November 2007
Dearly Beloved of Our Lord:
May our Lord’s wonderful and glorious presence and love increase and abound in your heart at all times. We have been spending most of our time this autumn at PSU because of the construction on the MAX Green line between Portland State University and Union Station in downtown Portland. As we write this newsletter the construction crews are finishing up the brick-laying along the streets by the Square so we will soon be able to return there during the Holiday season. We will continue to minister at both PSU and the Square until Winter break.
Testimonies from Portland State University
Our frequent visits to the Park Blocks outside Smith Center at PSU during the past two school years have allowed us to build many relationships. We would like to share some short paragraphs of some of our encounters with those we have met and talked with recently. We pray they are an encouragement to you.
One day while open-air preaching a wild young man ran straight at Marty and started to push and hit him. He yelled and cursed God using the “F word” over and over concerning God and Jesus. He even yelled out things like “I hate God, I hate Jesus. F… God, F… Jesus!” As he ranted he kicked our back pack with literature in it and the “Trust Jesus” sign on it. Then he kicked the tracts onto the ground continuing his ranting and raving as some students begin to shout things like; “Leave him alone. He has a right to be there. Stop!”
Someone must have called campus security because about six officers showed up and two campus security police cars. As the young wild man was pushing and shoving Ron and trying to get him down on the ground a security officer suddenly came behind him and pushed him against Ron and told him to put his hands behind his back. The cuffs were put on and the man was whisked away and we were able to resume our open-air ministry. Since the Virginia Tech shooting the campus security has to be alert at PSU. A man was stabbed in a parking garage along with other instances. Two days after we were assaulted a bomb threat was phoned in. Times have changed on the university campuses in our nation.
Now we really had the students’ attention. The Holy Spirit uses these things to His advantage. He shows us how to respond with kindness and non-violence. And He gives us exactly what to say and how to say it. We told the crowd that we forgave the wild attacker and that we had told the officers that we would not press charges. The man, not a student, was excluded from the Park blocks. Then several students questioned Marty about how could he just forgive the attacker. Well Marty was wearing a big signboard stating: “Jesus Forgives and Heals. Do You Know Him?” Marty had used this signboard as a shield from the fists of the wild man and he used it as an explanation of his ability to forgive the attacker.
After this incident several students surrounded us with questions. One young man had grown up as a Jehovah’s Witness and asked if he could really know God personally and encounter Him. A young woman who had grown up a Mormon started to debate that it was not possible to know God and that all religions really led to the same place. Both of these very young students had a hunger in their hearts so we spent over half an hour with them. As they talked, interrupting one another as often happens; several other students joined the circle to hear more. It was a great time of sharing the gospel and building relationships. During this time several Muslim students stood around listening. They saw the First Amendment in action on a university campus. Even though it was difficult we experienced the Holy Spirit at work, which filled us with great joy.
Later while Ron was preaching a rather heavy-set student walked up with prayer beads in her hands. She was chanting something and walked up and interrupted the preaching to tell him that she came to give him peace. “I pray peace on you, I pray you have peace,” she said with tears in her eyes. She acted very sincere in her expression and seemed to have a deep and desperate desire for peace in her life. Ron stopped his preaching and spoke with her quietly and then prayed with her expressing “Shalom” or peace to be in her heart through Jesus Christ. We are usually able to “stop for the one in front of us” so that they may know Him.
A woman PhD student from Turkey, who used to be a Muslim, approached us with her spiritual journey. She had left Islam because of the violence of terrorists and decided to pursue Hinduism and practice a certain kind of yoga. Now she teaches this special yoga which she has learned and believes her woman guru, who was born to an Indian Christian family “with spotless brilliance”, is the Holy Spirit in human form. She asked for and received prayer from Karen. She seemed to be spiritually hungry after leaving Islam but resistant to the gospel.
One day a young man interrupted Ron’s open-air preaching as he expressed anger at the message of the gospel. Ron allowed him to come up front and express his viewpoint. Then Ron spoke to him about Jesus and the work of the cross and the resurrection. Jesus has come to give us everlasting life. He sat down and listened to the message. Later he came and apologized for his anger. Then he shared a little about his journey as a young homosexual man. He expressed that he wanted to know more about Jesus. He really believed that he had been born “gay” and had no choice but to live with the turmoil this brought to his life. We taught him about Jesus, the one who forgives and heals and encouraged him to read the New Testament, which he said he would do.
A young Asian student came up to Karen and spent a long time talking with her while Ron, Marty, Richard, and James were preaching and testifying. She had heard about the Holy Spirit and wanted to be filled with His presence and power. Karen was able to share her testimony and the Scriptures and pray with her. What a blessing to have someone walk and express their hunger for more of God’s presence in their life.
Not everyone on campus is young. We had the opportunity to pray with a dear sister who is about sixty and who has returned to college to get her Master’s degree. We shared in a sweet time of fellowship and prayer.
A young African man from Liberia came up to Ron asking many questions about Jesus and the Bible. He is from a very rural and small tribe where everything is passed on by oral tradition and nothing is written down. He left with a New Testament so he could read more about Jesus.
Ron’s Testimony ~ Reaching Muslim Students
After I preached about eternal life and the love of God on Thursday, November 1st, Shannon, a young woman who goes to Chi Alpha meetings, started a conversation. She came with some words of correction and asked if we ever engage in personal conversations with students to which I responded, “Yes, this is why we are here.” As I shared with her about the importance of personal dialogue a very young woman Muslim student approached wearing the hijab but her face was visible. Two other Muslim girls came along whose faces were covered showing only the eyes.
Shannon began to leave but I asked her to stay saying to the three Muslim women that I prefer a woman be with me when talking with Muslim women. When I said this, the Muslim men who were coming to intervene left and the conversation quickly became one where Shannon was doing more talking than I was. It was a beautiful example of what can happen with the dynamic of open-air preaching followed by personal conversations which involve Christian students on the campus. The Muslim girl was very open, asked many questions, and shared some things about her own life and why she and her friends had decided to wear the hijab. Shannon answered many questions about Jesus and the importance of the New Testament. Since she had to go to a class the Muslim girl asked where she could get a New Testament and I said, “Right here. Take mine.” And she left with the New Testament thanking us for our time. Needless to say, we left the campus rejoicing.
These are the times of great opportunity with great expectations because of the growing spiritual hunger among young people. We are very thankful for your continuing encouragement, support, and prayer. We are greatly encouraged by your friendship as you believe with us for awakening and harvest in the Pacific Northwest, especially among students. Please remember us in your prayers as laborers in His Harvest and ask the Lord of the harvest that we would be joined by more laborers. We ask that you pray for us to be effective as we bring the gospel to students at PSU and on the streets of downtown Portland during the coming Holiday season. Mercy, grace, and peace be yours through Jesus Christ. With this letter we send you our love and our prayers.
~ Ron & Karen
E-mail: awakening1s@comcast.net
Home Page: awakening1s.net
church @ 24/7
Ron & Karen Rohman
PO Box 14292
PORTLAND OR 97293