testimonies

In Colombia, South Carolina on a grill outreach during the Serve Tour, a group approached a door. They were met by a woman whose struggle with alcohol was unmistakable—you could smell it lingering in the air around her. The group gently began a conversation, and after some time, Jeremiah asked if she had ever been to church. She said yes. Then he asked if the church had ever helped her with her addiction. The question seemed to catch her off guard.

As they continued sharing the gospel with her, something extraordinary began to happen. She started sweating profusely, visibly affected by the moment. It was as if the Lord was not only drawing her heart toward Him, but also beginning to sober her up right there on the spot. You could see the Spirit at work—lifting her, cleansing her, meeting her in her brokenness with power and grace. And by the end of their conversation, she surrendered her life to Jesus.

In Colombia, SC during the Serve Tour with Send Relief, a group knocked on a door during a grill outreach. They were welcomed by a family—a mom, her son, and his girlfriend. Both the mom and the girlfriend were believers, and they had been faithfully praying for the son to come to know the Lord. But he remained agnostic, or at least indifferent toward God.

As the group talked with them, they gently asked the son, “Has your mom changed since she gave her life to Jesus? Has your girlfriend changed?” He paused, then admitted—yes, they had. Then came the next question: “Don’t you want that kind of change for yourself?”

He really thought about it. And something shifted. He said yes—he wanted to give his life to the Lord.

Just as they began praying with him, his dad pulled into the driveway, arriving home from work. The timing was divine. His dad, who had been battling cancer and praying just as fervently for his son’s salvation, stepped into the moment. And right there, the father got to lead his son to Jesus.

It was perfect timing. A holy appointment. A family’s prayers answered in full.

Testimony from the Send Relief website regarding the Grill Outreach:

“I’ll be honest, when I first heard about grill walks, I thought it was a gimmick. It sounded like the most Southern Baptist gimmick ever,” said Jarrian “JayWill” Wilson, founding pastor of City of Refuge Church. “But doing one showed me. It showed me how hospitality really does open up doors for the gospel. Conversations we never could have had happened because of these burgers and us knocking on doors.”

In Columbia, South Carolina August 22-23 during one of the Send Relief Serve Tours, a volunteer who was timid at first, had the opportunity to share a Gospel tract with someone at a door. The Young man looked like he had a past of getting into trouble and presented himself as a gangster. In the midst of the conversation, Jeremiah interjected "it looks like you probably have a past, cause i know at your age i had a past too." then he asked him. "If there was a God that could forgive everything you've ever done, would you want to know Him?" The young man looked taken aback, and he said yes, he would. So, the once timid woman ended up leading that young man to starting his relationship with Jesus and surrendering to him. The weight of the Holy Spirit came down on them both and tears fell from their faces as they prayed.

In Columbia, South Carolina August 22-23 during one of the Send Relief Serve Tours, Jeremiah Herrian went up to a door with the retired President Send Relief, Bryant Wright. They met an elderly woman and her grandson who had the intimidating appearance of tattoos and face piercings. As the conversation unfolded, the grandmother had tears in her eyes and said she was ready to surrender to Jesus. Then they directed their attention to the grandson who said just last night he was telling his grandma how he wants to stop drinking and cussing and how he needs God in his life, he just doesn't know how to find Him. And by the sovereignty of God, there were these people on his front porch not only offering him a burger, but the answer to his wandering, Jesus Christ. Both him and his grandmother surrendered their lives to Jesus on their front porch that day.

In Meridian, Mississippi for Love Out Loud Week with Northcrest Baptist Church, Jeremiah Herrian and Aaron Hayes talked with a man who said he thought he would be dead in a week because of the life decisions he had been making. Thankfully, they shared the Gospel hope with him, and Aaron was able to lead him to the Lord and he surrendered his life to Jesus!

Our church came to pick up a grill and the plan was to just stay the weekend. Back story I had personally participated on a couple Grill Walks in the past in different states and this ministry really touched me. I was so touched by Brandon’s story again and the entire Forgotten Ministries story that I decided to keep the team for a few more hours to be apart of something bigger than us. So for a small moment in time we packaged groceries and served the local community by giving the groceries out. This inspired my church members that came and we will be back and out across the states with them again. Thank you so much for the experience with God 

FBC Whiteville TN - Bro. Tim

Our team was delivering food boxes at an apartment complex. We met Zalina, a young single mom. After receiving the food box, we shared the Gospel with her and she accepted Christ. We gave her information on the local church. We then moved on to another apartment. We met Maria, an older woman who had moved from Mexico. She told us she was a Christian and a Sunday School teacher while in Mexico, I asked her if she had ever thought of starting a Bible Study here in the complex. She said she would love to do that. I told her about Zalina, the young lady who had just got saved and lived downstairs, I said she needed someone who could disciple her. Maria immediately said she was going to get her shoes and wanted us to introduce her to Zalina. We took her downstairs to meet Zalina. They talked and when we left, they were planning to get together.

Erin and I lead a family (father, mother, and son) to Christ. All 3 made a public profession of faith. The 19 year old son with tears in his eyes asked if he could have a hug. I returned to take the father a Bible and the son asked if we could give his father a hug. It was really a beautiful moment. After returning home, I received this from the Pastor of the church: The father, Viviano Martinez, our new brother in Christ, wanted me to let you know that he was in church with us today. He wept and shared with me about his family struggles. I prayed with him. Also prayed for his wife and son. He said that he’d be back on Wednesday night. Please help us pray: He and his mother & brothers are estranged. He misses them and finds refuge in alcohol. I preached about “the peace that passes all understanding “. I explained to him that the peace that he gets from alcohol is temporary but Christ’s peace is forever. 

Eddie Kessler

We had a block party at a University in Brownsville, Texas which was across the street from a High School. Send Relief had several activities set up including serving free hotdogs, chips, and drinks. A few of my team sat at a booth for students to sign up for Bible studies or to receive prayer. I was truly amazed at how many of them came to sign up and wanted prayer. After they registered, we would ask them if they knew where they would go if they were to die. Remarkably very few knew the way to heaven. In just a short time (3 hours) at the booth only, we had 22 people make a public profession of faith for Christ. I’ve been going on mission trips for 20 years this year and I have never ever witnessed as fertile ground as I did this day at this University. The total count for the entire block party that day was 34. God is doing something big in the age group of 16-24 right now. God is a good, good Father!

Eddie Kessler

While going through a neighborhood in Chicago on a grillwalk, we came up to a door where no one in the house spoke English (only Spanish). We managed to communicate with the family through a translator. The family was quick to accept burgers, because of that we started sharing the gospel through a translator. In the middle of the gospel presentation members of the family interrupt in awe of what they are hearing. They tell the translator they had received a dream the night before that someone was going to come to their porch to tell them about Jesus. Members of the family decided to dedicate their lives to Jesus in the midst of that conversation.

I was so encouraged by the brothers and sisters of Forgotten Ministries who drove all the way out here to San Diego from Oklahoma and some from Kansas! They challenged me to share the gospel of God’s love with free burgers to people in my backyard and I did it and loved it! It was so neat to be God’s hands and feet as we worked together and prayed for many people that we met along the way.

We had an opportunity to outreach a young man and his wife that had just lost everything in a fire. We were able to bless this family and pray for them.

Mario Luna, Repented Motorcycle Ministry 

What a glorious and joyous occasion we had at Friendship Baptist Church this past Saturday, April 5, 2025. We were able to reach out to 240 families. God gave us space to witness to and pray with those hurting families that were in great need. In Jesus' name, many tears and hugs of love and compassion were shared. WHAT AN AWESOME DAY!

Donald Gettens Friendship Baptist Church, Lawton, Oklahoma

This morning, we had a small group that went out in the rain to pass out bags of groceries around our town. We ended up passing out 134 bags of groceries speaking to nearly 200 people. There were 33 homes which had small children in the home. We had numerous people that we prayed for and some that we will be following up with to build relationships over the next few weeks. 

Mark Hall, Comanche FBC