Outreach report – November 27th 2002424
Thursday, November 21st
3 English Tanakhs were given.
On this day a team of two women were doing door-to-door outreach in a local residential area. The day was dull, and it began to rain just as they finished their outing. As many people were not home, the team left an anti-Semitism pamphlet and a comfort card in each of those mailboxes.
The first Tanakh was given to a well-dressed woman who was surprised that the team was gifting her with the Scriptures, but she received it with thanks. She was able to read Hebrew so the team mentioned that she would be able to read about the Messiah in Isaiah 53 in its original language. They spoke to her about the Messiah being able to make her tsadik and as she understood this, she gratefully took the gift and thanked them.
At a door close by, they met a man getting out of his car. He took the Tanakh despite not being religious. They spent some time with him and explained the difference between a rabbinic and biblical Jew. Here, he mentioned that the name for God was Elohim and being surprised at this, they explained the meaning of that name. They referred to Genesis 1:1 and said that Elohim implied a plurality, because the name was in a plural form. They showed him passages in the first chapter of Genesis that referenced the Son and the Holy Spirit. He listened as they spoke, and they shared how man was separated from God because of sin. They told him that all men fall short of the glory of God but that the Messiah, Yeshua, can make mankind righteous. He took only the Tanakh from them knowing that the team believed Yeshua was the Messiah. They had a ten-minute conversation with him which they enjoyed very much.
A woman came to greet them at her door stating that she thought they were from Chabad. She said she was not religious but that her daughter was. She willingly spoke of her family and how her grandson had gone to Israel and what the situation was like there. The team wanted her to accept the scriptures and so they gently encouraged her to take the set so that she could find eternal life, and reconciliation with God through the Messiah. She did not accept the set in the end but did take the literature and contact card to follow the messages on the website. They told her that they would pray for her, and she was grateful for this.
An English Tanakh was given to a woman who was surprised at the offer of free scriptures. She asked them, “So what do I do now?” and they replied, “I hope you receive it with joy!” She then took the Tanakh and the anti-Semitism pamphlet and thanked them.
At the next door there was no answer, but an elderly man was coming out of his car in the driveway that belonged to the household where the woman had taken the Tanakh. He told them that the people next door were not home. They informed him that they had just given his wife a Tanakh. He smiled at them and said, “We have a Tanakh and now I received a mitzvah”. It was a cute and touching moment.
This was the end of their outing, and the team thanked the Lord for the nice weather, provision and protection. They thanked all those who prayed for them and gave God all the blessing and honor.
Monday, November 25th
1 English gift set and one English Tanakh were given.
The day was bright and sunny as a team of two ladies were doing door-to-door visits. A gift set was offered to a young man who was over 18 years of age. He was surprised to see the ladies as he opened the door and as they announced themselves and told him that they had a gift for him, a Tanakh. He seemed very touched. It was wonderful they said to see his reaction and they asked him if he had read the Tanakh before. He said he had not but knew some parts of it. They showed him the bookmark and pointed out the scriptures that spoke of the prophecies of the Messiah and how he would be able to recognize Him when He returned. They also gave him the Isaiah 53 leaflet and explained how the Messiah could make him tsadik by taking his sins away, making him righteous before God. The young man then exclaimed, “Yeah, we are waiting for the 2nd coming!” At this, the team told him that they believed Yeshua was the Messiah and that He would come back to rule and reign in Jerusalem. They offered the Brit Chadash and told him that this was a Jewish book and that he could read about the promises of God. He was happy to take both books and so they gave him the contact card as well.
Then they came to the door of a man who had just moved to the area. He was very busy, but he did take time to speak with them and to receive the anti-Semitism pamphlet. He said that he already had a Tanakh and thanked them for the literature.
They gave a Tanakh to a woman at another door and while she was thanking them, the husband came to the door. He told them that they had a Tanakh but surprisingly accepted this one from them. They presented the Brit Chadashah, but they did not want to take it. The team said that the couple, who wore matching outfits, was very grateful and so sweet to speak with.
Another woman answered her door and told them that they had many books. However, she did accept the bookmark, the anti-Semitism pamphlet and the Isaiah 53 leaflet from them. Most people in this area were not at home (approximately 95%) but literature was left in their mailboxes. As the team began to drive further on, they noticed a security car parked and a guard inside the car. This then ended their outing although they had planned to stay another half hour. The team was thankful for what they had accomplished and praised God for His protection.