As we gathered for communion this morning, the tears flowed freely, and the emotions were raw. Our little congregation is messy right now. Perhaps this is how the apostles felt as they attempted to shepherd the early church. God is working in so many amazing ways, and there is so much work to be done. New believers who are still living in sinful relationships, people who are experiencing disdain from their families because of their newfound faith, people who are convicted of their sin and fighting the call of God to salvation, believers from cultures where worship services are very different from ours. Our gathering represents the body of Christ, where people from every kindred, tribe, and nation come together for the united purpose of worshiping God. And it’s uncomfortable, messy, and raw.

We have asked you in previous prayer letters to pray for Jacob’s friend, Zach. Jacob had the privilege of leading Zach to the Lord about a month ago and has begun the process of discipling him. Jacob stood beside him last week as 23-year-old Zach gave his testimony of being lost in sin and now saved by grace. This young man is at the church every time the doors are open with so many questions. He is giving his time on weekends to serve at outreaches. His unsaved family, who are estranged from each other, attended his baptism because they had seen such a profound change in him. Zach is in tears whenever we pray for salvation because he powerfully understands the truth of God’s grace. Please pray for his family to come to know Christ.

Luke is a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) who found Crossroads online while looking for places to interact with deaf and ASL speakers. He doesn’t have much religious background but is open to the Bible as long as he gets to interact in ASL. His exact words were, “I’d love to listen to a service in ASL and then hang around for a couple of hours afterward and talk, in ASL, about what was said.” Pray for the word of God to pierce Luke’s heart and that he will see his need for salvation through his raw desire for community.

Most of our neighbors are Muslim and Hindu. A recent outreach at a city park drew many Muslim families to our tent for popcorn and face painting. A recent Hindi event in our neighborhood ended with a parade down the street with hundreds of Hindi families following a HUGE float with a Hindu god on it. We stood in the front room of our house with raw emotions as we wept for our neighbors as they loudly and extravagantly worshiped this idol. Please pray that we will have “Mars Hill” moments as we seek to share with our friends and neighbors about the ONE true GOD.