Wayne County Fair

As we drove out of Wooster and back towards our home in Cleveland, I (Elaine) began to think about our experiences these past two days at the Wayne County Fair. The tract giving, the prayer, the 1-to-1 witnessing, the open-air preaching. This had all taken place over the span of a few days. When I began to think about all of this, I began to realize the effect it had on the both of us.

My husband was full of excitement from the beginning. He couldn't wait to get out to the fair and begin reaching out to a dying world. He began handing out tickets for a raffle the first day which would cause a large crowd to form for our open air time. We met a young man named Brian there who Ryan teamed up with for some group witnessing. The second day he began by conducting a survey with three teenage guys which led them into the gospel. He also prayed with a woman about her job situation and gave out hundreds of millions to people. From the moment we got there til the moment we left he was full of this enthusiasm as he dived into the evangelism pool and took a swim. Ryan left the fair full of joy and anxious for our next evangelism outing.

My experience was a little different. I was nervous to go out and evangelize. Unlike my husband, I have no training or experience in the field of witnessing apart and am more of an introvert. However, I know that God is calling my husband and I to be in ministry together and he calls every Christian to go out and share the good news. I wanted to be eased into it but I also knew that I needed to follow God wherever he led me. The first day I handed out the raffle tickets as well and during the open air, I gave out some 10 commandment coins to the crowd. The first night, me and another worker, were able to pray with a woman who's little girl was having some trouble at school. The second day, I wanted to focus on evangelizing with my husband. I stood by him when he did the survey and thumbed through my Bible looking for ways to confirm what my husband was saying. I prayed alongside him with the woman with the job struggle. Afterwards, we walked through the fair handing out tracts to people.

My experience was amazing. I knew in the midst of this that we were living out an obedience to God's command. I felt joyful to be around people with a passion for the lost. I felt a deeper conviction to get into my Bible more. I was ecstatic to be working beside my husband (in our church, we often are doing different things). I felt a tremendous happiness that I was stepping out of my comfort zone for God.

God did not just bless us through this experience. We as a group had a small time of sharing the second night of how we were all being affected by all this and we heard one after another after another share what God was doing in the hearts of sinners we had come into contact with. I saw passion in these people, but more than that I saw a Christlikeness in them.

I would like to ask that anyone who reads this to please pray for the people that we talked to or gave tracts to. I would also ask that you pray for the workers as they need your prayers as well. Please pray for my husband and I also and that we would continue to go down the path God is leading us on and that he will guide us and provide for us.

God Bless!