When I watched that video, I felt God telling me the message was for me, as I was getting ready to leave France for the States. We stand in awe of the USA because of the image the medias give us. And yes, since I visited Texas on my 1st trip, I’ve been wanting to live there. I could probably eat a piece of steak that just fell on this road in my aunt’s neighborhood!

“JESUS REPLIED, ‘FOXES HAVE DENS AND BIRDS HAVE NESTS, BUT THE SON OF MAN HAS NO PLACE TO LAY HIS HEAD.”

I have been to NYC before, but not this long. Before this trip, I would come for a few days, or for a week at the most.

Since The Lord put the NYC subway in my Pastor’s heart back in 2019, every time she came to the USA, she knew she had to share the Love of Jesus in the subway of NYC at least once.

I started working and traveling with her in 2020. In 2024, Jesus sent me to America for the 1st time, to assist her and be her translator.

During all the trips I had with her, I was secure in the bubble of like-minded people, lovers of Jesus; I was safe.

But last November, a few days before coming for this long trip, I went across a video of Victoria Orenze on TikTok, though I don't follow her. She was speaking to Christians from Africa, telling them that the clean roads of Europe, US... and the technology at its best didn't mean the absence of demons. She said that demons were also there, but in suits. That video was a warning, and an encouragement to stay alert, and to pray more.

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*

We always meet at Times Square for our subway outreaches. When I arrived at the station that evening, I left the train, and walked towards the meeting point. I saw a man with a white paper and “FOOD” written on it. The Holy Spirit told me “He is hungry spiritually”

I didn’t go to him though, but kept walking to meet the team. When I joined them, we walked by him to find a spot to wait for those who were still on their way. One of the girls with me had met Stephan before. She recognized him, and with another one she started encouraging him. I and Emma were a few feet away, and started hearing their voices raising. I said to myself “I won’t join them in whatever they’re debating on. Let’s let the girls finish their conversation and come so that we can pray.”

Then all of the sudden, the man rushed to me and Emma and said to us “I will speak to you because you look like me [Black]. These girls are telling me that God loves me, but I don’t believe them, because if He existed there would be no war…”

“Now, I will ask you a question, and if you answer correctly, I will convert to whatever your belief is. If Jesus loves me, are you able to spend the night with me here outside?”

He was looking at me in the eyes. From the moment he had started speaking to us, I was praying in my heart, asking God to cast away the heaviness his anger was carrying, and to help me answer.

*

I said to him “I will spend the night here with you”

He didn’t believe me at first, and asked again, showing me when we would stay. I said again, with an even greater conviction “I will stay with you here tonight”

He believed me. And started rebuking my friends who had not given him the same answer when he asked them that question. I explained to him that me staying with him does not make me a more real follower of Jesus than they are. Each of us have their own journey. I told him that I am able to sleep outside because of things I had gone through that were worse than being homeless. I also showed him how arrogant and prideful I used to be before Jesus changed my heart – that I would not consider this lady walking down the stairs because she is not classy, but the man in suit right behind her was worthy of my attention.

He was very surprised.

All the time we had been speaking, The Holy Spirit was softening his heart, and his gaze finally changed.

I left him to go pray with the girls, and before we left our spot to go hit the trains I said to him “See you in a few hours, Stephan. And I hope you like to sing because I have my guitar, we’re gonna sing tonight”

He said to me “You know what? I don’t want you to stay here finally. And it won’t change anything to my situation”

I told him “No, I want to stay”

He insisted no.

The Lord said to me “Muriel, I am giving you a way out. Insist no more.”

So I shut my mouth.

*

What happened next is hard to explain with words. I felt a physical movement over my eyeballs, like a curtain being opened, and I saw Jesus.

I was still seeing Stephan physically, but as I was looking at him, I was seeing Jesus!

My body started to bow, and I had to hold my chest, saying to myself “Do not bow! You may be seeing Jesus through him, but the man in front of you is still Stephan, a human just like you”

*

In the city of New York, I have witnessed the Power of love.

The Bible says that “love is as strong as death” (Song of songs 8:6)

I have seen people crying when I would hug and kiss them on the streets. I have seen people smiling when I would smile at them in the subway. The darker the world becomes, the more clearly we realize how mighty love is.

Love has the power to save someone's life.

IN MY NEXT LETTER, I WILL SHARE MY ENCOUNTER WITH STEPHAN. HE IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MEMORY THAT I HAVE OF THIS WHOLE TRIP 💌

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16)

YOU ARE ON A LOVE MISSION. TODAY, TELL ONE PERSON “I LOVE YOU, AND MY LIFE WOULD NOT BE THE SAME WITHOUT YOU”. LET ALL THE LOVE YOU HAVE FILL THOSE WORDS, AND SEE THEIR FACE BRIGHTEN UP FOR JOY ☀️

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But there is a brokenness that I had been given a glimpse of on that first trip back in 2024: I took the bus to go from NYC to Houston, and we had a stop in Atlanta. There I met a homeless man to whom I gave a JESUS SAVES flyer. He was so dirty that I held the flyer at the edge with two fingers, making sure that I would not touch his skin. I was ashamed of myself for behaving like that, but the dirtiness was just too much for me.

Last January, when Wendy's time in NYC (my mission partner) was up and she returned to Paris, I asked The Lord to give me a sign to encourage me. I needed to be amazed again. The day after she had left we had a subway outreach. That’s the day I met Stephan.