White Horse Road Flea Market June 30th, 2024
July 7, 2024
Ernesto and I successfully set up for the first time at the White Horse Flea Market. This flea market is very similar to the Jockey Lot in Anderson with some differences. They both have indoor and outdoor booths. They both open at 6 AM, but we noticed a difference today. Even though we were there at 6 AM there weren't many there until around 8 AM. At the Jockey Lot it's pretty busy even early in the morning. Also, there is a larger hispanic presence at White Horse. In fact there is a section that I'm going to start calling Little Mexico.
First thing in the morning before any real activity I went over to a couple tables not far away from where we set up. They were a family business selling Mexican goods. There were several statues of saints, St. Jude being the most popular, but many more. I struck up some small talk in my extremely limited and broken Spanish, found out how much a nice statue of St. Jude costs, and then asked if they were Catholic. She said yes and then I noticed that a large part of one the tables was covered in Catholic literature. I brought her over to our table and introduced her to Ernesto so they could have a real conversation. He and Ernesto talked some, she is a faithful Mass attendee and she took some free literature and some Rosaries. She brought her sister over as well. Her sister doesn't attend Mass regularly because of "transportation issues", so please pray they would work this out.
We were able to pass out many "Why be Catholic" and "The Good News" pamphlets to many passersby, both English and Spanish. Many did not seem willing to talk, but some did take free medals for Rosaries. One gentleman named Mike Craig said he was recently praying to God for something and realized when we pray we don't always get the answer we want. He realized he just had to accept God's will. I talked about the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man explaining that we always get what God knows is best, even if it doesn't come to us in this life, it comes to us in the next. He took a Rosary and some pamphlets.
Ernie and I then met a gentleman who said he used to work with Ernie. When I tried to offer him a pamphlet he came over wanting to start a detailed discussion beginning to say that it is complex. He asked questions ranging from baptism to the authority of Peter and the apostles. In the end of the whole long and friendly question and answer session we could discern that this man is certainly trying to ascertain a proper understanding of Scripture. However there is a lot of confusion, because as we found out he is following a very strict principle of Scripture Alone (meaning be explicit). Once we got to that point I challenged him to tell me where the Bible teaches that explicitly. There is never a satisfactory answer to that question. He believes things like water baptism is only a work of man and for repentance, but salvation comes only through a seperate baptism - the baptism of the Holy Spirit and Fire. He had a christology that I told him was more like the early heresies than the majority of Christianity - even "Bible Alone" Christians. For instance, he at first argued that there is a God, who is called Father, who is truly God and that this God dwelled within Jesus, who is a human, but that Jesus is only the "son of God" in the sense that he was born as a human. He argued against us when we tried to point out the first chapter of John - that the Word was with God and was God - he said you can't from that passage say that Christ is God's Son in the Eternal sense because it says "Word" and not "Son". I can go on and on and I think you get the point. At the end we and him both acknowledged our fundamental differences: He is Bible Alone - we are not, He doesn't trust human authority - we do because that's the way Jesus Himself set up His Church, and finally he asked me to explain how one can be saved. I told him to believe in the right faith (I quoted the Creed), repent (more than just feeling bad about sin, but actually turning away from it and making amendments which if anyone was honest requires tremendous amounts of work even with the help of God's grace), be baptized (we already established that to us this means by water and with the Trinitarian formula as Christ commanded) and remain in Christ until the end (praying, receiving God's grace in the sacraments, staying one with the Church Christ founded, and repenting if we fall into sin). He didn't like the last bit about having to be dependent on the Church (human authorities) nor does he believe one can lose their salvation. In the end we agreed to disagree. Ernie got his contact info and he's certainly going to be praying for us, so maybe we should pray for him too. God's will be done. Thank you Mike Craig for reminding us of this important truth.
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Jockey Lot 3/17/24
May 12, 2024
Jockey Lot Update 3/17/24:
Ernesto and I began our first outing this year on St. Patrick's Day. St. Patrick was a great evangelist and we pray for his help in spreading the Gospel and leading souls to the Church.
We met Gail, who was selling items on the table next to ours. I had a long and personal conversation with her, listening to her story about her last husband who passed away and whom she loved very much. I found out that it was her second marriage and she had to leave the first because he was unfaithful and verbally abusive. He was an alcoholic. I used alcoholism as an extreme example of a problem that all of us face - the reality that we all have a deep insatiable desire that never seems to be satisfied but that we keep trying to satisfy with the passing things of this world. It's an eternal hunger. I told her this alone proves that 1) we are made for eternity - we have an eternal soul, and 2) that there is a God and only He can satisfy this desire. We all want eternal happiness, and Christ made that relationship possible. She couldn't agree more. She spent much time after that listening in to our conversations with others who approached our table.
We met others for whom I ask you to pray: Old Buddy and his son Young Buddy - Old Buddy watched his dad shoot his mom dead when he was teenager - they believe deeply in God and in Christ our Savior but do not attend a church. We prayed together. His daughter Angel was present with her two sons; Nicolas and Marcos - their father is Catholic and they took some rosaries with pamphlets on how to pray it.
Pray for Dennis who did not want to spend long talking to us but took a medal from the table, thanked us, and I asked him about his relationship with God. He said he was not close to God, but wanted to be closer. I encouraged him that God is very very close to Him and that He loves him.
Pray for Michelle who was wearing a green "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" shirt. Her Mother is a devout Catholic, they live just over the border in Georgia, but haven't found a good parish. I encouraged her to try St. Joseph's in Anderson.
Pray for Lucas, a young man, who asked me what parish I belonged to and he informed me he is in the process of joining the Catholic Church by attending RCIA at OLR in Greenville. He is struggling with some personal problems and needs strong intercessory prayer and encouragement to overcome them.
Ernesto's report: "Two women and their dad stopped by to talk. They were Catholics from China and happy to talk to Caleb in Chinese since he evangelized in China for 8 years. They were also glad to see Catholics evangelizing as we were to see Catholics from China. Later, a Latin American man took a Spanish Bible and a rosary. Apparently he needs a little help to practice his Catholicism better. Michele also showed interest as she is Catholic. She wanted a rosary and a card. The lady next to us (Gail) also took a rosary, a booklet on the Church (Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth), and a rosary. She is nominally Baptist but now has a positive sentiment about the Catholic Church and wants to talk more with us on future visits. Samuel, a young man, took the book "Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic", a rosary and pamphlet, and a miraculous medal. He had recent problems that made him pray and he has seen signs from God, but he is not sure. I gave him my phone number."
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Barnyard 4/13/24
May 12, 2024
Mason & Kalel went on their first independent outing to the Barnyard just this last Saturday and here is their report:
Mason:
"Wesley and his wife and 2 children worked a booth next to us. He is Baptist and likes to focus on what we believe in common. I told him that I was raised Baptist and converted to Catholicism after learning so much more Bible and history. I made sure he knew we are Christian. I gave Wesley a Good News card and a Virtues pamphlet, performed some magic tricks for the kids, and gave them rosaries.
Sean’s shy daughter accepted a pink rosary and Sean took a pamphlet to learn how to pray it.
Gabby is a sweet young lady who is blind in one eye and deaf in one ear. She’s going to have surgery soon and wanted some prayers. We prayed with her and she took two rosaries. She was proud to tell us that she has a “God Is Not Dead” poster on her door.
Ralph is into technology and believes there is a higher power in charge, but he doesn’t go to church. I explained that God set up the Church and Ralph took a ”Pillar of Fire - Pillar of Truth” booklet.
Leonard, an adult man, was leading his elderly father around the market in a wheelchair. He took two rosaries but didn’t talk much. I presume he’s planning to pray it with his Dad.
A man named Barry also didn’t talk much, but he took a rosary and was very appreciative. Most visitors were amazed that everything we had was free.
James, a military veteran, asked for prayers for his son Bradley. Didn’t give details but said he was “worried about him”. Kalel promoted the Divine Mercy chaplet and gave him a pamphlet and a rosary.
Jamal was wearing a “True Religion” jacket which sparked conversation. He said he thinks it has something to do with Buddhism but just liked the jacket. He took 2 rosaries and a rosary pamphlet."
Kalel:
"Handed out one gospel card - no name
Leti took an evangelical card for joining the Church
A child took a rosary and prayer card
Woman took a problem of suffering pamphlet and gospel card
Chris, Dolphins fan, took a gospel card
James, a Baptist, took a miraculous medal and gospel card
A woman declined saying she was already saved
Margaret took a Bible and a book
Logan took a rosary and pamphlet
Miguel took a Guadalupe chaplet and brochure
Noelle, born a Catholic, took a pamphlet and a book
Shamela, a Catholic, took a book and took a miraculous medal, and we prayed for Sheila her friend
Andy, a Catholic who goes to Church in Spartanburg, took a Guadalupe medal
Maria and Eric - got rosaries, books, and we had a discussion about the mission and the materials
Guadalupana took a rosary and pamphlet
Billy took a rosary
Francisco took a rosary and pamphlet
Sita took a rosary and pamphlet
Amazel's daughter took a rosary and pamphlet
Paul, a lapsed Catholic, took several pamphlets and a rosary - he has trouble with confession and we prayed for him and his family.
Kendall, a practicing Catholic, looking for a parish church, took a Divine Mercy chaplet
A baby smiled when he got a rosary
Juan and Trina took rosaries and pamphlets
A boy wanted a rosary, but the Baptist father disallowed
Valerie, a fellow vendor, took some gospel cards, said the economy is bad
Liz got a pamphlet"
Praise God! A lot of people to pray for, especially their conversion!
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Jockey Lot 5/11/24
May 12, 2024
Jockey Lot Update 5/11/24:
Ernesto and I decided this week to go to the Jockey Lot on a Saturday. We had heard stories that it was much fuller on Saturdays and we found this to be true. We pray before our outings that the Holy Spirit would guide people to us and inspire us to share the Truth. There really were not many who wanted to engage us, however we did have some very meaningful encounters.
We talked with Elias, whose 20 year old daughter Anna is in Columbia, SC studying speech therapy. He is Catholic and explained that even though she was baptized Catholic, after entering college has since fallen away even though she still wears the Brown Scapular. He showed us that he is still wearing his. He wanted some material to give to her to convince her of the truths of our faith, so we gave him the Catholic Answers booklet "Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth". I invited him to allow us to pray together then and there. We prayed for Anna together.
Ernesto engaged a few Spanish speakers who took some materials and rosaries. I met Alton, an older gentleman who was wearing a gold crucifix. He told me his father built the Jockey Lot and he used to run a large shop there. He wanted to talk about his ultimate goal in life which was finding his true self. I tried to redirect from self alone, but finding your true self in God as being important. I talked about the human's inherent and natural dignity being created in the image of God, therefore finding our true uncorrupted self, our identity in God can help us find God and know that He loves us. I shared my struggle with this, both in my past and even now because of interior and exterior distractions or sins. Life is a struggle against the things that want to distort the image of God in us. True self is the image of God and cannot be realized until we understand how much God loves us and that He created us good. I began to share with him about Jesus, who sets us free from the things that drag us down, but he seemed to want to divert the conversation, until I found out he did not believe Jesus was equal with God. I could see he didn't want to go much further as he began to talk about how he writes his thoughts down and then recited a poem he had just written based on our conversion. I asked him before he left if he wanted any prayer. He said he would rather pray for the world, so I asked him what specifically, so I prayed for the people of the world to find their true selves in God, to realize how much God loves them, and set them free.
Just as we were praying together, Russel, a Protestant evangelist who looks somewhat Mennonite and who we have engaged before came to listen to the conversation. After Alton left, Russel and I got into it. We dived deeply into topics like man's natural goodness and because of the fall, his necessity for infused goodness from God in order to overcome his fallen nature. We discussed the nature of works and grace, the value of good works which have to be done in Christ in order to be meritorious, and how good works flow from our faith in Christ. He wanted to point out that everything we do is filthy rags since the fall. I tried to point out that Catholics do not believe in total depravity and explained why, emphasizing that man's original nature, which God created good, is not totally corrupted. Unbelievers can do inherently good things. And we both came to an agreement that because God is absolutely good, man's goodness, even if good, pales in comparison to God's goodness, but ultimately we need to be united to Christ in faith in order to please God for our salvation. He seemed to be agreeing with everything I said. He then emphasized the idea that man, in his pride, will make up his own way. At this point he mentioned something about man made religion and I knew where he was going with it (many Protestants make this accusation about the Catholic Church), but directed the conversation to the fall in the Garden of Eden. I talked about how at its essence sin is going our own way and not God's - exactly what Satan thought he could do. I also pointed out that Satan does not have creative power - evil is a deprivation of good. Satan is called the destroyer for a reason. He wants to mar and destroy God's good creation, but he cannot totally destroy it. I brought it back to the image of God in every human being and pointed out that no matter how sinful a person becomes they still bear the image of God. Our conversation on this topic went on for quite some time until I brought it back to when he mentioned man made religions and told him that Satan wants to destroy the Church, which is One, and has created chaos and confusion with denominationalism...and this is when the gentleman selling goods next us decided it was his turn to start preaching to the Catholics.
He immediately started to make the assertion that we should pay attention to the Church fathers more to find out that the concept of the Catholic was a later invention and power grab by Rome. His point was that the original Christians didn't look anything like Roman Catholicism which was developed later. This of course feeds into the strange dichotomous desire that even though Protestants have rejected the clear unbroken line of succession found in the apostolic churches leading all the way back to the first Christians, now feel this desire to identify with them, but have no clear evidence that those churches and christians looked like or practiced and believed anything the same as what we see in modern evangelicalism. Whatever the case he made the assertion that if we studied the Church fathers we would clearly see that the idea of Rome being the head of all the other churches was not original Christianity. So I looked up the Church Fathers right then and quoted to him St. Irenaeus' famous passage in his book "Against Heresies" (187 AD) on Rome and its headship as the church to which every other church throughout the world should look too. He then said it was written too late. I said not very long after the apostle John died, and in fact St. Irenaeus was only one generation away from John and was his successor. I made the assertion that I became Catholic because I realized how Catholic the Church Fathers were especially on the very Catholic doctrines. I asked to give me evidence of anything from the Church Fathers earlier than St. Irenaeus that said anything contrary to his assertion that Rome had primacy. The gentleman didn't seem to want to listen and just began to preach his ideas and he and Ernesto went at it (Ernesto said later he would try to give an explanation or ask a question and the man would just interrupt him).
Russel and I begin along the same line of discussion, with much respect to each other. We talked along the lines of historical evidence for the papacy, but he came down to the conclusion that he is a Bible alone believer and that no matter what the historical evidence and the Church Fathers, if you can't prove it from the Bible alone, it doesn't hold water. I pointed out that although we believe in the authority of scripture as Catholics, we do not believe in it alone, because it did not come about alone and neither is there any passage in the Bible that explicitly teaches the Bible alone. But I said, if I hold myself to the Bible alone, I can point out several passages from Scripture that point to the primacy of Peter and the gift of infallibility given to the authoritative body of the Church that Christ founded for the proper interpretation of Scripture. Of course y'all know where this conversation led us. We went back and forth: Me trying to convince him that the gift of infallibility is necessary in order to maintain the unity of the faith with the canon of Scripture itself included and many other notable Christian doctrines like the Trinity and the Divinity of Christ which took time to develop; and him asserting that the Holy Spirit was given to all believers to give them private individual understanding on how to interpret the Scripture properly without a governing authority. I pleaded with him to understand that this idea has led us nowhere but disintegrated Christianity into all these denominations and subjectivism, a result that even Luther himself lamented at the end of his life but was clearly evidenced by the many heresies at the time of the Church Fathers, like Arianism, which appealed to their own interpretations of Scripture. He was not budging on this and left me with a challenge in these words, "Just as I tell Johova's Witnesses and Mormans (apparently we are a cult as such), listen the the Holy Spirit and read the Scriptures without any influence from Catholic sources." He didn't know who he was talking to because it was this very practice that led me to the Catholic Church and to the realization that Scripture is not a matter of private interpretation (2 Peter 1:20). Christ left us a Church which is the Pillar and Bulwark of Truth (1 Tim 3:15). To interpret differently than what the very Church that God founded is man-made religion.
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Jockey Lot Nov 5, 2023
November 9, 2023
Hi y'all,
Here is our recent report from our evangelization outing to the Jockey Lot in Anderson.
Ernesto:
"Andres Matias showed up with his wife Eulalia, his mom, cousin and daughter. They are Catholics from St. Sebastian parish in Greenville. They wanted 10 rosaries, "How to Pray the Rosary" in Spanish and small Gospel cards. They said the entire family needed rosaries and will pray. They were very grateful.
Ann was interested in the rosaries, was not sure that's what they were. I gave her one and instruction pamphlet.
A man with a Mexico cap took a rosary with Mexican flag colors plus the "How to Pray the rosary" pamphlet in Spanish.
A lady on a wheelchair took a Gospel card but said she has plenty of rosaries.
It is a little slow today but beautiful weather, we are praying that people in need come.
Veronica Marriott asked for 7 rosaries and 7 How to Pray pamphlets for herself and kids. They were raised Catholic but left. Now they are experiencing addictions, money problems etc. Veronica was very eager to return close to God, and make her life and her kids improve through increased devotion.
Claudia Licona from Mexico is a parishioner at St. Paul Apostle in Seneca. She took a New Testament in Spanish and some rosaries.
Then, when we were preparing to leave, John Bagwell, a non Catholic Christian approached us with smart opinions, not all in favor. We discussed Mary, Pope, authority, church growth, power, women in positions of authority, etc all at hyper speed. I gave him pamphlets about several of the issues John brought up, and I gave him my email address for further discussion.
To him as to many other Protestants the idea of Church requires it to remain small and not powerful so we pointed out Jesus telling of the mustard seed growing into a large tree, the command to preach to all corners of the world and the vine we are in Jesus, not many small vines, all indicating a very large and united Church. We also pointed out that Jesus appointed Peter as the leader etc.
Finally, Ramiro came with daughter, they are from St. Mary Magdalene in Simpsonville. They just took a rosary and pamphlet, but the girl returned because the rosary didn't go over her head, so we gave her a glow in the dark one that made her very happy.
As we were packing a nice lady came and praised our work very much and gave us something small to read. She said she preaches to birds and trees."
Me:
"I met Erica and Martin. Erica's abuela was Catholic and just passed. She was an immagrant from Spain to NY long time ago. Erica grew up Catholic. They took the Gospel card and Rosaries and a how to pray the Rosary pamphlet. Martin said he's Baptist. I said no problem, Baptists can pray the Rosary too. It's a Gospel centered prayer based on the Bible.
We met Benjamin. His prayer request is that more people would share the Gospel on the street. I gave him a Gospel card and he wanted to share Mt. 11:28-30. I talked about how I was meditating on this verse last week myself and realized it is against faith to believe Christ's commandments are difficult. But if we love Christ we will obey his commands. He said we have to be born again by accepting Jesus into our hearts then we can live by putting on the armor of God. Do away with old man and put on the new. The person with him took Rosary, a Rosary pamphlet, and some more material."
Peace,
Caleb
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Barnyard Oct 28th, 2023
November 4, 2023
Hi y'all,
Mason and I headed to the Barnyard this last Saturday to do another SPSE outing. Paul showed up as well. We passed out Gospel cards and a pamphlet I had made a while back explaining the real meaning of Halloween or All Hallows Tide from a Catholic perspective. It includes the intercession of the saints, purgatory, death and salvation with a proclamation of the Gospel and invitation to repent, believe, and join the Church.
Here is Mason's report:
"Tiffany is a non-catholic Christian and is involved in a local faith community. She just lost her son Karl in a motorcycle accident and was asking for prayers. She took a pamphlet on suffering, the pillar of fire/truth booklet, and ‘happiness is living a virtuous life’. I told her we would pray for her and her son.
Lynn is a Baptist who has always been interested in learning about other religions. She took various pamphlets, and discussed many aspects of the faith. I spoke to her about how Christ instituted His church, which is only one church, and gave her a pillar of fire/truth pamphlet.
A couple was passing by both wearing Halloween T-shirts that glow in the dark. I struck up a brief chat and learned that they designed the T-shirts themselves. I gave them an All Hallows Tide pamphlet so they could learn the history behind Halloween along with some other Catholic truths.
Misty just had back surgery and, since that, is not feeling any sensation in her foot. After that surgery, her dog dug a hole and she unwittingly stepped into, breaking her foot. She didn’t feel the pain so it went untreated for a little while. Now she’s in a cast and a wheelchair until it heals. We gave her a pamphlet on suffering, and promised to pray for her.
Ken and Bob are Baptists and were asking us how Catholics can know if they’re going to go to Heaven. I explained to him the need to be in the state of sanctifying grace, and what that is. We spoke about how salvation was dependent on more than just faith alone, but how we live as well; to “run the full race, so as not to be disqualified”. He was also curious about mortal sins versus venial sins, and if Catholics still go to confession. I explained what comprises a mortal sin, and how we are required to confess to God either way, but that those more serious sins need to be forgiven by Christ through a priest, per the special grace Christ gave to his apostles when he breathed on them. He took a pamphlet on salvation, and also “not by faith alone”.
Andre from Columbia stopped by and was thrilled to see our Spanish materials all for free. He took a miraculous medal necklace and some pamphlets, blessed himself, thanked us, shook our hands and left."
Here is Paul's report:
"Spoke for a few minutes with Joe and Judy. Joe told me he believes Heaven is real because he died twice while getting heart surgery and during this near death experience he believes he saw heaven. It was such an impactful moment in his life that he actually teared up telling me about it. Tried to give him a few tracts but he said because he doesn’t know how to read he wouldn’t be able to benefit. Prayers needed for him and Judy.
Also chatted with Tony. Tony used to be a preacher and we talked about a lot of views we hold in common - mostly that you must love God - not just the things he gives. I challenged him “Jesus said if we love him we must obey his commandments. With so many Protestant denominations holding their own view of what it means to obey Jesus - how are we to know what it means to love Jesus?” This gave him pause and he thought about it a bit. Eventually he took some tracts from us and thanked us for the conversation. Hoping that this interaction will cause him to evaluate the claim of the Catholic Church as the one true church that Jesus founded."
And my report:
"Freddy Robinson from McCormic is Christian and goes to an AME church. He took a Gospel card and then asked if there were only Adam and Eve and then two sons where did they find wives? I explained that if we take the Bible narrative in its literal sense Adam and Eve after the fall still had quite a long life. If Eve was fertile when created, they would have had many children, including women that the two sons who happen to be mentioned could have chosen from which was allowed because genetic defects would not have resulted. He then changed subjects to talk about how at his church they had a group of praise and worship dancers who reherse before they come and he believes worship should be spontaneous. He asked if we had praise dances. I told him in European Catholic Churches we do not because of the cultural context but in African churches yes. I explained that worship from our hearts can be spontaneous, but not to disregard preparation and planned organized forms of worship. I gave him the example that it is not wrong for a preacher to prepare his sermon or for a church goer to prepare their appearance in a special formal way before going to church even if God judges the heart. He agreed and understood my point. He came back and said that he knows someone who is a great preacher and preaches spontaneously but does know his Bible well. I explained also that the heart of the issue is outward show for the wrong motives. We can do good things for the wrong reasons, but God judges our hearts. Also it's a both/and scenario - preparation and praise from the heart. I explained the Catholic Church liturgies are formal and organized as Paul said it should be in his first letter to the Corinthians. He also talked about how he doesn't believe women should preach at church and I told him the Catholic church still holds to this tradition from the Bible. We talked about other subjects like prayer. Mason gave him a pamphlet on the virtuous life and he talked more about his personal interest in wild game. Now of course we found something in common, me being a hunter and all. And I learned something new. After your skin a racoon for eating leave a paw on it so you know someone isn't sneaking you a house cat. Apparently when a racoon and cat are skinned you can't tell the difference. We didn't get into the difference in taste but logically they must taste the same too. So next time I'm out ordering racoon I'll remember to ask the chef to leave a paw on it!"
Peace,
Caleb
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Jockey Lot Oct 22nd, 2023
October 29, 2023
Hi ya'll,
It seems like it has been forever since our last outing to the Jockey Lot, but Ernesto and I were able to go out again this Sunday October 22nd in the morning. Being it was better weather we noticed that people seemed to linger longer. This time we also had some new Miraculous Medals with a pretty blue color and come with a holy card. I was also to obtain more Gospel cards in both Spanish and English, which we passed out to many passerby.
Here is Ernesto's account of who we met:
"Maria from Belton took a Bible and a glow in the dark rosary. She is a devout Catholic and was very grateful. A Hispanic gentleman asked for a full Spanish Bible but we had ran out as before him another man had taken a Spanish Bible, so he took a New Testament.
We felt it was very slow, we were not getting people interested. We don't want to push our faith to those who don't show any interest. So I prayed that God will send people who needed Him to show us some interest. I even asked St. Anthony to find people for us to evangelize. After that we did get several visitors.
The woman selling items on the table right next to us from before we arrived asked questions and took a Rosary, pamphlet on how to pray the Rosary, a book that answers common questions on Protestant/Catholic teachings plus other items. She read quite a bit while there and asked more questions, including if a Baptist could become Catholic. I explained much about the Rosary to her and Caleb answered all her questions and explained some things on how our Mass works compared to a Protestant service since he has both experiences.
The woman selling in front of us also came and took a Rosary and a pamphlet on how to pray it. She mentioned her grandmother was Catholic and was from Jerusalem. She remembers being there as a child.
A Latino man, who had visited on previous Sundays with a very pugnacious attitude towards the Catholic Church returned, but although not approving, he was milder in his manner, almost listening to our side.
We had several others who took Rosaries, books and/or pamphlets, we couldn't get all their names, but in general we felt they had a positive attitude towards our things. We believe that is good, worth some Rosaries etc.
On the last minutes two Christian, but not Catholic men, came with a very friendly attitude, they talked about doing military work in Algeria (maybe special forces), asked questions and were supportive. One told us a story about Algeria that it was unbelievable to the locals that any could not believe in God. He said he was told everyone believes in God whether they realize or not. Put a person on a boat, stranded in the middle of the ocean for days, alone and they will be talking to someone, most likely God."
Thank God for my brother Ernesto, who speaks fluent Spanish and English! Our work is helped tremendously by his witness.
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Barnyard or Jockey Lot Sept 23, 2023
September 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
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Jockey Lot Sept 10, 2023
September 10, 2023
Hey y'all,
It was a good day for our SPSE Greenville team to be in Anderson, SC! Most of the morning the sky was covered in clouds and there was a cool breeze. Later the sun started to peek out from behind the clouds to stare us down with its hot gaze. Ernesto and I found the first available concrete table and set up. Most of the outdoor tables are first come first serve and cost $12 a day. We see some of the same people there every week selling the same type of items. We also see others who are selling items for the first time. One gentleman told me that he was thankful to us for sharing our faith even though he was not Catholic. He said he doesn't remember seeing anyone out there sharing their faith. I was under the impression that maybe others would do the same. He said they don't usually set up a table, but just walk around passing out tracks or pamphlets.
Here is a report of all we met today:
We got to talking to JJ whom we have met before on a previous outing. This time he looked down and was not very talkative but hovered around the table for sometime. He asked if he could take a Bible and of course we gave him one. He said he wanted to read it. Ernesto and I gave him advice on how to begin reading it. Ernesto also gave him information on a daily Bible study podcast put on by Fr. Michael Schmitz through Ascension Press. I gave him our pamphlets "The Bible Alone?" and "The Truth of the Bible". He also took two Rosaries and Miraculous Medals with the pamphlet "How to Pray the Rosary". He said he was going to give a medal and Rosary to his fiance. This is when we found out the reason for his solemn affect. I asked him for her name so we could pray for them. He said they need a lot of prayer. He said she is very troubled right now and he believes her demons are coming back to torment her. I felt inspired to ask if she had suffered some sort of trauma and he confirmed that she was both raped and molested as a child. I told him I would offer a nine day Novena, explaining the first Novena when Christ just before His ascension into heaven commanded his disciples to pray in Jerusalem until the promised Holy Spirit came which was nine days.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN PRAYING THIS NOVENA (catholicdoors.com/prayers/novenas/p04003.htm) FOR JJ'S FIANCE (NAME UNKNOWN)
Afterwards, a Hispanic lady named Cristina said she was Catholic. She wanted to take a pamphlet on how to pray the Rosary and thanked us for being there. We then met Agnes, an Irish Catholic from New York. She said she was baptized at St. Paul's in New York City. Her father was a eucharistic minister at St. Patrick's Cathedral. She said she is a parishioner at St. Joseph's in Anderson, however she has not been going to Mass because she says she works and has a lot going on. We encouraged her to get back into Mass. She took the pamphlets, "Why be Catholic", "How to Pray the Rosary", and I gave her a St. Patrick Irish Rosary (left over from our time in New York when we passed hundreds of these out at St. Patrick's Day parades).
We then met Viana and her daughter, Hispanic Catholics from Spartanburg who go to Mass at Jesus our Risen Savior. They took a glow in the dark Rosary and the pamphlet "Como Rezar el Rosario". She said she realizes that being close to God is important, otherwise if we are not bad things will happen. A young Hispanic couple named Josalin and Jose stopped by. They both took Miraculous Medals and Josalin took a Marian prayer card for pregnant mothers. They are both Catholics from Mexico and now live in Anderson. Jose said he was a seminarian in Mexico but had to leave because his parents had to make a difficult choice between funding his sister's education and his. Seminary was just too expensive. He is now married and has a five year old who was at home. They wanted to know where they could go to Mass so we gave them contact information for St. Mary's of the Angels in Anderson which has a Spanish Mass. Ernesto relates what he told them in Spanish: "I told them how important it is for us to give our lives to God and He will make sense of our difficulties and our lives will improve. We will still suffer, as Jesus is good and very close to the Father, but still suffered for us, but we need to stop being so afraid of suffering and start being afraid of living without God, since He made us for love and His love heals."
Two men from Honduras, who are Catholic, took two Rosaries, but said they don't go to Mass. I had encouraged them (Ernesto had to translate) to go to Mass, saying that not only do we owe God our worship for all the good He does for us, but because He wants to give us Himself in the Mass so we can grow, becoming better people. Ernesto also encouraged and exhorted them. I then went to the restroom and while I was gone Ernesto had an interaction with Mark Work: "Mark Work is 42 and from New Jersey. There he went to a Catholic school but after moving here when he was only seven was surprised at the lack of Catholic Churches where he lived. He said he used to put on a snake show until an Eastern Diamondback bit him three times on his face, sending him to the hospital. He said he has had a lot of surgeries from various accidents. He took a glow in the dark Rosary and two books, "Rome Sweet Home" by Dr. Scott Hahn, and "Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead?" by Carl E. Olson. I encouraged him to go back to Mass and worship God weekly. He seemed very interested in reading all about it!"
God is good!
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Jockey Lot Sept 3, 2023
September 3, 2023
Hi y'all,
Ernesto and I had another blessed day at the Jockey Lot in Anderson! Here is a report of all we met:
Ken is from Georgia and grew up Baptist. He engaged us for some time mainly expressing his indifference to denominations and a distaste to those who bash other Christians or say that others are going to Hell. We agreed that no authority other than God can condemn anyone to Hell. Ernesto challenged him by saying there is only one church that was founded by Christ, the Catholic Church and that we desire the unity of all Christians. He accepted a Good News pamphlet, but said he could search the internet to find out more about what Catholics believe.
David is a Jewish convert to Catholicism. He took a small metal picture of St. Jude and we shared our faith together. He talked about meeting Scott Hann and going to Steubenville. He was happy to see us out there. We then met Pete and Tracey who are from Georgia. Pete took a Miraculous Medal to give to his granddaughter who he says is in trouble now that she is in her 20s and in college in Atlanta. They are asking to pray for her, whose name is Katelyn.
Again many Hispanic families came by and took Rosaries and other materials. Amalia and Antonio Barcenas took a Miraculous Medal and a Rosary. A young college student took an English Bible. He said he is Hispanic but can't read Spanish too well. He is living in Greenwood and studying hospitality management. He grew up Catholic but hasn't been going to Mass. He was very interested in going again and took many different pamphlets, some medals and some Rosaries for family members. Another young Hispanic man, Carlos, also came by and took an English Bible and some other material.
We met Lee, an Asian lady with broken English who identified as Baptist. She asked us to tell her one Bible verse that proves the Catholic Church and another that proved the Baptist Church. Instead Ernesto explained that the Baptist denomination has only been around for a few hundred years, but the Catholic Church is the Church founded by Jesus which wrote half the Bible and composed it for us. Essentially the Bible is Catholic. She then asked us about Mary asserting that Jesus said no one goes to the Father but through Him. We of course agreed. Ernesto and I then explained that all the saints, Mary included, do nothing outside of Christ. That we cooperate in His work of intercession. Ernesto explained many Old Testament prefigurements of Mary like the Ark of the Covenant. She alluded to the fact that we are only vessels of God, like the temple, so I tried to explain that in the temple, which is holy, there are instruments that are considered more sacred than others, like the Ark. In the same way are Mary and the saints. Without God's grace indwelling we are nothing. We all agreed. She took a pamphlet on "What About Mary". We then met another Asian lady, Lynn who said she is Methodist. She took a Rosary and a "Good News" pamphlet.
Duane and Linda stopped by. Duane took a Miraculous Medal. Linda said they are not Catholic and I said they were welcome to become one. Linda said that she stays away from anything Catholic because we worship Mary. I simply said we don't, we worship God, and that was a very serious misunderstanding. She said, "Then why do y'all say 'Hail Mary'?" I said, "Because it's in the Bible. Read the Gospel of Luke when the angel Gabriel says to Mary 'Hail Mary, full of grace.' That's how he greeted her." She gave me a surprised look. She then said, "Well I don't agree that anyone should go to a priest to confess their sins, only to God." I said, "We go to God through the priest and believe God forgives our sins. However the Pharisees didn't want to believe that Christ could forgive sins because they thought He was only a man and not God. But Christ said to His apostles that He gave them the authority to forgive sins. The same authority that His Father gave Him. That's in the Bible too." I said there are a lot of misunderstandings about what Catholics believe and gave her three pamphlets (Common Objections, What About Mary, and Confession). She said she would definitely read them.
Peace,
Caleb
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The Barnyard Aug 26th, 2023
August 27, 2023
Yesterday, Mason and I decided to hit up the Barnyard in Greer instead of the Jockey Lot in Anderson. Thank the Lord Almighty! We got hooked up by the staff there with a nice table under cover after asking for one outside. The clerk who took our request asked us what we were selling. I said, "nothing" and then explained we were giving out free stuff. She gave me a skeptical look and asked, "what free stuff". I explained we were Catholic and giving out information on our faith. I saw a bit of a smile when she said, "I'm Catholic". There is a crucifix on the wall behind the clerk station. While there we noticed one big difference from the Jockey Lot - it got busier and busier as the day went on. Next time we plan to stay all day long!
After setting up our table, Mason and I stood on either corner and handed out Gospel cards, Litanies of Trust, and Las Buenas Noticias pamphlets. Many of them were handed out to the point where I am pretty much out of Gospel cards. Please say a Chaplet of St. Mary Magdalene for all we met. Here is Mason's and my report of all we met:
Mason: "A young man, Dennis, said he was a Baptist and has recently started reading the Bible. He appreciated what we were doing and said he didn't understand why there were so many faiths, and why they always trash each other. I told him that I used to be a Baptist and that I too decided long ago to read the Bible on my own, rather than just relying on what others told me it said. I mentioned how I learned many things that were never preached from the pulpit, such as Acts 2:38 which describes the necessity of baptism for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy spirit. He accepted a Gospel care and a Litany of Trust booklet."
"Shannon was a father of three young boys. I asked him if I could give the boys each a glow-in-the-dark Rosary, and he agreed. And then gave him a brief description of what the Rosary is and a pamphlet on how to pray it. In case anyones wondering, Shannon is a gender neutral name of Irish origin, meaning, "old and wise." The same scenario happened with the mother of three girls, but I didn't get a chance to learn her name. A young man named Juan walked by us and I noticed he had a leather phone case on his belt that had St. Joseph embossed onto it. We asked him where he found that and he said he got it in Mexico. We were then able to discuss all the Spanish booklets we had and he took a Gaudalupe care and medal."
A black man who said he was a Jew and, from the way he was talking, I deduced was a member of the Black Hebrew Israelites, approached us and abruptly stated that the Catholic Church and all it teaches is a lie. I asked him what specifically he disagreed with in Catholic teaching, but he was reluctant to go into detail. He claimed, without knowing me, that I don't know my Bible and asked me who the sons of Naoh were. He was surprised that I answered him immediately that they were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. He then asked me if, looking at him, I could tell who he was. He seemed to be expecting me to say that he was a descendent of Ham, but my reply to him was that he was a creature of God created in His image and likeness, a human person with free will, and reason. He went on to assert that God's chosen people were the Hebrews, and that Gentiles were not in His plan, and that Jesus was a descendent of Judah, not of the priestly tribe of Levi. I agreed that Jesus came from the line of David, but that the New Covenant involves a pruning off of the unfaithful Jews from the tree of Israel, and the grafting in of the Gentiles. At this point, he just walked away."
My report: Jasmine, a wheelchair bound Philippina who sells goods weekly at the Barnyard, stopped by and was fascinated with our table. She told me she is Catholic and a parishioner of St. Paul the Evangelist in Spartanburg (maybe we need to hook up with this parish considering we are St. Paul Street Evangelization). She gave us information on how to set up a table at the Spartanburg International Festival and said she could get us a free table. I will consider it, but because my schedule is so variable and busy I will have to check first. Soon after a man named Roy, after taking a Gospel card, asked if we had any pocket Bibles. We didn't but I said he could probably get a free New Testament from the Gideans.
Charlene, after taking a Gospel card and Litany of Trust, came back asking me what the word Litany meant. I explained to her the meaning and after that she wanted to know if we were some cult. She asked if we believed in Jesus and I said of course! I also confirmed our belief in the Trinity, the incarnation, the hypostatic union (I simply said we believed Jesus was both God and man) and the Bible. She was relieved and said she just didn't understand Christian disunity. I said Jesus prayed that we would be one, but the sad fact is for centuries we have not been one. I talked about how Catholics recite the creed at Mass saying One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic in reference to the Church. We believe the Church is One and should be one. This then led into a discussion of the differences between the Protestant Bible and the Catholic Bible as she wanted to know the Bible was important to us. I explained the history and reason why the Catholic version has seven more in the Old Testament. I also asserted the differences in the way Catholics and Protestants approach the Bible with two important questions to help her think, 1) Where does the Bible say Bible alone?, 2) Who wrote the table to contents? In regard to question one, I asked her that if Sola Scriptura was such a fundamental doctrine to Christianity why was it not found explicitly in Scripture. She agreed that she could not think of a place in the Bible that explicitly taught it. This led to answering the second question that it was the Church that had the authority by the guidance of the Holy Spirit to decide what books belong in Scripture. She understand after I pointed out that the Bible explicitly teaches that Christ gave authority to His Church to teach the Truth in His name, that we do not believe in any new revelation as all was revealed in Christ to his Apostles, but that those same Apostles handed down that Tradition (both written and oral) to their successors the Bishops in an unbroken line. She then said she would accept some information on what we talked about so I gave her a Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth booklet and a pamphlet on "Sola Scriptura". I invited her to attend a Catholic Mass, but only to remember not to take communion unless she became Catholic not because we didn't recognize her as a sister in Christ, but because we believe in the real presence of Christ in it and that to not recognize His real presence is a very serious sin, so we want to confirm that she has the Catholic faith before receiving. She understood and said that her boss is a serious Catholic who leaves his ashes on his forehead during Lent. I guess leaving those ashes on has some benefit!
Another lady named Teresa took a Gospel card and the Litany of Trust. She asked about where she could go to church and as she lived in Spartanburg I gave her the names of the churches there. She said she has been to so many different types of churches and doesn't know which to trust or join. She continues to pray to God and is waiting for the Holy Spirit to guide her to the right one. I told her that the Mass is a great place to pray and that If she attends to remember not to take communion until she becomes Catholic giving her the same explanation I gave to Charlene. We then met a lady with a troop of kids in a wagon. She turned down a Gospel card saying she was already saved. Mason was able to then give her kids a whole bunch of glow in the dark Rosaries. He offered a pamphlet on how to pray the Rosary, but she declined saying her husband is Catholic.
Peace,
Caleb
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Jockey Lot Aug 20, 2023
August 24, 2023
Hi y'all,
Ernesto and I went back to the Jockey Lot this last Sunday from 8 am to noon. We also had two new evangelists join us, Paul and Maddie. They were able to see some of the Rosaries that they made with us at our Rosary making party given away. I stood near the front of our canopy and table handing out many Gospel cards in English, the Litany of Trust (graciously given by Paul and Maddie), and our Spanish "Good News" or "Las Buenas Noticias" pamphlet.
Please pray a chaplet of St. Mary Magdeline for all we met:
Caroline and Hank are both Protestants who stick to the KJV Bible. They took a "Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth" booklet, A Rosary, and a phamplet on how to pray it. I talked to them about the fact that the original KJV had all 73 books of the Bible same as the Catholic Bible. I also explained the history of the Greek vs Hebrew OT and the reason why Catholics include the 7 extra deuterocanonical books. They allowed me to pray for them on the spot and I was able to invite them to explore more about the Catholic Church.
Ty was a wheelchair bound gentleman who shared with us he was recently in the hospital for a pericardial effusion. We offered him prayer.
Rena took a Rosario and our Spanish pamphlets "Las Buenos Noticias" and "Como Rezar Rosario". Another lady, Maria, took a Rosario and how to pray it. Lazarus and Maria Guadalupe, who are Catholics from Pueblo Mexico took a Rosary and many different pamphlets. Many other Hispanics came by and also took material.
We saw Roger and Peggy again. We talked light talk about life and hunting this time.
We met Kelly Hovey, a faithful Catholic from St. Mary's in Aiken. She took Rosaries, Miraculous Medals. She has also been very active in pro-life ministry. She asked us to pray for Euler Dezayas who recently passed away.
We met a family from Hendersonville. The wife said she is Baptist and her Hispanic husband is a Catholic. She promised to raise her children in the Catholic faith. They are looking for a parish and we invited them to POP which they said they would willing to drive to. They took Rosaries, Miraculous Medals, Bibles, and some pamphlets on abortion.
Ernesto relates those he met:
"Mark and Gwen Miller talked with me for quite some time about Fatima then also about Christopher Columbus and the Spanish Inquisition. Their ideas were mostly what we hear a lot, but doesn't pass the reality check. I steered away from arguments but told them that during the last Marian apparition in Fatima, thousands of witnesses confirmed the dancing and apparent approach of the sun and immediate drying after the heavy rain. The man mentioned a theory that it wasn't the sun, but a UFO that appeared and it's radiation dried the people nearby. I asked why people rather believe an illogical idea rather than the simple explanation the Church gives.
"They also said C. Columbus was from Portugal not Italy. Columbus was funded by Queen Isabella of Spain (a devout Catholic) but embarked out of Portugal to discover America.
"He talked about Galileo and the observatory at the Vatican. I told them the Catholic Church promoted science, arts, music, and every progress in civilization for 2000 years. It is the Catholic Church that gave us hospitals, universities and the New Testament and taught the Bible for all that time.
"Mary took a Rosary and a pamphlet on how to pray it. She is not Catholic, but accepted the pamphlet on the Catholic Church.
"We had at least 2 Marys taking rosaries. We try to give them some information on how to pray the Rosary and/or about the Catholic Church. and if they want, we will pray with them. Also to look for us next week, that we will listen to their question or complaints about the Cattholic Church and if we don't know the answer, we'll look it up.
"Mickey, a very friendly man, talked for a while and took a Miraculous Medal. He said we should pray for America and was very much against abortion so we gave him 2 pro-life brochures.
"John and Samantha came at the very end and took Rosaries. They liked the things we had but never said what their faith was. We think they most likely will benefit from having the sacramentals, but our prayers should help. Of course most people just walk by, sometimes we hand them a card, but even if not, they always see our Rosaries, religious images and we know the Hoky Spirit is always working on hard hearts and calling on their love."
Peace,
Caleb
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Jockey Lot August 13, 2023
August 14, 2023
Hi y'all,
The day started off cloudy with a slight breeze and for this Ernesto and I were thankful. When the sun came out we started cooking. But that didn't stop us or the many passerby who stopped to talk or take something of our many Catholic things. We got a lot of head shaking too. One guy did a what I'm going to start calling a "Funda-by" when a Protestant walks by and keeps moving while telling us that we're wrong (no good reason why) and going to hell for being Catholic. Honestly I didn't say anything back this time, just let him keep on walking.
Here are all we met today:
A Hispanic family who are Catholic and live in Hendersonville took Rosaries. They were very happy to see us. We encouraged another Hispanic man who is Catholic but not going to Mass regularly to go to San Sabastian. Another family took two Spanish Bibles and other materials. We invited another man from Greer to Prince of Peace and gave pamphlet.
Linda, who is Catholic, had to get annulment and said the attitude of the priest turned her off so she has not been going to Mass anymore. I gave her granddaughter a Rosary and asked Linda to teach her pray it. Maybe this will start the fire again.
A Catholic Hispanic family - Lilia, David and David wanted a Spanish Catechism. They took many pamphlets and we told them about the different parishes in Greenvile that have Spanish Masses. Julio from Queretaro Mexico came by with his wife and granddaughter who was one the happiest kids I have seen. They took miraculous medals, a St. Benedict medal and some pamphlets.
Alissa and kids had rabbit. We asked Alissa about her cute rabbit and she raises them for both pets and meat. My wife and I had done the same before so we had a good conversation. Her kids took miraculous medals and a glow in the dark Rosary. I asked them to learn how to pray it, being a prayer based on the Gospel, and gave them the pamphlet "How to Pray the Rosary." They believe in God and Jesus and I explained how the Rosary is a meditation on the Gospel through the eyes of Jesus' mother Mary. The 5 year old boy who took the Rosary gave me a hug and said he love me. I told him I loved him too and as they left I said God bless. He turned around and told me the same.
Roger and his wife took two Rosaries. They didn't say much at first but as they were leaving Roger said to me "in Jesus' name" after I said God bless. He the said "only in Jesus." A lady from Guam who is Catholic talked with Ernesto for sometime who had also been there while in the military. She also talked about them trying to push abortion there.
Antonio and his wife from Mexico talked with Ernesto and took a miraculous medal. Another Hispanic gentleman with kids took Rosaries and the pamphlet "How to Pray the Rosary." A woman with two kids took a Gospel card, a Rosary and some pamphlets.
We talked a while with Mark, who was wearing a Marine veteran hat, after I gave him a Gospel card and thanked him for his service. He served for 22 years and Ernesto and him both talked about their experience.We met two young ladies, Camilla and Morgan. Morgan had found one of our Gospel cards on a table. They took a Rosary and a miraculous medal. Ernesto explained how the miraculous medal came about and recourse to Mary. He encouraged them to pray and draw close to God considering what He did for us pointing to the Gospel card.
An Italian man from Balogna Italy stopped by and said he wanted to go Mass but couldn't find a Catholic Church. We gave him address for POP. He is here for work.
Ernesto relates his experience from today as follows:
"The Mexican man we call 'Preacher' because he is so passionate when he talks, came to us today and graciously gave us some plums that he bought. He grew up Catholic. A woman, related to him, was left for dead by the Coyotes (border smugglers) on the border with Mexico, on the US side. Her friend got off the truck in the desert to stay with her, saw her move, and called 911. She is alive and well now. He said that we need to share. He is poor but has helped many in his family and realized our need to unite in faith and guide our lives towards God. He agrees with me that most of the world's problems are caused by our separation from God and a lack of love among people.
An anonymous man from Mexico said he used to be Catholic because his grandmother took him to church irregularly but he doesn't practice anymore. He does what he decides is good. He refused a pamphlet on returning to the Church, or to give his name because "he doesn't need others praying for him". I asked if he just drifted away from the Church, why not return to what Jesus founded. He changed to other topics. Although he didn't directly criticize the Church, he was lukewarm in faith, it could be worse than being ice cold. He appeared friendly, but his talk indicated a lonely and empty person hard to reach.
An Oriental man we have talked with before came over, very friendly and agreeing with us. The little we could understand, he talked about some Orthodox people that were not accepting Mary as someone to pray to. I just said we should be united in faith, and that Mary is not Divine, but she helps us because God gives her power to save people.
Many others passed by without a chance to give us their names (or we forgot), but asking for rosaries, pamphlets etc. Not all claimed to be Catholic, some were and very happy that we were there. A few kids wanted the glow in the dark rosaries, and I told them those rosaries are like good Christians because we get the light from God and "glow" to those people in spiritual darkness."
Peace,
Caleb
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Jockey Lot August 6, 2023
August 6, 2023
Below is any update on today's Saint Paul Street Evengelization (SPSE) Greenvile Team's outing to the Jockey Lot in Anderson, but before that, let me give thanks to God Almighty and all those who have helped us so far in our mission to bring the Truth in Love to the many desperate and hungry souls who need salvation and to those who say they believe the Gospel but do not believe the whole Gospel preserved and presented in its fullness in the Catholic Church. When we requested prayers and funding for materials we have received both - for that I am grateful. Not only that but a new evangelist, Mason, came out with me last week on a Saturday and plans to come out again (we plan on doing Saturday's once monthly). If you are interested in helping here are some ways:
1) Pray: Please consider becoming a SPSE Prayer Warrior. You can pray for our efforts or you can come out with us and simply pray while we evangelize. If this is what you want to do please let me know and I will add you to the team as a Prayer Warrior. Pray the Rosary for our efforts and if possible please pray one Chaplet of St. Mary Madeline mentioning all the names of all we have reached so far.
2) Evangelize: If you would like to come out and evangelize let me know! There is some very good training that SPSE offers to help equip you. Our next outings are as follows - Sunday 8/13 0700-1200, Saturday 8/19 0700-1200, Sunday 8/27 0700-1200.
3) Donate: At this point we have been well provided for. Because of some very generous donors I was able to buy more Spanish booklets, pamphlets, Bibles, and more...a back wall for our canopy and a very authentic copy of the Tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
4) Make Rosaries: We will host a Rosary making party on Sunday 8/13 from 1400-1700 at my house.
So far, we know we have reached over a hundred people with the Gospel and planted seeds that will help them consider the Catholic Church. Here are the names of those whom we have met (remember there are many more that engaged us or took Holy Cards, Pamphlets and other items for whom we do not know their names): Pauline, Kayla & John, Will, Jack Finley, Bill, Debbie, Danny & Carol, Joshua James, Pat, Christine (mom) and Sherlyn (daughter), Daisy (mom) & Lily (daughter), Rosalva & Juan, Barbara & Eric (with 5 kids), Angela Maria & Senovio, Marcos & Amanda, Aaron & Becky, Rena, Angie & Greg, Harry Smith, Hernandez & Elvia Cruz, Clara, Alejandra & Julio, Bonnie, Daniel Jimenez Ramirez & Maria Candelaria Trejo, Dolores, Brian, Jose Rodriguez, Gloria, Jose Rodriguez, Mateo Cruz & Natalia Gonzalez, Jim & Gail, Jimmy Brown, Wayne, Midal, Nestor, Tracey, Isabel & Gabe, Honorio, Miguel Dias, Mira, Chandu, Tray Patrick, Dennis, Paton, Juan, Izabel and Margarito, Julia & Juana, Russell, Maria, Mariela, Mike & Melinda, Mr. Wood...
Okay, here is the update from today:
It was hot. Yes, really hot. Hot and dusty, but we made it out alive today. I stood next to the table corner where everyone was walking and handed out over a 100 of our Gospel cards in both English and Spanish. We met so many Hispanics for whom we did not get names. Many of them took pamphlets and Rosaries. Someone took a Spanish Bible. Many of them are Catholic but not currently attending Mass. Ernesto, my Cuban friend, pro-life warrior, and fellow evangelist was able to have friendly conversation with many also directing them to their nearest parish with a Mass in Spanish. Maria and her family took a Rosary and many different pamphlets including a Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth booklet (in Spanish of course). They live in Spartanburg and wanted to get to Mass so Ernesto directed them to Jesus Our Risen Savior which offers the Mass in Spanish.
Mariela and family, who are Catholic, took many Rosaries and pamphlets on how to pray it. The kids spent some time petting my 7 month old mess of a Great Pyrenees puppy Huan and picked out Rosaries of different colors that they liked. This time we busted out the glow in the dark Rosaries (I have hundreds of 'em from giving them out during All Hallows Eve in New York - the state - not the city) and the kids liked that. They also took a Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth booklet. Another Hispanic gentleman was interested in the 3 Minute Catechism DVD but didn't have a DVD player at home so I pointed him to YouTube where he can watch it for free and in Spanish!
We also met Mike and Melinda who identified as Baptist. After giving Melinda a Gospel Card, she was certainly interested in everything we had. Ernesto explained why we were there and that she is welcome to voice any concerns she may have about the Catholic Church. She said the problem she has with Catholics is that she has always been taught that we put Mary ahead or in front of Jesus. I told her I at one time was a member of a Baptist church and had the same suspicions until one day I found out a friend of mine had become Catholic and when he was posting stuff about Mary on his social media account I became interested in finding out what Catholics actually believed about Mary (not what Protestants said about what Catholics believed about Mary). I confirmed to her that we do not put Mary in front of Jesus, we do not believe she is God, and we do not worship her. I said one great example of this is the Mass (or our "Catholic worship service" - trying to use familiar language) in which Jesus is at the center of it all. I explained the intercession of the saints, of those in heaven, that we believe they still pray for us, especially those who are closest to him because of their holiness and great love for God. I connected this with the priesthood of all believers and said that our duty as priests does not cease when we go to heaven. I said in no way does our duty to intercede on behalf of others get in the way of Jesus our One Intercessor in heaven but is sharing in that ministry. She said that she didn't realize Catholics believe that all believers share in the priesthood of Christ. She said she was told that because there are no tears or sorrow in heaven, Christians in heaven do not care about what happens on earth anymore and do not pray for us. I said, we all believe Christ intercedes for us, but he is in heaven where there are no more tears right? Just because there are no more tears, doesn't mean they can't pray for us. I gave her the pamphlets "Praying to the Saints" and "What About Mary?"
We met Mr. Wood, an older wheelchair bound man with a tracheostomy and a veterans hat, who I thanked for serving. He said he wanted to tell me one thing, "I love you and there is nothing you can do about it". He said he has been saying that to everybody he encounters as a way of sharing God's love with them when after facing death in an ICU and waking up after a coma it was one of the first things he said to a "nurse" in his room who began crying after he said that (he believes she was an angel because later she never came back and he asked other nurses about her who denied she existed). He believes it is now his mission to spread this simple message and is going to write a book entitled...okay you may have guessed it..."I Love You and There is Nothing You Can Do About It". He said he was a former Methodist and was very glad to see us out evangelizing.
Peace,
Caleb
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“Everything comes from love, all is ordained for the salvation of man, God does nothing without this goal in mind.” - St. Catherine of Siena
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Jockey Lot July 29, 2023
August 6, 2023
Hi y'all,
Mason Costa and I went to the Jockey Lot in Anderson on Saturday and here is our report of who we met:
Mason had the pleasure of talking to Chandu who is a frequent vendor at the lot known by many there as “boss man”. He talked with us using many Christian sounding words, but we discerned that he’s really Hindu with a pantheistic worldview. He had a love for talking, but not for listening. We tried to explain that man is a body-soul composite, and not just a spirit piloting a body. We tried to explain that true meditation is not an “emptying of oneself”, but rather filling oneself with God’s objective truth and with the love of our Lord, and that the intellect and will are part of the soul. It all fell on deaf ears, but he was very interested in kindness, and we showed him lots of that.
Tray Patrick was standing and looking at everything laid out on the table with intense interest. A quiet man, he took a St. Michael holy medal after a thorough explaination of who St. Michael is. I explained the intercession of the saints and the communion of all believers. He also asked for a thorough explanation of the Rosary and took one with the pamphlet on how to pray it.
Dennis walked over and showed us his tatoos of Jesus carrying his cross. He wore a crucifix and told us he was baptized in a Baptist church. He said he remained neutral because of the disagreements between Catholics and Protestants. He didn't want to to stay so all we were able to do was listen.
A man gave Mason a pamphlet and said in it was the Truth. Mason asked why it was the Truth. The man said because it quoted the Bible. Mason said we also had the Truth and the Bible (we give those out as well). The man said no because what we believe is not Biblical. Mason asked how he knew that. He said because we worship Mary. Mason said that that's where he had it wrong because we don't worship Mary. The man just walked off.
Paton from Fairplay near Seneca didn't talk much but took a St. Christopher medal as I explained briefly who St. Christopher is and the meaning of his name.
Several Hispanics came by. Juan from Veracruz Mexico took a Spanish pamphlet "The Good News" and the booklet "Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth". Izabel and Margarito took several Spanish pamphlets and a "Pillar of Fire, Pillar off Truth" booklet. Many others came and took Rosaries and pamphlets. Julia, an older lady, took a Rosary and pamphlet "How to Pray the Rosary" in Spanish. She also brought Juana over who took a Rosary and pamphlet. She said she wanted to get back into church and learn to pray. I wanted to proclaim the Gospel to her but she had to go so instead I gave her a Gospel card. She did ask about where she can attend Mass and being from Anderson we directed her to St. Joseph's (English) or St. Mary's of the Angels (Spanish).
Mason had a very long conversation with Russell, a Mennonite who’s local community dissolved during Covid. He had misunderstandings about baptism and believed that only baptism by fire, or the Holy Spirit, is what saves you. We shared with him how salvation involves water baptism, and not just baptism of the Holy Spirit. He seemed unaware that the gift of the Holy Spirit is received during baptism. He had a passion for accurate translations of the Bible, and we explained how translation and interpretation of scripture requires the authority of the Church and cannot just be personal and subjective. To correct his belief that the Catholic Church began much later than Jesus, we explained how the Church started with Peter and continues to this day with an unbroken line of papal succession. He accepted a copy of the "Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth" booklet, and promised to read it.
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Jockey Lot July 23, 2023
July 25, 2023
Next weekend the Jockey Lot outing will be all day Saturday instead of Sunday so if any of you are interested in seeing what it's like you're welcome to show up anytime and stay as long as you like. Also, I have set a date for a Rosary making party here at our house (104 Glades Ct., Taylors) on August 5th from 1-4 pm. We have the supplies!
Here is a breakdown of everyone we met this Sunday morning at the Jockey Lot in Anderson. Please continue to keep us and all we meet in your prayers:
Midal from Oaxaca Mexico. He and I tried to communicate, him with his broken English and me with my broken Spanish. He says he goes to Mass only sometimes. He didn't take anything but was friendly and very interested in starting a conversation. Ernesto had taken a break so he wasn't available to translate for me.
Nestor from Hendersonville, NC. He has been to Immaculate Conception Church but doesn't go often. He took a Rosary, the pamphlet "How to Pray the Rosary", and the "Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth" booklet.
Tracey (Her husband is Melchor) from Asheville, NC goes to Mass regularly on Wednesday and Sunday with her husband but she is not Catholic. Her husband is. She took a Rosary and "How to Pray the Rosary". Ernesto gave his phone number to her if she has any questions about the Church.
Isabel and Gabe are both two young kids, whose father was close to us selling items (he was there as well last time), took Rosaries and we gave a brief proclamation of the Gospel. They took some pamphlets as well. They said they had been to church but not much and their family is currently looking for a church. They live in Clinton, SC. We invited them to go to Mass even though they cannot fully participate until they are Catholic.
Several other Hispanic individuals or families stopped briefly and took various items or engage Ernesto in conversation. We gave out some of our new Spanish Bibles and some pamphlets related to it - "The Bible Alone?" and "The Truth of the Bible." I met Honerio, who is from Mexico and works in Georgia in a rock quarry. He took a Rosary and "How to Pray the Rosary". He is Catholic.
Miguel Dias from Mexico living in Spartanburg told Ernesto that when he was a kid his father taught him to go to Mass frequently, but when he then came here to live there was too little Hispanics going to Mass. Eventually he was evangelized by protestants and fell away from the Catholic Church. He is drifting at this time and was thankful to see us out giving information on the reasons to be Catholic as he said no one had ever done that. Ernesto proclaimed the Gospel to him and encouraged him to pray and spend time with God. He was interested in hearing more. They had a very long and fruitful dialogue.
Mira came over briefly and said she doesn't like the way modern popes parade around like superstars as only Jesus should receive such honor. She doesn't believe the early popes took such credit and that the early Christians, including Peter, would be ashamed of such behavior. She just wanted to make the point and did not want to stay and talk. She said she is Baptist.
Peace,
Caleb
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Jockey Lot July 16, 2023
July 18, 2023
Hi ya'll,
Despite the heat, Ernesto and I had another great day of evangelizing at the Anderson Jockey Lot! I got the canopy fixed and we had plenty of cold water. More importantly we had the zeal of the Holy Spirit to fulfill the three intentions of our Lord's Most Sacred Heart: The salvation of souls, reparation for sin, and the reunion of all Christians.
Here is a run down of who we encountered today:
Brian who is an army vet who said he enjoyed going to that chapel on Sundays while he was in the military to get away. He was born Baptist and is now non-denominational. He seemed a bit drunk or hung over. He said because of his positive interaction with a Catholic army chaplain he was always interested in Catholics. He didn't stay long to talk, but took a Rosary and the pamphlets "How to Pray the Rosary" and "Why Be Catholic".
A hispanic man named Jose Rodriguez spoke with Ernesto for quite some time and was very passionate about what he had to say. He carried some small tracts that looked like invitations to a church service so he himself was an evangelist for this church. While he was trying to debate with Ernesto a hispanic man took a Rosary and the pamphlet "How to Pray the Rosary". Also, Gloria from Gainesville, GA who is Catholic stopped and took a Rosary, a "My Daily Prayer" booklet, and a "Divine Mercy Chaplet" pamphlet. Ernesto had to relate his conversation with Jose to me after it was done: "At about 9:15 am, Mr. Jose Rodriguez approached our table with a loud voice and without questions or interest in what we were doing. He said we were wrong in having images in our pamphlets. He refused to stay on subject for any length of time but kept bringing up apparently infinite accusations against the Catholic Church. To him the Holy Mass is wrong because everyone who goes to Mass commits sins. I asked him if Jesus ordered us to attend Mass? He said no and was hard to pin down, but when I talked about Jesus saying eat my body, do it in my memory, he grudgingly accepted but continued his shot gun evangelization. I asked if he believed in confession, after unwillingly reading John 20:21-23, he still did not accept that ordained priests could forgive. I told him he was against the Bible if he was dividing and separating from God's Church as Jesus gave us one Church and insisted we stay united. Eventually we all prayed together in the middle of the encounter. Then after about 1/2 hour Jose had to go. We never know, just as today's Gospel reading recounts, whether the seed fell on good soil."
A Hispanic couple, Mateo Cruz and Natalia Gonzalez, who are Catholic took a Rosary, a "How to Pray the Rosary" pamphlet, a "Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth" booklet, and a "Why be Catholic". They did not admit it, but it seemed they had been away from the Church for sometime. They asked about where to go to Mass and we were able to direct them to San Sebastian's.
Jim and Gail, who are non-denominational Christians said they are very accepting of all Christians but do not believe in confessing to priests because that person can be sinful. I gave them the pamphlet on Confession. I explained how I came to believe in Confession as a non-denominational Christian. I said it is hard to believe God can use sinful people, but he did. No Christian argues that He chose his disciples, as sinful as they were, to spread his teachings. John 20:21-23 is clear that he also gave them the power to forgive sins. In the end we prayed together holding hands, thanking God for sending his Son to be an example of holiness for us, that the Holy Spirit would convict all Christians who do not live as Jesus commanded to repent of their sins so they could truly be a light to the nations and good examples.
Jimmy Brown from Anderson who is an ex-baptist, non-denominational Christian. He said he wanted to hear us and is open to searching all Christian interpretations. He eventually asked about what I said to Jim and Gail. I was able to explain to him in more depth about the biblical foundation for Confession and how I personally accepted it when I was also a non-denominational Christian. We also talked about abortion, the meaning of human sexuality, and how to end it. He talked long about his ability to discern the course of a person's life based on their foundation and believes his mission is helping people find the truth and peace with God. He took a book entitled "Did Jesus Rise from the Dead?" and a pamphlet on Confession and Abortion. We prayed together holding hands.
A Hispanic mother with her two children came by taking a crucifix and some pamphlets. They were not practicing Catholics. We then met Wayne who is not Catholic but knows some catholics personally. He took a crucifix, some Rosaries, and a St. Jude medal. Finally we met a woman, who was very encouraged by what we were doing. She is a practicing Catholic who works in Washington DC in the Pentagon (active Air Force) and was here visiting for a short time. She left us some prayer cards for pregnant mothers. We asked if her friend was Catholic and she said she is working on her. We gave her a pamphlet "Why be Catholic" and a "Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth" booklet for her friend.
Thank you all so much for your prayers and support. The plan as of now is that we will try to go 3 Sundays and 1 Saturday a month. So we plan on going again next Sunday and on Saturday July 29th.
Peace,
Caleb
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Jockey Lot July 9, 2023
July 12, 2023
Hi ya'll,
Here is an update from our 3rd Saint Paul Street Evangelization (SPSE) outing to the Anderson Jockey Lot on July 9th, 2023.
Ernesto and I again set up from 8 am to noon at an open table. We struggled with a shade canopy for a little while and gave up, enduring the sun for the rest of the time. I have a better pop up canopy but opted out this time to try a new one - didn't work. Thankfully we both had good hats and cold water. More importantly we both got to work on our tan line a bit. I also brought my puppy Huan, a 7 month old all white and fluffy very well behaved Great Pyrenees, who hung out under the shady side of the table (much smarter than us). His smug cuteness certainly attracted a lot of people our way.
We encountered more native Spanish speakers than on previous outings. Thank you all who have donated so far! I was able to purchase 100 of the Spanish version of the Catholic Answers "Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth" ("Columna de Fuego, Columna de Verdad") booklet which gives a brilliant defence of the Catholic Church, the need for salvation and how to join. I also have hundreds of Spanish pamphlets ordered from SPSE and will soon order Spanish Catholic Bibles. Thanks to a gracious donor I may also be able to order a back wall for my canopy so that we can hang pictures of our Lady of Gaudalupe or other icons.
Here is the run down of who we met today:
Rena, a Hispanic lady who took a Rosary, the pamphlet "Como Rezar el Rosario", and the Catholic Answers booklet "Columna de Fuego, Columna de Verda". Then a Mexican gentleman took a Rosary, a "Como Rezar el Rosario" pamphlet. He said he is Catholic and in Mexico was the grounds keeper of a church named Our Lady of Carmen (or Carmel).
Angie and Greg graciously received a Rosary and a "How to Pray the Rosary" pamphlet. We explained that the Rosary is a Gospel centered meditation and petition to heaven. They are both Christians from Pelzer, SC. We asked if they needed any prayer. Angie asked us to pray for them as they have her elderly mother moving in with them tomorrow and will be caring for her with Hospice. Both her father and mother were recently hospitalized and her father passed away very recently. We prayed together right there. Both were very thankful.
Soon after a hispanic man took a Rosary, a "Como Rezar el Rosario" and a "Las Buenas Noticias" pamphlet. Right after him a hispanic woman came over and took a Rosary and a "Como Rezar el Rosario" pamphlet. She told us her mother is Catholic and she is as well, but doesn't really know how to pray the Rosary.
We then met Harry Smith who told us his father was a well traveled missionary, evangelist, and pastor in Greenville for the Wesleyan church. Ernesto explained to him the need for Christians to come together in these difficult times and that Christ never intended the disunity that we see today amongst us. Harry told us he was always fascinated by the Catholic Church, acknowledging that the Catholic Church always stood firm on the Truth and the Bible without changing. I confirmed to him that we believe Jesus revealed all we need to know for our salvation once and gave it to the apostles to hand down, reminding him of the verse that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8). He graciously received the Catholic Answers booklet "Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth".
Another hispanic gentleman took a St. Jude medal and we offered the "Columna de Fuego, Columna de Verda" booklet which he took. We then met Hernandez and Elvia Cruz who took a Rosary and a "Como Rezar el Rosario" pamphlet. They may have not been practicing so Ernesto encouraged them in the need to draw closer to God again because of all the problems facing our world.
I went away for a brief moment and when I came back a hispanic man with two fellows of his were having a heated conversation with Ernesto. Apparently the man, who was from Mexico, had studied to become a Catholic priest in seminary for six years and dropped out, converting to evangelicalism. He was telling Ernesto that what the Catholic Church taught was all lies. Ernesto said the man would not give him much time to respond to any of his arguments like that he believed the Rosary was falsely invented, that prayer should only come from the heart, and not by way of the Rosary. He also said things like the idea of clerical celibacy was invented by a pagan queen who allowed her subjects to have sex but not to marry. Ernesto tried to tell him the Church in One, founded by Christ himself. The man asked him where, and asserted the Church was not founded in Rome, but in Jerusalem and walked off.
We then talked with Clara who took a Rosary and a "How to Pray the Rosary" pamphlet. I explained the Rosary as being a meditation on the Gospel which is the power to save for all who believe. She is a Christian and I invited her to join the Catholic Church explaining that Jesus never intended the division and multiple denominations. She left while taking the final word saying she believed it didn't matter what you believed as long as you believed.
We met Alejandra and Julio who go to Our Lady of Lourdes in Greenwood, SC. They were excited to see us there and took a 3 Minute Catechism (3MC) DVD. Then a lady from Mexico graciously took a Rosary, a "Como Rezar el Rosario" pamphlet, a "Las Buenas Noticias" pamphlet, a "La Confesion: Con Acto de Contrición" pamphlet, and a 3MC DVD. A woman named Bonnie then came by, took a Rosary and a "How to Pray the Rosary" pamphlet after I explained we were there to share our Catholic Faith and the Gospel.
Daniel Jimenez Ramirez and Maria Candelaria Trejo stopped by the table. Daniel took a Rosary, a "Como Rezar el Rosario" pamphlet, and a "Columna de Fuego, Columna de Verda" booklet. He spoke to Ernesto for sometime explaining about how he grew up Catholic, and still is but doesn't go to Mass very often. He believed it is very important for people to pray and was taught how to pray in the morning and evening as a child. Ernesto encouraged him to draw closer to God as God wants to be closer to him. We then met Dolores from California who was here to visit her mother. She took a Rosary and a "Como Rezar el Rosario" pamphlet. She said she knows the basics of how to pray the Rosary but wanted something more in depth for which the pamphlet sufficed.
Peace,
Caleb
I got one, don't worry. Just have to do some minor repairs on it.
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“Everything comes from love, all is ordained for the salvation of man, God does nothing without this goal in mind.” - St. Catherine of Siena
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Jocky Lot June 25, 2023
June 25, 2023
Joshua James, from San Antonio, used to be Catholic, but left because of the clergy abuse scandal (their parish had an abuser priest). He has been going to a Southern Baptist Church since. We acknowledged the horror of the abuse scandal and invited him back. He took a, "Why be Catholic" pamphlet and we pointed him to St. Joseph's in Anderson.
Pat, a real southern lady, liked the Divine Mercy picture we have on the table and commented she has many pictures of Jesus in her home. We gave her a chaplet and a pamphlet on how to pray the chaplet. We also briefly explained the vision of Jesus to St. Faustina and His message of mercy.
Christine (mom) and Sherlyn (daughter) are Catholic and go to Our Risen Savior in Spartanburg. They have not gone to Mass in two weeks because the Spanish speaking priest left and the one now is not fluent in Spanish. Ernesto encouraged them to be faithful. He gave an in depth explaination of how to pray the Rosary.
Daisy (mom) & Lily (daughter) - Daisy was raised Catholic, says she is spiritual now, but is looking back at her faith. She took Rosary for her daughter and a Gospel card, a pamphlet on abortion, and "Reasons to Return to the Catholic Church."
Rosalva and Juan are Catholic, go to Mass at St. Mary Magdeline, but do not take communion as they have lived together for 20 or more years and are not married. Ernesto explained the importance of matrimony being holy for our benefit to help each other to heaven and to build society. They took an Our Lady of Guadalupe holy card and a Rosary. Ernesto gave the number of St. Mary Magdeline Catholic Church and encouraged them to get married as soon as possible.
Barbara (Peruvian and Guatamalan) & Eric (Mexican) stopped by with their 5 kids. They are Catholic and took a 3MC (3 Minute Catechism) DVD, Rosaries, and a St. Jude medal with holy card.
A Hispanic family (Dad, mom, and son) who go to St. Mary of the Angels in Anderson were excited to take a couple Rosaries (they said they pray it often and are regular Mass goers). They also took a 3MC DVD.
Angela Maria and Senovio go to Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Lauren's. They are catechists for RCIA and the youth. Angela needed some 20 or so Rosaries for the recent confirmands and wanted to give me some money but I gave them to her anyways for free as we had recieved the Rosaries ourselves for free. As I talked to Senovio, Angela started evangelizing any Spanish speaking passerby. I invited them to join us sometime in the future or tell others in their parish about our apostolate.
Marcos and Amanda took Rosaries and a pamphlet on how to pray it.
We found out about some youngsters named Luke and Ciel who are immune compromised from Aaron and Becky who regularly sell at the Jocky Lot. We prayed for them together right there. Aaron is a Methodist and Becky's mother is Catholic but Becky went to a Baptist church for sometime and left because they did not respect native American culture (she is Blackfoot and Iroquois). Aaron took a Rosary for his mom with a pamphlet on how to pray it. I explained the connection of the Gospel (which they both affirmed they believe) and the Rosary. I also explained a bit about why catholics believe in the intercession of the saints. He also took a St. Jude medal with a holy card for a friend whom he said is really struggling. Without me even having to explain he already knew St. Jude as the patron of difficult situations.
We met so many Spanish speakers who wanted materials. We are running low! Please consider donating to help us cover the cost of Spanish pamphlets, booklets and Bibles!
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Jockey Lot June 18, 2023
June 19, 2023
On June 18th, 2023 from 8-12, Ernesto Fernandez and I went out for his first outing with SPSE and my first outing in the area. We set up at the Anderson Jocky Lot, a bustling flee market. Flee markets are a big deal down here and serve as social gathering places. I was very happy to have Ernesto, a native Spanish speaker from Cuba, as at least half of those there are also native Spanish speakers, many do not speak English.
We met several people who stopped to talk with us:
Pauline - A Methodist who was very interested in praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet. I reviewed the Gospel message with her and also went over basic Catholic prayers and taught her the chaplet. We invited her to join the Catholic Church and gave her the address of St. Mary's of the Angel's in Anderson.
Kayla & John - A young couple whom I explained the Gospel to and taught how to pray rosary. Both Christians they are not attending church regularly but showed interest.
Will - Who stated his grandmother was Catholic.
Jack Finley - Who can't read but took Fr. Michael Schmitz's "Love, Sacrifice, and Truth" CD. He confirmed he knows the Gospel and believes in it. We also invited him to consider the Catholic Church.
Bill - Who believes in Christ, has repented of sins, and has been baptized, but does not go a church. We invited him to join the Catholic Church and gave him the address of St. Mary's of the Angels in Anderson, a pamphlet "Why be Catholic", and the booklet "Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth". We told him Jesus founded the Catholic Church which continues through apostolic succession. He talked about the recent Dodgers scandal and sympathized with Catholics.
Debbie - Who is Catholic and just moved to area. She also shared that she is a recovering addict who credits faith and prayer to her recovery. She is not currently going to Mass so we pointed her to the closest parish, Our Lady of the Rosary. She took a rosary and the "How to Pray the Rosary" pamphlet. She was hoping to teach her children.
Danny and Carol - Both Baptists, believe the Gospel, andf sympathize with Catholics over the Dodgers scandal. They took rosaries and tracts "How to Pray the Rosary" , "Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth", and "Why be Catholic."
Couple from Honduras - Who are Catholic but did not know where to go to Mass. Since they live in Maldin, we encouraged them to go to St. Mary Magdaline's Spanish service and gave them the address.
Ernesto spoke to many more Spanish only speakers who took rosaries.
Please pray for all named and those un-named. Please pray for us as well.
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Hi y'all,