September 2nd, 2023 Prayer Update
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”
We had a full house of volunteers on Saturday and the gospel was proclaimed nearly 50 times. Our four outreach teams distributed many Bibles to the homeless. We continue to trust God that the gospel seeds scattered will be sown where God has ordained and the people who received Bibles will be drawn to read them.
Thank you for reading this email and prayerfully lifting these individuals and their requests to the Lord. We are confident that God hears the prayers of his people. We desire to be faithful to pray for the homeless knowing that their greatest need is satisfied by Christ alone.
Our team had a meaningful conversation with Heather (right). She was very interested in studying the Bible and we are prayerfully going to make this happen the next time we meet with her.
NORTH CONCORD TEAM
We've known Granville for over ten years and we've shared the gospel with him dozens of times. Seeing him again caused us to continue to pray for his salvation hopeful that he will read the Bible given to him.
Nona is a young lady full of hatred toward God. Please pray for her to put off that hatred and put on love for Him.
Paul is well-spoken guy who seems to have a lot of knowledge about Jesus and the Bible. The team discussed passages from the gospel of John and Matthew with him. We would ask you to pray along with us for him to comprehend God's word and to have a desire to apply it to his life.
Gina is a kind woman who shared with our team that she struggles with addiction but had good focus and attention when our team walked her through portions of the book of John.
Gina's boyfriend Alex also spoke with our team. Alex is friendly and accepted the addiction booklet that our team shared with the pair. They are looking to relocate to Chico and our team provided a clear gospel presentation as well as a suggestion for a church.
The North Concord team distributed supplies between another large group and the county-run shelter. Many very open to conversation and they are always appreciative when our team arrives with food and coffee. We are hopeful for future opportunities to present the gospel.
Our second Bible study participant, Anthony
Concord - RV Bible Study
Our Hope680 leaders Bob & Toby have known Anthony for several years. We were grateful to have focused time in God's word (Psalm 139) with him clearly presenting the gospel message. The team answered questions and prayed for Anthony to be more immersed in God's word. He expressed interest in additional Bible study and that he would like to bring along a friend.
CENTRAL CONCORD
Mike said he studied religion in college but doesn't want anyone to preach to him. He has no confidence or faith in God or Jesus. He takes drugs daily and states that he doesn't need God. He reluctantly allowed the team to pray for him. It's out prayer that the kindness and care extended to him will soften his heart towards God and the gospel message.
We met another man named Mike. He was very open and receptive. We prayed with him and he accepted a Bible from the team.
Nacho doesn’t speak very much English. We've seen him many times before. We did our best to communicate and offer him our Spanish gospel materials.
The team encouraged Shawn to read his Bible and rely on it for truth. Shawn had some strange ideas about aliens mixed in with his basic Bible knowledge. We prayed with and for him.
Shawn's girlfriend, Diamond, was clearly under the influence of either drugs or alcohol. She didn't want to talk to anyone but did receive coffee and food.
Dave was sound asleep when our team approached him. When we asked him how long he has been on the street he replied 'too long' but also told our team that he doesn't care to get off the street. He was only interested in the coffee and sandwiches we could provide.
PITTSBURG ANTIOCH TEAM
Andrew (above, right) shared a prayer request to return to sobriety. He shared about his children and his struggles with finances and in turn, the team shared with him the hope and the love of Christ. We pray that our conversation will be food for thought for Andrew.
Jason (above left) was pretty high on drugs when the team approached and he was talking 90 miles an hour. We prayed for him and his family.
Jacqueline (above) was bruised and battered when the team approached her. They provided her with the number for the national abuse hotline. At the beginning of the conversation, there was someone hovering around but Jacqueline stated he was not the one who had caused her recent injuries. She told our team that she wants to be sober and have a relationship with God. She expressed interest in our Bible study program. She was in tears as the team prayed for her. She gave the team her phone number.
Vincent shared he applied for a job as a forklift driver but was unable to pass the drug test. The Antioch team leader had a long-time connection and was direct with Vincent about making the right choices. They read the Armor of God together. Vincent was reminded that in order to change his life he needs to give up the drugs. Please pray that Vincent gets equipped to make God-honoring choices.
Johnny Mills is possibly a good candidate for a Bible study. He did not look like a "typical" homeless person. The team prayed with and for him and provided him with food. He shared that he is looking for contractor work.
Please also pray for Wade, Monica, and Missy. All of them seemed more focused on the food and coffee and didn't appear to have hearts that were open toward the gospel.
Please consider signing up for our next outreach on September 16th. We have open slots to bring a breakfast item, pack some lunches or bake some cookies for our volunteers. We greatly appreciate your help.
We continue to pray for those who might be able to contribute a small additional monthly gift of $25 or $50 a month to help with ongoing Hope680 expenses, included our offices, and RV maintenance. We are trusting God to continue to provide through you!
FYI Our Executive Staff and Leaders (including Toby and all team leaders) are unpaid volunteers - all donations go 100% towards the running of Hope680, including administrative contractors, our facilities, and RV maintenance costs, as well as ministry supplies.
Thank you for your faithful prayers, support and encouragement! We are so thankful for each and every person who reads and prays through these updates! You're a crucial part of Hope680, and you bring Glory to God through your prayers and service!