Knock-and-Talk-23
Shalom everyone!
 

I hope you all had a wonder-filled and revitalizing winter holiday! We are now back on the field, a bit later than we had originally hoped to be, but many unplanned interruptions kept the team apart until now. We thank God that Danielle and Tina were able to go out this past Monday night. As for myself (Hughes), I was stuck at home with a terrible cold that truly knocked me out of service. Could it be that I had taken out, inadvertently, even from my birth, an annual subscription to the cold virus which now appears to unmercifully hit me at least twice during every winter season? This however, does not prevent me from participating, like many of you, in praying for and during Monday night’s outreach.

Danielle and Tina set out only to discover that most buildings they wanted to access were guarded or locked at the front door. Tina, who knows this area quite well (Cote St Luc), suggested they go on just a little further, toward the end of the block where another set of high-rises were stationed.

As they passed this one building, they saw someone standing in the lobby so Tina said, “Here we go. I will ask the person to open up the door for me”. But by the time Danielle parked the car, the person had already left. Gratefully however, someone else soon came by…  an opened door granted them a golden opportunity.

Once inside, they had 2 hallways to choose from with many mezzuzot on these doors. These little boxes containing part of a text from Deuteronomy 6 are affixed to the frame on the right side of the door. How interesting that this reverential rule (affixing the mezuzah) that has been kept so well by so many Jews over the centuries has worked to allow us today, to have the fore-knowledge of who will greet us on the other side. God makes His people known to the outside world and this gives us a foot in so that we may hand out this precious life giving Book.

Though many people were not at home Monday night, they did meet a woman in her mid-60’s who took a set and asked if she could give a donation to cover the cost. Tina and Danielle told her that the Word of God is a free gift.

Later on, after a few more refusals, they met a short little blond lady in her 80’s who was walking in the hallway. They said, Shalom” to her and told her they wished her God’s shalom (peace). She then lifted her head up, looked them straight in the eyes and asked, “What’s this all about?” They presented her with the Scriptures and she asked them if she can give a donation but again they shared that this was not their policy. Have we ever considered door to door as a lucrative business technique? Well, the rewards and blessings from the Lord make us richer yet!
 

The woman invited them into her apartment. She said she didn’t speak English as well as she does Hebrew, so she was glad that these Scriptures were also printed in her mother tongue. There were so many pictures everywhere on her walls… pictures of her eight sisters in Jerusalem, pictures of her children’s weddings and many other family pictures.

After some discussion time, Tina told the woman that she wanted to share something from the Tanach (Old Testament). Tina explained that so many prophecies were fulfilled, ones which can be found in the Brit Chadasha (New Testament) and that there are so many more prophecies still to come. Tina quoted from Jeremiah 31:31-34 and the lady highlighted that verse with a big “X” next to it so that she would be sure to find it later on! Then Tina pointed her to the New Testament. The lady accepted the Bible set and was very happy.  In fact, she even took the Tanach
in hand and started to dance all over her living room! Can we ever praise the Lord!! In the last 15 years of outreach, I have seen a lot of Jewish people happy to receive the Scriptures but I never saw a person dancing because of it! I find it so beautiful! I think I want to dance too…and let’s not forget Miriam (Moses’ sister) who herself at over 80 years of age, found the joy in her heart to not only sing but to lead the women in dance after the sea had been parted. Perhaps we can bring tambourines with us on our next outreach!!
 
Because Danielle and Tina did not want to take a donation, the woman insisted that they at least take some of her very good candies.  May the sweetness of the Word be to this woman like a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones (Proverbs 16:24).
 

After this, Tina and Danielle came across quite a few who refused to open their doors. At other doors, no one was at home. Later on though, they met an older sophisticated couple who listened very carefully to the presentation of the Scriptures but they politely refused.

Soon after, they met a woman using a walker who said she was in a lot of pain. She told Danielle and Tina that they don’t need to pray for her because she is praying for herself, but God has not yet answered…. They told her that God answers but sometimes it takes time. They said they were there to bless her but she refused the set.

At one of the last doors, a Hungarian caretaker took a set and told Danielle and Tina that she will give that set to the older Jewish lady she is working for.

Bottom line, it was a very great night of blessings. They did 6 floors in a 17 floor building, had 8 refusals, 3 acceptances, along with some very blessed conversations. Please renew all your wonderful and great prayer support for all of these people, for their salvation, and for us, so we can keep walking the good walk behind the Great Walker Himself…Who has become our personal walker when we have needed so often to lean on His wonderful support. Let us continue to fight the good fight…the one that brings joy and removes so much of the pain and suffering until that final and ultimate best knock and walk that is to come… Knocking on heaven’s door and each one walking in his uprightness on the golden streets of eternity.

Shalom,

Hugues

Suffering Reveals God’s Mercy

CALGARY, Alberta

As many of you know, in the city of Calgary, Alberta CANADA there are two faithful servants who have been doing Jewish outreach for many months now, Valerie and Donald. They would truly covet your prayer support for them as well.

Here is a highlight from a January 2016 outreach:

We started off early tonight so we could visit with Fanny. Fanny is a Hungarian Holocaust survivor. She visits Calgary high school students to witness concerning her experiences in the Holocaust. We were able to point out to Fanny that no one could blame God for man’s evil, and on that point she agreed. Fanny is very grateful for her freedom in Canada where she has a good life. She still has the Tanach and the Isaiah 53 bookmark which we gave her, and she told us that  she did do some reading. We were able to discuss with her that the 10 commandments reflected God’s Glory and that our most sincere efforts fall short of His Glory. On that she admitted to being a sinner. We pointed to Jesus the Messiah, our only God given means by which we could be acceptable to Him through faith. Valerie mentioned the fact that the Jewish nation is back and that their return has begun, pointing to the eminent Messianic coming. Fanny was skeptical.  We pray for her and ask that God would guide her in her quest.
We continued with the outreach, ringing at four other Jewish homes but all were away, perhaps south for the winter. We were in a 55+ community, and plan on returning after the snowbird season is over. We did distribute a few gentile New Testaments (no Hebrew inside) and left tracts when people were absent. Let us pray for Fanny who did invite us to come back to visit her when she returns from her trip to Hawaii.

Please pray for God’s guidance in the outreach in Calgary. It isn’t “always easy” even though we have great moments sharing with both Jews and Gentiles!

Shalom

Valerie and Donald

Please note: Both the Montreal and Calgary teams go out on Monday evenings. Thank you for your prayers.

 

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