Barnyard or Jockey Lot Sept 23, 2023

Created: Sep 27, 2023

Hi y'all,

Mason and I planned on Saturday to go to the Barnyard for our second SPSE outing. We both arrived close to 8 am, Mason before me. I walked into the registrar's office and asked if any tables were available outside. She said we should sign up on the sheet and come back around 9:40 am. I noticed quite a few signatures. We went out to breakfast down the road at a diner and had good brotherly conversation. We came back and were told all tables had been taken, they were packed full. The bossman was nice enough to allow me to put a down payment on a table for next month - so $18 cash and I am to call this Thursday morning to reserve a spot for October 28th. I plan to bust out the All Hallows Eve stuff - glow in the dark Rosaries and our pamphlet on the Catholic origins of All Hallows Eve which I made back in the day when we lived in New York State. Maybe I'll get some more pamphlets on the intercession of the saints to pass out as well.

We had some extra time so we decided to head on down to the Jockey Lot and try our luck. We arrived there around 10:30ish. The place was packed, so I was hoping that maybe people would stay around longer than noon considering the good weather, however I was proven wrong and most everyone started clearing out around noon or little after. We stayed until around 1-2pm. Paul showed up with his dog and we had a good conversation. God's providence to allow some bonding of the team.

Here is a brief report of all we met (please pray a chaplet of St. Mary Magdalene):

From Mason: "Larry and Diane are an older couple who told us they have five grandchildren. We convinced them to take rosaries for each of them, along with a pamphlet on how to pray the rosary.Carlos and his son Matteo are Catholic and were looking for a Spanish church in Anderson. We gave them the contact info for Saint Mary of the Angels church.

Joel made a point of telling us that he is not an agnostic and that he joined the Free Evangelical faith. We convinced him to take a gospel card and Pillar of Fire pamphlet by mentioning Faith topics he hadn’t considered. He then asked what we thought about Catholic artwork he’d seen that seems to display UFOs at the top. At this point, his wife pulled him away.

A few other Spanish families took rosaries and Spanish pamphlets and were very grateful that everything was free."

We also met Kristen (mom), Camden (son), Kali (daughter), and Knowledge (baby son). They took some items from the table - if I remember right a Rosary and some pamphlets. They seemed very interested in everything we offered. I asked Kristen if they needed prayer for anything and she asked for positivity and blessings. Mason had brought out some trifolds "Happiness is Living a Virtuous Life" by the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist Disciple of Christ Education in Virtue curriculum. This nice trifold breaks down the four cardinal virtues and the three theological virtues pairing them with the appropriate gifts of the Holy Spirit and showing the contrary vices with brief definitions. I explained to her that positivity will come from learning the virtues and teaching them to her children. She was grateful.

RJ took a Good News pamphlet and a crucifix necklace. He asked us to pray for his grandfather Bod who died a year ago. Juan and family from San Sebastian parish in Greenville (they are Guatemalan) were lit by our set up. They are Catholic and active. They wanted English Bibles. I had Spanish ones but did not bring any English ones not realizing I had run out in my trunk. I took his number so that I could get in contact with him to get him one. I also told him the English bibles we do have we got for free from an organization that gives them out for free for ministry purposes. I reminded him that they have both Protestant and Catholic versions and make sure he didn't miss out the extra seven because everyone knows more is better! It was a joke, but seriously in this case it is true.

Peace,

Caleb