25
B
ro Jim Barton reports as fol-
lows: “It's so exciting that the
NEV Bibles are getting so much
distribution, the word of God
getting into real hands! Anne and
I walked up and down Princess
Street in Kingston, Ontario on
a sunny summer afternoon, to
preach with an offer of ‘Free
Bibles’. The Bibles were New
Testament NEVs (New European
Versions) that include a commen-
tary to aid understanding. Also
tucked into the Bibles were in-
serts explaining to the recipient
the value and power of this book
to change their life forever and
explain the need to be forgiven
their sins through baptism into
Jesus Christ. The insert also in-
cluded contact information and a
New Testament reading schedule,
based on the Bible Reading Com-
panion we use everyday, to help ease them
into a reading routine. I wore a high-visibility
vest and cap that clearly stated ‘Free Bibles’
on both. This seems to help our approach as
it comes across as a clearly organized and pro-
fessional effort to offer something of value
for free. I stayed on public walkways and kept
on the move so as not to upset any business
owners or their customers.
The cross section of people was quite inter-
esting as we met everyone from tourists,
shoppers, business executive-types and some
beggars. I brought along a bag holding 20
Bibles. Not surprisingly, most people politely
refused the Bibles. None were hostile about
it and a number of them declined because
they told us how they already had one or
more Bibles at home. In the hour long walk-
about, we gave away all 20 Bibles after asking
an estimated 200 people if they would like
one. So I’m guesstimating a reception rate of
about 1 in 10. Sometimes you get a dry spell
where it seems no one is very interested, then
suddenly 2-3 go quickly in sequence. The best
reception came from the people sitting on the
sidewalk begging some coins from passers-by.
Surely those with the last hope in this world
are more inclined to grasp the hope of the
world to come in Christ’s Kingdom.”
Carelinks | Finland
W
e have a wonderful brother in Finland
called Tommi. He not only knows all doc-
trines of the Truth, but has really come to the
Lord Jesus in spirit and truth. And to have the
spirit of Christ is what’s so important, without
that we “are none of His” despite all purity of
doctrine. We had some wonderful exchanges
before his baptism, things like: “I have already
started to do my best to change as a person,
I am now more aware what I watch and how
I act and what I let out of my mouth. I am
beginning to understand how much my mind
has been corrupted by the media and bad
~ continued ...