Post by messengermicah on Sept 8, 2009 10:05:32 GMT -5
Monday August 31, 2009-James Madison University-Harrisonburg, Virginia: Today was a sunny day but much cooler than the previous week with the temperature in the 70’s. We arrived on campus around 1:30 PM since our permit began at 2:00 PM.
FRONT PAGE NEWS
There was a front page picture of myself preaching to the students and a protestor in the school newspaper. I began preaching around 1:50 PM and soon gathered a crowd that continued to grow to over 100. For the next two and a half hours I preached to crowds from 30-130. As usual they were rowdy at times but other times listened well.
I stopped preaching around 4:25 PM and sat down on the cement cylinder I was preaching on. From 4:25 PM until after 5:00 PM I sat and answered the students questions and taught the Bible to groups of 15-35.
Tuesday September 1, 2009-James Madison University-Harrisonburg, Virginia: Today was another cooler (70’s), clear sunny day. Today my permit was scheduled for noon so we arrived on campus around 11:30 AM and began preaching around 11:50 AM.
FREE SPEECH VS MUSIC
After preaching a few minutes someone began to blast loud music from across the commons. The music was too loud to try to preach over so I walked over to the person playing the music. She turned the music down much lower but said the music was allowed to be played until 2:00 PM by the campus groups who had tables around the area. Since I had a permit for free speech in the same area I did not think it was right for another group to be allowed to play music in the free speech area I had reserved.
I went back and tried to preach over the music that had been turned down but soon a sorority girl from one of the tables walked over and began blasting the music again, after the employee of the school told me the music would not be turned up any louder.
I then went to the office to speak to the people in charge of the free speech area. They told me the groups were allowed to play music each day from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. The people in the Events office had been very fair to me so I decided to just wait until after 1:00 PM to begin preaching.
SPIRIT OF GOD DEALING WITH STUDENT
I went and sat down in a shaded area while the ungodly music blasted. I was hoping some students would come around to talk to me about the preaching. After about 30 minutes a young man came and sat down with me and began to discuss the subject of Christianity. I found him to be very open and reasonable. He listened to everything I said and wrote down scripture references. As he listened and agreed with everything I told him. Since he was so open and the conversation was going very well I continued talking with him after the music was turned off at 1:00 PM.
I began preaching around 1:30 PM and preached until 3:55 PM to groups of 20-75. Most of the time the students listened well and asked good questions but at times were rowdy and unreasonable.
Sister Elizabeth and I left the campus just after 4:00 PM in order to run some errands and attend church services where we were staying.
Wednesday September 2, 2009-James Madison University-Harrisonburg, Virginia: It was another clear sunny day in the 70’s. My permit was to begin at noon but I decided not to show up until 1:00 PM since I was told the music would be playing again today during the noon hour.
When I arrived there was a group playing music so I went and told those in charge. The man in charge came out and told them to turn the music off and I began preaching around 1:20 PM.
BEST DAY OF PREACHING
I immediately drew a crowd that grew to around 90-100. This may have been the best day of preaching as the crowds listened well and asked good questions much of the time. Near the end of the preaching the crowd became angry and rowdy so I just stood and did not say anything.
I sat down at 3:00 PM and ignored the crowd for a few minutes and most of the troublemakers began to leave or begin to act more civil. I then sat and answered questions, taught the Bible and refuted arguments for the next hour and 15 minutes. I had around 50-60 students crowded around me.
Around 4:15 PM I left the group crowded around me. Sister Elizabeth and I stayed in the area and talked to and answered questions of small groups of students (1-5) until almost 5:00 PM and then left the campus.
Thankfully before we left Brother T who attends the local church we visited last year and this week showed up. I gave him the contact information of the student, B. I had the conversation with on Tuesday who was so open and receptive.