Epiphany

One Saturday morning, last July, I went down to the local DMV to get my motorcycle licences. I got there around 7:30am to be one of the first in line. I figured since the doors don't open up to 8:00, arriving thirty minutes early should get me a top ten place in line. 

I figured wrong.

Upon arriving at the DMV, I quickly calculated the line to have well over 50 people waiting to get in. I parked my truck, got my paperwork together and got behind the last person standing in line. Yawning, I looked at my watch and got out my phone to scan the latest news that morning. After a few minutes of reading, I looked up and checked out the crowd in front of me. Everybody, it seemed, was on their phone reading, talking or listening to music.

Back to reading the news. 

By now, a couple dozen more folks had arrived and, like the rest of us nice robots, got on their phones and started reading, talking or listening to music and standing in a nice and orderly straight line.

I got fed up with the news and turned the phone off and stuck it into my pocket. I glanced ahead and started counting people. I looked behind me and counted more people. There were 77 people standing in this line not counting me.

I was already bored standing in line and I was getting fidgety. I looked up. I looked at the building. I looked at the street. I looked at the nice manicured bushes. I looked down at the asphalt. I read the guys shirt two people ahead of me. I looked back at the street. I saw a side walk. I looked back at the line I was standing in...glanced back to the sidewalk.

Hmmph.

Then I had that moment where you think of something and wonder why you never thought of it before. 

People standing in line and not going anywhere. A public sidewalk. An opportunity to proclaim the gospel to lots of people at one time.

I couldn't stop thinking about it. Finally, the doors opened up and we all like good cattle marched into the DMV and took numbers and waited to be called on. While waiting for my number to be called, I looked up on Google, "Open Air Preaching at DMV". What I found were numerous posts and articles people had written on the subject.

I went home and prayed on it for the next couple weeks. Two Saturday's later I decided to put feet to my faith and go for it. 

My brother, Vernon Costolo, came out to support me that first morning. We prayed up and went down to the sidewalk. I opened up my stool and Vernon held my AYR cross. I presented a simple, basic gospel presentation to the crowd using an amp. The distance from the sidewalk to the line is about 100' or so and there is constant traffic on the road; I wanted to make sure they heard me.

They did.

Since that first morning, I have tried to be out there every Saturday morning (Weather permitting) as long as this door is open for me to do so. My good buddy Cam comes out with me most every Saturday morning to hold the cross while I proclaim the gospel. When we finish, we offer free Bibles, DVD's and prayer if anyone desires it.

Please do not misunderstand this post as a "Look at me and what I'm doing" kind of post. I want other Christians to know that God is at work and He is always opening doors for us to share the gospel with people. Sometimes that door opens and allows us to share with one or two people on any given day. Sometimes the door opens and we have an opportunity to share with lots of people at once.

Don't miss your opportunity!

I praise God and give Him all the glory for opening the door to this opportunity! What an honor it is for us Christians to share the gospel with those whom God has set before us. Let us never grow tired of doing so and may we never lose the passion to serve Him while we traverse this world that is not our home. 

Soli Deo Gloria!

Where Have I been?

Where in the world have I been?

It has definitely been awhile since I have posted any evangelism stories on His Feet on the Street! In fact, the last post I submitted was on the Labor Day outreach way back in 2013.

To be honest, I have been struggling with "how" to post evangelism related events, stories and personal interactions. I was even on the fence of keeping up a blog at all.

Why?

Well...over the last few years I have seen my share of evangelism blogs (and Facebook posts) that seem to promote the evangelist over the glory of God. It seems it was more about the fame of the evangelist, their notoriety and their "look at what I'm doing" than about the exaltation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now there are a lot of evangelism blogs out there that blog with a uniqueness that glorifies God while not putting the spotlight on themselves; they are clearly blogging to encourage and edify fellow Christians who regularly share their faith. To be fair, if you're blogging about evangelism, there is an element where you have to talk about yourself to some degree while not coming off as bragging or being prideful in your efforts to win the lost.

I wanted to take a deep and prayerful look into why I was blogging about evangelism: Was it about me or was it about the glory of God?

I pray it was always the latter and never the former.

The first post on this blog was way back on May 5th, 2009. A few days later, I posted about HFOTS's first evangelism outreach. I remember that outing like it was yesterday! In fact, the first person to comment on the blog was my good friend and brother in the Lord, Paul Latour from the Word Street Journal!

Since that first outing, HFOTS has been blessed beyond measure to present, proclaim and tract the gospel to a number only the good Lord knows Himself.

I want this blog to edify, encourage and embolden Christians in evangelism for the glory of God - I pray that as I resume blogging with personal evangelism stories, it is never mistaken for anything more than what it is; a means by which God is glorified through the proclamation of the gospel and of His Son Jesus Christ -

Soli Deo Gloria!

Labor Day Outreach

Labor Day Outreach in Canton -

 

This  Sunday, September 1st, the City of Canton will be having it's annual 4th of July Fireworks event. September 1st was the rescheduled rain-out date given after the monsoon we had on the 4th of July.

 

The 4th of July is one of our biggest outreaches of the year where we are able to hand out thousands of tracts in a short period of time before the fireworks begin. I am not sure if the crowds will be as big this Sunday as they are during the normal 4th of July show, but I and a couple others will be there nonetheless handing out tracts and, hopefully, having some conversations along the way.

 

If anyone is interested in coming out to do a little evangelism via tracts or conversation, please join us; we can always use extra hands and mouths!

 

Where: Riverstone Shopping Center in Canton, Ga.

When: Sunday, September 1st

Meeting Spot: In front of Hibbitt Sports (Next to Publix)

Time to meet: 6:30pm

 

We will meet up, pray up, pair up and go out -

 

Soli Deo Gloria!

 

 

4th of July Outreach is postponed -

The City of Canton has postponed the 4th of July celebration due to inclement weather.

Since the event has been postponed (and not cancelled), our evangelism efforts will just be on hold until the event is rescheduled.

I will keep you posted -

Dawg

Mission Ottawa / New England - Part 2

The second half of our mission trip was spent in beautiful Providence, Rhode Island with our host family Robert and Aneta. Just like Paul and Kim in Ottawa, Robert and Aneta are sold out Christians with a passion for reaching the lost in their hometown.

Just as in Ottawa (and every town in the world), Providence has lost people who need to hear the gospel. Robert is a full time evangelist who spends his day reaching the lost via open-air preaching, conversations and handing out tracts.

During our New England portion of the mission trip, we were able to go to Boston, Plymouth and, of course, Providence.

Robert and Vernon strategizing at the bus station -

Open-airing the gospel to crowds at the Boston Common Park -

Vernon during one of his open-air gospel presentations in Boston -

Robert proclaiming the gospel to ears that would hear in Boston -

Sharing one-to-one with a young man at a park in Providence -

Vernon sharing the gospel at the bus station in Providence (Awesome fishing hole here!) -

Sharing the gospel with a man who wanted to talk more after I finished an open-air message -

Sharing the gospel with a Jewish man who continually took the Lord's Name in vain -

Leaving to come back home: A rose (Aneta) between two thorns! (Hat Tip to Paul) -


Vernon and I can not be more appreciative of the hospitality and love of our host families in Providence as well as Ottawa. We love you guys and can't wait for our next mission trip!

Stories behind the photographs to follow shortly...stay tuned!

Soli Deo Gloria -

Dawg

Mission Ottawa / New England - Part 1

Eight days on the road -

Six flights across North America -

Four days each in Ottawa, Canada and Providence, Rhode Island -

Two loving and gracious host families -

One glorious gospel proclaimed -

Now that Mission Ottawa / New England is over and Vernon Costolo and I are reunited with our families, we look back and rejoice and give glory to God over the last week recalling the wonderful friends we made along the way, the places we have been and seen as well as the many chances we had to share the gospel, either one-to-one with people, or by the open-air opportunities we had with the multitudes.

I was personally blessed to hear God glorifying street preaching from the likes of Mike Stockwell, Robert S. Gray and Chris Sippley of JeremiahCry Ministries. God gave me many one-to-one conversations where I had the honor and privilege of personally of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. God also allowed me many opportunities to proclaim the gospel to multitudes of people via open-air.

         Combined teams of Mission Ottawa and Jeremiah Cry

Left to Right; Kim, Me, Vernon and Paul of Team Ottawa

Mike Stockwell of Jeremiah Cry thundering the gospel in Ottawa

Robert S. Gray heralding the gospel at the bus station in Ottawa

Chris Sippley of Jeremiah Cry in a one-to-one conversation

Vernon in a one-to-one gospel sharing opportunity

Vernon proclaiming the gospel despite a heckler trying to shut him down (more on this later)

Me handing a tract to a passerby while on the box

Here I am in a one-to-one with a fellow who is a Eastern Orthodox Christian

I had several opportunities to open air on the streets of Ottawa

God gave me an opportunity to witness and pray for this man in Ottawa

This posting is just a quick overview of our four days in Ottawa. Tomorrow I will give a quick overview of our four days in the New England area.

Over the next week or so, I will post stories of our evangelism mission trip in both Ottawa and the New England area. Stories that I hope will encourage you and embolden you to share your faith with strangers who, unless they hear the gospel, have no hope in this world or the eternity to come. I will also share many more pictures and maybe a video or two.....maybe I will even share with you my first encounter with a Beavertail and some Dutch Babies  ;-)

Soli Deo Gloria!

Dawg

                                               

Mission Ottawa / New England

In just a few short days (June 21st), Vernon Costolo (Proclaiming The Truth) and I will be on our way to Ottawa, Canada to proclaim the gospel with Paul and Kim Latour (The Word Street Journal). This is a mission evangelism trip that Vernon has made for the past three years and, praise God, I have been blessed to make the event with him this year.

After spending four days on the Ottawa streets, we will make our way to the New England states to meet up with other street evangelists and proclaim the gospel in Plymouth, Boston, Providence and other areas before returning back home June 28th.

Here is a brief itinerary:

Mission Ottawa : Arrive June 21 - Multiple visits to the following locations: The Byward Market, Parliament Hill, Sparks Street, the War Memorial, Quebec Bridge - Depart June 25 to Providence, RI

Mission New England: Arrive June 25: Providence, RI

                                          June 26: Fall River, MA with church planter Tom Cabral 

                                          June 27: Plymouth, MA  and Boston Commons in Boston

                                          June 28: Providence, RI

                               Depart June 29 to Atlanta

I humbly ask for your prayers -

Pray for God to be glorified. Pray that He uses us mightily for His Kingdom. Pray for many to repent and put their faith in Christ alone for salvation. Pray for our health and endurance. And, again, pray for God to be glorified in all that we do and say.

 

God bless and Soli Deo Gloria -

 

Your brother in Christ,

 

Wayne Albrecht