Back in Orlando

Well, the last week was spent in Miami being taught by a guy named Bob Felder, as well as going out and evangelizing on college campuses there. I've found that college campuses are a much easier place to share the gospel with people than downtown Orlando on Friday and Saturday nights. Apart from the fact that all the people I've encountered on college campuses are sober, they are generally much more open to a conversation. Bob has spent many years working at Miami Dade college, which has about 100,000 commuter students between it's two campuses. He shared with us about what Mormons and Jehovah's witnesses believe, as well as some approaches He uses to get into a conversation and share the gospel. The majority of the time in Miami however, was spent going and doing various things-all involving evangelism. It was an extremely good week in which we were able to speak with and share the gospel with more than two hundred people in a personal setting.

When I say evangelism, let me share what that can look like. When I go out to evangelize, I go and strike up a conversation with people in the most real, normal way I am capable of. If they want to talk, great. If not, I pray for them as they or I walk away. I use a variety of approaches, but my end goal is not necessarily to get them to pray a prayer. Everyone in downtown Orlando on Friday and Saturday nights getting drunk or trying to get laid is a "Christian". People honestly believe because they walked down an aisle one time and prayed a prayer that it means they are going to heaven. A true "born-again" Christian life will be changed, it will be different. How can an encounter with Almighty God, creator of the universe not change a person. It is absolutely impossible for such to be the case. And while lack of discipleship, even backsliding exist, there should be a difference between them and non-Christians. The bible says "you will know them by their fruit". These are some of the things God has been showing me lately. So, the end result for me is to share the truth of the gospel with people and destroy the view of God so much of America has. It's incredibly how many people forget that because God is loving He is also Just. So I go, and my goal is ultimately to help bring a restoration of what the bible says apposed to the misconceptions many have. And if I do this, people will see that they need God not by what I say or do, but by the very revelation scripture brings. It makes the concept of "this is how many people were saved by this message etc" seem so trite and even wrong, because of an inaccurate portrayal of what it truly means to be "born-again".

So God is showing me a whole ton of stuff lately, including misconceptions I have held that now-to be frank-make me sick. And while I by no means know everything, or even a lot, I have a passion to grow and seek truth. God's also been giving me a heart for the people here in America, which I have struggled with some after coming back from Africa. How can a place that so vehemently claims to be Christian be so lost? I pray that God will bring about a turning away from the watered down gospel and misconceptions that many believe, and will do my best to help that. Thank you all for all your support and prayers. Together we are changing lives eternally.

-Nate