Battle Log

Saturday 30 December 2023

Posted by Posted 30 December 2023, 11:05 AM by Glen Richards. Permalink

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  2 major street outreaches this week: Boxing Day tract outreach, and then the usual Friday afternoon outreach in the city.

Boxing day is a great day to give out tracts, as there are HEAPS of people out shopping for bargains.  Sophie, 2 of Sophie’s younger siblings, and Martin joined me in Riccarton in the morning.  And then Mike and Martin were with me in the afternoon in the city.

Over both outreaches, we gave away well over 500 tracts, including the last of the Christmas tracts.

I wasn’t focusing on conversations, and yet, many conversations naturally occurred.  I encountered a guy who was in the same year as me at high school.  And I was able to have a brief conversation with a guy I worked with 20 years ago.  I had an Indian guy stop and talk about how people are missing the meaning of Christmas: Jesus.  We connected via Instagram.  There was an older guy who wasn’t interested in a tract, but he felt compelled to talk to me about how he couldn’t fathom how a universe so complicated could come from nothing (like this was a fresh revelation for him), I was able to touch on the law and the gospel with him, yet he was more interested in my testimony, which I shared.  He again refused a tract as we parted ways - he is in God’s hands.

The boxing day outreach is such a joy.  Even if many tracts went in the bin, many more are silently speaking (or waiting to speak).  This outreach will be a regular on the schedule from now on.

I was feeling tired for the Friday afternoon outreach in the city.  Roger, and later John joined me.

I focused on handing out tracts.  This led to one interesting conversation with 2 guys.  1 talked, the other only listened.  It was a short conversation, but a special one.  They guy had obviously been thinking on spiritual issues.  I was able to succinctly share the good news of the gospel.  They had to go.  Interestingly the silent guy was now also interested in a tract.

I decided to head over to Cathedral Square.  The usual flock of sheep (Christians) and goats (Hecklers) was there.  Steve the Atheist was there - but he doesn’t like me, so I went to talk with Nick.  Yet, Steve couldn’t help himself from giving me a piece of his mind.  Nasty stuff, I said nothing in return.  As I was talking to Nick, a kerfuffle occurred, I looked up to see Steve flip backwards in his wheelchair, he landed on his head!  It was an accident, but he was livid.  He spewed abuse at the perpetrator: “and you can’t come to my house any more”.  It was like listening to an upset kid in the playground.  So sad to see such bitterness.  Thankfully he was okay.  I still pray for him.  And I know other Christians are too.  Apart from the grace of God, that is me.

Roger and John had good chats (we discussed in debrief over drinks at the cafe).  Roger had 2 very special chats.  The first was a long chat with a doctor who works at the hospital - Roger is hopeful to be able to follow up on the chat.  But the 2nd was with two young ladies.  At the end of the chat, one of them told Roger this: “This morning, I was reading the gospel of John in the Bible, and I asked God if he would provide someone today to explain more about what she was reading”.  Roger was the answer to that prayer!  Wow, was that encouraging!  We head out each week, praying that God would use our feeble efforts.  God answers prayer!  We get to be involved in the wonderful work that God does!  Soli Deo Gloria!!
 

View previous Christchurch (NZ) report (24 December 2023)


Christchurch

Christchurch (NZ) Team

Weekly outreaches:
Tue 3:30pm - 5:30pm - Riccarton (corner of Riccarton Rd and Rotherham St)
Fri 1:30pm - 3:30pm - City (Bridge of Remembrance)
Sat 11am - 1pm - Riccarton (corner of Riccarton Rd and Rotherham St)
Sun 1:30pm - 3:30pm - City (corner of Colombo St and Cashel St).

Contact Glen Richards or Andy Barlow for more information.