Outreach at a Mission St. Hotel December 23, 2009
On Thursday December 23, 2009, I tagged along with Bill Boehner to be part of a Christmas outreach in San Francisco. We were participating in a “residence” hotel outreach, in San Francisco on Mission St. Which right in the middle of the neighborhood we minister at on the streets in our Night Strike ministry. I never really heard of “residence” hotel ministry before but it was the neighborhood we minister in so I figured it would be good to go on this and see what it was all about. Residence hotels are literally cramped one room apartments, barely big enough for a twin bed and nothing more. It's basically the size of prison cell, with only a sink and a community toilet in the hall.
Sister Terry Lawrence has operated this ministry, on her own for the past 4 years. She has focused on one particular hotel on Mission St. in San Francisco. Bill and I rendezvoused with Terry at her house to pick up all the food and presents she prepared for the Christmas party. Terry's residence is small and humble, her kitchen consists of a stove with an oven on the bottom. In this kitchen, with no counter space, Terry managed to cook at least 8 Coscto lasagnas, a bunch of cup cakes, and lot's of other things for the residences at this hotel we were going to. Bill and I packed Terry's little Honda with every inch of space including the front passenger seat. Then we packed Bill's car full until there was barely room for ourselves in the car. We packed the cars and went back inside Terry's house and then we prayed. AS we completed praying, Terry asked out what our spiritual gifts are in ministry. Bill and I kind of looked at each other wondering how to answer the question. Bill answered, just like I would answer, whatever gifts the Holy Spirit wants us to operate in at the time is how he would minister. That was pretty much my answer, but I couldn't copy Bill so I answered Terry with, “I'm here to serve, if I am serving lasagna all day, that's what I am here to do. If I need to give a prophetic word to someone that's what I'll do. I need to pray deliverance with someone that's what I'll do.”
We saw Terry's eyes light up when we mentioned the deliverance part. Terry told us there was a woman in the hotel who manifests frequently when Terry visits and she would like for me to pray with this woman. So we figured ok and off to our cars we went. We drove across the Bay Bridge and into the city. Both Bill and I expected setting up this party in a lobby or a room of the hotel. And we figured we would work the room and talk and pray with people. Well, that was our preconceived notion of how the day of ministry would unfold.
When we arrived in the city and parked,around 2:30 PM, we had to unload all of our goods and carry them to the hotel. Two of the men of the hotel, Darren and Charles, met us at the parking lot and helped us lug everything. We made about 3-4 trips, with arms full of bags and walked about a block between the parking lot and the hotel.
We entered the hotel from the street, it had the typical hotel facade out front. Inside the hotel was the typical desk clerk, behind a window, like you see in the movies. The gate to enter the hotel was rod iron, with sharp spikes protruding from the top so you couldn't climb over the gate. These were functional spikes and not decorative.
As we were loading the small elevator with our goods, some people descended the stairs, already the spider sense was tingling with one of the guests staying there. I think he picked up on Christians in the foyer and turned around and went back up stairs.
Terry and Darren took the party goods up to Darren's room. There was no room for us to setup in. Darren had a room the size of a small bedroom. His bed in the middle and some area to walk around on each side in. This was where we were going to setup the food line and serve plates to people from his room. Meanwhile Bill, Charles and I finished unloading the two cars and hauling the party items up to Darren's room.
Once upstairs we received instruction on where Bill and I should minister. It was cramped confines both in the hall and the bedroom. Word was already out that “Mama” Terry, as the residences call her, was there and setting up a Christmas party. People immediately started forming a line in the hall to receive the plates of food. One particular character came to our attention right away was a woman named Miranda. She was certifiably insane. No different from other people we run into on the streets with Night Strike so Bill and I weren't too phased by her presence in the hall.
As people lined up we noticed everyone was engaged in a verbal dispute with Miranda. Foul words were coming out of everyone's mouth and 100% of it was instigated by Miranda. People would step out of line and verbally confront her. It's one thing to deal with the demonized in U.N. Plaza in open space, but it's completely different when you're in small confines with them. Miranda's husband stepped out and became confrontational with everyone yelling at his wife. The demons were efficient at torment on this floor. Miranda would instigate and then the tenants would all jump in. Miranda was on the floor crying while her husband got all riled up. Bill and I slipped past her husband and went over to pray for Miranda. We knelt down and Miranda allowed us to pray with her. AS Bill and I prayed it didn't take too long to realize the woman was possessed. Miranda kept channel changing on us, in other words, the different spirits would talk. I could identify them by what was coming out of Miranda's mouth. Her religious spirit would sing Christmas songs loudly and drive everyone insane and start the yelling up all over again. Bill and I prayed peace over Miranda and to bind up the noisey voices onboard. Miranda required lots and lots of deliverance prayer. One really interesting trait of Miranda was how the demons used supernatural hearing to keep tabs on everything Bill and I were saying. I would say something to Bill, and off in the distance, out of ear shot, Miranda would repeat it.
Miranda calmed down a bit so Bill and I were able to minister some more to others in line and talk with them. We met a woman, Rhonda, who was at whits end with being neighbors to Miranda. We took Rhonda over to a place down the hall away from the party and prayed over her. Bill prayed for peace over her as she just broke down and wept. Rhonda told us Miranda was possessed and that she never stops. She goes around the clock walking the halls and tormenting. There is no peace with Miranda around. The residents already knew Miranda was possessed. In some of the verbal exchanges they would refer to her as “devil bitch” or “demon bitch”. The demons would draw the tenants into altercations to maintain a constant torment environment in that area of the hotel.
After we finished up praying with Rhonda we walked back over to the hall where the party was. Another woman with a religious spirit got Miranda all fired up again and they started singing butchered Christmas songs at the top of their lungs. Bill and I finally got the one woman to move along. But now the yelling started up again in the hall for Miranda to shut up. Miranda would breakdown and start crying.
This time Terry walked down the hall to pray with Miranda. Bill and I walked over to pray with Terry. As Sister Terry prayed I asked the Holy Spirit for revelation on what was going on. I received the word of knowledge that Miranda's father hurt her as a little girl. I confronted Miranda with what the Holy Spirit told me and for a moment the demons went silent as the truth was exposed. For the first time we saw Miranda as she broke down and cried and she told us that her father beat her and did horrible things to her. That was the root of the torment. Miranda didn't want to forgive. Then God told me Miranda was “pining” away and that she wasn't sick from AIDS. I told Miranda what the Holy Spirit revealed to me that she had anorexia and that she needed to take steps in forgiveness to fight the disorder. Miranda wiped her eyes and told Bill and I that she went to see doctors about her anorexia and they couldn't figure out why she couldn't keep food in her stomach. I asked Miranda if I could put my hand over her stomach and pray. As I did so I could feel the spirit in her stomach move away from my hand. We still momentarily had “Miranda” with us during the prayer time. I prayed to bind the demon and told it to leave her and release her stomach. At that moment Miranda litely coughed. I believe the bigger demons kicked a little demon out to make it look like the anorexia left her body. However, I have prayed over the spirit of anorexia before and that is not how it leaves. Then Miranda started faking she was breathing out demons. The manifestations were starting again. Bill and I prayed with Miranda some more and Bill gave Miranda instructions to pray over her meals and then eat. We got her to commit to these instructions. Her composure changed, but the demons were getting restless and started another fight in our midsts just as we were making some progress. Her neighbors opened the doors and started calling her a “demon bitch” again. A man came out behind Bill and started yelling at Miranda. Leaving Bill and I in a bad and vulnerable spot since we were sitting on the floor praying with Miranda.
We were in a bad spot so we wrapped up prayer and moved out of the wave of torment. Can't say I ever did a deliverance prayer session in a tormented setting like this before. It was challenging. Both Bill and I were challenged in this environment. Can't say we didn't step out of our comfort zone today!
Bill and I then turned to the duties of handing out gifts to all the residents in the hotel. This was carried out by going to the 5th floor and proceeding to knock on every door and hand out a present to everyone who opened their door. I felt uneasy about this. But, hey, in ministry you roll with it. Bill, Darren and I succeeded in covering the entire building. We stayed together as a group and the residents were very appreciative of the presents they received and back of Christmas snacks.
Around 6:30 we finally packed up and headed out. Miranda came out and hugged us and thanked us for praying with her. We could feel the momentary peace on the floor. Terry commented on the change in composure in Miranda too after we had finished praying with her. The fact of the matter is that Miranda needed lots and lots of more deliverance prayer.
There were many Christian residents in the hotel. A lot of them I believe were from the ministry work of Terry. In San Francisco there is a hodge podge of religious beliefs and that was prevalent in this hotel too. I did notice one room had wiccan items. One of the men in line had his pendulum on a chain around his neck. So there is all sorts of spiritual activity in this building alone.
When Bill and I finally got to his car at 7:00 we still didn't know what to make of the day. We were both still processing the events. One thing we could process though was the incredible work of Terry's ministry. We couldn't believe the amount of work she was doing in this incredible ministry and she was doing it alone. She is, literally, the Mother Teresa of Mission St.
Sister Terry Lawrence has operated this ministry, on her own for the past 4 years. She has focused on one particular hotel on Mission St. in San Francisco. Bill and I rendezvoused with Terry at her house to pick up all the food and presents she prepared for the Christmas party. Terry's residence is small and humble, her kitchen consists of a stove with an oven on the bottom. In this kitchen, with no counter space, Terry managed to cook at least 8 Coscto lasagnas, a bunch of cup cakes, and lot's of other things for the residences at this hotel we were going to. Bill and I packed Terry's little Honda with every inch of space including the front passenger seat. Then we packed Bill's car full until there was barely room for ourselves in the car. We packed the cars and went back inside Terry's house and then we prayed. AS we completed praying, Terry asked out what our spiritual gifts are in ministry. Bill and I kind of looked at each other wondering how to answer the question. Bill answered, just like I would answer, whatever gifts the Holy Spirit wants us to operate in at the time is how he would minister. That was pretty much my answer, but I couldn't copy Bill so I answered Terry with, “I'm here to serve, if I am serving lasagna all day, that's what I am here to do. If I need to give a prophetic word to someone that's what I'll do. I need to pray deliverance with someone that's what I'll do.”
We saw Terry's eyes light up when we mentioned the deliverance part. Terry told us there was a woman in the hotel who manifests frequently when Terry visits and she would like for me to pray with this woman. So we figured ok and off to our cars we went. We drove across the Bay Bridge and into the city. Both Bill and I expected setting up this party in a lobby or a room of the hotel. And we figured we would work the room and talk and pray with people. Well, that was our preconceived notion of how the day of ministry would unfold.
When we arrived in the city and parked,around 2:30 PM, we had to unload all of our goods and carry them to the hotel. Two of the men of the hotel, Darren and Charles, met us at the parking lot and helped us lug everything. We made about 3-4 trips, with arms full of bags and walked about a block between the parking lot and the hotel.
We entered the hotel from the street, it had the typical hotel facade out front. Inside the hotel was the typical desk clerk, behind a window, like you see in the movies. The gate to enter the hotel was rod iron, with sharp spikes protruding from the top so you couldn't climb over the gate. These were functional spikes and not decorative.
As we were loading the small elevator with our goods, some people descended the stairs, already the spider sense was tingling with one of the guests staying there. I think he picked up on Christians in the foyer and turned around and went back up stairs.
Terry and Darren took the party goods up to Darren's room. There was no room for us to setup in. Darren had a room the size of a small bedroom. His bed in the middle and some area to walk around on each side in. This was where we were going to setup the food line and serve plates to people from his room. Meanwhile Bill, Charles and I finished unloading the two cars and hauling the party items up to Darren's room.
Once upstairs we received instruction on where Bill and I should minister. It was cramped confines both in the hall and the bedroom. Word was already out that “Mama” Terry, as the residences call her, was there and setting up a Christmas party. People immediately started forming a line in the hall to receive the plates of food. One particular character came to our attention right away was a woman named Miranda. She was certifiably insane. No different from other people we run into on the streets with Night Strike so Bill and I weren't too phased by her presence in the hall.
As people lined up we noticed everyone was engaged in a verbal dispute with Miranda. Foul words were coming out of everyone's mouth and 100% of it was instigated by Miranda. People would step out of line and verbally confront her. It's one thing to deal with the demonized in U.N. Plaza in open space, but it's completely different when you're in small confines with them. Miranda's husband stepped out and became confrontational with everyone yelling at his wife. The demons were efficient at torment on this floor. Miranda would instigate and then the tenants would all jump in. Miranda was on the floor crying while her husband got all riled up. Bill and I slipped past her husband and went over to pray for Miranda. We knelt down and Miranda allowed us to pray with her. AS Bill and I prayed it didn't take too long to realize the woman was possessed. Miranda kept channel changing on us, in other words, the different spirits would talk. I could identify them by what was coming out of Miranda's mouth. Her religious spirit would sing Christmas songs loudly and drive everyone insane and start the yelling up all over again. Bill and I prayed peace over Miranda and to bind up the noisey voices onboard. Miranda required lots and lots of deliverance prayer. One really interesting trait of Miranda was how the demons used supernatural hearing to keep tabs on everything Bill and I were saying. I would say something to Bill, and off in the distance, out of ear shot, Miranda would repeat it.
Miranda calmed down a bit so Bill and I were able to minister some more to others in line and talk with them. We met a woman, Rhonda, who was at whits end with being neighbors to Miranda. We took Rhonda over to a place down the hall away from the party and prayed over her. Bill prayed for peace over her as she just broke down and wept. Rhonda told us Miranda was possessed and that she never stops. She goes around the clock walking the halls and tormenting. There is no peace with Miranda around. The residents already knew Miranda was possessed. In some of the verbal exchanges they would refer to her as “devil bitch” or “demon bitch”. The demons would draw the tenants into altercations to maintain a constant torment environment in that area of the hotel.
After we finished up praying with Rhonda we walked back over to the hall where the party was. Another woman with a religious spirit got Miranda all fired up again and they started singing butchered Christmas songs at the top of their lungs. Bill and I finally got the one woman to move along. But now the yelling started up again in the hall for Miranda to shut up. Miranda would breakdown and start crying.
This time Terry walked down the hall to pray with Miranda. Bill and I walked over to pray with Terry. As Sister Terry prayed I asked the Holy Spirit for revelation on what was going on. I received the word of knowledge that Miranda's father hurt her as a little girl. I confronted Miranda with what the Holy Spirit told me and for a moment the demons went silent as the truth was exposed. For the first time we saw Miranda as she broke down and cried and she told us that her father beat her and did horrible things to her. That was the root of the torment. Miranda didn't want to forgive. Then God told me Miranda was “pining” away and that she wasn't sick from AIDS. I told Miranda what the Holy Spirit revealed to me that she had anorexia and that she needed to take steps in forgiveness to fight the disorder. Miranda wiped her eyes and told Bill and I that she went to see doctors about her anorexia and they couldn't figure out why she couldn't keep food in her stomach. I asked Miranda if I could put my hand over her stomach and pray. As I did so I could feel the spirit in her stomach move away from my hand. We still momentarily had “Miranda” with us during the prayer time. I prayed to bind the demon and told it to leave her and release her stomach. At that moment Miranda litely coughed. I believe the bigger demons kicked a little demon out to make it look like the anorexia left her body. However, I have prayed over the spirit of anorexia before and that is not how it leaves. Then Miranda started faking she was breathing out demons. The manifestations were starting again. Bill and I prayed with Miranda some more and Bill gave Miranda instructions to pray over her meals and then eat. We got her to commit to these instructions. Her composure changed, but the demons were getting restless and started another fight in our midsts just as we were making some progress. Her neighbors opened the doors and started calling her a “demon bitch” again. A man came out behind Bill and started yelling at Miranda. Leaving Bill and I in a bad and vulnerable spot since we were sitting on the floor praying with Miranda.
We were in a bad spot so we wrapped up prayer and moved out of the wave of torment. Can't say I ever did a deliverance prayer session in a tormented setting like this before. It was challenging. Both Bill and I were challenged in this environment. Can't say we didn't step out of our comfort zone today!
Bill and I then turned to the duties of handing out gifts to all the residents in the hotel. This was carried out by going to the 5th floor and proceeding to knock on every door and hand out a present to everyone who opened their door. I felt uneasy about this. But, hey, in ministry you roll with it. Bill, Darren and I succeeded in covering the entire building. We stayed together as a group and the residents were very appreciative of the presents they received and back of Christmas snacks.
Around 6:30 we finally packed up and headed out. Miranda came out and hugged us and thanked us for praying with her. We could feel the momentary peace on the floor. Terry commented on the change in composure in Miranda too after we had finished praying with her. The fact of the matter is that Miranda needed lots and lots of more deliverance prayer.
There were many Christian residents in the hotel. A lot of them I believe were from the ministry work of Terry. In San Francisco there is a hodge podge of religious beliefs and that was prevalent in this hotel too. I did notice one room had wiccan items. One of the men in line had his pendulum on a chain around his neck. So there is all sorts of spiritual activity in this building alone.
When Bill and I finally got to his car at 7:00 we still didn't know what to make of the day. We were both still processing the events. One thing we could process though was the incredible work of Terry's ministry. We couldn't believe the amount of work she was doing in this incredible ministry and she was doing it alone. She is, literally, the Mother Teresa of Mission St.
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