Battle Log

Wednesday, 3 March, 2021

Posted 3 March 2021, 3:37 PM by Glen Richards. Permalink

New Zealand Mission - Whangarei - Day Three

Okay, it’s unintentional that most of the pictures from today have Andy in them!  There was a team of 12 out today.  It’s so encouraging seeing everyone getting involved, giving it ago, sharpening up - glorifying God and seeing him show himself strong through our weakness.

We started in the Cameron Street Mall again - and it became very busy by 10 am.

I know the team is having awesome opportunities - I’m hearing all the testimonies.  But I think the highlight conversation for me was one that occurred just as I was sitting down to have lunch.  I looked up and noticed three separate people watching a flip chart presentation occurring!  The person on the flip chart could only focus on one person, and didn’t even notice the person at the back.  I watched him start to move off, so I decided to go and talk to him.

I greeted the gentleman, and offered him a tract saying that it explained the content of the flip chart presentation.  But I also asked if he would like to talk about it.  To my surprise, he looked at me and said he would, but that he had had a hip replacement and needed to sit down.  So, we shuffled down the mall until we could find a place to sit.  Then he turned to me ready to talk about religion.

I didn’t hesitate, and we started by discussing how we know God exists.  Instantly he had questions, which I worked through one by one.  We moved through the law, why there is a hell, why hell is severe.  Finally I was able to share the gospel.  His response was that he couldn’t accept it - but I could tell he was interested.  I pleaded with him on the urgency of the matter.  He said he had questions, I offered to answer his questions.  But he refused, he needed time to process what I had said - understandable.  But I pointed him to the local church I am working with: Clark Road Chapel if he decided he wanted to talk further with someone.  He also had the gospel tract I gave him.  We parted ways with a handshake.  Please pray for George.

Before this, a Phillapino lady decided to accept an offered tract - she went out of her way to accept it, so I knew she was interested.  Sure enough, she wanted to talk.  She believed in God - having a Catholic background.  Surprisingly, she considered herself to be a bad person.  I was trying to swing the conversation to the gospel when she started to open up.  She had lost her husband nearly a year ago, and she was lonely.  She even came to tears - understandably.  Just at the right time, Christine came past and I pulled her into the conversation.  It ended up with the lady giving Christine her phone number and follow up will occur!

There was another great story - I started a conversation with a couple of guys.  One resistant and wanted to walk off.  The other wanted to talk, but had to follow his friend.  But to my joy, fifteen minutes later, I see Emma sitting down and talking to this guy (pictured).  So great being in this team, and seeing people have multiple opportunities to engage with the gospel!

After lunch, Andy & I open air preached, and then we moved to the Okara shopping area for outreach there.  Andy had a couple of outstanding gospel chats there.  One while paired up with Phil, the other while paired up with Pastor Andrew.  Apparently Pastor Andrew took them through the law, while Andy took them through the gospel - tag teaming the conversation.  Praise God.

I was paired with Callum, we had a few difficult chats, but at the end of the outreach I had a really great chat with a high school kid named Max - who came to grasp the gospel, took a tract and was pointed to the church.

And I’m over time for this report!  That is just a glimpse of the day.  Overjoyed at how things are going, but won’t stop praying - we are so desperately in need of God’s help in this work.  All glory to Him alone!