TUESDAY NIGHT DURHAM STREET STUFF

We started out with an awesome night of ministry in the Durham County Jail. It seems like every meeting we have there is getting better and better. What is so good is that the inmates that we have worked with prior on the streets give us credibility because they know us. The things that we have ministered to them have much more value than they did when they were on the streets. Each time we go in we talk to the inmates about contacting us to help them with being discipled. Many said that they wanted a RAVEN shirt and I told them that I want them to have one too. We told them what it takes is getting their life right with the Lord then join the team and give back to the community by reaching those that do not know JESUS.

Next it was off to Hyde Park & Holloway to try to locate Elijah. Elijah who is a crack addict is the one that was eating and drinking from the trash can in McDonald's last week. An officer told me that he comes from a very good family and that his mother is a mess worrying about him. We looked all over the area but were unsuccessful in finding him. We will continue praying and looking for him. We are hoping to get him into rehab when we locate him. We gave a Hispanic family with several kids some much needed food then headed to the McDougald Terrace Projects.

Upon arrival at McDougald we had a number of people greet us. We got Georgia and Paula to pass out the food. This is something new that we have started doing because it goes so much smoother with them putting the people in order than us having to deal with it.

We had a bunch of people come out to get a large quantity of food that we had on the van. It is such a blessing to be able to bless these people with the food. Eileen and I really get time to mingle and much more time to minister to the people. The friendships are growing and with that bring the trust that opens the door to be able to minister into their lives. Elgin, my 10 year old project is doing better at school but still is not doing good at home. He is doing better with us which is a breakthrough. The sweets work as a good leverage tool to be able to make adjustments to him. I am going to start volunteering in his school soon so I will hopefully be able to get more time with him.

Eileen spends some time with a couple of the regular teens. These are girls that we continue to sow into their lives each visit that we make.

NOW THIS WAS CRAZY!!!! When we were leaving McDougald and approaching a bus stop I told Eileen to give the three people a candy bar. I handed them to her and as we got to them Eileen put her window down and handed the three their candy bars. The look on the one closest to us was very strange. She looked very confused and I thought that she was going to be rude and not take them. The next thing said was "lady, you scared the "H" out of me!! We still did not know what to think until she told us how we approached then slowed down and the next thing she saw was something silver coming out of the window. Yes, she thought that she was going to be the victim of a drive-by shooting. Another guy that was there thought the same thing. Isn't it sad that they would be thinking that way? We gave them a second candy bar and a cross penny. We were able to laugh about it with them but the one girl was very shaken by this. We will do this a bit different in the future.

WE NEED COATS, HATS, GLOVES, RAINCOATS, UMBRELLAS, AND BLANKETS TO PREPARE FOR COLDER WEATHER. PLEASE DO NOT GIVE ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD NOT WEAR.

We also continue to work on our ministry partner support. If you are interested in helping this ministry to go and reach the lost and to go and help those in need please contact us. We can not express our thanks enough to those that have stepped up to financially help us. We PRAISE THE LORD for touching the hearts of those of you that have helped!!!

If you would like to send a tax deductible check made out to RAVEN Outreach Ministries you can send it to:

6300 Leesville Rd.

Durham, NC. 27703

or you can go to the website http://www.ravenraleigh-durham.com/ and click on the donate button to donate by PayPal. We greatly appreciate also all the prayer warriors that intercede for us. God Bless you all!!!

"D" (Darin) Update

I received a call from "D" today. He said that he could not handle the rehab. He said that he needed to get back here and he could fix everything in his life. He asked me to come to Charleston, South Carolina to pick him up. I told him that I wanted him to grab a Bible and read something and then we would talk. I told him to look up Proverbs 26:11.

Proverbs 26:11 As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness.

He read the verse out loud then there was silence until he again said, "Pastor, I really need you to come and get me". I told him "I care too much for you to do that". He begged me to come and bring him back to Durham. I told him that there was not a chance of that happening. We had already discussed all of this prior to him leaving. I told him if he wanted to return to the mess that he was in then he would have to find his own way. It is sad that he is letting the devil deceive him. Please join me in praying that he will wake up and see that he is in an excellent program!!!

"D" IS IN VICTORY OUTREACH

PRAISE THE LORD!!! "D" was ready to go as scheduled this morning when I went to pick him up. He went with me to Angier Avenue Baptist to drop off some food and it was a blessing that he was able to meet Pastor Bubba. Pastor Bubba was able to minister to him some too.

There was a small problem with hooking up with Victory but I took him to get some lunch and when we returned they were there. He was nervous and asked me to buy him a pack of cigarettes which always brings a "NO" answer. He said "consider this my last pack" and I said, "consider your last pack that you had the last pack". "D" was very thankful for our help and I know that deep inside he is excited about getting his life straightened out. It was kind of sad to leave him but I know that he is in good hands. Please pray for "D" and for Pansie as they make this huge change in their lives.

Homeless Elijah

The McDonald's at Miami & Holloway has many homeless that come in begging for food. One homeless guy in his late teens or early 20's named Elijah was going from table to table asking people if he could have some food. I then watched him start going through the trash can drinking drinks and eating fries. I then called him over and told him that I had food in the van that he could have. As we walked out I started talking with him and found that like so many that he is hooked on crack. When I opened the back of the van and he saw all the food he really got excited. He was very polite and I asked him if two half subs would be enough. He said yes but I could tell that he really wanted more. I gave him another sandwich and he asked if by chance I had anything chocolate. I found a nice big piece of chocolate cake with cookies on top that brought a big smile to his face. As quick as I handed him a fork he had it open and was tearing into it.

Evidently McDonald's management had complained about several homeless people hanging around. Another one had came to the van for food. There was a uniformed Durham police officer in a personal vehicle that was watching us and told me to take him with me. (meaning Elijah) I told him that Elijah said that he was not ready to make any changes in his life right now. The officer told me that Elijah comes from a good family and the hurt that his mother feels for him being out on the streets. Elijah walked off and my thoughts were that I really needed to sit him down and talk with him. I could not do that while having "D" with me. Please be praying that I will come across his path again. He flagged me down this morning but I was on my way to Victory Outreach with "D" and could not stop. I pray that Elijah's life will be changed and that peace can come to his family.

We must get Elijah to follow what his wonderful name means "my God is Yahweh". Right now he is following the lead of his god the devil.

TWO MORE CRACK ADDICTED PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS OF DURHAM!!!

We were blessed to know that two of our good friends are off the streets of Durham. Pansie and her friend "D" are on their way to being rehabilitated. Pansie has been a prostitute for years. "D" was said to be her pimp but we believe that he was not and that these two were just very good friends. "D" always said that he was on the streets to keep her safe. We have known them since first hitting the streets of Durham. Pansie told us last week that she was coming off the streets but we have heard that many times. "D" has always told me that once Pansie left the streets that he would get help too. Here is a picture from last week when we got the news that she was getting off the streets. We have had a very close relationship with these two and have ministered the Word of God to them a number of times. These two called me their pastor and they called Eileen "mama".

Early last evening I had just settled into my chair for some rest when the phone rang. It was "D" saying "it is time". I hope and prayed that this call would come. I forgot about how tired I was and quickly got dressed and headed out. I met "D" at the corner of Hyde Park & Holloway and he jumped right in the van. We started toward Victory Outreach and he asked me if there was any way that he could have some McDonald's before going in. I told him yes and we stopped. "D' was excited about getting his life on track. He even started ministering to others in McDonald's.

We spent a couple hours talking between McDonald's and at Victory. It was refreshing to hear him repeat things that we had said to him while ministering that had stuck in his head. It was refreshing to hear him say what a difference that we have made in their lives. Sometimes in this type of ministry you wonder if anything is being absorbed. His Word says that the WORD shall not return void!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!! I shared with him that we were proud of him and Pansie. I shared how Eileen and I have felt in the type of ministry that we are in as to how it is so hard when we leave the streets and know that people like them are still in their situation refusing help. I shared how heartbreaking that can be. I told him that times like this made it all worth it.

He then he told me that he needed to talk to his wife before leaving town. We have known that he had a wife and 3 kids along with a couple grandkids. I had also listened as he made a call to his oldest daughter and he told her that he would not see her for a while. He told her to kiss his grandson for him. He told his daughter that he would not be able to see her for a while but when she did see him again that she would have a better daddy. It was heartbreaking to hear the conversation. I told "D" that in this situation that most people will never get back to the point of going into rehab after returning to their environment. I ended up taking him to his wife's place and I will return to get him around 11:30 this morning. Please pray that the enemy will not be able to turn him from getting the help that he needs. I strongly feel that "D" will still be ready to go this morning. I feel that he has come to the end of the road. His comment to me last night was "I am tired of being sick and tired". As the chilly rain fell he said that he is tired of spending nights in these conditions. As I got ready to leave he said "I love you Pastor Terry and I will see you tomorrow" and I said "I love you "D". These two people are so special to us!!