August 1, 2024

Picture speaks a thousand words

Matthew 11:28

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

4th Ministry Anniversary Celebration

Outreach at Steveston Salmon Festival on July 1, 2024

To say “this was an amazing & exhilarating way to celebrate our 4th ministry anniversary” is an understatement! The excitement, buzz and constant stream of people coming by our booth to talk with us, receive prayer and ask questions was awesome to witness.

The outreach was a resounding success, glory to God. Hundreds of people came by our ministry booth and we gave hundreds of the Gospel of John, Daily Bread, and bookmarks. We also gave Bibles, New Testaments, Serenity New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs, Tracts, and children’s books. Please pray with us for a bountiful harvest of souls for the Lord.

Many gave us written prayer requests and signed up for our newsletter. Christians who were attending the Festival came by to introduce themselves and thank us for being there.

People commented on the backdrop saying it was beautiful and of course pictures were taken:). It stood out in the whole Net Shed where we were, with about 30 other booths and God answered prayer by giving us a prime spot.

Matthew 11:28
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
May the Lord’s invitation, “Come to Me” resonate in the heart of every person who saw it. This was definitely a wide open door to share the Gospel and we did what the Lord has called us to do – we were “Missionaries to whosoever will believe and receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ”.

Throughout the time we were there including the set up on June 30th, we sensed God’s tangible presence and that He was pleased we were there to share the Gospel, and more so on July 1st. What a thrilling & fun atmosphere to share God’s love and plan of salvation.

God gave us favour with the organisers and we praise God for this divine experience which will go down in the history of our ministry as EPIC! Sometimes there are no words to describe what happened and this was one of those instances for sure. When we step out in faith, God adds the excitement and joy which only He alone can bless us with. An atmosphere to the witnessing arena that none of us can ever plan or organise.

I am so thankful for our team, friends who visited our booth and everyone who prayed, donated and helped to make this happen. May the Lord richly reward and bless you. We thank God for His strength upon us and His faithfulness in leading us to have this outreach and be a witness for Him in the community.

We give all glory, honour, praise and thanks to the Lord.

With joy,

Rochelle Soza

Founder
Sound of the Lord Mission

Testimony from Isabel
(Volunteered on July 1st at the Ministry Booth)

Dear Rochelle

I am truly grateful for the opportunity you have given Zoe and me to participate in this outreach ministry event. For me, this is entirely by the grace of God.

I am filled with indescribable joy and emotion. In past holiday gatherings, we were often only concerned with eating, drinking, and having fun, and rarely did we exemplify the lifestyle of a Christian to influence others. But this time, God has arranged this opportunity for me to personally engage in the work of spreading the gospel.

Although I was a bit shy and worried at the start, afraid that people might avoid us, the reality proved otherwise. God has been with us all along. With each passing hour, my faith has grown even stronger.

I wholeheartedly thank God and am grateful to have this chance to personally participate in this holy work. This is undoubtedly His grace and arrangement, and it is also what He has said in the Bible – that He has His own will and timing.

I pray that those who received the brochures, gospel books, or bookmarks we distributed that day will one day be touched and inspired by God’s love. I also hope that they will come to know the Lord and accept His salvation through this.

I am deeply grateful for this precious opportunity you have given me. I will cherish this experience and continue to exert the influence of a Christian, witnessing to God’s mighty power.

May the Lord’s grace abound.

In gratitude
Isabel

Some feedback on July 1st Outreach

So elated over the Lord’s doing thru faithful SOL servants at Canada Day. Rochelle, you have set God’s standard of excellence in Christian outreach ministry – that others can emulate. To God be all the glory. Kudos to you and the team.
Shalom
Andrea – New Jersey

I was so touched to see Rochelle Sohani and Jacqueline sow seed today at the booth. For the little time I was there many received the daily bread. Now we should pray that they will read the Word and that their hearts will turn to the Lord
Anne – Richmond, BC

I was happy to come your way. It was the best thing that happened to me today. Be blessed
From someone who came by our ministry booth

The Johnson Bridge

I was in Victoria BC with my walking group of over 80 members. The sun was blistering hot and I was beginning to think I wouldn’t be able to complete the 5k walk. I regretted not lathering on more sunscreen.

As I tried to keep step with the group, we crossed the Johnson Bridge, a historic landmark in Victoria. Someone paused to point out the machinery that controlled the opening and closing of the bridge, to allow tall marine vessels to pass through. I couldn’t really grasp how the mechanics of the machinery worked, but my mind immediately drew a parallel between the bridge and our lives.

As the operator opens the bridge to permit boats to pass through, we too open our lives to people. Some pass through, some dock and stay. Some leave indelible footprints in our lives, forever seared into the fabric of our memories by their actions and words. Some are brief, maybe a smile from a stranger standing next to you at the bus stop or a nod of acknowledgement from your neighbor in passing. However brief, and fleeting these encounters, they too, have the power to leave a lasting impression, positive or negative.

Jonathan left a beautiful impression on king David’s mind. Years after his death, David went looking for someone in Jonathan’s household, so he could bless them.

2 Samuel 9:1
David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”

Likewise, we too are given permission to enter the lives of others around us. Whether we are passing through or are allowed to stay, we should strive to remember that we have the capability to build or tear them down. They have trusted us by giving us access to the bridge, to allow us to walk into their lives. We must exhort them with our words, encourage them with our love and build each other up. When we do this, we spread unity and love among our family and community.

Jesus said this in the gospel of Luke.
Luke 6:31
Do to others as you would have them do to you.

In 2011, the Johnson Bridge was damaged by a tugboat towing a barge that hit the pier. The tugboat operators paid for the damage and it was repaired by the City. However, they could have given up and said it’s too much work to fix it and let it be derelict. Because they chose to rebuild what was broken, it became a blessing because many commuters still use this bridge.

There may have been times we opened our hearts to some, who came in and left behind them a trail of destruction, throwing our lives into a tailspin. They breached our trust and showed no remorse. But we should not allow our lives to remain broken and crushed. Let the Lord build the waste places. Set your boundaries with wisdom but allow the Spirit to heal and restore, so you can be set free and move on in your journey with the Lover of your soul, Jesus. Determine to be a beautiful thread that weaves in and out of people’s lives, that will complete the tapestry that God is weaving for them. Don’t close the bridge to all just because some were used by the enemy to bring discord and pain into your life.

1 Chronicles 22:19
Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the Lord God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the Lord.

It is time to build and repair. You are God’s sanctuary!!

In His Service,

Sohani Faria
Director
Sound of the Lord Mission

We would love to pray for & with you!

Prayer requests can be emailed to
soundofthelordmission@gmail.com