Battle Log

Thursday, 19 December, 2019

Posted 23 December 2019, 6:46 PM by Glen Richards. Permalink

Thursday - just after midnight - saw the opening of the new Star Wars movie.  The Christchurch (NZ) team had some Star Wars tracts left over from an outreach a few years ago (pictured in storm trooper outfits) and so it was time to give them away (minus the outfits this time)!  A team of two: Jermaine joined me.

Our plan was to turn up a couple of hours before the movie started and hand out tracts to those heading in.  We were too early - there was no one around, but God provided some wonderful follow up conversations while we waited.

The picture theater is opposite the bus exchange, and a couple of guys I’ve talked to many times before (and who I regularly pray for), were heading into it.  We headed over, and we were able to continue the conversation - they had a friend I hadn’t met before.  They invited me into the bus exchange to talk further... when I encountered yet another young man that I’ve had two good gospel conversations with before - he had some other friends I hadn’t talked to.  And then a security guard walked up… because she wanted a Star Wars gospel tract!  I couldn’t talk to all of them, so Jermaine talked with the new group, while I talked with the original group.

The two guys I have talked to many times before were still no more interested in the gospel.  But their friend was curious and so I focused on taking them through the law and the gospel.  It was difficult, because one of the other guys kept interrupting and trying to take the conversation off track.  In the end, I only had time to go through the law as their bus came.  But a detailed tract (After Life) was received.

The guys Jermaine was talking to had also left, so we headed back over to the picture theater to start handing out the Star Wars tracts.  It worked out great, as there was only one entrance - So Jermaine took one side, and I the other.  And, sure enough, plenty of Star Wars fans started appearing (many in costume) and the tracts started going out.  I had a gospel conversation with one young atheist while he was waiting for a friend.

At one point early on, one of the people that worked for the picture theater came out wondering what we were doing, when Jermaine told him his response was: “Oh, that’s wonderful - we need more people doing this!”  He was a Christian!  He helped us by collecting discarded tracts (inside the theater) and giving them back to us so we could give them to someone else.

All the tracts we had were distributed - about 200.  And the guy who worked in the theater took the last few and said he would give them out.

This outreach was a bit of a risk, as I didn’t know if it would work.  But God was faithful and brought us many opportunities for the gospel as we stepped out in faith.  I was very encouraged.  May He save some through these feeble efforts - all glory to Him!