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Denton

Country: United States
State or province: Texas

Team Leader
Lelon Ginn
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Single Father Day

December 20, 2023

Marty and I were out on the Denton square this afternoon. We stationed ourselves near Santa's sleigh, a popular site where people often pause for photos. We encountered several people and distributed about fifty rosaries.

It seemed to be single father day today. I met Chris and his son Lucas. Chris said that he was a believer in God but didn't go to church anywhere. He said that a friend had challenged him to read the Bible and he was in the Psalms now. I told him that many of the Psalms pointed to Jesus and asked if he knew Jesus; he said he knew a little. I offered a rosary and talked about how it was a meditation on the life of Jesus. We prayed together that his faith would continue to grow as he learned more; I gave him my card and invited him to call me with any questions that might come up.

I also met Diego and his son Luca. Diego said that he was baptized as a Catholic but didn't grow up practicing the faith. We talked about the struggles of single fatherhood, and I encouraged him to come back to the Church for community and encouragement in raising his son.

We met two young men who are Protestant missionaries on the UNT campus here. They were unfamiliar with the rosary, so I introduced them to it. We prayed together that the Holy Spirit would use all of us to lead people to Jesus and I invited them to meet me for coffee so that we could get to know each other better.

Marty had fruitful conversations with three different Catholic families, including the woman who was visiting her son, who had just graduated. She was happy to see us there.

We pray that God will use others to water seeds we have planted and bring forth fruit in the lives of all these.

Lelon

They are White Already unto Harvest

December 7, 2023

Tony and I were out on the Denton Square last Saturday afternoon for the festivities leading up to the Christmas tree lighting that evening. The great thing was that there were a lot of people to talk to; the drawback was . . . that there were a lot of people to talk to. We had our free rosaries and many, especially families with children, were lined up to get one. People were coming at us so fast that it was a challenge to have a meaningful conversation with very many. In just under two hours, we handed out over 150 rosaries, about one every 45 seconds on average. We're hopeful that on our next outing, we'll see some of these folks again in a somewhat calmer environment so that we can engage them more effectively. Still, I did manage a couple of longer conversations and I offered my card along with an invitation to coffee for further conversation.

Meanwhile, Tony was able to have two great conversations that included prayer. Tony relates his interactions:
- I greeted Larry, a single man walking by, with a simple “Merry Christmas." He paused just long enough for me to ask how his day was going. He came closer to me and said he was going to see his daughter’s drill team performance. I asked if he would like a rosary, and he said “Yes.” I asked about his daughter, and he started talking about her and his other daughter. Then he stopped and was quiet and looking down for a few moments. He looked up and was starting to cry. I asked if he was OK and if there was anything that we could pray for together. He said he was angry with God but agreed to let me pray for him. He said his wife died of leukemia last year at this time after fighting for two years. We spent 15 minutes talking about his girls and his wife. Then I prayed for him. I don’t remember the words, but he was thankful. I encouraged him to pray with his daughters tonight. He smiled and said it had been a long time since they prayed together.
- Angela and her two children were waiting in line for a picture with Mrs. Claus. I asked if she would like a rosary, and she said that would be very nice. She told me that her mother was in hospice and was a devout Catholic. I asked when the last time was that she prayed the rosary, and she said it had been a very long time. I gave her a brochure on the prayers for the rosary and said that praying the rosary with her children was a wonderful way to get closer to Jesus. I encouraged her to pray the rosary with her mother, too, then asked if I could pray for her and her mother. After our prayer, she smiled and thanked me and said she would try praying with her children that night.

We thank God for those he put into our path today and pray that the Holy Spirit will use our words to nurture a seed of faith in all of them.

Lelon