©  Focus on Jesus.  Focus on Souls.  ©

August 2, 2001 - Thursday

Alvaro Laraida was our Teen Challenge contact.  He is a 25-year-old handsome young man.  He had a choice between becoming a physics PhD and a staff member in Teen Challenge.  He chose the latter.  He grew up in church and acquired knowledge of God but decided Christianity was no fun and left for the world.  In university, he attended the varsity Bible club and God set him on fire.  He started to evangelize the post-docs and professors.  I had been reading I Samuel this week and Alvaro reminded me of the young David: ruddy, standing up for God and good looking, too.  Alvaro's wife Carla is 24-year-old.  She is a sociologist and also works for Teen Challenge.  Carla is sweet, intelligent and a Jesus chaser, too.  She said she is dying to have a baby but needs to wait because they've just been married for a year.  Alvaro and Carla make a lovely couple dedicating themselves to God and His calling to serve drug addicts, alcoholics and prostitutes.  Jim encouraged Alvaro that one day he may do similar work to what Steve is doing now: sending the repentance message and Good News to millions all over the world.
 

Pass out Crusade Tracks

Had breakfast at eight.  Then, we went out to spread the flyers near the hotel.  From 9:15 to 11:15 a.m., I gathered my guts and walked up and down the hilly streets near Hotel Fenix and through a city park.  (A day later, Phil shared his experience with this city park at night.  It was a place where homosexuals come to solicit 'companions.')  I greeted folks waiting at the bus stops and pedestrians, went into stores, and gave to the taxi drivers waiting for business.  Most of the people 'encountered' were friendly with a little curiosity.  They must have wondered what this Asian face murmuring terribly broken Portuguese was trying to pass out.  Half jokingly, I thought to myself, "Wow, I spent $1,700 to come to Portugal to pass out crusade tracks."  In two hours, all the flyers ran out.  I felt mission accomplished.

The team met at 2:30 p.m. for the second assignment - going to a city square to spread more flyers.  Alvaro came to lead us.  Jim asked him to share what he thought about last night.  With tears in his eyes, he said he had never before seen people running to the altar like last night.  His words made me realize "heck with the $1,700 - every penny is worth it."  Beside, it's the Lord's money to begin with.  I felt embarrassed and apologized to the Lord.  Everything I have is His.  He has given me much but I still forget and gripe sometimes.  Alvaro also said that one thing good about working with Teen Challenge students was he did not need to teach them about Satan.  They knew Satan exists.
 

Youth for the Mission Mime Team

At the city square, we met the mime team from Youth for the Mission while passing out tracks.  They regularly perform at this location.  Before starting the mime show, some of them went to the street corners and gave out flyers.  Recently, they had been giving out the same ones like ours.  A while later, the motor was started to run the stereo and loud speakers.  The teenage artists, with their faces painted on the left half, began to perform in a unit of two to three in each praise song.  Their movements speak their heart for Christ.  I was deeply touched and envied them of their great courage to dance and share Jesus on the street. 
 

My Roommate Lori

Lori, my roommate, and I skipped dinner to have a nap.  Travel, not being able to sleep long enough at night and all the walking during the daytime finally caught up with me.  This nap was undoubtedly life saving. 

Lori was delivered at the Brownsville Revival from alcohol, drug and bad relationships with man.  She completed the Brownsville School of Revival and a Christian college.  Now, she is in the internship and will soon join the ministry work.  She is a night owl.  After we came back from the crusade she would go out to hunt for food and return after 2 a.m.
 

The 2nd Awake Portugal Crusade

God's presence seemed stronger than last night to me.  Steve's message was based on Mark 2:4-12.  The four friends carried the paralytic, broke the roof and lowered the bed in front of Jesus.  Jesus forgave the crippled man's sin and he was healed.  Four guys from our team happened to wear suits and ties and were summoned to carry the bed on stage. (They all looked real good on stage.  We were proud of them.)  Steve used himself as a modern example of the paralytic, and Jim and others had carried him to Jesus.  Again, Steve's repentance message cut right into the audience's hearts.  The service seemed even more powerful than yesterday.  At the altar call, Steve asked people to run to the altar to kneel and repentant.  Than, he'd ask the audience remaining at their seats to turn to the person next to him/her and ask, "Do you need forgiveness?"  If the answer was yes, Steve asked one accompanying the other and both came to the altar.  The second chance almost added as many souls as the first call.

Kept praying in the Spirit, the Lord led me to pray for many young people.  Angela, 22-year-old, and his 19-year-old brother Bruno asked me to pray for their dad who had seemed bitter and stubborn.  We talked quite a bit.  Team members Elena, Judy and Linda received a holy laughter.  They laughed in the subway and all the way back to the hotel.