Today dawned bright and abnormally cold for this time of year. The sun is a welcome sight after several days of rain and overcast days. Sunday was a tumultuous day of severe storms and devastating tornadoes that took over 20 lives just SE of where we were staying in Birmingham. Our hearts go out to the many people whose homes were entirely destroyed and who lost loved ones in the violent storms.
Yesterday we arrived in Montgomery, the capital of Alabama, and took some time to acclimate ourselves to this city of over 200,000 people. Calvin stood before the Capitol building where tens of thousands of demonstrators stood after walking from Selma to Montgomery in March 1965. This is also the city where a courageous young woman, Rosa Parks, refused to give up her bus seat to a white man in 1955 thus sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1956 which lasted a full year. The Freedom Rider activists also arrived in this town and were beaten and arrested in 1961. Several museums depict the important role that Montgomery played in the battle for desegregation in the 1960s.
We were excited to connect with a vibrant ministry of prayer and discipleship, His Vessel Ministries, whose headquarters is located in the center of the downtown area. They regularly prayer walk the city proclaiming God’s rule and reign over the area. Calvin felt honored to agree with the prayers of these faithful brothers and sisters in the Lord. As he walked the city, he took time to visit Dexter Baptist where MLK launched his ministry and we both visited the Freedom Riders Museum where our hearts connected with these courageous young people. Calvin felt a new understanding and appreciation for liberty and our free will. There is a definite church presence in Montgomery and Calvin felt a strong connection to the city itself and the work that God is doing here after 8 hours of prayer walking. He was able to share and pray with two men after lunch and felt God wanted to release destiny not only in their lives but in the capital region.
Please take a minute and pray for the Body of Christ in Alabama… it is alive and well and God’s Kingdom is being built! Next stop — Mobile, proclaimed the wettest city in the nation! May the Lord pour out His Spirit without measure here…
Yesterday we arrived in Montgomery, the capital of Alabama, and took some time to acclimate ourselves to this city of over 200,000 people. Calvin stood before the Capitol building where tens of thousands of demonstrators stood after walking from Selma to Montgomery in March 1965. This is also the city where a courageous young woman, Rosa Parks, refused to give up her bus seat to a white man in 1955 thus sparking the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1956 which lasted a full year. The Freedom Rider activists also arrived in this town and were beaten and arrested in 1961. Several museums depict the important role that Montgomery played in the battle for desegregation in the 1960s.
We were excited to connect with a vibrant ministry of prayer and discipleship, His Vessel Ministries, whose headquarters is located in the center of the downtown area. They regularly prayer walk the city proclaiming God’s rule and reign over the area. Calvin felt honored to agree with the prayers of these faithful brothers and sisters in the Lord. As he walked the city, he took time to visit Dexter Baptist where MLK launched his ministry and we both visited the Freedom Riders Museum where our hearts connected with these courageous young people. Calvin felt a new understanding and appreciation for liberty and our free will. There is a definite church presence in Montgomery and Calvin felt a strong connection to the city itself and the work that God is doing here after 8 hours of prayer walking. He was able to share and pray with two men after lunch and felt God wanted to release destiny not only in their lives but in the capital region.
Please take a minute and pray for the Body of Christ in Alabama… it is alive and well and God’s Kingdom is being built! Next stop — Mobile, proclaimed the wettest city in the nation! May the Lord pour out His Spirit without measure here…
Montgomery State Capitol Building
Downtown Montgomery
The Freedom Riders opened the eyes of our nation to the real picture of segregation in the Deep South
Spring has arrived in Alabama although we are in the midst of a “cold” spell here- 25-30 degrees below normal