World Cup Outreach ~ Photo Galleries (Part II)

Here are the further photo galleries uploaded at my FaceBook page of the outreach in the Gauteng and North West Provinces.

Album V – These photos are from Tuesday June 22, 2010 including our trip past the Hartebeespoort Dam to Rustenburg for the Mexico vs. Uruguay game. Bill Adams was handed two free tickets while preaching outside the stadium which he gave to Tim and I to go in and watch the game and Jason Karroll also got a free ticket to the game. We were blessed by Father for our labours.

Album VI – These photos are from Wednesday June 23, 2010 at the USA vs. Algeria match at Loftus Versveld, Pretoria and later at the Ghana vs. Germany match at Soccer City, Johannesburg.

Album VII – These photos are from Thursday June 24, 2010 at the Slovenia vs. Italy match at Ellis Park, Johannesburg. Tim and I took to the side-streets leading to the stadium.

Album VIII – These photos are from Friday June 25, 2010 at the Chile vs. Spain match at Loftus Versveld, Pretoria. We started off the day by visiting the Union Buildings (South African Parliament) and evangelising in the city centre of Pretoria. A truly blessed day.

World Cup Outreach ~ Photo Galleries (Part I)

Here are some photo galleries uploaded at my FaceBook page to get an idea what took place in lovely South Africa. They were from our outreach in the Gauteng and North West Provinces.

Album I – These photos are from Friday June 18, 2010 at the Slovenia vs. USA match at Ellis Park, Johannesburg.

Album II – These photos are from Saturday June 19, 2010 at the Rustenburg Street Market and later at the Cameroon vs. Denmark match at Loftus Versveld, Pretoria.

Album III – These photos are from Sunday June 20, 2010 at the Soweto Fanfest Park and later at the Brazil vs. Ivory Coast match at Soccer City, Soweto, Johannesburg.

Album IV – These photos are from Monday June 21, 2010 in downtown Johannesburg and later at the Spain vs. Honduras match at Ellis Park, Johannesburg.

World Cup Outreach ~ Craig Ernstzen in Cape Town

Craig Ernstzen: Fifa World Cup 2010 outreach – 6 July 2010 while the Holland vs Uruguay match was being played.

You can read a report from Brother Craig on his FaceBook page at this link.

WC Outreach at the Greenmarket Square in Cape Town

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The Score Board

Saturday July 10

Third & Fourth Place Play-off

Uruguay 2 vs. Germany 3 ~ Port Elizabeth

Sunday July 11

Closing Ceremony ~  Soccer City, Johannesburg

Highlights ~ Road to the Final

FINAL

Netherlands 0 (0) vs. Spain 1 (0) a.e.t. ~ Soccer City, Johannesburg

World Cup Outreach ~ TLC Evangelism Update

This is a World Cup Report that was sent out by Lost Cause Ministries in an e-mail from Brothers Jon Speed and Tim Crawford. Tim laboured in our Lord’s harvest here in South Africa.

This report comes from Tim Crawford…

Let’s start with the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, BC when I was invited by Bill Adams (SFOI Ministries) to take a trip to South Africa with him to preach and witness at the 2010 Fifa World Cup. At first I dismissed it and decided it was too far and besides that with the finances the way they were I didn’t foresee myself having $3,000 on hand anytime soon. I told him I would pray about it and let him know later if I felt that I would be able to go.   “Later” turned into much later when I received a call from Bill saying “Tim, this is my last appeal to see if you will come with me to preach in South Africa, let me know.”  I didn’t call him back because, as far as I was concerned, it was no deal; I wasn’t going to Africa and that was final.  Or so I thought!

Two weeks prior to the trip (June 3^rd) I awoke with this nagging feeling like I didn’t keep my end of the bargain.   After all, I hardly prayed about the trip and I didn’t even try to raise support. I was convicted about it so I prayed and felt like I needed to send out a last minute support letter.  If God was going to send me to Africa then He would need to make it loud and clear to me that I was supposed to go. I know many of you are much more spiritual than I, but it is what it is and I wanted to make sure it wasn’t just bad pizza or something but a true leading from the Lord. So I put together a letter that morning and sent it out to several men one at a time.  As the Lord would have it, I sent out five e-mails and raised the money with the responses from the first three!  I guess when people say, “If it is God’s will then it will be God’s bill” there is truth in it.  I was off to South Africa from June 16^th to July 1^st  for a life changing missions trip.

Tim Crawford preaching at sunset to fans walking to Soccer City, Johannesburg

There were over 32 countries involved in the World Cup and many of them are closed countries where it is illegal to share the Gospel. Just to give you an idea of how big it was, they say that the NFL “Super Bowl” gets about 1.2 million viewers and the World Cup averages 1.8 to 2.1 Billion viewers!!! I had no idea the size of this event or how big it really was until I arrived in South Africa.

The trip was incredible and we were able to preach everyday from morning till night. We had the privilege of preaching in the local town squares and market places as well as at the soccer games in Pretoria, Johannesburg and Rustenburg. We divided the days up into two 4 hour blocks and when there wasn’t a double header being played we would take the first block and head to the inner cities. This made for some long days (12 -15 hours) with the traffic and travel time, but it was well worth it. The people were very receptive to the Word and often we found ourselves sitting down in the middle of the city opening His Word and teaching (bible study) right there after the open-air preaching. People would ask all kinds of questions and stand and talk literally for hours asking for prayer and sharing their stories. It was very refreshing to see that the fields are truly white unto harvest!  I forget that sometimes living in America where so many are blinded by materialism and so caught up in the business of life. These people seemed to see the gravity of their sin when confronted with the law and understood that God would be just in sending them to hell if they weren’t born again. We saw several repent in brokenness over their sin and can only hope that they were truly converted and will forsake all and follow Christ.

Tim Crawford teaching from the Bible Scriptures on a side street leading to the Ellis Park stadium, Johannesburg

Overall we had the privilege of witnessing and preaching to many thousands of people at the games and in the cities and we know that His Word will never return void. God was glorified and I believe this trip was life changing for many including myself.   Thanks again for your prayers and support. I will try to upload some more photos so you can see all that went on over there.

To God be the glory for the great things He has done!

— ooo —

The Score Board

Semi-Finals

Tuesday July 6

1 : Netherlands 3 vs. Uruguay 2 ~ Cape Town

Wednesday July 7

2 : Germany 0 vs. Spain 1 ~ Durban

World Cup Outreach ~ Warren’s Report

We were joined by our brother and sister in Christ, spouses Warren and Sandra Joubert from Vanderbijlpark in Gauteng, who joined us on our first day at the Slovenia vs. USA match at Ellis Park, Johannesburg. They also joined us on a few other occasions including our trip to the Soweto Township Fan Park. Here is Warren’s report:

The World cup outreach has been a fantastic experience for my wife Sandra and myself. The Lord’s providence has been overwhelming in the last few weeks, and I am always reminded of how, if we are obedient to Him and carry out his command to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, although the fear that grips us might seem overwhelming, the joy He gives us in His grace makes this fear seem insignificant.

It was great also to meet like-minded evangelists. Gary, Bill, Tim, Jason, Vincent and Willem were a great encouragement to us. We have never had any significant exposure to working with fellow evangelists, the Lord has just given us training through listening to many hours of Way of the Master Radio and material through Living Waters, so it was heartening to see these other guys carrying out the Lord’s work. Furthermore, both my wife and myself had many great and wonderful witnessing opportunities at the matches, and we thank the Lord for these, and we pray, that if it is His will, that He will use His Holy Spirit to bring these people to conviction and salvation through His Son Jesus Christ.

Sandra Joubert's debut proclaiming the Law and the Gospel of Grace in public

One more little add on. Our Lord has a great way of making us eat our words. I remember once saying to my wife “I could never speak to anyone about Jesus.” Well that statement was crushed by the Lord many a moon ago. However, one fairly recent one was “I will never open air preach, I simply cannot do it.” Well, through the Lord’s strength, encouragement from my brothers in Christ and seeing my wife do it before me, I overcame my fear and “broke the sound barrier.” Praise the Lord, and I pray that He continues to use this new ability He has given my wife and myself to have the honour of publicly proclaiming His Gospel in our local community.

Warren Joubert also proclaimed the Law and the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to the passing soccer fans

Thanking my fellow brothers in Christ, Gary, Bill, Tim, Jason, Vincent, Willem, my wife Sandra, and above all, the Lord God Almighty, for allowing us to share in this wonderful privilege.

Warren Joubert.

World Cup Outreach ~ Willem’s Report

Here is a praise report filed by Brother Willem Pretorius who laboured in our Lord’s harvest in the Gauteng and North West Provinces:

From 17-29 June I and friends from the USA (Bill Adams, Tim Crawford and Jason Karroll) as well as friends from SA (Gary Crous and Vincent Piater) went out to engage the soccer fans by means of Open Air preaching, handing out of gospel literature and witnessing 1-on-1.

I did not bargain on it being so intensive, especially being somewhat of an introvert.  There is a danger of hiding behind being introvertive and if it were not for Grace, and the encouragement from my friends, I probably would not even have turned up for the outreach.  I don’t think Bungee-jumping and skydiving comes close to the anxiety and adrenaline rush that comes from open air preaching to hardcore soccer fans on their way to watch a game.

The above mentioned group of evangelists would meet each day in the morning for devotion and prayer before we set out to evangelise at one of the soccer stadiums, which included Soccer city and Ellis Park (Johannesburg), the Royal Bafokeng stadium (Rustenburg) and Loftus (Pretoria).  On one occasion, we were unable to get to the Rustenburg stadium and ended up witnessing the day at a local street market.  This ended up being a very fruitful day, with lots of open air preaching and evangelism.  The people at the street market were very attentive and eager for gospel tracts.

Willem Pretorius handing out Gospel tracts at the Rustenburg market

On another occasion my newfound friend Jason was busy open air preaching, when I approached a Afrikaans speaking lady with a gospel tract.  She said that what Jason was doing was offensive to her and that a lot of the Chile fans who got off the bus had negative reactions to what he was doing. She said it would have been better if the people were sitting around him in an orderly manner.  I did not argue with her and simply stated that Jesus did something similar and that I was sorry, but that in a few minutes I would offend her as well, since I was also going to open air preach.  This incident is somewhat sad, since she said that she is also a Christian.

On the same occasion that we were evangelising at Loftus I was using Jason’s amplifier when the power gave out mid sentence; it was then that I noticed people looking and listening and let it rip with my own voice, basically without breaking a verbal-stride.  Even so, I know enough of myself in terms of public speaking not to glory in my open air preaching.  Like the Apostle Paul, there was no excellence of speech; I simply read out of the Bible and expounded here and there on the text. I would for example say that thieves don’t seek out the police when I got to for example Ps.10:4 and also that when soccer players break the rules they get a penalty and similarly if we break God’s rules, the Ten Commandments, we also get a penalty and unless we repent and put our trust in Him, the penalty is eternity in Hell.

At Loftus we were urged to move out of a Fifa restricted zone by the police and a Fifa lawyer.  Tim got to witness to the police officer and I think Jason got to do the same with the Fifa lawyer.  On our last day our relationship with the Fifa lawyer and police were such that we even got to take a picture with the lawyer.  When the authorities asked us to move, we complied and still got to witness to a lot of people, proving that you don’t have to get into a verbal fist-fight to evangelise.

Willem Pretorius interviewing soccer fans

Another first for me was, when I got to interview a few fans on their way to the game, asking them a few questions regarding eternity and going through the Good Person Test, which uses the Ten Commandments as the ultimate test of goodness. 

Each one on the evangelism team had their own personality and way of doing, which over the course of almost two weeks, provided ample opportunities of friction between us, especially when we tended to get lost on our way to stadiums.  Even so, with prayer and fellowship, we might even have grown closer and worked better, in spite of and even because of our differences.  Here 2 Tim.2:22 comes to mind, “Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”  I appreciated my friends and even more now that they are gone, since where I am from, there are hardly any including so-called Christians who evangelise.  I thank Jason, Bill, Tim, Vincent, Gary and even our hosts (Michael and Natalie Rogers; Ruth and Grenville Phillips) for their witness, hard work and the time we could spend together.  I look forward in doing the same at the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand next year, but pray that my evangelism efforts won’t be restricted to major sporting events only.

I am a teacher and went to the Soccer outreach during the school holidays and can now honestly say that my holiday was not wasted.  I pray the same can be said for the rest of my life.  Sometimes life is like soccer – no real direction, a lot of noise and pretenders.  Unfortunately the same can be said for much of what passes for Christianity today.  I have been guilty of this for too much in my life and pray God would use past, present and future to His Glory.  How about you?  If you are a Christian, how are you being obedient to Matt.28:18-20 and Mark 16:15?  If you are not a Christian, what will be the most important thing the day you die – Who won the 2010 Soccer Worldcup? How much money you have? or WHERE YOU WILL SPEND ETERNTIY?

— ooo —

The Score Board

Quarter-Finals

Friday July 2

A : Netherlands 2 vs. Brazil 1 ~ Port Elizabeth

B : Uruguay 1 (1) vs. Ghana 1 (1) a.e.t. [4-2 penalties] ~ Soccer City, Johannesburg

Saturday July 3

C : Argentina 0 vs. Germany 4 ~ Cape Town

D : Paraguay 0 vs. Spain 1 ~ Ellis Park, Johannesburg

World Cup Outreach ~ A Group Photo

From L to R - Jaco Pitzer (Pretoria, GP, SA), Jason Karroll (Orlando, Fl, USA), Willem Pretorius (Badplaas, MP, SA), Tim Crawford (Dallas, Tx, USA), Vincent Piater (Empangeni, KZN, SA), Gary Crous (Pietermaritzburg, KZN, SA) and Bill Adams (Atlanta, Ga, USA)

This photograph was taken before our street ministry that took place around the Loftus Versveld Stadium in Pretoria on Tuesday June 29th. Brother Jaco Pitzer was one of the local ‘newbie’ open-air Gospel proclaimers who joined us preaching the Law and the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the soccer fans attending the games in Pretoria. Jaco also joined us in Rustenburg on Saturday June 26th.

Praise reports and links to many photographs will follow.

— ooo —

The Score Board

Saturday June 19

E : Netherlands 1 vs. Japan 0 ~ Durban

D : Ghana 1 vs. Australia 1 ~ Rustenburg

E : Cameroon 1 vs. Denmark 2 ~ Pretoria

Sunday June 20

F : Slovakia 0 vs. Paraguay 2 ~ Bloemfontein

F : Italy 1 vs. New Zealand 1 ~ Nelspruit

G : Brazil 3 vs. Côte d’Ivoire 1 ~ Soccer City, Johannesburg

Monday June 21

G : Portugal 7 vs. Korea DPR 0 ~ Cape Town

H : Chile 1 vs. Switzerland 0 ~ Port Elizabeth

H : Spain 2 vs. Honduras 0 ~ Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Tuesday June 22

A : Mexico 0 vs. Uruguay 1 ~ Rustenburg

A : France 1 vs. South Africa 2 ~ Bloemfontein

B : Nigeria 2 vs. Korea Republic 2 ~ Durban

B : Greece 0 vs. Argentina 2 ~ Polokwane

Wednesday June 23

C : Slovenia 0 vs. England 1 ~ Port Elizabeth

C : USA 1 vs. Algeria 0 ~ Pretoria

D : Ghana 0 vs. Germany 1 ~ Soccer City, Johannesburg

D : Australia 2 vs. Serbia 1 ~ Nelspruit

Thursday June 24

F : Slovakia 3 vs. Italy 2 ~ Ellis Park, Johannesburg

F : Paraguay 0 vs. New Zealand 0 ~ Polokwane

E : Denmark 1 vs. Japan 3 ~ Rustenburg

E : Cameroon 1 vs. Netherlands 2 ~ Cape Town

Friday June 25

G : Portugal 0 vs. Brazil 0 ~ Durban

G : Korea DPR 0 vs.  Côte d’Ivoire 3 ~ Nelspruit

H : Chile 1 vs. Spain 2 ~ Pretoria

H : Switzerland 0 vs. Honduras 0 ~ Bloemfontein

Round of 16

Saturday June 26

1 : Uruguay 2 vs. Korea Republic 1 ~ Port Elizabeth

2 : USA 1 (1) vs. Ghana 2 (1) a.e.t. ~ Rustenburg

Sunday June 27

3 : Germany 4 vs. England 1 ~ Bloemfontein

4 : Argentina 3 vs. Mexico 1 ~ Soccer City, Johannesburg

Monday June 28

5 : Netherlands 2 vs. Slovakia 1 ~ Durban

6 : Brazil 3 vs. Chile 0 ~ Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Tuesday June 29

7 : Paraguay 0 vs. Japan 0 a.e.t. [5 – 3 penalties] ~ Pretoria

8 : Spain 1 vs. Portugal 0 ~ Cape Town

World Cup Outreach ~ Sello’s Diary

During the last thirteen days the Brethren that met for the World Cup Outreach in the Gauteng and North West Provinces have also met new brothers and sisters in Christ who have boldly stepped out of their comfort zones and allowed Almighty God to glorify Himself through them. We hope to have reports posted by all the Brethren who laboured in our Lord’s harvest to the Glory of our Triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Sello Rasephei reading God's Word in public

To ‘kick-off’ we will start with Brother Sello Rasephei from Pretoria who has been keeping the following journal for God’s Glory and he also broke the sound barrier for the very first time with the public proclamation of God’s Word. Here are extracts and the links to read more at his blog Burden4Souls :

It is really been a thrill to serve God, and it has not been different during this soccer World Cup in South Africa. The soccer World Cup is the best opportunity in the whole world to preach the Gospel, and I’m glad that I have been able to participate so far.

My participation in World Cup Evangelism started when I received a weekly newsletter update from Way of the Master on the 20^th April, and they highlighted that they have been able to ship 100 000 tracts to a South African ministry for distribution during the World Cup. My interest in these football tracts was already great, and I had been looking to buy them so I can distribute them in the street corners. So I contacted Living Waters (of which Way of the Master is its TV ministry) to find out if I can get my hands on these tracts. A Living Waters correspondent, Oracio Sandoval, referred me to Gary Crous of Luke 9:23 Ministries and as they say the rest was history. Gary told me about the Evangelism Bootcamp that has been arranged for all those who would like to participate in World Cup Evangelism. (Read more at http://burden4souls.wordpress.com/2010/06/25/fifa-world-cup-2010-and-evangelism-update-2/)

World Cup outreaches are getting better every day, and it is definitely the best time of my Christian life. Years from now I will look back at this few weeks and I’ll conclude that they were the turning point in my Christian life, and I got closer to God than I have ever been in my two and a half years as a Christian. (Read more at http://burden4souls.wordpress.com/2010/06/28/fifa-world-cup-2010-and-evangelism-update-3/)

More will follow on the ‘newbie’ labourers who broke the sound barrier for the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

– ooo –

The Score Board

Tuesday June 15

F : New Zealand 1 vs. Slovakia 1 ~ Rustenburg

G : Côte d’Ivoire 0 vs. Portugal 0 ~ Pretoria

G : Brazil 2 vs. Korea DPR 1 ~ Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Wednesday June 16

H : Honduras 0 vs. Chile 1 ~ Nelspruit

H : Spain 0 vs. Switzerland 1 ~ Durban

A : South Africa 0 vs. Uruguay 3 ~ Pretoria

Thursday June 17

A : France 0 vs. Mexico 2 ~ Polokwane

B : Greece 2 vs. Nigeria 1 ~ Bloemfontein

B : Argentina 4 vs. Korea Republic 1 ~ Soccer City, Johannesburg

Friday June 18

D : Germany 0 vs. Serbia 1 ~ Port Elizabeth

C : Slovenia 2 vs. USA 2 ~ Ellis Park, Johannesburg

C : England 0 vs. Algeria 0 ~ Cape Town

(No links available to the games’ highlights – other results with links to follow)