Boise, ID
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The following comes to us from team leader Lucy with our team in Boise, ID:
A gymnastics competition was going on in the sports arena, and we saw many families that included a young girl dressed for the competition. Two or three of the families stopped so at least the child could choose a Rosary. May God bless and protect those families!
“Paul” was pushing along with a leg support scooter. When we offered him a Rosary, he paused for an instant, then said he “wouldn’t mind resting next to us and having a conversation.” We agreed, but he placed his scooter squarely in front of our table and sat down, pretty much blocking access for anyone else. Then, without speaking to either of us, he simply inserted his earbuds and started scrolling on his phone. Finally, Chuck got his attention by waving a Rosary in front of him. So Paul pulled one bud out, rolled his scooter marginally toward one side of the table, and started talking at length, the encounter lasting the entire session. His first words were, “Do not be deceived.” He expounded his beliefs, and trashed what he thought were ours. He let us know that “all Catholics in the world have been deceived” and recited several old, anti-Catholic ideas. He was immune to any counterpoint because he was sure “the Catholic Church had rigged the telling of history, the content of the Bible, and all theology so they could control us.” In short, Paul is a conspiracy theorist and he’s convinced that there are just a few people like him in the world who know “the real truth”. At one point, an acquaintance of his stopped for a Rosary and then made the mistake of greeting Paul, which wound him up again and he started loudly expounding his theories with new energy. The second man, evidently all too familiar with the behavior, started edging away. After a mercifully brief time, Paul took a breath and Chuck thanked the second man for stopping, giving him tacit permission to leave, which he promptly did. Sadly, by the end of the session it became apparent that Paul’s belief in conspiracy theories was not limited to religion, his diatribe continuing until we had everything packed away. Please pray for Paul that, despite his pride and delusions, his professed love for God and neighbor will lead him to everlasting life.
Two teenage girls stepped briefly away from their family group in response to the word, “free” in relation to receiving a Rosary. When they got to the table, though, the first girl suddenly noticed the Cross on the Rosary. She immediately turned to leave, but politely paused long enough for me to say, “Jesus Christ is real and He loves you.” May God break through whatever misinformation they have received about Christianity and save them!
A light rain was drizzling almost to a stop as we arrived at the business park, and foot traffic remained relatively light. Still, we were able to give away 10-15 Rosaries and its pamphlet on how to pray it.
Praised be Jesus Christ!