“Joyful Fire”
Martin M. Kennedy
joyful-fyre2@comcast.net

March 2004 Edition

“Wow!”- And praise Jesus too! Dawna and I are doing great up here in St. Helens. It’s been about five months since I printed my last newsletter and it only made it to my website. A lot has gone on since I got married last June, and this newsletter is just a partial ‘heads up’ on it all. On ‘Super Bowl Sunday,’ we went to Seaside and celebrated our first anniversary of when I proposed to Dawna on the beach. On Valentine’s Day, Dawna and I celebrated our eighth month together as husband and wife. On Christmas Day it was one year since we had that first phone call. What a wonderful and awesome year it has been!

“ Highwayman”- On dry days when it’s not too cold I have been hanging out at US 30 and Gable Road in St. Helens with either a Christmas or a yellow signboard. That location is the busiest intersection I’ve found so far. There’s a Safeway, McDonald’s, Blockbuster Video, Wal Mart, and a high school there or close by. There’s lots of truck traffic so preaching would be impractical. All I can do is wave at passing motorists who honk or wave as they go by. It’s a real blast when school buses go by full of students yelling, waving, and cheering. I’m trying to reach as many young people as I can and this location is perfect. Besides the high school, there is another junior high school nearby.

Most people are nice up here. A couple from church picked me up twice just as I got ready to leave. Another lady from church offered me coffee just as the Sun was going down on a very cold, but dry day. When it got dark before 5PM I’d walk home and it takes about 45 minutes. Now I wait for Dawna after she gets off work. Once, as she was pulled into Wal Mart to pick up, someone offered me a ride too. With the high volume of traffic passing by I’ve only had a few negative reactions, and most pretty hilarious. Two guys in separate cars yelled “Hail Satan” at me. I yelled back, “Why?” Another guy, while blasting onto US 30 from Gable Road missed a shift. He then yells profanities at me as he’s trying to get his car back in gear. The craziest reaction yet was from some wanna be stunt driver. As he is leaning backwards out of the door of his van he yells, “Can’t use the “G” word!” Thank God he didn’t hit the cars next to him. He was reacting to letters in the paper supporting a local pastor who told some youths at McDonalds to stop using the “F” word. Another time two others drove by angrily shouting at me, “Go to Hell!” Now that half of Saint Helens has either witnessed or heard of these antics, there’s no where to hide. These guys have no idea who’ll they’ll bump into at the checkout stand at Red Apple or at NAPA. That’s half the fun of living in a small town. Public humiliation works! Praise Jesus!

I did get to talk to two young men and a youth pastor who were really enthusiastic about what I was doing. The first young man was waiting for a friend to get out of school. He said he and his friend are into kickboxing. I asked him if he goes to church. He said he goes to a church, “down the road.” The youth pastor was doing ‘man on the street’ interviews about ‘hot button’ issues for his youth group. He videotaped me as I gave God’s opinion on homosexuality. He also told me his pastor lives across the street from the high school and maybe I could preach from there. I’ll have to find out first. The second young man I met asked a lot of questions about the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the Five Fold Ministry. He said he’s spirit filled but couldn’t find a church. So I invited him to mine. He’s also a graduate of PSU and remembers seeing various street preachers there. He asked me when I’d be back for he wants to do some witnessing too. Praise Jesus! Though I haven’t seen him since, it sounds good to me.

Just before Christmas, a reporter from the local paper stopped by. She was very friendly and asked me all kinds of questions of why and what I do. She then took my picture, thanked me, and left. Next thing I know I’m on the front page of the December 28th issue of “The Chronicle.” I’ve been in “The Oregonian” twice before, but this was different. This article was positive and uplifting. The picture was even better than the article. It shows me standing along US 30 in a Santa hat with a Christmas signboard. So, in between orange alerts, a missing (and now found dead) grandma; and high unemployment were the words: “Joy to the World! People receive your Lord, God, and Savior. Trust Jesus.” What a message that nearly everyone in the county got to see. Praise Jesus!

“Front Porch Ministry”- A few times Dawna and I have had opportunity to talk to people about Jesus without us leaving our home. So far we’ve ministered to two women and three men. When this first started to happen we didn’t have anything set out to say, “We’re street ministers” at all. There is no doubt it was the work of the Holy Spirit. So I got an idea to put one of the signboards in a bedroom front window and it’s been getting some pretty good responses. Praise Jesus! Plus along the way we’re meeting believers all up and down our street. One guy came by twice to ask for some gravel and we ended up talking about Jesus and him going back to church. He’s going through some tough times and just needed someone to talk to. Another knew Dawna through her late husband. He was across the street grinding up tree limbs and she asked if he’d grind ours up too. When he and his crew finished up, he began talking to me. The next thing I know he’s pouring out his life, searching for answers. The third guy we encountered was doing some remodeling work for another neighbor and he noticed my sign in the front window. He came over to say how much he likes the sign. He said he’s a new believer and we could tell too. He was full of zeal as well as some very interesting opinions. He’s been by a few times, each time more interesting than the previous one. Please pray he finds Spirit led direction.

A neighbor lady came by whose husband was ill to drop us off some roses for our wedding. We met her at a garage sale and since then she’s been by a couple times. I went to her house to offer some sweet rolls Dawna had made for Thanksgiving and to see how they’re doing. They’re believers and really appreciate us for moving into the neighborhood. A lady friend of Dawna lives just around the corner, and she too has come by several times for counsel and prayer. She grew up in a mainstream church and has had some rough relationships. If you could, please pray for these folks. Two guys are not believers, and Dawna’s friend is being drawn back to God. Thank you.

“Praises and prayer requests”- As many of you know I had a cataract operation in December of 2002 that had immediate results. As time passed I noticed a change going the other way. While looking out a window, watching television, or viewing my computer monitor I notice this ‘haze.’ This is something that needed attention, yet I ‘wasn’t going back to Egypt’ again as far as operations went. In early February I went to Scappoose to see a doctor from Eye Health NW. He goes by “Dr. “PV,”” his parents are from India and he grew up in Michigan. He confirmed what I already knew about the haziness. A film of scar tissue formed behind the implant. He told me it’s very easily fixed with a laser. Praise Jesus, for I wasn’t about to go back under the knife. On February 26th at Dever’s Eye Clinic I went in for the laser surgery. Ron, Karen, and Dawna were there and we spent two hours fellowshipping and praying. At about 12:35 PM Dr. “PV” asked me to come with him. I sat at a normal looking examination table and before I knew it the laser surgery was done. When I went back to the waiting room everyone thought I may have forgotten something. No, I was done! Praise Jesus! What’s better is that on the following Sunday at church I could read most of the words on the overhead in 18 size font, from 14 feet away! I could never do that before! Praise Jesus! But let’s not stop there! MORE LORD!

Lastly, two prayer requests: I’ve been interested in an overpriced, uninhabitable house next door. I offered to trade demolition of the house for half of the property’s double lot. I’d like to do something along the lines of Teen Challenge minus the housing. Along these same lines I was asked if I’d like to lead a Royal Rangers style ministry at our church too. I’m going for it and have begun orientation. Your prayers are needed, effective, and greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Shalom,
Marty