--Dwayna
NYC table outreach outside main post office at Madison Square Garden
The team stayed last Sunday after church until about 5:30 in outreach
From Heidi:This is an update of our Evangelism and Apologetics Outreach Table Ministry which took place this past Sunday, November 8, 2009.
Christine and I attended services at Heritage Baptist Church where we were blessed to hear a sermon by a visiting missionary from Cameroon, Africa. He spoke on the topic of persecution in one's Christian walk as well as the Lord's mandate for the Great Commission. He elaborated on why many who profess to have faith and are saved have a fear of witnessing and how the enemy likes to use that to hamper one's testimony before all men. With this encouragement, we set off to meet up with Suzi at the church offices to collect our materials to then proceed to Madison Square Garden for the purpose of setting up on the corner in front of the main headquarters of the U.S. Post Office, the same spot where we set up the previous Sunday. Since we felt so blessed at this location, we thought it prudent to set up there once again, under the Lord's direction.
Last Sunday, Suzi and I had discussed playing praise and worship music, in addition to acapella singing, at the table and we saw how important music can be to the pulling down of strongholds as well as drawing people over to the table. It also serves as an encouragement to us while we minister. Suzi then had a praise report that she was able to purchase an amplifying speaker which could be hooked up to her Ipod, therefore allowing for us to play music and not be concerned with lugging around a boombox. She said that she was led to go into a store to look for gifts for children and while in that place, happened upon this technology. I believe, as do they, that this was a direct intervention. Not only was she not specifically looking for this speaker, but the purchase price was unbelievably inexpensive!!!! She then shot off an email to both Christine and myself on Saturday, the day before, expressing her joy and purchasing this speaker and also alluded to us as "The Good News Girls".
So, with this new purchase in hand, along with all our other gear, we were ready to set up a table full of materials and worship music accompaniment.
As happened the previous Sunday, we were truly blessed with very good weather, so springlike for a November afternoon!!! Many people came by the table to look at our resources and several took several items, among which were Bibles, apologetics books, answers to important life questions and death questions, worship and praise music CDs which Suzi donated, plenty of tracts and teaching and sermon CDs. We soon ran out of Bibles as well as Hebrew New Testaments!!! Many of the people who came up to us were from different backgrounds, amongst which were Indians, French, Africans, South Americans, Asians and Americans. Several Christians approached us and commended us on being out there ministering to the people, and they were overjoyed by that as well as all the free materials we were providing. Many were incredulous that there was no charge for the items. Of course, we also had some detractors and rabble-rousers approach us and tell us that God is love, and we are being mean-spirited by assuming that people are lost or that our presentation of the Gospel -- which presents the differences between Biblical Truth vs. traditions and winds of doctrine -- was offensive. I had an older "pastor" demand to know my age because he thought I had no right to speak the words I was speaking in defense of the true faith. But I have to say that there were more positive reactions than negative. Some people who came by were known by Suzi and Christine, including one man who Suzi had been praying for years to be saved!!! God is truly amazing and He makes the best appointments!!
We gave out so many items that we were out of some CDs, and especially Bibles. People were so hungry and wanted to know more and receive more. We told them that, hopefully, we would be back with more resources for them. We were constantly questioned as to who we were, which organization or church to which we belong, and how we got the materials. We always answered that we were Bible Christians, born-again Christians from different churches, so the people would have no doubt about the Faith we espouse. Many wanted to donate money, but since we believe the Gospel should be free to all men, we did not take donations. They were quite surprised by this!! I think this alone softened many hearts.
We were out at our location from about 2 p.m. until the sun went down, around 5:30 p.m. Right before we were to shut down, a young girl with her little pooch, came by the table on her way to the Post Office. Suzi engaged her in conversation, and we found out that she was a Buddhist but amazingly open to listening. She had a sweetness about her. She then said that she was going to the Post Office but wasn't sure if she would be allowed in with her dog.
After a while, she came back and was distressed because she could not take her dog inside. So, we offered to dog-sit for her while she attended to her errand. She was extremely grateful and left. When she came back, she could not stop thanking us for our kindness to her plight. I and the girls were so happy just to be able to demonstrate Christian charity to this lady. She then spoke a little more to Suzi and they exhanged contact information. Apparently, she is open to discussing more what the Gospel is and Suzi will personally minister to her. Hallelujah!! Praise Jesus.
We packed up our things and proceeded back to the church office to store all the items. We then gave thanks to the Lord Yeshua for His goodness and mercy, for His protection, and for allowing us to step out in faith and minister to the lost and confused. We prayed that we would be able to obtain more resources for the ministry and that God would raise up volunteers to possibly provide additional resources. We then said our goodbyes and headed home exhausted but joyous!!!
To God be the Glory and the Power for ever and ever, Amen and Amen!!!
Shalom,
Heidi
