Grahamstown Festival Outreach 2016 – Testimonies!

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(Testimonies from the Helping Hand team: Frank, Michelle, Chris, David (and Tino from Grahamstown, who joined the team for outreach on some of the days)

Stopping with a group of 6 young men, chatting and laughing, I offered them each a tract. They all went silent and accepted the tracts curiously. As I was handing them round, I said “sorry if I interrupted your conversation” and the “ringleader” replied, “no man, it’s cool. This looks worth stopping for!”

James and I began a conversation on one side of town, and continued it as we walked. More than half an hour later we were at the other side of town, and had covered topics ranging from relationships to prayer, current world events, and personal commitment to Jesus. I told him how I gave my life to Jesus, and he explained how he grew up in a Christian family, but couldn’t quite understand who Jesus was and why he should receive him. We talked together for a while more, and at last he agreed to give Jesus a try, and accepted Him as His personal Saviour! We exchanged details and I encouraged him to stay in touch and to pray, cause Jesus is always listening.

Ikiwe was sitting in his car by the side of the street, and after I gave him a tract, he turned off his engine and we struck up quite a conversation. He was not sure if he could fully accept Jesus, but was very willing to listen and we discussed language barriers, changing the world, and how we each have a destiny and are not forgotten by God. Towards the end of the conversation, he said “Look, we may not agree on everything, but I want you to know that you’ve fulfilled your mission. I know you’re not here in Grahamstown just to give these” (gesturing to the “Only Two Religions” tract I’d given him) , “but that you want to engage people in conversation and share what you believe. Well, you gave me this, and we had a good conversation, so you’ve fulfilled your mission!” Very friendly and a little encouragement in its own way.

Met man near cathedral ( gave Honest Humility tract) and we had a good chat. He is Christian but searching for confirmations of faith, so after talking for a while I left him the “Jasmine Bush” Activated issue. Promised to read it.

Milton: Designer. Moslem, used to be Christian. We spoke about love and how even the Quran states “in the name of Allah the merciful and compassionate” – leading into that Jesus’ true message was love for all humanity. He expressed how he really dislikes and doesn’t believe in forcing ones faith on others. I said I agree as far as being “Bible Basher” types, and jokingly apologized for in fact trying to share my faith with him. Right away he stopped, put his hand on my shoulder, and said “ No Chris, that’s not what I’m talking about. What you’re doing now, you’ll be blessed for! It’s clearly what you believe and it’s non confrontational.” Wow, Thank you Jesus! He swapped details and he said it would be great to stay in touch and chat via email.( he got “It’s Simple” tract)

A: got check to cross street even though my side more busy and ended up sitting and speaking at the corner for awhile. Spoke about not being able to find work even though he has a degree. Also was amazed to hear verses about total and forever forgiveness of sins ( veil over our sins, remember them no more, as far as the East is from the West, John 3:16, in no wise cast out) Told me he felt that God organized us meeting at just the right time. Finally decided to accept Jesus …moved to a quiet area on the grass. After praying he just started weeping. I put my hand on his shoulder and we just sat for a few minutes as he wept. I gave him an Activated mag and we exchanged numbers. I said I’d give him some time to soak it in and meet up again later. He thanked me. We met several hours later and I gave him a Bible as he didn’t have one. Was so thankful. Staying in touch and he is receiving the weekly Whatapp devotionals.

Talked to three friends, a lot of questions especially about the veracity of the Bible. Also why Jesus and not just “supreme being” or God. After a very good, deep, and open talk I asked them if they were willing to do what I did and give Jesus a try in their life. Two of them thanked me for answering their questions, said they just needed more time. Praise the Lord though, the third young guy agreed to pray then and there! Gave him a Gospel of John to start reading and also an Activated.

Middle aged man received the Lord, had never had a Bible in his life and knew little about it. Could hardly believe it when I gave him a Bible! I took time to show him some verses from the GOJ, and he really understood the new direction his life would be taking now and seemed willing to work on it. Hallelujah!

Started a conversation with Matt, a young photographer from Joburg, and spoke for a while just about each other, our backgrounds, differences between our two cities, etc. Finally started speaking about my faith and he said he considers himself somewhere between a Christian and an agnostic. Has a good friend who is a Hari Krishna. For example, he said he would be fine going to a temple, then the next day a church, the next a cathedral, and next a mosque, as “a God by any other name is still God.” I shared how the reason I believe is not based on head knowledge or favored doctrine, but on my experiences with Jesus in my life. He really listened and we spoke back and forth for a while. At last I asked him if he would be willing to do “a very big experiment” ;let Jesus into to his “test tube” life, and see what He did. He thought about it for a bit, and then said “Yes, I could try that.” He accepted Christ, and I left him with my details. It was a real inspiration for me, because I know now that he’s taken the first foundation; step and received Salvation, the Holy Spirit will start to change him!

Struck up a conversation with Brenda; she is born again but was struggling with the fact that she still sins. Nothing major, just normal human problems and she was feeling condemned. I encouraged her saying “as many as received Him to them He gave power to become the children of God!” Also that Jesus saved us 100% all the way, not partially or conditionally. She said some Christians prayed for her feet a little while back, ( has bone problems) and since then they have been much much better. She never has seen them again but said she wishes she could tell them, as she is so thankful. Prayed for her again and also for her sister who is struggling with cancer. Thanked me for “opening my eyes to see what Jesus really means” and was excited to read testimonies in the Activated.

Two friends received the Lord, and were so happy to hear that we had Bibles that they could have, free of charge and in their favoured language (Xhosa) God bless our sponsors! A gift of a Bible is pricelessly precious, and we’ve seen young and old even brought to tears at such a wonderful gift!

A group of friends called me over to ask for more tracts, and took all the variety I had. They had gotten a “Free Ticket” and enjoyed it so much they wanted more.

A, young French woman. I gave her a tract and she asked for directions. Ended up walking with her to the village green to show the way. Actually really sweet and had a good conversation. Christian and likes what we’re doing here; also talked about our projects in Cape Town. Met again later and exchanged numbers.

Fezile called to me as I was walking up the main road giving tracts. Came over and told me ” I’ve gotten two of these tracts from you so far during the festival, and they are so amazing! So witty and clear and clever to get attention.” Then told me he manages an advertising agency in Jo’burg and asked ” who illustrates and writes these?” I told him that my dad (Anthony) illustrated them and wrote/adapted text for them too. He said ” wow, I can’t believe that! Please tell him, on behalf of all of us, thank you and good job! Please keep going!” That’s not all though. Then he said (as he was looking at the other tracts I gave him) ” these are just too good! I wish there was a way to get things like this weekly.” Ha, I then told him about the Between Heaven and Cell and he laughed saying ” I love that name! Smart! You know what, please take my number AND my wife’s number, and send those to us!” We shook hands and I promised to stay in touch. Power of the tracts hallelujah!

Chemistry student G, met during night witnessing. Had received a few of our tracts before, and really loved them, but didn’t get a chance to tell us. Was very glad to meet up.. Was on his way to his study department to do some prep work gathering data etc for a presentation he is doing next week. We walked and talked together, and found out he is a Christian but feels quite alone in his faith, and not always sure of his foundation. I encouraged him with a few examples from my own life, and gave him an Activated and my number. Said he had showed one of the tracts he was given previously to a co worker and she had really found it interesting – said she would like to discuss it with him more. So glad for any advice and guidance. Thanked me before I left saying that it was very nice of me to walk so far with him at night; that showed him that I really cared. TYJ!

Talked with Hugh on the steps on a campus department; he was so thrilled to hear our message of love and acceptance. He is a musician and also a Christian although more of an “alternative” one. Told me he could see proof of God working in our meeting as this morning when he got up he felt something important would happen today, and we met soon after that. Thanked me for the talk and for being willing to engage and exchange.

As the sun was setting and the temperature dropping, I started chatting with Sizwe on the path leading through campus. Eventually we sat down on the steps and spoke more in depth about Jesus’ Love, and how we can become “the children of God”, how “nothing can separate us” and how “whoever comes to Me I will never send away.” He started getting tears in his eyes as we spoke, and asked many questions about Salvation and living a life according to God’s ways. Suddenly he said to me, “You know Chris, I’m studying psychology, social sciences, and politics. I’ve heard about Jesus before, but this is the first time I’ve FELT Him.” Soon after we bowed our heads, and with a tear stained face he accepted Jesus into His life and heart! Afterwards we talked more about how he could share what I told him with others too, and he enthusiastically said “I can tell my family!” I encouraged him to pass on the message to as many as he could. I gave him my number, an Activated magazine, and a few references/passages to read in his Bible.

Spoke to five correctional services officers during their break, and found out they knew the gist about Jesus (although reminded me of Inn of the Sixth Happiness, they asked about who was the disciple who baptized Jesus and Jezebel cut off his head, ha) but had not ever accepted Him as their Saviour. We had a good talk about sin and the need for punishment, which Jesus fulfilled by dying as a sinner, yet being perfect Himself. After a while of discussion all five of them accepted Christ! I left them with a Gospel of John each (taking time to explain who John the Apostle was and where he fit in, ha )and also my details.

Was walking ahead of Sha when she called out to me and asked for the location of a specific venue. I told her I’d walk with her and show her as I was heading that way anyways. She then noticed the tracts and asked for one, then exclaimed “oh no I can’t read this now, I’ve been drinking.” I said ” of course you can! Jesus saw you drinking anyhow, and He still loves you.” She said maybe he does but she hasn’t heard from him in a long time. (Turns out she used to be Moslem, became Christian, and is now agnostic.) I said He is always there ready to listen and speak, and she said “but how can I talk to him? How do you?” I told her about pulling up a chair and imagining Jesus in it, and how that helps me focus. She really liked that and said she will try it. We also spoke about drinking and smoking, and how it’s not that God is incapable of loving us or connecting with us when we do those things, but He doesn’t want us to for our own sakes and health. She really listened, and before we parted thanked me saying ” I really actually needed to hear these things you’ve told me. Maybe your mission for today was just even to meet me.” Praise God!

Met Nova again (he received Jesus at our Grahamstown 2011 Outreach), sat and talked. Told me about cousin’s funeral at which he was asked to say a few words, and was nervous but decided just to speak about Jesus’ Love and how love is the most important. People started crying and everyone was very touched. He also prayed with two of his friends to receive the Lord in the few days since we last met. So wonderful! Shared how much he enjoys the audios and forwards them to others, and I encouraged him that he is specifically important to God and that Jesus sees all the little day by day good things he does. He was so thankful, God bless him!

Net Lionel Blaauw night witnessing. Is an ex-con and former Street kid who found the Lord, and shared his testimony with me. He was in and out of prison, and finally found Salvation. Now he is a pro runner. As he spoke he got emotional and began to weep; still we chatted (mostly I just listened) at the end he said “Sometimes a man doesn’t know how to repay what is done for him. I am so overwhelmed that you stayed and let me tell you my story. May the Lord bless you!” It was so special because for our devotions we read an article about the need to listen to people, in order to better reach them. Hallelujah!

Met a young man whose father is a bishop, and is now far from his faith and quite confused. (although he did accept Christ when he was younger) We had a good chat and I encouraged him that Jesus is always around, we just need to try Him out and see that He truly is real. Left him with this month’s Activated ( of which he said ” this is unlike any other Christian publication I’ve seen; I like it!”

I spoke to a man with his daughter. He was embarrassed because his little girl knew Jesus but he didn’t.  He felt he couldn’t be saved as he had too many things he was not doing right.  I took time to explain to him about how the first step is receiving Jesus and then He helps to change you from the inside on out,. After speaking for awhile,  I again asked him if he’d like to pray and he wholeheartedly agreed. I was also able to give him his own Bible and he promised to read it.  He said I will definitely read it,  I will read it with my daughter!

Met a teen boy while out night witnessing.  I gave him a tract and asked if he had Jesus in his heart.  He said he only had doubt.  I stopped and asked him what was the problem and he began to tell me that he has no place for God in his heart,  as he prays and waits for God to answer but no answer comes.  I spoke to him about Jesus, and asked if he’d ever accepted Jesus in his heart. He hadn’t and I explained to him about how God always answers,  but not always the way we want.  And how Jesus is always with us,  and He always cares, and how He says He will always be with us even when we pass through the Valley of the shadow of death. I explained Salvation to him, and when I asked if he would like to invite Jesus into his life, he agreed. After we prayed together and he gave his heart to the Lord,  I explained to him what that meant for his life now, and also started to share some examples of people in the Bible who prayed and didn’t see an answer right away or not what they were looking for. As I did,  I realized he hasn’t heard any of the stories and found out he didn’t have a Bible! He’d heard the story of Jesus in church,  but didn’t know the Bible at all! I was able to bless him a Bible and will give him some more materials as time goes on.

A man crossed the road and came directly up to me and asked for a tract. As I gave it to him I asked if he knew Jesus. He said very definitely Yes.  Last year one of you people gave me a tract and prayed with me to ask Jesus in my heart. I am born again! I keep all these papers together and I always read them! I was able to bless him with his own Bible which he was so grateful for! As we were talking, two of his friends came over to find out what was going on,  and when we explained I asked if they two also had Jesus in their hearts.  As it happens they hadn’t and so we moved to a more quiet place and they gave their hearts to Jesus  as well!

Met a man who  was packing up his “peace pipe”.  Offered him a tract and asked if he knew Jesus.  He said he believed in God but not Jesus.  We discussed religion vs faith and he said “actually I’ve gotten 3 of these today” and then said “here, I’m serious” and produced them from his bag.  He showed me all the tracts he had gotten throughout the day and pointed out “Your Next Choice” and said “that one I really liked it’s really good.”  He thanked me for them and took another one as he left.

One night, as I was witnessing, this large group of about 20 young people walked by. I started offering them tracts as they one by one turned them down. In the end, they all passed by without taking one. But then 5 people drinking beers in someone else’s driveway called me over and asked me for some tracts. So I started talking with them and they had some very good questions. We talked for a while in the dark before they decided to all pray with me to receive Jesus.

I stopped to give 5 guys in a bashed up Gauteng van some tracts. They’d been there for a few days because their van was not working. We got into a really really long conversation on a variety of topics. They had some tough questions, but not in a difficult way. In the end they all got saved!!!! Afterwards we continued talking. Suddenly the van started working again. One of them pointed out that the van started working only after they talked with me, and I think the Lord was keeping them there until I got to witness to them

I gave two men tracts one day, and asked them if they believed in Jesus. One said yes, but the other said “Well, have you seen Jesus?” I said, “As a person?”. “Yes,” he said. So I told him no, I hadn’t. Then he asked why do I believe in Jesus. This started me going on to explain about Salvation, forgiveness, etc. As I finished up, the first guy said “Sorry, I’d love to keep talking, but we have to go”. So I said “OK, but first, do you want to give Jesus a try?” and I explained exactly how. They both agreed to pray with me. Right after we finished praying, the guy who had asked the difficult questions lifted his hand as if he was holding a coin and said “Something! Something!” several times. I was a bit confused and wondered if perhaps he was asking for money. “What?” I asked. “I feel something,” he touched his heart, “here, and in my brain. Something! Something!”

I prayed for a few guys one day, bid them well, and didn’t think about it much again. Until one day as I walked down a backstreet, they called me over. I didn’t recognize them, but they obviously recognized me. “After you prayed for us, my friend,” they told me, “God started blessing us so much! We are ready to pray with you to have Jesus in our hearts.” Wow.

• 2 teenage girls:

1st teen) Can we have some of those, we got some yesterday?

2nd teen). Yes! She took my “It’s Simple”.

1st) These make Jesus look so handsome.

2nd) I think this is the way Christianity should be portrayed.

I gave two ladies a tract and Activated. They said that they had accepted Jesus. When saying my good-byes the one called me over saying, ” Do you know where I can write to to get a Bible? “. She apparently didn’t have one and her friend did. I was so glad to have one for her in Xhosa. She was so very excited upon receiving it, that even when she walked away with her friend she had her Bible far above her head saying, Hallelujah!

 When handing out the tracts a student exclaimed, “A friend of mine has one of those (tracts), you have others!? Wow! So do you come all the way from Cape Town to do this? Wow!- That is so amazing! I want to go into full time ministry when I finish my studies.”. I then asked if she would like to receive the WhatsApp audio’s and Bible studies from the 12F.S. She was so excited and amazed. She was very happy to have met and now to be enrolled in Bible study by email. Thank you Jesus!- It is so wonderful to have the Word readily available.

When turning into a quiet street one of the people I met was an elderly woman who was struggling to walk, even with her cane. I caught up to her and asked if she accepted Jesus in her heart. She looked down and despondently said, ” Maybe. “. I then asked, “Do you know that Jesus loves you?”. She in the same manner said, ” Sometimes.”. I felt so sorry as she looked so sad. I offered to pray. She said that she would like prayer for her daughter that is in her thirties as she has a lot of decisions that she must make. She looked glad that we prayed. She was here for the arts all the way from Australia. Thank the Lord for His set ups!

When handing out a tract and saying, “Jesus loves you!”, a man loudly replied, ” Jesus doesn’t love me, we had a discussion last night and He told me that He hates my guts!!!”. I replied, “I think you misheard him!”.

A guy asked, how is it possible that all you have to do to be saved is accepting Jesus into your heart, when in order to be His disciple one must forsake all bad things and follow Jesus? We had a discussion on the topic, me showing from my Bible or quoting verses John 3:16 & John 1:12 and him quoting and searching his phone Bible App. I explained that all we have to do for salvation is to accept Jesus. However, if we want to be His disciples that as Luke 14:33 says we must forsake all to follow Jesus. We also discussed the difference between making it into Heaven and rewards for our faithfulness and obedience. He quoted bits of verses like the one the Lord being ashamed of us before His father and stating, “but it says ‘The wages of sin is death’ and I quoted and explained Rom 3:23 and Rom 6:23. He totally understood and was happy for the explanation.

When passing out tracts I approached 3 student girls handing them tracts. The first one happily exclaimed: “Oh, these! One of these saved my life last year!!!! I prayed the prayer on the back.”. Then her friends asked, “What is it about?”. She told them, “It’s a type of humorous comic……but about Jesus!”.

A man said that he heard that the Catholics’ came before the Protestants’ and was wondering if it is true. So I explained that he was correct and explained some of how Protestants’ started and what the difference between the two was. He mentioned someone that he knows and that he can see by looking at him and how he acts that he knows Jesus. He then briefly mentioned that he hadn’t accepted Jesus yet and then carried on talking. Then at one point he looked like he was wrapping up the conversation. So I said that before he goes I would like to pray with him to accept Jesus. He was so surprised that I knew that he planned to leave soon, and was very glad for the invite to pray and accept Jesus. So we prayed there and then!!! He was so very thankful and really wanted to keep in touch. We exchanged details and he said that he would love to get some Gospel material. Thank You Jesus!

Saturday morning when we started outreach there were some on the street that were still drinking from the night before. There were three men standing by their car the one went into the car and the other two and I began talking. S. was very keen on accepting Jesus, however his friend was not sure if he qualified in since he was drinking and smoking. So I explained a little more on how salvation is a free gift that Jesus already paid for and all they had to do is ask Him into their hearts. S. was so very much wanted to pray and began begging his friend to also ask Jesus. After a fair bit of back and forth his friend joined us in prayer and they both asked Jesus into their hearts. Praise the Lord! What a victory!!!! S. was so thrilled that he now had Jesus that he asked if we could all take a photo together. He was so glad that we can continue to send him regular Gospel material.

REACTIONS


Ohhh could I have that other one, the free ticket one? That’s one was sooooo nice! These are really good.  We read them to each other!  They are SO nice!

Girl with piercings etc: I got one yesterday! Shouted back to me as she walked away, they are very clever!!

Aww thanks! These are so cool! Do you have more? These are so awesome. Check it out, Jesus comic books!

Gave a tract  to a young couple and said Jesus Love you! She replied “oh thanks!! Then turned around and said again excuse me? Excuse me? That was just what we needed to hear.  Thank you so much!  Really,  thank you!”

(A lady sitting on the side of the main festival area after I gave her a tract and said “Jesus Loves You”) “Thank you very much, I really appreciate it!”