FLORIDA 2021 MISSION TRIP UPDATE

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The Villages at Lady Lakes • Word of the Life, Hudson • Clearwater/Largo
God blessed us with lots of sunshine and great weather, safety and protection, super fun fellowship with our team and amazing “Divine Appointments”. Our team collectively rode approximately 2,700 miles, had only 1 flat tire, talked to over a hundred of people about the Gospel, and had the wonderful privilege of praying with 4 people who came to know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior.

Meet our new Christian friends:

Laura, age 75 from upstate NY, came to know Jesus when she heard the Truth from the Word of God. She had grown up in church but was not sure of her salvation. Judy and Laura had similar backgrounds so it was easy for Judy to share the basics of the Gospel and Laura was comfortable to ask questions in her search for peace and understanding. It has been a blessing to follow up with Laura, help her get a new Bible, encourage her to attend a local church and give her direction to begin studying the Word of God.
Our team member, Debbie, met Hope at breakfast on the first day of our trip. Hope shared that she was in the area to attend the funeral of her Mom the day before. Debbie had a wonderful conversation with her about life and what happens when we die. Hope had attended church most of her life but believed that if she was good enough she would get to Heaven. That morning, as God ordained that divine appointment and Hope’s heart was open and ready to receive the Truth, she placed her faith and trust in Jesus alone. Debbie was able to spend time with her praying and giving her Bible materials before they departed. Hope left that morning with more than just “hope” that she would get to heaven when she died – she left knowing that Jesus died for her, that He paid the price for her sins and she has assurance of her eternal life.
Joe was working on the Suncoast bicycle trail, holding up a SLOW / STOP sign where construction was taking place. It was a pretty easy witnessing opportunity because Joe had no place to go, I just had to be willing to stop and share and I am so glad I did. As we talked, Joe told me that he went to church with his family until 8th grade but never went back because his friends quit going. Now, at age 52, he confessed he hadn’t thought much about God, church or even death. He was very open to hearing what the Bible had to say plus it was such a cool situation because no one was in a hurry. As Joe heard the Truth, from the Word of God, he exploded with questions and concerns. However, in less than 20 minutes, and with tears in his eyes, his last question was, “Judy, why haven’t I heard this before?” Then after answering a few more questions for Joe, he looked at me and said, “I think you might be the first adult person I have ever known that I trust that you are telling me the Truth.” Wow, with tears in my eyes, I asked Joe if he was ready to surrender his life to the Lord. This man was so excited that when he was given the opportunity to pray and ask Jesus to forgive him and invite Him into his heart and life, he called out to God and was saved. As we pedaled off, I said, “Joe, if I don’t see you again in this life, I’ll see you in heaven!”
Hey, my friends, I hope you’ll be intentional about witnessing too, there might be a “Joe or a Mary” waiting for YOU to tell them about Jesus!
Allison, age 55 from Florida, was sitting at a picnic table at the beautiful SunWest Beach in Hudson, FL. The team stopped to check out the beach and look for people to talk with about Jesus. While most of the team talked with the beach ranger, Judy spotted Allison, who was reading a book under the shelter. They talked for quite a while about the Truth of the Word of God and about life and death. Allison thought that her good works and kindness would get her to a better place when she died so she wasn’t concerned about eternity. Her church never taught her that salvation is a free gift that can’t be earned or bought. As Allison heard the Truth and learned that eternal life in Heaven is a free gift to all who place their faith and trust in Jesus, she was eager to hear more. As Allison heard the teachings of the Bible, that we must repent of our sins and surrender our lives to the Lord, trusting in Jesus alone for the forgiveness of our sins, she prayed and invited Jesus into her heart and life.
We witnessed to people that we met along the trails, at the hotels where we stayed, at the grocery store where we shopped and at the ice cream stops, and even restaurants where we picked up dinner. We had one day of inclement weather so we went to Wal-Mart and gave out Good News cards and talked with folks about Jesus both in the store and in the parking lot. On our last day we pedaled to The Gulf and put our feet in the refreshing water.
We thank the Lord for all the fun and blessings… to Him be all the Glory! Until we meet again, my friends, you are in my thoughts and prayers!