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A Pilgrim's Progress

- Another Blogger Blog's

This past weekend we held our 2nd annual Kentucky Derby Street Preaching Blitz. Although we had some rain/thunderstorms on Saturday, the weekend went very well. Thursday evening we started off with singing and preaching at the camp. Friday we were out on the street from about 10:00 to 3:00. It was the normal atmosphere, with many "christians" telling us we were doing it wrong, drunks getting mad, etc. On our way to the area we usually preach at, a man in a golf cart drove by and started yelling at us. When a couple of the preachers responded, he came back, got out of the golf cart, and ran at us like he was going to hit someone. It is amazing how quickly the sinners get stirred up...we hadn't even started preaching, and they were already getting mad! Overall, though, Friday was a pretty mild day.
Saturday was a little more wild. Due to bad weather, we didn't get out there til about 2:00, and the second we stepped out of the vehicles, you could feel the spiritual tension. Within 5 minutes of getting to the corner, confrontations and debates started! I was literally moving from one end of the line and back again, keeping an eye on which conversation had the most potential for aggression! It was a real blessing to have several men out with us who pretty much made it their sole job to bodyguard. During the last hour and a half out, we ran some "caution" tape between a couple trees, and kept everyone but the bodyguards and camcorders behind it. The whole spirit, atmosphere and even the women's dress (or lack of dress) was worse than it had been the previous year. The police gave us a little trouble, and right as we were getting ready to leave, an officer approached and said he was asking us to leave-there was too much aggression, and they couldn't be there protecting us when people got mad. When Dad read them the law about protecting those exercising their 1st Amendment right of free speech (even when it is unpopular), another office got mad and responded with some very vulgar language. They finally walked off a little ways, and as we continued to pack up, a couple Marines got mad and basically started a mini riot. The police moved in right away, including 4 mounted officers, and sent them on their way. Honestly, if we had stayed out longer (after the race actually let out), we almost definitely would have had a riot, probably even worse than last years'.
Here is some video footage from preaching Friday. I'll try to get some up from Saturday by tomorrow.

1 comments:

Unknown said...

Awww MANNNNNNNNN!!!! You beat me to it!!! Anyways, I always enjoy your videos because you get closer and I can actually hear and see what I was missing being so far away.

Can't believe the Derby is over already...where did the weekend go?

Thanks for the video...great post!