I moved into Orlando last month and am excited to share with you about my first outing in Orlando. We started off Saturday morning at Lake Eola Park with a few supplies in hand ready to meet people. It was a bright sunny day in Orlando and like usual there was an event being held in Lake Eola that attracted quite a crowd of people running around the park. After some prayer we started going up to people and offering rosaries and miraculous medals. The first man we met, Sam, was sitting at a nearby bench enjoying the morning. I offered him a medal and asked him about his day. A few minutes into the conversation he told us he was born and raised catholic, but struggled to go to mass. He mentioned his schizophrenia left him paranoid to be around people, so we gave him many helpful tips on how he could still be involved in his faith. We handed him a card that had a link to numerous free talks, pointed him to a local Catholic Charities, and invited him to the local Cathedral to talk with a priest or see Jesus in adoration. Although wary of our offer for prayer, he was happy to have all these resources given to him as he had been longing to get back into his faith.
A few minutes later we met two gentlemen who were also sitting at a bench. They were excited to receive the miraculous medals, and were uplifted to hear us talk about the gospel. One man, Jeremy, talked to us about his faith and how he still kept his belief in Christ but didn’t find a good reason to join any local churches. So I gave him a short testimony of what a Christian community did for my faith, and how God always wanted to give us more of the goodness we encounter in our journey to grow closer to him. He was very intrigued by Our Lady and we left to meet more people at the local festival.
By the grace of the Spirit, I suddenly felt the urge to walk up to a woman who seemed a little pale (it was very hot outside) and gently asked her if she wanted a medal and if she was okay. She was a bit faint from the heat, so I walked with her to get some water. I told her about the miraculous medal and asked if she needed a miracle in her life. The woman, Sarah, began to pour out her life to me. She was homeless, and had a brain tumor for many years that could not be operated on. This woman had been sexually abused a few years ago and was trying to get off the streets and do anything she could to improve her life. She had reported the incident to police and had left behind her life in PR to try and start over. I talked with her about how valuable she was to receive God’s love and the resources she could look into to aide her in getting off the streets. She mentioned she was moving into a house in a few weeks as we walked back to where she was residing and that she had a job to help save money. I asked to pray with her for healing, which she graciously accepted. Together we prayed in thanksgiving for the job she had and her house that she would be moving into, as well as healing for her brain tumor and the protection of Our Lady for her life.
Thank you Jesus for the opportunity to meet these people wherever they’re at in life. I pray that these encounters will blossom by the Lord’s grace. More encounters from the morning coming your way soon. God Bless
Christina H.