Battle Log

Thursday, 4 March, 2021

Posted 4 March 2021, 2:41 PM by Glen Richards. Permalink

New Zealand Mission - Whangarei - Day Four

Is it really the end of Thursday?  Time is going so fast.  We have just finished another day of gospel outreach at the Kamo shopping area (morning), and then in Cameron Street Mall (afternoon).

It was quite wet in Kamo - but that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm.  There were about eight of us out.  And as per the pictures, everyone was busy in conversations.

I had a follow up conversation with Chris.  I’d had a long chat with him the previous morning in the mall.  So I was really surprised to see him walk past in Kamo!  He had been thinking about what we had talked about the previous day - sadly, he was resistant.  Yet he was happy to chat again - I tried to address his objections as best as I could, but I couldn’t see any progress.  This reminded me of my dependence on God in what we are doing - I can’t convert people!

I had a sad chat with a guy called Hal who claimed he didn’t care about what happened after life - in fact he said he welcomed death (he wasn’t suicidal).  Yet he stuck around and we had a good chat.  He seemed to already understand the gospel, a checking question confirming.  And yet he said, it “didn’t click” for him.  Again reminding me of our dependence on God in what we are doing.

By this stage, Emma and I were paired up and we approached two ladies sitting on a public bench.  We fell into a good conversation - and yet one of those ladies started dominating the air time and resisting, yet I could tell the other lady was interested.  So I started focusing on the other lady, and naturally the conversation split, Emma taking the talker.  It was just what was needed.  I was able to work through the gospel with the lady I was talking to - having to go through checking questions multiple times for her to really start grasping it.  And praise God, the lady Emma talked to opened up and was also able to hear the gospel!

And yet, I was burdened with the need for prayer.  After lunch, Christine suggested we pray together - and we did!  Praying for the lost to understand the gospel and for His help in the work we are doing.

We had a wonderful time in the afternoon.  A guy I had approached on a previous day and refused, approached me today, and we had a long chat.  It turns out he is a Reiki Master & Clairvoyant.  He was deeply resistant, and yet the chat went well - Christine joined in.  He heard the law and the gospel was touched on, but most of the time was spent navigating the resistance.  We parted ways with a handshake, and he took a tract as I had taken one of his cards.

Later I ended up having one of the best chats of the week so far!  Beth was taking some of the new team members through the flip chart when suddenly she noticed two ladies watching from a distance.  Beth invited them over to join in, but they were happy watching from a distance.  I decided to engage them - a mother and daughter and they came to grasp the gospel.  Even after checking about the cost of discipleship, the daughter said there was nothing stopping her from trusting that Jesus died on the cross for her sins.  I asked what they would want to do now, and they brought up the Bible, and the fact that they would want to start going to church!  They don’t live in Whangarei - so I asked them to get in touch via needGod.net (Instagram) so we could point them to a good church.  I also showed them how they could get a good Bible on their phone and they left with tracts.

Ok, way over time on this report, but please keep praying!  Day five and six to come, and we are meeting up for more training tonight. :)