Battle Log

As I walked into the city this morning, I was looking for some motivation and I thought of one other religious group that is often in Cathedral Square, day in, day out, handing out their material.  It encouraged me.  If they can do it, so can I.

Low and behold, as I get to The Square - there they are.  I smiled.  This must be worth it - they wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t.

But as I write this, I realise how wrong my attitude was.  All the motivation I need is:

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” 

ESV (Mt 28:18–20)

And yet, today was a day of great encouragement.  In spite of the cold and often cloudy weather, and the lack of people about (the market stalls didn’t even bother coming out today!), I had an almost constant run of Gospel conversations - especially in the first outreach from 11am till 1pm.  I couldn’t believe it when I looked at the time and it was already 1:07pm and time for a lunch break.

I was having so many conversations, I pulled out my phone to start writing down names so I wouldn’t forget to write about those conversations in this log.  And even as I was doing that, an atheist walked up to my flip chart and wanted to talk!  He was at a crossroads in his life.  All praise to God, the fish were jumping into the boat!

I’m looking at that list, and in the two hours before lunch, I had eight Gospel interactions.

I’ll give two very special highlights that jump out at me.  Both were connected to previous Gospel conversations I had earlier in the year.

The first was with two young people, and I could see they had a lot of hurts, both physically and in other ways too.  I approached them as they looked like friends (by the way they dressed) of two other young people I spoke to earlier in the year.  It was a place to start the conversation with.  And, indeed, they were friends - so I asked them to let them know I was praying for them.  But I cared for them too and wanted to share the precious message of eternal life.  One had a Christian background.  As I was sharing the Gospel, I could see him tearing up a little.

The second was with another young man.  I was incredibly encouraged to learn that this guy had been watching me out on the streets.  I could tell he was really wrestling with the Gospel and also with the way I dealt with life.  He is struggling with sin, and other life issues that I don’t need to talk about.

Oh, how my heart cries out for these people as I’m writing about them now!  How desperately do I want them to know the change that can come through the amazing grace of Christ.  I’m praying that they would be saved from sin and hell.

Due to the wonderful outreach before lunch, I decided to stay right where I was after lunch - instead of moving to the hospital.  And, although not as busy, I had many wonderful Gospel opportunities.  I open air preached.  And I had a wonderful opportunity to share with a man (pictured, walking away) from Myanmar (I’ve been on two short term missions there, and will be going again in September)!

I praise God for the encouragement I received on these two outreaches today.

Yesterday (Tuesday) I was again in Riccarton for outreach, and had three solid Gospel conversations with people.  But beforehand I had been letterbox dropping closer to the University.

As I was doing this, I had two opportunities to share the Gospel with students as they were walking past.  One of those students was particularly open and seemed impacted by the logic of the message.

So two wonderful days of outreach.  A good reminder to not be discouraged and to trust God as we step out to reach people.  He is working.  He is seeking and saving the lost!

Thank you for praying for and supporting the Christchurch Operation 513 team - we so need and appreciate it.
 

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A fascinating weekend.

It was a cold and dreary Saturday morning.  I wasn’t expecting many people to be about - and I was right.  But the team of two set up in Cathedral Square any way.  We cast out our nets and prayed for fish.

We had to be patient, but to my joy, the fish came!  The outreach was even slightly extended in time, as I finished up the final conversation at the end.

The other team member is fairly new to regular outreach (although we have known him for a while).  He has now bought his own tracts and is stepping out to share them with people.  It is so wonderful and encouraging to see him so politely reaching out to people as he can.  Be encouraged reader - you can do this too. :)

The funniest thing happened as I was doing some letterbox dropping afterwards.  It was cold with a nasty wind, so I was rugged up with sneakers, jeans, a jacket, scarf, gloves and a beanie (all dark in colour).  But the sun was out also, so I had sunnies on too.  I walked into a drive to drop tracts into a few boxes, and I noticed a car backing away from me.  I moved on, but I heard the car stop, rev it’s engine, and come down to the end of the drive.  I turned back, and the man in the car was staring at me.  I thought that was odd - I wondered if he wanted a Gospel tract, so I held one up.  He just stared at me.  So I walked over to him.  He wound down his window and asked what it was.  As I was explaining, he took one.  Then he said, “oh, I thought you were a burglar”.  :D  Inwardly I was laughing!  I’ve taken a mental note to be careful how I dress through this winter of outreach! ;)

Sunday morning saw our regular church meeting where we had some special encouragement.  We had two seperate sets of Christian’s turn up who had heard about what we had been up to on the streets.

One man I’ve never seen before came to give us encouragement and advice in how to outreach to a particular cultural/religious group.  He gave us some resources in relation to that.  He couldn’t stay, I assume he had to get to his own local church gathering.  But I was so encouraged that people are noticing what we are doing - as small and insignificant as we are.  I, afresh, feel a responsibility to continue to represent Christ well.

Another couple joined us for our meeting, and it turns out they have been heavily involved with Gospel + abortion outreach in Christchurch for many years.  They had heard about us through a friend.  Word is getting out.  Our efforts are reaching people.  All glory to God.  We pray that God will continue to use us to see souls & lives saved in the fight against abortion in our city.

After church, a team of four headed to Cashel Mall.  And it was a busy time of outreach, with many people about in the crisp, but sunny weather.

I set up my flip chart, looked up, and a guy came up wanting to know what it was about.  It turns out he was a Christian handing out million dollar tracts!  He seemed so encouraged to see other Christians out sharing the Gospel.  We had a good talk, and exchanged contact details.  He stayed with the team for the rest of the outreach.

To end the outreach, we headed to Speaker’s corner in Cathedral Square.  Andy & I decided to open air preach as a tag team.  I covered the bad news, and Andy did the good news.

And the Lord blessed us with a hecker.  A really good heckler.  As we interacted, a few people started to gather to listen.  It was incredibly encouraging for a novice like me.

As Andy preached the good news, a guy mockingly (yet light heartedly) circled him on his scooter (pictured), while his mates videoed it on their phones.  No problem with us, as they are hearing the vital message of the Gospel!

After Andy had finished, Greg was so encouraged, he decided to get up and preach as well, and had some wonderful opportunities to interact with people (pictured).

So, a very very encouraging weekend of outreach.  If we are patient, and faithful - God will use us for His glory.  Do something!
 

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It was a wonderful week away getting some refueling at a conference.  I arrived home on Wednesday morning, and I was back to work on the streets in the afternoon.  It was so good to be back!  But wow, was it cold!  This was my first official winter outreach.  I’d really appreciate your prayer as I face my first winter as a full time street evangelist.  With God’s help, I can make it through.

The highlight from that Wednesday outreach was talking to two Christians and seeing a desire for evangelism in them.  I was able to encourage them to join me and I was very encouraged by them.

Thursday saw another outreach into the city where I had the pleasure of open air preaching, before Andy and I moved to the Eastgate bus stops for many walk up conversations.  There was one point where the outreach slowed down, so I just paused and started praying, and before long, another bus rolled in, releasing a fresh group of people to hand tracts to and start conversations with.

Today (Friday) started with our Gospel + abortion outreach in front of the hospital.  We had some wonderful opportunities for dialogue and to share the Gospel in spite of much opposition.  This outreach is so vital.  We are continuing to pray that God would use this for His glory.

We then moved to Cathedral Square, where Andy and I both open air preached, with no buskers or heckling - nice for a change.

We finished up with an outreach on Cashel Mall.  It was wonderful to, yet again, have a new team member join us for the first time!  Long may this continue.  May labourers be raised up for His glory.
 

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I had one more outreach before going on leave for a week to attend a conference and get some R&R: the Tuesday afternoon outreach to Riccarton.

This location can be slow from an outreach perspective.  Once I went for a whole two hours without having a single Gospel conversation.

But today, as soon as I set up my flip chart and looked up - a person had stopped and wanted to know what it was about.  I was straight into a Gospel conversation!  After that, I then had opportunity after opportunity to share the Gospel.

I had a Mormon lady stop for a brief chat.  My first question to her was about what she had to do to go to heaven.  Sadly, her answer included: “keep the commandments”, and “try”.  It was a friendly encounter, but I knew she wasn’t going to hang around.  So I was direct in challenging that she would never be good enough in her own effort, and that she needed to instead trust in Jesus to pay her fine by His grace.  She took a tract and said she would read it.

Then a Buddhist lady stopped for a friendly chat also.  My question for her was about where the standard for “karma” came from - which seemed to make her think.  She had to go, bur refused to take a “Which one is Right?” tract from me.

I had two teens with a church background who didn’t seem to have a clear understanding of the Gospel - they stayed for the whole flip chart presentation, and both took tracts.

And I finished up with a very encouraging conversation with a young Christian where we were able to mutually encourage each other.

I also had two very brief follow up encounters with people I’ve talked with on previous outreaches at different locations.

I managed to finish the outreach before rain, that had been threatening, came to disrupt things.

I thank the Lord for a very encouraging outreach.  May it encourage you!
 

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The weekend saw two outreaches and a fellowship BBQ celebrating another summer of Gospel outreach for the Christchurch (NZ) team - Soli Deo Gloria!

Saturday morning was foggy as a team of two set up a flip chart in Cathedral Square, but by the end of the outreach, in the early afternoon, the sun was shining.

The highlight conversation of the outreach was a follow up from the outreach the night before.

On the night prior, outside the bus exchange, a lively Gospel conversation occurred with some teens: three girls and three boys.  Sadly, the kids were talking about the drugs they were planning on taking, and the girls were being rude and disruptive - while two of the boys were keen to engage with the discussion.  I tried to keep the girls attention away, while Mike focused on sharing the Gospel with the boys.

Well, in the morning, four of those kids came walking through Cathedral Square - including all three of the girls.  They looked very surprised to see me - as though I had been out all night and into the next day trying to talk to people about Jesus.  The girls were a lot calmer now, and were open to engage sensibly.  They had another opportunity to hear the Gospel; I was able to go through the flip chart with them.  And it turns out one of those girls had been through the flip chart once before.

But, sadly, as far as I could tell, they were not willing to respond at this time.  One of the girls even threw the tract I gave her in the bin.  My heart goes out to them.

On Saturday evening, some of the team gathered for fellowship and an “end of the summer of outreach” celebration which, on top of all the weekly outreaches, included:

• A Brisbane trip, experiencing our first abortion outreach & for a conference.
• Some time in Auckland outreaching with teams up there.
• 2 x Myanmar missions.
• Another Tell Me Conference.
• The Ellesmere A&P Show outreach.
• The Canterbury A&P Show outreach (3 days).
• End Abortion Now Conference with Jeff Durbin and team.
• One of the team made it over to the Gold Coast for the Schoolies outreach.
• The Christmas in the Park outreach.
• The 2 week local summer mission.
• The Sparks in the Park outreach.
• The St. Patrick’s Day outreach.
• The Oxford A&P Show outreach.
• 2 x Easter Hot Cross Bun and Gospel Tract outreaches.

We are also celebrating the fact the two of the team are now being supported to spend more hours out on the streets each week.  Many thanks to Operation 513 and Redemption Church Christchurch and all those giving through those organisations for allowing this to happen.  May we continue to serve the Lord faithfully by bringing the Gospel to many, and by encouraging Christians to get involved.  Thank you!

Sunday was very hot considering we will officially be in winter in a few days time.  A team of five headed out.

For me the outreach started with a nice long chat with one of our hecklers (I’m going to stop calling him a heckler soon).  I spent a lot of time listening to him talk, and hearing his bitterness and grudges towards hypocrites.  I found myself wishing this man would come to Christ, and feeling completely powerless to do anything about it.  The only thing I can do is share the Gospel.  And so I decided to break into the conversation and ask him what the Gospel is (since he is such an expert on “Christians”).  He didn’t know.  And so, I proceeded to take him through it, as foolish as it seems.  I know he has heard it plenty of times before: he has heard us preaching it many times.  But he listened (with only a little mocking).  I will continue to pray for this man.

By this time, the rest of the team had arrived.  This was the third (or fourth?) time out for three of them - but sadly the last, as they are moving to another part of the country for work.

They have been a massive encouragement to me out on the streets.  Chris was the shyest.  But today I watched him refute a homosexual “minister” on the subject of "love and truth" and he did it in such a loving way.  And then while that conversation was happening, another man walked through swearing at us and cursing God.  But they took it so well.  It’s so wonderful seeing them grow in confidence.  It makes me wonder how many more Christians are out there that are letting their fears stop them from using their gifts to reach people for Christ.  Be encouraged!  Get involved! :)

May they continue reaching people with the Gospel in their new home town! :)

I will be taking a week off and getting some time for encouragement in God’s word at the Impact Bible Conference in the Hawke's Bay, so I won’t be Battle Logging till the week after.  May you be blessed as you reach out to people with the Gospel wherever you are!
 

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Unlike last week, Thursday was a nice day, so there was no interruption of the two outreaches in the afternoon: in the City and at the Eastgate bus stops.

As I arrive a little later than Andy for the City outreach, I often turn up with Andy already deep in a Gospel conversation.  This day was no different (pictured).

We were in various spots in the City for this outreach: High Street, Cathedral Square, and at the corner of Cashel & Colombo - where I ended up having a wonderful conversation with a man who had recently converted to Bahá'í.  While listening to this man, I also had the opportunity to explain the law and the Gospel.  We parted with a hand shake.

We finished the City outreach with open air preaching in speaker’s corner.  There weren’t many people about, but there were some who heard the Gospel.  One of our hecklers was attracted, and came over to add his thoughts - but I can barely call him a heckler any more - we get on too well!

I always enjoy the Eastgate outreach, as tiring as it is with the constant conversation opportunities.  It’s wonderful to be able to have many follow up conversations.  There is one young man in particular that I’m meeting every outreach there like clockwork.  Every time, I ask him if he has thought any more about the things we have discussed, and often have an opportunity to challenge him to respond to the Gospel.

This outreach I also had many opportunities to offer tracts to bus drivers as they were changing shifts.  I was pleasantly surprised with the encouragement I got from two of them about what we are doing.  Although one quickly skimmed the tract and handed it back - not interested.

Friday saw three outreaches.

The first was the Gospel + abortion outreach outside the hospital.  This is the outreach I find the hardest because of all the outward opposition.  This makes me think back to all the times I’ve found outreach to be difficult.  I remember first setting up the flip chart in Cashel Mall (years ago) and being really nervous about what I was doing.  I remember my first encounters with a difficult heckler - and not wanting to head out because of him.  I remember how hard it was when I first started open air preaching.  God has helped me through all those difficulties - and I’m stronger for it!  So I have a confidence in God that He will help us in this new area of ministry.

Thankfully, this time, the outreach was relatively calm.  There were four of us: two male, two female.  A security guard did venture over at a distance.  I gave him a smile and a wave.  He acknowledged me and then moved off.

I think the initial adrenaline connected to this new outreach has burned off.  I’m now preparing myself into a pace for a marathon in the fight to bring the Gospel to the issue of abortion.

The afternoon saw our second outreach of the day: in the City.  There was a team of eight - including two from the OAC team.

We started with open air preaching in Cathedral Square, and then moved to Cashel Mall.

It was so encouraging to see a new team member so naturally starting conversations with strangers walking past (pictured).  It was also a reminder of how good it is to have many different types of Christians out sharing (male/female, older/younger, etc) - as people seem more drawn and open to a conversation with some people rather than others.

One of those conversations ended with a tract being offered and accepted.  The person receiving the tract opened their wallet to carefully put it in - and it was observed that they already had an Easter tract in their wallet!  How encouraging.  They were reminded to actually read those tracts!

The outreach was very eventful.  There was another high school student climate change protest.  Afterwards it lead to many wonderful conversations.  The subject of climate change was used to start conversations, and students were asked how we would solve the problem.  I would agree that there was no planet B, but I would then talk to them about the fact that there was no life B either - what happens after you die?

I’m out of time to talk in detail about some of the conversations had.  But one young Muslim girl (pictured), who had been minutes away from the mosque on that fateful day, heard the law and the Gospel and asked wonderful questions confirming that she was understanding it.  And another group of girls (pictured) stayed for a long chat.  One in particular was very interested, and it turns out she had talked to me at the last climate change protest on the terrible day of the mosque shootings.

The day finished with the evening outreach into the city, with conversations: in Cathedral Square, outside the bus exchange and everywhere in between.  Mike started a Gospel conversation with a group that he had stopped with the Intelligence Test tract (pictured).  He ended up having an hour long conversation with one of Jehovah’s Witnesses - all the while his girlfriend, who claimed to be Christian, kept trying to drag him into a nightclub!

I thank God for all the wonderful opportunities to present His Gospel over these two days.  May He be glorified.
 

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Wednesday saw a busy day of outreach, including trying out a new location.

First up was some time spent in Cathedral Square.  I had an interesting conversation with a young lady with a Christian background but who was now leaning more towards atheism.

I was curious as to what her understanding of Christianity was, so asked her what she thought was required to go to heaven.  I wasn’t surprised when she described a requirement to be good enough.

So I had an opportunity to explain the grace of Christianity to her: the Gospel.

Her response was interesting.  She said she didn’t really care.  But I was able to gently explain that she did care: her life was precious to her.  I challenged her if she would sell both of her eyes for ten million dollars - and she agreed she wouldn’t.  If her eyes were precious to her, how much more was her soul.

I challenged her to respond to the Gospel.

After lunch, I moved to the hospital, and set up my flip chart on the footpath outside one of the entrances.  I managed to hand out some tracts, and have one good conversation via the flip chart there.

But as I was walking from Cathedral Square to the hospital, I ended up passing by the law courts, and I realised that there were a decent amount of people walking past.  So I decided to cut my hospital outreach short and try out that spot for outreach.

As I got there, there was a young man standing outside having a cigarette.  I approached him, offering him an Eternity tract and managing to spark up a conversation.  We were able to discuss the existence of God.  But, sadly, as soon as he had finished his cigarette, he had to go back in - so I wasn’t able to share the Gospel.  But I’m glad he took the tract.

I didn’t set up my flip chart, as I just wanted to get a feel for the location.  I was able to pass out some tracts, and have a brief chat with a gardner working outside.

I decided to finish the day by going back to Cathedral Square.  And I got into a long conversation with a very polite atheist/agnostic (his words) who had a degree in philosophy.

He completely rejected the building = builder; creation = creator analogy.  And I wasn’t making any progress on the intellectual front.  So I decided to change tack and address his conscience.  I asked him if he would allow me to explain Christianity to him - which he was open to.  I was able to explain the seriousness of sin, via the law, and that hell was reasonable in light of that - but that’s as far as I got - he quickly changed the subject.

So a busy and tiring day of outreach.  As always I leave the results in God’s hands.
 

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There weren’t many people in Cathedral Square on Saturday, but I still had an eventful outreach.  I really enjoy setting up my flip chart at the southern entrance and handing out tracts.  It always surprises me who stops and wants to talk.

Sadly, the overwhelming memory from that outreach was some unexpected hostility.  I had four young adults walk past, and they were looking at my flip chart with mild interest on their faces.  So I asked them politely, “Good morning, would you like to try the good person test?”

The response made me inwardly flinch; using a nasty word I don’t want to write, I was told that they were not interested.

In my shock, I still decided I would be nice in return and wished them a “nice day”.  To which I was told: “Go have an abortion”.

I don’t think it was a coincidence that the comment was connected to abortion, in light of the heightened tension around this issue in the world right now, and in light of our own local effort to stand against abortion.

In spite of this, I genuinely feel love for those young adults.  Before I knew Christ - that was me.

We must continue to reach out with the love of Christ - as much as people will hate us for it.  He is with us.

A team of five gathered for Sunday afternoon’s outreach on the corner of Cashel and Colombo.

And just as I was beginning to think that it would be a slow day, a Gospel conversation started with a young couple, and the outreach was eventful from then on.

I think the young couple clearly understood the law and Gospel presentation I gave.  But sadly, it seemed like the cost of discipleship was too high.

Andy brought his young son out with him - who was delighted to break his previous tract record during the outreach: 11.  Well done! :)
 

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Friday dawned nice and clear.  The day started with our, now regular, Gospel + abortion outreach outside the hospital.  There was a team of six.

And, again, the Lord encouraged us.  Before the outreach had even started, and as I was waiting for the others in the team to arrive, I was handing out “Life is Precious” tracts.  I noticed two of the team approaching, but out of the corner of my eye a skateboard was coming my way.  He went right past, so I handed him a tract.  He stopped and wanted to know what it was.  I had a decision to make: do I talk about abortion, or do I talk about the Gospel?  I went with the Gospel.  It’s only the Gospel that can change hearts (and remove blindness), and changed hearts will led to an end of the genocide of abortion.

And it was a wonderful Gospel conversation with a young man at a crossroads in his life and who needed a Gospel wake up call.  He seemed deeply challenged and impacted.

And then the subject moved to abortion.  And I was floored when he said his partner was considering an abortion at the moment!  I handed him another tract and pleaded with him to give it to her, and that we would do anything to help, if it would mean they wouldn’t kill the child.  I even offered to adopt.

I give glory to God for this wonderful opportunity and the encouragement it was.  What we are doing seems so useless, and yet we are getting clear opportunities to not only reach people with the Gospel, but also reach people considering abortion and counselling them to not.

A wonderful photo of me shaking hands with this young man was taken.

And yet, there was much opposition during the outreach.  One lady angrily “told me off” for giving a “Life is Precious” tract to a “pre teen”.  Her concern for children was very ironic.

I was told, by a passerby, that what we were doing was harassment.  Protesting with signs, politely handing out tracts, and dialoguing with people is not harassment.

We had a jogger go past and scream “my body, my choice”.  Our bodies were given to us, by the God we know exists (yet suppress), and we know murder is wrong by our conscience (which means “with knowledge”).

The outreach ended with more encouragement.  We had three very passionate girls approach the team to dialogue.  Yes, it was a dialogue (two way) - even though there was much passion, and even tears, there was no shouting (see picture).

As hard as this outreach is, it must continue.  We must do something.  Praying for labourers to join us.  Will you come and hold a sign and stand up for those that can’t?

As usual, we moved to Cathedral Square.  We again had a wonderful opportunity for open air Gospel preaching.  We then moved to Cashel Mall for our regular Friday afternoon outreach with a team of five.

On the previous day (Thursday), our first outreach started in the afternoon.  But the weather was not cooperating.  It was cold, windy and threatening rain while we were in the city, so we decided to head out to our new outreach location: Northlands Mall in Papanui.

We had good opportunities for Gospel conversations, that were started with tracts around the bus stops.

A highlight for me was a conversation that led into another conversation: I got chatting with an older man, who turned out to have a Roman Catholic background.  I went through the law and Gospel with him, and then continued to chat until his friends arrived and they moved on down the road.

While I was talking with him, a younger lady had been listening, and when I approached her, she was keen to chat.  And so I had the opportunity to go through the law and the Gospel with her also, until her bus came.

By this stage, the rain was coming down hard.  Our fall back, in weather like this, is to go to the central bus exchange, which has a large roof that protects the side walk from rain.

But the weather was so terrible, we even abandoned that idea, and I went to my last resort in bad weather: letterbox dropping.  I rugged up warm, and had no problem walking the pavements sowing seeds (see picture).
 

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After a wonderful day off on Monday, it was back to work with outreaches in Riccarton on Tuesday, and in the City and outside the Hospital on Wednesday.

It was great being back in Riccarton, after being in Papanui last Tuesday instead.  A reasonable amount of tracts were distributed.  And three decent conversations were had - one of which was a highlight conversation of recent memory.

The conversation occurred near the end of the outreach, a guy walked past with the name of a local company I recognised printed on his top.  This was a natural conversation starter and we talked briefly about people we both knew.  The conversation quickly moved to what I was doing on the sidewalk, and into spiritual things.  I ended up briefly sharing my testimony of how I became a Christian, and he became engrossed, as it seemed to parallel where he was at.

He went from saying he had a few minutes to chat, to being willing to sit down and discuss the Gospel at length.  At the end of the conversation, he admitted he wasn’t convinced (yet), but I could tell our conversation was timely.  He gladly took a gospel booklet, a tract, and details of how to get in contact if he wanted to.  I was very encouraged by this conversation.

Wednesday started a little different to normal.  I got to do some email evangelism.  Let me explain.  Earlier in the year, I had a wonderful conversation with a young man in Cathedral Square.  At the end of that conversation, I gave him a tract, told him my name, and said that he could contact me through the web site, via email.

Well, this young man got back to me a few days latter!  He had important questions - which I responded to.  But, sadly, that was it.  He never emailed back.

Well last Friday, I bumped into this guy again.  I asked if he had received my email, and he said he hadn’t but that he still had questions.  It turns out that my emails had been caught in his spam folder (I wonder why!), and we now have a good email connection.

So I started the day with responding to his questions.  And he has responded already!  I’m looking forward to being able to continue that conversation, he is even keen to catch up face to face again.

But the first proper outreach of the day was in Cathedral Square.

There was a girl sitting close to where I set up my flip chart, so I went over and offered her a tract.  She wasn’t keen to chat, so I left her to read it.

Later, I moved down to the corner of Colombo Street and Cashel Mall, and lo and behold, this same young girl walks up and wants to talk.  She could see that she had failed the good person test (what the tract was about) and wanted to discuss - which I was happy to do.  She ended up taking a contact card for my local church!

After lunch, I moved to the Hospital, but it was a very slow, not many tracts were accepted, and I couldn’t get a conversation to start as much as I tried.  I wonder if I was feeling apprehensive in light of the abortion outreaches we have started in this spot on Fridays?

So after an hour, I decided to head back into the city.  Just as I moved off, Chris Harris (a retired NZ cricket player) came down the steps.  I had an opportunity to interact with him briefly, and he accepted a Gospel tract.  I was encouraged by that.

Back in the city for a final hour of outreach, I ended up having two conversations.  One was a very encouraging follow up chat with the homeless guy I had spoken to on Saturday.  The second was a long conversation with a young man I had known from church circles about ten years ago, but it didn’t seem like he was still involved with a local church.  I did my best to encourage him with the Gospel.

I finished the day with some letterbox dropping.  As I was walking down a lane, a man came out of his house and wanted to know what I was up to.  This turned into a wonderful opportunity to sit down with him on his porch to discuss the Gospel!

As I’m writing this report, I’m realising how many wonderful opportunities I had to share Christ, in spite of what felt like two days of slow, hard Gospel work.  As always, I leave the results with Him: all the glory is His.
 

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