Thursday May 27
A team went to a shopping mall in a French area which turned out to be quite fruitful. We gave an anti-Semitism pamphlet to a man who immediately asked if we were Jehovah’s Witnesses or with Jews for Jesus. We explained we were not. He then accepted a Tenakh from us. A short while later, he returned to speak to us from his car. He asked if those who print these Scriptures believed in Jesus and we answered yes, and that we also believed Yeshua was the Messiah. This led to a discussion of 20 minutes during which we said the Brit Chadasha (New Testament) was written by Jewish men just like the Tenakh, so he took one. The team member also spoke of many subjects, including the two appearances of Messiah, Zechariah 12:10, and finally encouraged him to read Isaiah 53. He took our contact information.
A relative of Messianic Leader J. I. Gabizon strolled down the sidewalk toward us and engaged us in a warm conversation as she revealed that one of our teams had already left her with a Bible set at her door in the past. We encouraged her to read them. J. Isaac has been in touch with her on and off for a few years now. Each time they would meet, he would ask her about her faith. There are no coincidences and that is what we bank on, God’s appointed times.
A young man who is soon headed to Israel accepted a pamphlet and a set from us, awed that they were free.
We also spoke to a man from France who had family who had been in the Holocaust. He took a pamphlet and spoke with us at length. He mentioned that Christians are known for being the worst persecutors of the Jewish people. We said that not all who claim the Name are in right relation with God, which satisfied him. He also accepted a bookmark with messianic prophecies before continuing on.
A middle-aged woman told us of how empty her life felt following the loss of her two parents and her job within a short time span. She was grateful to accept a Bible set, which we said could offer her comfort.
In total, three Bible sets were given, around fifteen pamphlets, and a few other pieces of literature.
Sunday May 30
Three teams were spread out at two different parks.
One team went to the West Island of Montreal and handed out anti-Semitism pamphlets to over a dozen people.
A young Israeli jogger told us he was secular even though he scored very highly in school when studying the five Books of Moses. He accepted the pamphlet but was uninterested by anything else. When one team member told him to always remember that God loved him, he seemed deeply touched. Then he left.
At the other park, one team met a religious couple. The wife screamed at us and the husband accused us of being missionaries only to the Jewish people and that we should rather go to the Muslims because they are the problem. We quietly responded that we do evangelize Muslims. Then we listened as they vented their frustrations of how their families and friends were under the daily threat of missiles back in Israel. At a certain point, we hinted for them to turn to God. This brought the highly tense situation down a bit and they respectfully left, even through there was a lot of tension in the air!
We encountered a wonderful couple who had lived in Morocco twenty years ago who knew Pastor Jacques. We had a very open discussion on Yeshua the Jewish Messiah. They told us that just recently they received a scroll at this same park. We believe this must be the Scroll of Ruth (Megillat Ruth) which we gave out on the feast of Shavuot (Pentecost). We were excited to think how one plants and how another waters but how it is the Lord Who gives the increase.
The two teams gave out around 15 pamphlets at the park during half an hour before deciding to go to a nearby shopping mall for two more hours.
While there, the teams distributed dozens of leaflets and two full sets of Hebrew Scriptures, one to a wonderful French speaking young couple with which we had a good exchange about Messiah!
The other set was gratefully accepted by a middle-aged lady.
We had a nice conversation with a young man who was very eager to learn more about what we were doing, accepting an anti-Semitism pamphlet and an Isaiah 53 leaflet.
An Arab Muslim woman took a pamphlet and a full French bible, asking if she could give a Tanakh to Jewish friends. We showed her from Isaiah 9:6 that Jesus is divine who came to earth to redeem us and not a man who became God. A light seemed to come on in her thoughts. She was interested in the messianic prophecy bookmark, too. Concerned about raising her children ethically, we explained how to listen to Beth Ariel sermons and that maybe her kids could eventually listen to the children’s teachings. Holding her hand to her heart, she left joyfully.
We spoke to a secular Jewish woman who had had cancer, telling her about how God is a refuge. She took a pamphlet.
Many individuals seemed disturbed by current events. We assured one woman that God’s covenants would be accomplished, which lifted her spirits.
Another woman initially accepted the New Testament, but when she saw it spoke of Jesus, she gave it back.
A young man took many pieces of literature. We spoke of Isaiah 53 and the need for blood atonement.
A Gentile woman took a gospel tract from us.
One woman told us that religious leaders can be hypocritical. She had asked her rabbi about why Jesus could not be the Messiah but didn’t like his answer.
Tuesday June 1
A team went to a shopping area in the West Island. Most shoppers were hurrying to their cars as they left the stores, so it was more difficult to reach them with literature.
One older woman said her husband was thinking of removing their mezuzah from the door, due to the threats of violence against the Jewish community. She took a pamphlet.
A man in his 70s who accepted a pamphlet said a couple of men dressed with Palestinian headscarves confronted him at the entrance to his condo in Dollard-des-Ormeaux recently, yelling about dead Palestinian children. A retired US Navy Seal, he offered to fight it out with them on the spot. Seeing him remove his jacket, they ran away. He said the police who came acted uncaring when they answered his call. Even though he is less religious, we spoke to him of Messiah.
In all, we gave out around 18 pamphlets.