Increase Our Faith

Street Chaplain Duty Saturday 30^th July. A cold, wet and windy night in Northbridge. I imagined everyone going home by 3am (including me). Surely the downpours would dampen the punter’s enthusiasm. One could only hope and pray. Three brave men ventured out. After the initial Police briefing we prayed for protection and the opportunity to witness the Gospel. I was encouraged to find our two Bibles had been handed out the night before by the previous shift. It brought a beaming smile to my face.

Walking around the cold, wet streets the atmosphere did seem quenched. Perhaps the rain had suppressed the usual numbers or indeed had extinguished their burning desire to drink themselves to oblivion. Whatever the reason, I was thankful to God. After returning two days prior from mission to the Philippines I was still coming down from jetlag and missionary re-entry syndrome (that is where you condemn the entire western world for its affluence and feel like you have just returned to Babylon). It is actually quite common amongst missionaries, thus I get used to the emotional rollercoaster. I was sure a night out as Street Chaplain would help me readjust to ‘sin city’.

By 2am we had not really done much. A lot of walking and ducking for cover from the rain. We sat in a coffee shop and after a hot chocolate I decided to pray. The three of us bowed our heads unashamedly at our table and asked God to use us and to give us a sign that would increase our faith. That was the exact prayer. Use us to help someone and in doing so may we have a sign that will increase our faith.

As I stepped out of the coffee shop I was literally looking in every direction for either the sign or the person to help. To be honest my own faith was ignited by the prayer and thus I was highly expectant. Within four minutes the Street Chaplain phone rang. I answered it excitedly, smiling like a child opening a Christmas present. When you are completely aware of answered prayer you are almost tempted to answer “Hello God, How can we help?” Obviously you resist as the Police Officer asks for your assistance with a young unaccompanied woman a few blocks away.

The Street Chaplains were now in Holy motion. All three of us knew this was the answer to the prayer. We were about to be used to help someone. Arriving at the scene we found a young blonde girl, mascara running and in an emotional state. The three Police Officers were trying to comfort her. She was alone and they were not about to leave her. It was time for her to head home; rather than wander around herself. Predators exist in Northbridge –yet again we would discover this later in the night.

The Police handed her to us, they were thankful for our assistance. We managed to talk her into going home – to Mandurah (about 50klms away)!  The last train was in 15 mins and so we hurriedly ‘escorted’ her to the train. As we did so, she opened up to one of the Chaplains. Her boyfriend was currently in a Christian Rehab centre!  I had just returned from working in one two days before. I GOT THE SIGN CLEAR ENOUGH.

As we passed her on to the transit guards we sensed God’s presence all around her. She had been handed from one protective service to another. All ensuring she came to no harm. As she left us, one of the Chaplains gave her the Gospel of John, telling her she had time to read this on the way home. She accepted it without any protest at all.

Elated we walked back to Northbridge. By 3am it was time to go. It was incredibly wet and people were taking cover under awnings or bundling themselves into cabs. I thanked God for the rain. I knew it was sending everyone home – including me – I thought...

As we walked to our cars a young man approached us. He showed us a photograph of a girl and asked if we had seen her? He explained how she and two friends were staying with him but someone had spiked their drinks in a club. He had carried two of them home but had lost the third one. He was genuinely concerned – obviously. He was fairly sure of who had spiked their drinks. A stranger had bought the girls a round and he had refused the offer. After that they all became incapacitated - except him!

We agreed to search for her. When he left (continuing his own search) we quickly formed a huddle and prayed for the girl and the young man. We then headed off for another lap of town. The rain became one of the heaviest downpours I think I have ever experienced. I was wet to my socks and underpants. I tried to laugh and not complain. I kept saying to my fellow Chaplain, it’s not acid. We looked like two drowned rats. More importantly though – we didn’t find the girl. After an hour it was 4am. We decided to go. We trusted God would look after her.

The next morning the other Chaplain called the young man. We had swapped numbers the night before. He said that after leaving us (post prayer) he was walking along and saw the girl. She was unconscious and being carried by the man who had spiked the drinks! He yelled at him at which two Police Officers arrived almost instantaneously. The man was handcuffed and the girl given to her friend. As he related this to us we could hardly believe our ears. What would have happened to her if not for the prayer and God’s intervention? At the least she was to be raped. At the worst – murdered?

Later that same day the young man texted again. He asked the Chaplain – ‘what Church do you go to?’ He was considering going himself now. He knew there was a God. Everyone’s faith had increased.