Coming Events

(Contact me at mail@sosmin.com or (510) 282-5629 for outreach locations and times one or two days before outreach.)

Friday May 14, 21, 28 3-6 PM Witnessing in San Francisco neighborhoods.

Saturday May 15, 22, 29 12-5 PM Fisherman’s Wharf Taylor & Embarcadero St.

July 21-24 SOS – San Francisco Year 42

THE GREAT LOCKDOWN: ONE YEAR LATER

Dear Christian friends,

Last March, a world-wide COVID lockdown was ordered, based upon a faulty computer model designed by Neil Ferguson in London. Using that model, there was an initial call for “15 days to flatten the curve” (keep hospitals from being overwhelmed). This has turned into a year-long shutdown with no end in sight. The government leaders who ordered these lockdowns considered only the possible but unlikely benefit, not the tremendous costs, of their policies.

Their only precedent was a much more limited lockdown in 1918. 100 years of research has found no evidence that the 1918 lockdown saved more lives than it cost. In the severe pandemic of 1957-58, officials explicitly said: ‘‘There is no practical advantage in the closing of schools or the curtailment of public gatherings as it relates to the spread of this disease.’’ It was the same in 1968-69, 2006, 2009, and 2012-13. But, after a 100 year consensus that lockdowns were not helpful in stopping the spread of viruses, public health advice suddenly changed in March, 2020.

While the actual number of COVID deaths is in dispute, no doubt a great many people have died from that disease. As I write, according to Worldometers, 2.7 million COVID deaths have been reported worldwide. In comparison, from 18-50 million people died from the 1918 Swine Flu, when the world population was ¼ what it is today. Lockdown supporters can’t cite broad-based evidence of any correlation much less causation between lockdowns and virus control. There simply isn’t any. At least 31 serious papers show no apparent connection between lockdowns and better disease outcomes.

However, we can be quite certain that millions of people have died from the government-imposed lockdowns and the media-induced fear. The head of the UN world food program estimated that an additional 130 million people worldwide would be threatened with starvation from the economic shutdown. Billions of people around the world struggle to survive day to day with what they can earn. The shutdown of tourism and many other businesses has caused many of these people to lose their only income. The suffering this worldwide lockdown has caused our world’s poor is unimaginable. CNA Insider has an excellent series on YouTube on the subject. I watched some of it, but while watching what is happening in India I had to turn it off. I couldn’t bear to keep watching the unnecessary suffering that has been inflicted upon so many people over the past year.

Meanwhile, in the US, all routine medical care was shut down for months. Afterwards, many people were still afraid to go into a doctor’s office or hospital. As a result, many people died and will die from heart disease, cancer and other diseases that could have been treated had they obtained medical care. Also, almost all research into cures for diseases other than COVID was shut down. This will delay potential cures for these diseases by several years.

Economists have predicted 800,000 additional deaths in the US from unemployment caused by the lockdown. We have also seen a dramatic increase in deaths from alcohol and drug addiction and suicide since the lockdown began. The CDC reported last July that 25% of men aged 18-24 had considered suicide because of the pandemic within the past month. Many of those who die from these other causes are much younger than those who die from COVID. The median age of those who die from COVID in Western countries ranges from 78 to 86. The average person who dies from COVID has at least two pre-existing medical conditions. According to one study, the lockdown has cost about 700,000 lost years of life in the US each month, compared to about 300,000 lost years of life each month from COVID. The situation in poor nations is worse: far fewer COVID deaths but far more lockdown deaths.

Tens of thousands of COVID deaths were caused by government orders for nursing homes to accept COVID patients, even though they had no way to protect the rest of their residents. And the government and media have suppressed information about medicines like Ivermectin, Hydroxychloroquine, Vitamin D and Zinc that could have prevented about 80% of the COVID deaths.

On The Streets

On Sat. Dec. 12, we witnessed at 4th and Market. Alex and Andy witnessed to Timothy, 32, who was training to be a carpenter. Several years ago, a man attacked him and started stabbing him. He killed the man. Afterwards, he became a drug addict. They prayed with him, but he resisted coming to Christ.

On Sat. Dec. 19, Tim Moon and the Stars played at 4th and Market. About 20 Christians joined us and we preached and witnessed at four nearby locations. Corey was attacked by some drug dealers as he preached at Powell and Market. They destroyed the microphone he was using. Later, he witnessed to them. Several had Christian backgrounds and one admitted that he knew what he was doing was wrong and that he needed to repent. Corey also witnessed to Steve, an alcoholic, who said, “I’ve never heard the gospel explained that way.” He threw away the beer he was holding and prayed with Corey to get right with God.

On Friday January 8, we held our first outreach of 2021 at 24th and Mission. Viktor and Alex are Russian Christians. They came from Sacramento to witness with us. Alex had been a Satanist before he was saved. Despite the latest COVID shutdown order in December that forced outdoor restaurants to shut down again, there were quite a few people on the streets. Andy witnessed to Temple, 35, who thought that God was in everything and that Christianity was too narrow. Nonetheless, he listened to our preaching for 3 hours. Mike, who was wearing a mask while passing out tracts, witnessed to Saul, 27, who was listening to our preaching. Saul said, “If you take your mask off, people could see your smile.” He said a year ago he had been drinking with friends when he passed out and ended up in a hospital. Since then, he has been more careful about his drinking but said. “I’m not born again.”

The next day, we witnessed at 4th and Market and at Powell and Market. About 20 Christians joined us that day. Mike witnessed to Arturo, 18, who was wearing women’s clothing. Mike explained that people who have absent fathers often turn to homosexuality in order to get male approval. Arturo had been listening silently, but he responded that sometimes people turn to homosexuality for no reason.

On Friday January 15, we witnessed at 16th and Mission. Mike witnessed to Donald, who wondered if his sins could be forgiven. Alex witnessed to Casey, a Hebrew Israelite. His mother and sister had died, and he was very sorrowful. Andy ministered to Raymond, a Christian who lives in a small hotel room with crack heads who are driving him crazy. He had a large, open wound on his chest and had no Christian fellowship. He said some days he didn’t want to live. Andy gave him his phone number and said he wanted to get together with him.

The next day, we witnessed at 4th and Market and Powell and Market. Alex witnessed to three teens, about 15, who said their names were Nadia, Chance and Zeus. They had just bought some marijuana from a dealer. They said they practiced Satanism and read the “11 tenets of Satanism” to him. Alex shared the gospel with them. Mary and Alex witnessed to Lashon, 51. She was from Visalia. Her mother rejected her, her child was taken from her, and she had been hurt by a lot of men. She was addicted to meth. They prayed for her. Andy and Ryan witnessed to Danny, who had lymph fluid coming from his legs and flies on them. He seemed more interested in getting money from them than getting medical help. They prayed for him. Mike witnessed to Tim, 23, who was watching Mary preach. He had attended youth group in Castro Valley but was now using meth. Mike invited him to a Bible study.

On Sat. Jan. 23, we again witnessed at 4th and Market and Powell and Market. About 1000 people participated in the March for Life and walked past us. We talked with several participants. Most were Catholic. Alex witnessed to Jose, a backslidden Christian he had met a year ago. His grandfather had been a street preacher. Mike witnessed to Chuck, who said he wanted to go to church. He invited him to City Impact. He had a cancerous lump on his neck, so Mike prayed for him. Ryan witnessed to George, a homeless man, who said “I’ve tried everything. I can’t seem to get my life together.” He prayed with him. Andy saw Elizabeth, whom he has been witnessing to for nine years. She had been a meth addict. She had given that up but was still using marijuana. He prayed with her, but she walked away while he was praying.

A Final Word

Thank you again for your prayers and financial support for this ministry. We have a new member of our ministry house. Tatsuya Yoshiro (we call him Tats) is 21. He was born in Japan but raised mostly in the US. He is a senior at San Jose State majoring in Speech Pathology. He loves Jesus and loves preaching the gospel, and we are very happy to have him living in our house.

Last month, we learned that two former members of our ministry had gone on to be with Jesus. Janet Long first lived in our ministry house in 1984. She has continued witnessing with us for 36 years, most recently last December and January. Allan Baker lived in our ministry house in 2015 and 2016. He sacrificed a good-paying job to preach the gospel. He moved back to Texas in 2016 because he was in poor health. We will miss them but look forward to our reunion in Heaven.

We received the funds we need to print gospel tracts. We will be printing 100,000 more tracts this next month. Thank you so much for your help.

Our life on this earth is short. We should do everything we can to reach as many people as we can for Jesus.