On July 23, a gunman opened fire inside a movie theater in Lafayette, Louisiana, killing two women and hurting nine others before turning the gun on himself.
It was a nightmare the friendly southern Louisiana town had never experienced; it shook the whole community.
At the invitation of local leaders, the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team had crisis-trained chaplains on the ground within hours of the shooting. Since then, six chaplains have spent time praying with residents and offering hope in the midst of heartache. Below are three of many special encounters the chaplains have had in Louisiana.
A Mother’s Tears
When chaplain coordinator Kate Poll arrived in Lafayette from her southwest Alabama home 300 miles away, she felt an overwhelming sadness. “Your heart just breaks for the people,” she said.
No one could be hurting more than the family members of the two women killed in the shooting—21-year-old Mayci Brooks and 33-year-old Jillian Johnson.
Chaplains attended public visitations and services for both women.
During one of the visitations, Kate and chaplain Beth Johnson had the chance to spend a little time with Mayci Brooks’ mother.
“When we talked to Mayci’s mom, we were just brought to tears,” Kate said. “But that’s part of our mission, to mourn with those who mourn and ‘weep with those who weep’ (Romans 12:15).
“That’s part of bringing Jesus into a situation. ‘Jesus wept’ (John 11:35). It’s such an awesome privilege to do that in the name of Jesus.”
As the three women cried together, the chaplains also had a chance to pray for Mayci’s mother and present her with a family Bible.
“We got to hold her and just pray a blessing over her and ask the peace of Jesus to just permeate their family,” Kate said. “She was truly overwhelmed with that act of kindness. … And Mayci’s father as well, we got to pray with both of them.”
The chaplains said they also received a warm welcome at Jillian Johnson’s funeral, where they were able to give a Bible to Jillian’s husband.
“Our prayer is, ‘Lord, make us disappear and let them just see You. Let them see Your light, Your love, Your power,'” Kate said.
“I’m just convinced the Lord does that over and over. … It’s not us.”
Salvation x 3
Several chaplains attended a vigil at a local park the Saturday after the shooting. Early in the evening, chaplain Beth Johnson from Macon, Georgia, spent a few minutes talking with a young woman who was sitting on the ground by herself. Beth prayed with her before heading into the crowd.
A little later when Beth walked by the same area, two other young women had joined the one she talked with earlier.
“One of the girls said, ‘Hey, come here, we want you to do for us like you did with [our friend],'” Beth said.
Beth learned all three were dealing with some serious life issues, and they were all open to prayer.
“I just started talking to them about the Lord and how He loves them,” Beth said. “How He has a plan for their life and wants to a have a relationship with them. All three of them were just really interested in that, and so I wanted to pull out ‘Steps to Peace with God,’ because I like to have something visual along with the Scriptures.”
Beth talked through the booklet, explaining how sin separates us from God, but how Jesus acts as a bridge connecting us with our Creator.
“This was a story they didn’t know, and they wanted it,” Beth said. “They wanted to know more.”
Sensing their openness to the Gospel, Beth asked if they would like to pray to receive Jesus as their God and Savior.
“All three of them wanted to,” Beth said. “It was just a real tender moment. It was like God’s Word was speaking directly to their hearts.”
That night in the park, three precious young women joined God’s Kingdom.
“I really feel like the Lord orchestrated it all,” Beth said. “It was just all the Holy Spirit and the Lord.”
A Cajun and a Country Boy
On the other side of the park, chaplain coordinator Mike Clark from rural Hazel Green, Alabama, was surprised when a local man strolled right up and started talking.
The man introduced himself as a true “country Cajun,” the youngest of seven. Mike, in turn, introduced himself as a true Alabama country boy, the youngest of nine.
But before they could really start talking, the man got a phone call and had to leave.
“I thought I’d never see him again,” Mike said. “But about two hours later, the vigil was coming to a close, and I heard someone yelling across the yard, ‘Hey, country boy!'”
The two of them stood talking for the better part of an hour before the conversation turned to the tragedy in Lafayette and the subject of mortality.
“I finally just asked him,” Mike said, “‘What if what happened at the theater had happened to you? Where would you be?’ He said, ‘I’d be in hell.'”
The man explained that he had always been confused by the different religions he heard about and didn’t know what was true. Around that time, he asked Mike what had brought him all the way to Lafayette.
Mike said he had driven 573 miles to offer him peace, hope and a relationship with Jesus, so he wouldn’t have to worry about religion anymore.
Then Mike asked him, “Can you give me any reason why you can’t change your eternal destination?” The man said, “No, I really can’t.”
They walked through the “Steps to Peace with God” booklet, and the man prayed to accept Christ into his heart.
He laughed as he asked Mike if he thought there would be “enough room in heaven for a country Cajun and a farm boy,” but he already knew the answer. When the two finally parted ways, he told Mike, “Hey country boy—I’ll be seeing you again.”
Peace with God is just a few steps away. Find peace today.
