Mission Possible Week 3 Calgary & Edmonton
Mission Possible Week 3
Open Air Evangelism in Calgary & Edmonton
As a team our eyes have been opened this week. Compared to the crowds we can get during a sketch-board message at home in Maryland, it is very much different in Canada. At times we have been scratching our heads and asking ourselves, "Is this really worth it?" or "Are we making a difference?”, however, I believe that God spoke to our hearts this week saying that the number doesn't matter, but He was using us to speak truth to those that He was calling to Himself. I cannot honestly remember a time in ministry where I have seen so many conversations that I truly do believe were Divine appointments. I was in awe seeing how God brought those conversations about and drew those people by at the perfect time. He has used us this week to minister to some specific people. 
We know that God is a God of all nations. “And they
sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation’” (Revelation 5:9). We were able to reach the nations right here in Canada. From the poor to the rich, the Buddhists and Muslims to people in cults, from Cameroon to Native Aboriginals, God has been at work. - Carmina
sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation’” (Revelation 5:9). We were able to reach the nations right here in Canada. From the poor to the rich, the Buddhists and Muslims to people in cults, from Cameroon to Native Aboriginals, God has been at work. - Carmina
Please pray for Blanche who has been struggling in life with a son that has just been diagnosed with bone cancer, and a close cousin who just died two weeks ago. She said that she has never done this before, but she has started praying and questioning God why these things have been happening to her and she wants peace. Then she meets us on the street and is handed "Ten Steps to Peace with God”. Pray that she will continue in her search and that she will find peace in His ultimate peace in Jesus.
Pray for Josie, a Buddhist from Vietnam who has the Bible read to her once a week in Vietnamese (by a Mormon trying to learn the language). She has been hearing God’s word, but had questions about Jesus being the only way, and the Bible being the only word of God. Pray that she will see Mormonism as false and the Gospel as the truth.
Pray for Charlotte, a German lady living in Edmonton who stopped to ask us (not the other way around) many questions that she was pondering over. Pray that her eyes would be opened to the truth.
Pray for Chad who said he just got out after being in jail for five years, that He will seek God and His truth.
Pray for Chris who was under conviction and then ran away. Pray that he will stop running and turn to Jesus.
Pray for Fereshta and Boyfriend.These were two nice people that we talked to this week in the parking lot of a McDonald's. Fereshta was a devout Muslim, and she was debating us strongly, her Asian boyfriend, however, was a brand new Muslim, and he was shaky in his beliefs. Pray for Fereshta and her boyfriend, that God would enact His will in their lives, and if He wills, that He would open their eyes to the truth of the Gospel, and they could be born again.
Pray for Sean and Daniel, two homeless gentlemen that we met outside of the church that hosted us in Edmonton, Alberta. Sean was a former soldier, and a catholic. We pray that God can lead them along the paths that He has in store for them, and show them His love mercy, and saving grace.
Last Saturday we went into the city of Calgary to do some adult ministry. About an hour into adult ministry a man with a plastic bag of beer cans started listening to Jonathan Kraus preach. Jonathan never got to finish his message because the man started yelling and arguing with him. After what seemed like forever the man calmed down and started acting like he had been friends with Paul and Jonathan for a long time. It was during the last half an hour or so that I got to know the man. I learned that his name was Chad and he told me about how his girlfriend of 13 years went to church and how he had a Bible at home but he has never read it. He promised me that he would go home and read it that night. As we had to say our goodbyes Paul asked Chad if he was hungry. Chad answered that he was a bit hungry, so I offered him my sandwich. He declined my offer at first, but I told him that he needed it more than me and that it would be insulting if he didn't take my sandwich. So he finally accepted it and told me that I had a kind heart and that I should never lose that. Once we were packed up in the car he knocked on the window and thanked me again for the sandwich and told me it was delicious. I told him "Sorry there's no cheese", but he said it was perfectly fine. It was amazing to see how the Lord was working in Chad's life that day and I really hope he kept his promise and read his Bible. - Katie
Downtown Edmonton, Canada
Driven inside by the rain one evening in Edmonton, Canada, we handed out tracks in the mall. We broke up into teams of two and each team except one was told to stop handing out tracts by security. When we talked to the guards at the end of the night, I told them they had successfully broken up a Christian literature distribution ring in the Mall. They laughed and we got to share the Gospel with them. One of the guards, who was very open, in response to OAC evangelist Greg Barclay's question, "Are you a Christian?" said, "I'm working on it." I told him before he left. We cannot work on it as the only work that can save us is the work of Jesus on the cross. We must repent and believe on him. The other guard kept saying yes in agreement.
One team that did not get caught was able to talk to three followers of the Church of God International. It is a religious cult that believes people have to keep the law and the passover in order to be saved. A deep discussion evolved and many truths were laid out.
It has been such a blessing to be with these teens. They are so eager to preach the Gospel and it has been a blessing to hear them discussing their encounters and asking questions on how to address different situations and religions from our outreaches. - Paul
Sharing Hope for the Hopeless
This week, I got the opportunity to speak to a few homeless people. During Jonathan's paint-board, a man was drinking and kept asking Jonathan questions. After Jonathan’s message we talked to the man and he was giving us advice on life. That day, there were 3 more homeless people that
we got to talk to and they were very open to the Gospel and they prayed with us that night. A few days later we arrived in Edmonton and the first night, there were people banging on the windows and Paul told us it was a few homeless people. That night, we kept begging to share the Gospel with them and they eventually let us go talk to them. We spent two hours talking to them and getting to know them, it was a great time. One thing I noticed about all these homeless people was that they all had stories and advice and I really enjoy listening to them. - Max
"Sorry, There's No Cheese"
Last Saturday we went into the city of Calgary to do some adult ministry. About an hour into adult ministry a man with a plastic bag of beer cans started listening to Jonathan Kraus preach. Jonathan never got to finish his message because the man started yelling and arguing with him. After what seemed like forever the man calmed down and started acting like he had been friends with Paul and Jonathan for a long time. It was during the last half an hour or so that I got to know the man. I learned that his name was Chad and he told me about how his girlfriend of 13 years went to church and how he had a Bible at home but he has never read it. He promised me that he would go home and read it that night. As we had to say our goodbyes Paul asked Chad if he was hungry. Chad answered that he was a bit hungry, so I offered him my sandwich. He declined my offer at first, but I told him that he needed it more than me and that it would be insulting if he didn't take my sandwich. So he finally accepted it and told me that I had a kind heart and that I should never lose that. Once we were packed up in the car he knocked on the window and thanked me again for the sandwich and told me it was delicious. I told him "Sorry there's no cheese", but he said it was perfectly fine. It was amazing to see how the Lord was working in Chad's life that day and I really hope he kept his promise and read his Bible. - Katie
A Prayer Being Answered
For the whole missions trip I have been handing out tracks, doing kids work, and the sketch-board, but there was something that I have wanted to do and that was to have a one-on-one conversation with someone. Day after day I would be hoping and wishing for that special conversation, but nothing happened. One day while we were doing group devotions, Mr. Adams told us that he would pray that God would bring someone for him to share the Gospel with. And that just stuck in my mind. So when we were at a mall handing out tracks and I was feeling lucky, I was like 'yeup, today is the day.' About ten minutes into it, two security guards came up to me, Katie, Kathryn, and Max and they told us to stop handing out tracks. I was really sad and not long after that, everyone except Johnathan and Garrett were shut down, so Mr. Adams told me and Christian to go find them. By the time we found them, they were in a conversation with three girls. Christian and I stood by some trash cans and waited for them to be done. Then I
- Meredith
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| Talking to the Homeless |
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