch, and he said he'd come.  I prayed about him, the students here prayed about him, and my prayer circle back home prayed for him, and God answered in a might way.  Just as we were getting ready to start the service, in walks Amiel.  And he even brought food for potluck!  I realized after the fact that as we were inviting people to church, I kept on saying that there would be an international potluck instead of an international lunch. My bad.  Anyway, because Amiel remembered me saying potluck, he brought a yogurt fruit salad.  God blessed the Sabbath with a couple more folks who other groups had met and they brought people with them!  

I admit that I was ready for disappointment, and I was a little disappointed that another guy we talked to on Thursday, Raif, didn't come.  When he came to his door and we asked about his willingness to take the survey, he asked us with which church we are affiliated. We said the Seventh-day Adventist Church and his demeanor changed.  Apparently he has or had been attending the SDA churches in the area.  We learned he was a recovering drug addict - 10 years clean, had been studying theology since then and found his was to Adventism.  Maybe because it was his birthday on the 13th or his work schedule wasn't going to allow, he didn't come.  I'm not giving up on him yet.  He will continue to be in my prayers.  We did get to pray with him for healing of his leg and his roommate Erica.  Please pray for him too.

Another girl we interviewed a couple doors after Amiel was also opened to at least one meeting with us and we scheduled to meet with her on 14the at 4pm after she got off work. Rati was really cool and she is open to learning about all things because the more you know...she is Hindu.  Sundays are another outreach day, and Andrew and I planned to discuss how to approach our time with Rati before meeting with her.  I talked with Jeffrey, my friend Supriya who came to church and another Indian lady at church about the best ways to approach our study.  I also read the Hindu section in Mark Finley's Studying Together.  Everyone was pretty much on the same page - establish a friendship to build trust, grab a meal together, share how God has impacted my life.  This was very good information but didn't get to use it because two hours before our meeting, Rati texted to reschedule for next Sunday because she was asked to work till 4.  I texted back the option to move the meeting to 5 or next week and waited to hear back.  In the meantime, after parting ways with Matthias and Olga, Andrew and I walked to the Friendly Market to work on our study with Rati on the off chance she could do 5.  And as we waited to get something to eat (neither of us had lunch and it was nearing 3), guess who was working behind the counter.  The bigger plus is that she recognized us and so we were able to connect and confirm for next Sunday at 4. Pray that meeting will happen.

Once we connect with our third study, I'll write about that story.

Happy Monday!!