Stopped

A couple days later Ellen, Dan and I are the only missionaries, we make our way up the steps and through the glass doors of the UC.

I'd received a word to preach. God wanted us to tell students He's forming a people who love Him here at IUPUI, but today an amplified student with a guitar reigned over the din of the UC lunchroom that sat strangely vacant.

"You could just ask to have his mic," Ellen suggests. I really wished I'd at least asked, but instead we left. We headed across the quad, entering the the hotel food court. Often we'd find individual/small groups of folks, but today we would attempt our first hotel preaching.

Pushing through the doors, we entered the food court. I instantly realized how much louder and larger this room was. Extending back it will hold 3-400 students at a time and with much higher ceilings and lots of concrete, sound echoes off the walls. Long lines had already began bisecting the room snaking between packed tables and structural columns.

Dan, Ellen and I positioned ourselves to the side of the lines so that as many folks as possible could see and hear. "Good afternoon everyone," our welcome echoed down to the end of the long room and returned. All heads stopped and with a motion almost audible, turned to see what was happening.

I had been talking now for about 2 minutes about how love calls us to do some crazy things when out of the hotel this 220 lbs 45 year old man in a suit complete with clear ear bud enters the room. Seeing us he turns and starts heading straight for us. I notice him. Usually when we are asked to stop the person stands off to the side, but those were students and in the UC. He walks right up to me and stops directly in front of me and in a voice lower than even Dan or Ellen could hear he commands me to stop and come with him.

"Just a minute I'm almost done, sir," I reply," SO LOVE CAN MAKE US DO CRAZY THINGS," I shout over his shoulder.
"No. You will stop and come with me. Now." It was final.
"Alright," I tell him and again shouting over his shoulder," GOD BLESS Y'ALL, WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK." I tell the court and head
outside.

He takes our names, tells us we cannot proselytize in there, and was really a nice guy about it. We'd been standing in front of a glass wall and in view of the whole food court. As we're conversing, a student emerges to inform our detainer that she really likes what we do and has heard us a few times. She really doesn't want us to get in any trouble, she tells him.

Dan and I glance at one another, mouths agap. No student has yet defended us, this is really remarkable. But the hotel manager assures her we are in no trouble and will only receive a warning.