A couple weeks ago, after taking Crystal and me to the airport to fly to Arizona one last time, Jonathan stayed overnight in Rapid City so that he could join an evangelistic team distributing gospel booklets at the Sturgis Bike Rally.
This rally is an annual event that draws a hundred thousand bikers--most of whom desperately need the Lord.
Booklets written and printed by Gospel Publishing Mission with the rally in view had been printed in a Central or South American location to save money and then shipped to the USA. The boxes were sitting on a trailer in the parking lot of a church in town.
Sunday afternoon after attending church and Sunday dinner at the Woodards' home, Jonathan's team traveled to Sturgis, discovering another group of Christians gathered around a large cross. The group was forming a circle to pray, and Jonathan's team joined them.
They prayed for the people at this bike rally.
Here is the booklet the team was giving out.
The team split into groups of two, and Jonathan and his team member walked down about eight blocks of Sturgis, handing out about 500 booklets.
One of the team members shared how that when they handed a booklet to a man, he rejected it, but then changed his mind and turned around.
"I used to be a Christian," he said, "but I lost my way. I need to get back to God."
That is why Jonathan joined Gospel Publishing Mission that Sunday afternoon.
It's why we keep working on the all-purpose building at Martin Lakota Chapel during the week.
"What do you think of it, Dad?" Danny texted along with the above photo he'd taken after he and the Lakota workers had finished all the siding they could do on the place.
It's the same spirit of evangelism that a team had thirty-five years ago in June of 1989,
when my brother and I joined a group going to China to share the gospel for ten days.
I am hoping to find time to do the final edit of the story about that trip in this proof that came in the mail a couple months ago.
It's why we keep working--even in the middle of our own personal battles.
People need the Lord.
And we need to tell them about Him and His love--whether in word, in deed, or in printed form.
God so loved the world.
And that includes you.
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