Grace & Peace Skate Family …
Last night here on Long Island NY, I went for a walk in my area. As soon as I started walking I seen 2 skaters doing some tricks in an empty parking lot. Right away I went over to them and started a conversation with them. I introduced myself and told them I was a Christian. I never hide that I am a Christian. This is important so they don’t get mad and say I did a bait and switch kinda thing on them. So I am upfront and straight with anyone I meet. Their names are Pat (22 yrs old) and Chris (19 Yrs Old).
As we were talking I told them a little about myself and about how much I love skating. I told them that i’m not good because I just started playing around on a board. I can’t even do an Ollie yet, LOL. Anyway, we starting talking about how much I love skating and how much they love skating. We also discussed how many people don’t like skaters. I had to reassure them that what they do (Skate) is OK and there is nothing wrong about skating.
We continued the conversation with how I, Christian Skaters International, and other Christian skaters LOVE what they do. And how much we understand them and their love and passion for skating. Then I asked if they knew Christian Hosoi and Brian Sumner …. LOL they said … Ohhhh yaaaa, they rock !!! Gooooo Uprising !!
As we were talking, I invited them to the Greg Laurie Long Island Harvest 2009 event here at Jones Beach this Saturday and Sunday. I told them how it was FREE (Free admission, Free parking, Free BBQ, Free music) and they said wow Free, they want to go. Its my hope and prayer that they tell others and attend this event that Long Island has been waiting and praying for, and that we NEED here.
We also talked about how there is no place for them to skate here on Long Island. They said they wished we had a skate park here. My heart breaks every time I hear a skater tell me that. I feel as if I myself are letting them down. I want to start an indoor skate park out here So Bad, In The Worst Way !!! But I just don’t have the money to do it. Please pray for me i am a one man team reaching out to skaters in my area. My ministry is just me. Pray that the Lord will open doors for me to get the funds and find a place to open a skate park for these guys. Every state has at least 2 skate parks …. NOT here !! I know, that I know, that I know, if we had a park here …. hundreds of skaters would come and get to hear the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. (Sorry for going on, this is my passion)
After that, they said they had to get going and before they left I handed them a “Can You Do a 180?” Tract from SkateChurch. Those tracts are Great to reach out to skaters. I asked them – “read it with an open heart and let it speak to you”. They thanked me for it and said they sure will read it.
Its my hope and prayer that Pat, Chris and I will meet again soon and get a chance to talk about that tract and what it says in there. I hope and pray that I can walk them to Jesus to meet with Him to repent and be saved, Amen?
A Knight to the KING of Kings,
Sir Joey Basta
Street Knights Skate Ministry
