Newsletter – April 2011

April 2011

Being a Missionary at Home

 

Dear Christian friends,

The Jewish people were chosen, as God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12 shows, to be both blessed and a blessing to others.  They were supposed to enjoy the riches of His grace and display that grace to the surrounding peoples.  As priests, they were to pray to God for people and represent God’s character to them.

Israel however, disobeyed God, and the Jewish people were scattered among the nations. In part, God’s purpose was that they would be forced to share about Him with their new neighbors. However, instead of being a witness to the gentiles, their disobedience caused God’s name to be blasphemed among the gentiles (Ezek. 36:20).

Now that same call of priesthood has come to us in Christ: “But you are … a royal priesthood … that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)  We are called to pray to God for people and represent God’s character to them.  And even our location is strategic.

The  Jews rarely went to the  Gentile  nations except  when, as with Jonah, they were forced to do so. However, God sometimes worked on the hearts of individual Gentiles, who visited Israel to check out the rumors they’d heard of heavenly blessing.  So we read of Ruth choosing to stay with her in-law and make this Lord her own, of the Queen of Sheba traveling to test Solomon’s divine wisdom.

Let it be clear: if you are a Christian, you share in this privilege and responsibility of making Him known to others —and your geographic location and neighbors are part of God’s assignment (see Acts 17:26-27).

Have you ever considered the importance of specifically ministering to those around you from other countries?  There are people from countries that prohibit evangelism and even Bible possession living within minutes of the SOS House (and probably your house as well) — what an opportunity!  If God has brought them to our comparatively free American soil, should we not seek to win them to Jesus also?

Please pray about the international students and workers living near you and how you can personally reach out to them with the love and truth of Christ.  Let us be faithful as a kingdom of priests to represent His name to those who have never known Him.

As we obey, let our hope be that God will be glorified and draw people from all people groups to Himself, even using us in the process.  Then in heaven we can rejoice together as His special treasure and holy nation, proclaiming His praises forever.

by Kylan Schroeder

On the Streets

On Friday January 26, we witnessed at Fisherman’s Wharf. Dave and James witnessed to an Iranian woman named Angel. She grew up Muslim but was not religious, and now lives in San Francisco. She is an artist, and has recently received a commission to draw pictures of Jesus and the apostles! She eagerly listened as Dave and James read scriptures with her. That night, Jeromy met Jacob, a Jewish homeless man who had a sign reading “Hungry.” He bought him some food and shared the gospel with him.

The next day, we again witnessed at the Wharf. We again witnessed to Robert, the homeless man who is bitter because he lost his wife and daughter in an accident. Later, we noticed a group of Christian youth praying with Robert. We also witnessed to Tracy and his teenage son Alex. Both are recently homeless. Dave bought them some food and ministered to them. Tracy is apparently backslidden.

On February 5, we witnessed in Berkeley. Jeromy witnessed to Doug, who said he believed in all religions. The following week, Adrian Simila brought a team of 11 men from the Lord’s Ranch in Spokane. They stayed in our house for 3 days and witnessed in San Francisco and Oakland.

On Friday February 11, we witnessed on Castro St., which is the heart of the homosexual district. We don’t use amplification or signs in this neighborhood, but instead pass out tracts and talk with people. We had many good conversations that night. Kylan and Jeromy witnessed to Dave and Noah. Kylan witnessed to Joseph. I witnessed to Dylan, a student at SF State.

On February 26, we again witnessed in Berkeley. Tim Moon, James, Steve, Alan, and Lono all played music that day. A large group of homeless youth usually hangs out across the street from us. This afternoon, they seemed more receptive than usual. Dave and Alan witnessed to a woman named “Moon.” We also spoke with “Snowflake,” who lives with her parents in a mansion but prefers sleeping on the streets and “Purple” who has very confused ideas about God. Kylan witnessed to Graciella, an Hispanic woman, and Dan spoke with “D.J.” a woman from Algeria.

From time to time, I am able to witness to non-Christians over the internet. Recently, I received an email from Yehuda, a 20-year-old Orthodox Jew from Brooklyn whom I witnessed to at an airport a year ago. After I gave him a gospel tract, he tried to get me to put on a tefillin (phylactery), which is a custom among the Orthodox that Jesus spoke about in Matthew 25. He wrote me again about the matter, and I was able to witness to him further. Please pray for Yehuda.

Coming Events

Note: Outreaches are subject to change. Call (510) 761-6120 to confirm outreaches or for more information.

Friday April 1, 8, 15, 22 Witnessing in San Francisco neighborhoods. 7:30-10 PM (Call for location).

Sat. April 2, 16, 23 San Francisco or Berkeley Outreach. Location depends on weather. (Call for location).

Sat. April 9-Cherry Blossom Festival: Japantown, S.F. outreach.  Kylan, who lives in our house and speaks Japanese, is planning this outreach (and is also preparing to become a missionary to Japan).  We scheduled this several months ago, but the recent Japanese earthquake gives extra significance to this outreach (Call for location).

Ministry News

I received this encouraging email from a Christian school teacher: “I’m writing after recently being handed one of your cards while I was walking along Fisherman’s Wharf with a student group….I have prayed many times for my students, and prayed that God would draw them to Himself and give them opportunities to hear the gospel of grace. As their teacher, I do not always have the ability to speak to them all directly in depth about the Lord, though if they’ve been listening I do have opportunities from time to time to mention aspects of my faith and refer to Christian faith when it relates to the subject matter. I felt God answered my prayers in part by using your public witness. I felt especially thankful to get to be there to see that He did! Some of my students also took a card, and though several of them grumbled about hearing your message, I was encouraged. (We were buying food at the stalls near where you spoke.) Now I know who is more resistant (not surprisingly, a Jewish girl, but also a boy raised Catholic) and who is more open. I can pray with greater understanding. May God continue to point them to His Son and salvation.”

Thank you for your prayers and financial support for this ministry. We need to print 80.000 more gospel tracts as we are running out of tracts. I expect it to cost $1200. . Also, we need a volunteer who lives in the SF area to help us obtain permits at Fisherman’s Wharf by attending a monthly meeting on Thursday from 9:30-3 (not every month) and a volunteer to help us a few hours a month with office work.  Please continue to pray for work for three house members: Dan, Dave, and Jeromy. I hope some of you will join us for an outreach this next month.

 

Yours in His love,

Larry Rosenbaum

 

 

Photo 1 Outreach Photos 0591. Team from the Lord’s Ranch, Spokane, with Larry.

Photo 2 Outreach Photos 016

2. Tim, Dan and Kylan minister at Wharf.

Photo 3 P1080777

3. Boy reads children’s tract. We need to print 80.000 tracts.

Photo 4 Outreach Photos 007

4. Jeromy and Kylan witness to Robert.