Friday, January 31st
2 Tanakhs and 2 Brit Chadashahs were given separately, while many anti-Semitism pamphlets and comfort cards were distributed.
On a cold but sunny day a team of two women went to a local shopping mall. There they met up with two Jewish ladies who were walking together. One of the ladies gratefully accepted the Tanakh but they were both in a hurry to get to their car and did not stop to talk.
Then they met another two ladies and one of them had a pleasant countenance and was receptive to listen to the team speak about the Tanakh. Then they introduced the Brit Chadashah. The woman stated that she was very orthodox and would not accept the Brit yet with a bright smile said, “I will take this one” (meaning the Tanakh). She thanked the team saying that they were doing a good work.
After this, they met an Italian man and had a conversation about his receiving salvation from his sins. They also spoke about his relationship with God and how this salvation could only come through his having faith in the Son of Man, Jesus who could show him the way, the truth and the life. He received a Christian tract.
Immediately after, they saw two very tall men in the parking lot, leaving their truck. They quickly went to them and presented an anti-Semitism pamphlet. The men motioned that they could not read it and speaking in broken English and French said that they were Russians from Ukraine. Happily, the team had a Russian Isaiah 53 leaflet to offer them, and raising their eyebrows in surprise, they thanked the team. They were offered a Russian gift set, but they refused saying that they already had a bible. The team gave them a contact card so they could go online to listen, in their own language, to the messages of Pastor Jacques.
The team went inside the mall to warm up and met a man who was reading a Christian tract at that very moment. One team member approached him and shared the gospel and asked the man for his name. She was surprised to find out that it was a Jewish biblical name, but he said he was not Jewish. They continued speaking about Jesus and His plan of salvation. He was offered the Brit Hadashah in English as they did not have any English-only bibles on hand. He accepted this gift and was very, very grateful.
One team member met an Orthodox Jewish man who was wearing the full orthodox outfit and offered him a Beth Ariel contact card. He was shown how he could enter the site to listen to Pastor Jacques Gabizon’s messages which were aired on Radio Shalom (local Montreal radio station). He received this card willingly.
Next, they met a Jewish lady and presented her with the Tanakh, but she refused saying that she had so many books but when she was offered the Brit Chadashah she accepted it with no hesitation and was smiling as she left. Amazing!
They then met a Jewish lady who shared that she was going through many trials, so they encouraged her to trust God and offered her an anti-Semitism pamphlet and a comfort card. She took these and they had a brief personal conversation about her situation. They informed her that Yeshua was the Prince of peace and that He could give her shalom and that it was important for her to have a personal relationship with Him. She was told that He is the only one who could give her the peace she was seeking and that He could bring righteousness to her if she would seek and find Him. She had a smile as she was leaving and thanked them for the comfort they offered her.
A man questioned one of the team members as to what synagogue she attended after receiving the anti-Semitism pamphlet and she quickly offered him a contact card and showed him where he could listen to the messages of Rabbi Jacques Gabizon on Radio Shalom. He was offered the Tanakh and refusing that, did take the contact card and said he would look into it, once at home. The member was relieved that he did not start a public protest to her being there.
Two ladies were given the anti-Semitism pamphlets and comfort cards but were not interested in taking the scriptures as they wanted to shop. Seeing the gift sets they exclaimed how beautiful they were and encouraged the team members to continue the good work.
One of the members who met a French speaking Persian woman shared that she had a friend who also was Persian, who had moved back home to Iran from Montreal. She told the woman that this friend believed that Jesus, and that Yeshua was God. The team member said that their conversation was beautiful, as she further explained who Yeshua is, sharing that she had the same faith as her Iranian friend.
Then they met a Jewish woman who was wearing a long skirt who appeared to be Orthodox. She spoke to the team in French and said she had both Moroccan and Hungarian parents. She happily accepted a bookmark and the Beth Ariel contact card. The team explained that she attended a Messianic congregation and that she believed that Yeshua was the Messiah. Surprisingly the woman did not object to this and upon leaving wished the team member well.
Just before leaving the mall, they encountered a Jewish lady who also accepted a bookmark and a contact card. They told her that they believed that Yeshua was the Messiah. She too did not object and so they encouraged her to listen online to the messages.
The team was grateful for the sunny day and despite the cold weather, they were able to have many short conversations and to give out a number of pamphlets and comfort cards. They thank everyone who kept them in prayer and they give God the glory for keeping them safe and allowing them to give out the scriptures.