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Touch Point - Team Work
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Pocket Full of Quarters Trek 2009 – Give ‘em Heaven
Touch Point – Team Work
By Cheryle M. Touchton
The Pocket Full of Quarters Lady
Cumberland, Maryland
The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. 1 Corinthians 12:12 NIV
The name of this journey is “Give ‘em Heaven.” On previous journeys, 1-2 salvations per week thrilled us. As of this writing, I’ve had the privilege of praying with 28 people to receive Jesus in just 4 weeks. I assisted with and witnessed many more as they prayed with my fellow team members at Inside Out Ministries. Our team handed out thousands of tracts. If the statistic is true that 10% of people who receive tracts pray to receive Jesus, even more people are on their way to heaven. It is as if, by the very name of the journey, I am witnessing more salvations than I’ve ever seen before.
My ministry partner and employee Barbara Gobbs is with me for the week. When we pulled out this morning, I briefly wondered if the excitement was over and things would get back to the “normal” of previous trips.
Since I wanted to click on a new state on the Journey Map of our website, I planned to drive to West Virginia. God had other plans. As I started seeing signs for Rocky Gap State Park in Maryland, I got that quiet familiar feeling that I was supposed to stop there for the night. Then I got the same feeling that we were supposed to eat in the park lodge restaurant. I was concerned about the expense of lodge food but I’ve learned that there is always a blessing in trusting my instincts if I’ve prayed for knowledge of God’s will and the power to carry it out.
Barbara and I went to the lodge and, like typical females, we stopped in the gift shop. There we met Tim. I was helping a woman and wasn’t paying much attention as Barbara started a conversation with the sales clerk. I helped the woman, named Sharon, pick out a new cane and took her stuff to the car for her. When Barbara and I linked up again, we shared our stories.
Sharon was Jewish and in need of a hip replacement. She took a tract and was grateful for the help. Tim had graduated from high school and was struggling with what to do next. He had been to church a few times with his dad but didn’t know much about Christianity.
As Barbara walked over to find out information about the park, I noticed Tim walking through the lobby.
“Tim,” I said. “I understand you are trying to figure out what to do next. God has a plan for you to have an amazing life but you have to ask Him about it. That starts with knowing Jesus. May I tell you His story?”
“Sure,” Tim said, stopping.
“Don’t get yourself in trouble with your job,” I said. “If you’re busy, we could do this later.”
“No,” he assured me. “I’m here all night. This is fine.”
I pulled out my handy dandy EvangeCube and told the story of Jesus. “Have you invited Him to be a part of your life?”
“I pray to Him every night. I was taught to end my day with ‘Now I lay me down to sleep.’ I’ve been doing that for years.”
“God is hearing that prayer but until you invite Him into your life, it won’t be personal for you.”
He nodded. I had a tract and pulled it out to show him the prayer to receive Jesus.
“I heard about that prayer in my church,” he said. “I’ve just never prayed it.”
“Would you like to do it now,” I said. “That’s all you have to do to become a Christian.”
“I would,” he said eagerly.
“Barbara,” I called. “Join us. Tim wants to pray to become a Christian.”
Barbara rushed over and there, in the lobby of that lodge, Tim became a follower of Jesus Christ. When we got his name and address to send him some materials to help his first few weeks with Jesus, he was so emotional that he was having trouble writing his address. Barbara wrote down the name of the book John and told him to start with reading that. Through her tears, she explained that the Bible had 66 books. She also gave him tips for finding a good church.
“What a team,” I said as we walked away. “We worked really well together on that.”
Since then, I’ve been overwhelmed with gratitude for the teamwork of so many:
Fellow Evangelists - Pocket Full of Change staff, Inside Out Ministries, all the people working at Christ on the Mall, and the Missionary Dog Belle
Ministry Supporters - Everyone who donated money, tracts, bracelets, crosses, homeless packets, and EvangeCubes
Spiritual Covering - My husband, my church – who commissioned me, people praying, and other churches/synagogues/Christian organizations who pray for, financially support, and commission this ministry
Preparation - Everyone who did the “ministrivia” tasks that led to this journey
Seed Sowers - The people who sowed the seeds that led to harvest: The woman who gave the Bible to the young Muslim man the day before he prayed with me to receive Jesus, the father who took Tim to church, the church who told Tim about the salvation prayer, or the aunt who brought her niece to our booth
Spiritual Advisors - Pocket Full of Change Ministries Board Members, my pastor, other ministers from whom I seek guidance, and my mentor
Emotional Support - My best friend Nancy, my other friends, my family, and Belle
With God as the Team Captain and the team members all listening to their Captain, how can we lose?
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Cheryle M. Touchton is the Director of Pocket Full of Change Ministries. For more information or to schedule a speaker for an event, go to www.pocketfullofchange.org or call Gail Golden at 904 316-5462.
This ministry exists because people like you are called to help fund the work of the kingdom. To help keep the Pocket Full of Quarters Lady on the road as a traveling missionary, send your tax deductible contribution to Pocket Full of Change Ministries, POB 51205, Jacksonville Beach, Florida 32240 or go to the donate button on the home page of this website.
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