Boise

Country: United States
State or province: Idaho

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Lucy Stamm
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High Season - 2022-05-29

July 10, 2022

In season or out, God still seeks the lost. So thank you again for your prayers for the Boise Catholic street evangelization effort.

Nice weather is always welcome during our session, since otherwise most Boiseans just wait indoors until the sun comes out again, and therefore miss the chance to encounter us. Last week, however, God granted us both damp, misty weather AND lots of foot traffic. God is good!
A paramedic stopped to chat for a bit. “Jesse” was in town for training at a nearby military base. He showed us graphic pictures of injuries he’d received in a combat zone. Fortunately, his facial injuries didn’t leave disfiguring scars. He told us he had survived “because of the Rosary” he’d had in his pocket, though he’d since lost track of that Rosary. But he also said his “guardian angel was busy that day and could now relax”. Sadly, “Jesse” (legal name, “Jesús”) seems to have lost his Catholic Faith, yet believes “God is pleased” with him and the generic “spirituality” he loosely holds. Before he left, we set him up with a new Rosary and e. Chuck’s “Come Home” pamphlet. E. Lucy encouraged him to pray the Rosary, while e. Chuck pointed him back to the Eucharist. Pray Jesse turns from bland spirituality to the powerful God Who protected him in war and sent His Only Son to save him.
An evidently poor but intact family of six stopped to choose a Rosary apiece. The children ranged in age from about 3 to 11. The dad helped the youngest boy choose a bright green Rosary. They said they were Catholic but said nothing else.
A Catholic man stopped for a Rosary, admitting he had never been taught how to pray it. E. Lucy gave him a whirlwind tour of the devotion, gave him the booklet with the prayers and Mysteries and a diagram of what prayer to say where. He said he would try it.
A woman passed by, declining our offer of a free Rosary. E. Lucy wondered aloud if she was the member of the non-Christian cult from a month or so ago. No, e. Chuck said, that woman had been blonde and much shorter. He looked down the sidewalk, and (coincidentally?) here came the very woman of which we were speaking. We had a brief conversation with her before she hurried off to get warm. She was happy to say she was working four hours a week now. Please keep her in your prayers!
A woman stopped who lives across the street from a Catholic church. On foot, she said she was on her way back from the library, which was 6-8 blocks away and had closed nearly an hour earlier. She stopped “to rest her back”, she said, standing under the overhead catwalk since the picnic tables were wet. She stood with us for awhile and chatted, until e. Lucy asked if she were Catholic. “No, Christian.” She had a strong prejudice against the Catholic Church because, she claimed, “It makes people feel guilty.” When e. Lucy tried to tell her that the Catholic Church actually offers the remedy for guilt, the woman suddenly declared that she was now rested and ready for the rest of her walk home. She did linger another few minutes and professed her belief that “all religions are good.” However, like John the parking lot attendant, she wasn’t open to hearing anything to challenged the errors in her reasoning.
Speaking of whom, please send up a prayer or two for John. We haven’t seen him for a couple of weeks. That’s usually meant that he was quite ill. Later this week, though, e. Chuck did receive a text from him to say he’d been out of town. Lord, please have mercy on John and his family.
A group of about six teens all stopped for a Rosary. They were respectful and grateful.
A man with a bag of bagels came to the table. He said he was not familiar with the Rosary, but had grown up Catholic. He admitted he was no longer connected to the Church. E. Lucy showed him how to pray the Rosary and extolled the virtues of the prayer, while e. Chuck gave him a “Come Home” pamphlet and encouraged him to get reconnected to the Sacraments. Pray that Our Blessed Mother obtains for him the grace to seek her Son, the True Bread, and to return to the Catholic Church.
Despite the steady drizzle, enough interested people came by that we gave away 20ish Rosaries and its pamphlet, as well as a couple of “Come Home” pamphlets.

Please pray for us again today? Ask God to send people to us with hearts prepared to perceive their need for Our Savior Jesus Christ and His Holy Catholic Church, and that much good fruit for His Kingdom comes of today’s efforts.

It’s been amazing lately, as God opens hearts and brings people to us. So thank you again for your prayers and other support for this apostolate! In turn, may God protect and greatly bless you and all those you love!