Redding, CA

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The following report comes to us from team leader Amber with the Our Lady of Mercy team in Redding, CA:

Today was our first outing as a team and I am so happy with how well it went. We set up our table outside the local library and I saw no trace of the nervousness I expected from our new team members. We had a number of people approach us for rosaries before I even had time to set up the table, so we dove right in. It was a blessing to interact with so many people and listen to their stories. It is clear there are more people who are earnestly seeking God than we might think.

One woman, Effie, told us that she has just started learning about Jesus and reads from her Bible often, but is trying hard to make sense of things. She comes from a family with Native American cultural spirituality but said she knew it wasn’t a good thing for her. She accepted a free rosary but then asked what exactly to do with it. Effie confessed that she doesn’t know how to pray, and asked me how she can start. She didn’t like to hear how everyone seems to pray just to get things. Effie wanted to know how to pray for guidance. I told her that she can pray any way she wants to, that God knows her heart and needs, and then offered her a pamphlet on how to pray the rosary and a Holy Spirit card in case she wants something traditional and structured for when she doesn’t have the words. She seemed to readily accept the idea that prayer for the soul is like food and water for the body, and was comforted to know that she isn’t expected to intellectually understand every mystery.

May God soften the hearts of those we spoke to today and make them fertile ground for the seeds of the Holy Spirit. More to come soon, as this was a fruitful outing.

Praised be Jesus Christ!