May 20, 2009
God bless you all! Well, now that I’ve graduated, I am finally turning in my last paper way overdue – my New Orleans Mardi Gras trip (2/18-2/25) report – to all my supporters. I am so sorry for the long wait! It was an amazing week. I learned a lot about God and the way He is working there and in my life.
God bless you all! Well, now that I’ve graduated, I am finally turning in my last paper way overdue – my New Orleans Mardi Gras trip (2/18-2/25) report – to all my supporters. I am so sorry for the long wait! It was an amazing week. I learned a lot about God and the way He is working there and in my life.
I arrived on a Wednesday as part of the set-up team. Two people (Pastor Terry Shuff & Preacher William Taylor) went ahead to the French Quarter while the rest set up. They encountered Lionel, a homeless man who desired to be freed from alcohol. He also wanted to get 
back into a relationship with Jesus. He stayed with us for the week until they were able to get him into a one-year discipleship program at the end of our stay. After 3 days, Lionel was ministering and handing out tracts with us on Bourbon Street. God is amazing!
On Thursday night, the set-up team went to minister on Bourbon St. in the French Quarter. On my way I met a hot dog vendor named Terry, who didn’t care much for “Christians.” He said he was tired of them pushing their religion on him and his customers, often chasing his customers away, and in turn costing him many sales. This was a Divine Appointment because God opened his heart to let me speak to him. Although he believed God, he was struggling because of the evil that surrounded him. Every night I had the chance to pray and speak with Terry. My last day, he ran after me to ask me to come back once more, so he could talk with me a little bit more about questions that he still had. Terry’s eyes were welling up with tears and he couldn’t even speak. I know that God used me to plant seeds in his life, so please pray with me that God will send someone else into Terry’s life to continue to water them.
The majority of the team arrived on Friday. There were 75-100 newly added faces from all over the U.S. and Mexico; 20-30 were pastors involved in different levels of ministry, many coming for their first time and bringing others from their churches. During the mornings several of us spent time together praying for discernment, safety, our pastors, our team, and in praise of the Almighty. Most afternoons we spent fellowshipping, worshipping, and preparing ourselves for the long nights (normally 10:00PM -3:00AM) of ministry Friday through Tuesday.
back into a relationship with Jesus. He stayed with us for the week until they were able to get him into a one-year discipleship program at the end of our stay. After 3 days, Lionel was ministering and handing out tracts with us on Bourbon Street. God is amazing!On Thursday night, the set-up team went to minister on Bourbon St. in the French Quarter. On my way I met a hot dog vendor named Terry, who didn’t care much for “Christians.” He said he was tired of them pushing their religion on him and his customers, often chasing his customers away, and in turn costing him many sales. This was a Divine Appointment because God opened his heart to let me speak to him. Although he believed God, he was struggling because of the evil that surrounded him. Every night I had the chance to pray and speak with Terry. My last day, he ran after me to ask me to come back once more, so he could talk with me a little bit more about questions that he still had. Terry’s eyes were welling up with tears and he couldn’t even speak. I know that God used me to plant seeds in his life, so please pray with me that God will send someone else into Terry’s life to continue to water them.
The majority of the team arrived on Friday. There were 75-100 newly added faces from all over the U.S. and Mexico; 20-30 were pastors involved in different levels of ministry, many coming for their first time and bringing others from their churches. During the mornings several of us spent time together praying for discernment, safety, our pastors, our team, and in praise of the Almighty. Most afternoons we spent fellowshipping, worshipping, and preparing ourselves for the long nights (normally 10:00PM -3:00AM) of ministry Friday through Tuesday.
One evening on the corners of Bourbon St. and St. Peters, I was asked to hold a 14’ cross on a street corner while the man who normally held it ran an errand. I am amazed at how the cross brings out people’s emotions and prompts them to come over and talk about the message it 
sends. Of course, many people were mockers and revelers, but there were also many who were reasonable and curious. It was these people whose hearts God opened for us to discuss what it means to love God and not fellowship with darkness. My most memorable experience was when a young man came to the foot of the cross with the “intentions of arguing and making a
mockery out of me.” To his surprise, God gave me the words to “answer a fool according to his folly.” God guided my words, and by the end of the conversation, the young man said, “Thank you, you are the most sincere person that I have met here. I had intended to have fun and make you look foolish in front of my friends, but you refused to engage me in a fight, and you answered all my questions intelligently. Not only have you done this, but you’ve made me rethink my stance of truth and who God might be. I will look more into what you said about Jesus and the Bible!”- Praise and Glory to God for his Words on my tongue that evening.
Another major part of the trip took place during the day on Saturday. We went to the Iberville Projects in the
4th Ward of downtown New Orleans, a very poor and violence-ridden area. I met a 6 yr old named Isaac whom I asked if he knew why we were there, and he said to talk about Jesus. I then asked him, “Do you know where Jesus is?”, and he responded by pointing to the all other missionaries around us, saying, “there, there, over there, there....” It reminded me that each of us show who Jesus is by who we are and what we do. We grilled food, ministered with multiple families, played games, cleaned up litter, held a raffle for the kids, had a baby shower for mothers with children under 1 yr old, gave out toiletries and clothing, and set up a stage for worshipping and engaging God.
I often forget about how skewed my view used to be about God, and how skewed others’ views are. We ministered to a lot of drunkards, homeless people, parents, children tarot card readers, homosexuals, witches, those with “inherited religion”, people who claim going to Confession will save them, feminists, college kids (relativists), vampires, fairies, pirates, and many others who are confused about absolute truth and the reality of God. I saw many miracles there, and felt God’s presence surrounding me, giving me words to speak, keeping me bold, giving me strength and keeping me safe during the different shootings that happened. “Greater is He that is in me!” I thank God for you and I thank you for your willingness to partner with me in reaching out to these “people walking in darkness.” God Bless you always!
In Christ’s Service,
sends. Of course, many people were mockers and revelers, but there were also many who were reasonable and curious. It was these people whose hearts God opened for us to discuss what it means to love God and not fellowship with darkness. My most memorable experience was when a young man came to the foot of the cross with the “intentions of arguing and making amockery out of me.” To his surprise, God gave me the words to “answer a fool according to his folly.” God guided my words, and by the end of the conversation, the young man said, “Thank you, you are the most sincere person that I have met here. I had intended to have fun and make you look foolish in front of my friends, but you refused to engage me in a fight, and you answered all my questions intelligently. Not only have you done this, but you’ve made me rethink my stance of truth and who God might be. I will look more into what you said about Jesus and the Bible!”- Praise and Glory to God for his Words on my tongue that evening.
Another major part of the trip took place during the day on Saturday. We went to the Iberville Projects in the
4th Ward of downtown New Orleans, a very poor and violence-ridden area. I met a 6 yr old named Isaac whom I asked if he knew why we were there, and he said to talk about Jesus. I then asked him, “Do you know where Jesus is?”, and he responded by pointing to the all other missionaries around us, saying, “there, there, over there, there....” It reminded me that each of us show who Jesus is by who we are and what we do. We grilled food, ministered with multiple families, played games, cleaned up litter, held a raffle for the kids, had a baby shower for mothers with children under 1 yr old, gave out toiletries and clothing, and set up a stage for worshipping and engaging God.I often forget about how skewed my view used to be about God, and how skewed others’ views are. We ministered to a lot of drunkards, homeless people, parents, children tarot card readers, homosexuals, witches, those with “inherited religion”, people who claim going to Confession will save them, feminists, college kids (relativists), vampires, fairies, pirates, and many others who are confused about absolute truth and the reality of God. I saw many miracles there, and felt God’s presence surrounding me, giving me words to speak, keeping me bold, giving me strength and keeping me safe during the different shootings that happened. “Greater is He that is in me!” I thank God for you and I thank you for your willingness to partner with me in reaching out to these “people walking in darkness.” God Bless you always!
In Christ’s Service,
Jeff Sobieralski
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