LIFE AND DEATH EXPERIENCES OF A LOCAL MISSION PREACHER

Dear Fellow Workers in Christ,

The journey God has taken me on these past five years has been both overwhelming and exciting--but always an honor and privelige! In my work with families at Allenhurst Apartments, Peachtree Apartments, and just some various people here and there God put in my path--has given me many insights on life and death! Let me share a few stories.

DEATH

Let me share a few death experiences. I guess my first would have to be the little angel named Miranda Todd--in the early days of the Nehemiah Ministry--before we ever planted At The Cross. I remember like yesterday, sitting on the sidewalk in front of her apartment (before we ever had a church apartment) and sharing the Gospel with her and eventually baptizing her when I was still serving at New Hope Church of Christ. I remember a few months later one day--right after tutoring--we were trying to leave the church apartment before Wednesday night class--and she was in the kitchen trying to grab some extra snacks to take home because she was always hungy bless her heart. And I was yelling at her to hurry up because we had to go. Little did I know that the next evening she would be hit by a car in front of Allenhurst and would die a few days later. That was the most difficult funeral I would ever preach! And yet--I saw God take that situation and actually bring many of HIS people together from several local congregations and for a moment--we had real unity! I remember planning the funeral and we had ministers and shepherds from four different congregations participate in the funeral. We had youth ministers from New Hope, Valley Creek, Meadowview, and Mesquite Churches of Christ participate. We had two pulpit ministers, and some other various mulit-congregational members involved. Along with a bunch of our Allenhurst and other church kids coming on stage to sing some special kids' songs. And that difficult moment got so many Christians out of their church buildings and serving and loving on lost people in Mesquite! The only thing I can compare to it--would be how God used 9/11 to create a period of time where Americans were no longer afraid to talk about HIM. I remember having a memorial service before the funeral at our church apartment the day before the funeral. We must have had over 60 people in that little two bedroom apartment that day! No one seemed to care. We just all were packed in close together and prayed and sang hymns--in a nasty old apartment complex. BUT GOD WAS HONORED! I will never, ever forget Miranda and the faith that child had! She changed my life and the lives of many in the Lord's church. Her step-mother and five step-siblings are still involved in our church today and still live at Allenhurst.

I will continue this series on life and death again soon and leave you with this for now. We serve an awesome God! If you and or your congregation are not reaching lost, hurting people nearby your building and your homes--lets go now! Lets not wait! There are MANY MORE MIRANDAS OUT THERE WHO NEED JESUS SOOOO BAD!!!!!!!

Love in Christ,

Bruce