Witnessing in New Westminster
Witnessing in New Westminster
On April 29th my friend and I met at the Tim Hortons at New Westminster skytrain station. We were there to pick up breakfast and coffee for a conference we were attending for 3 days. 29th was the 2nd day.
As we were waiting in the line up to order, we noticed that the man in front of us was limping, his body bent and he was obviously in pain. He ordered his food and went to a table. We placed our order and sat at the table next to him while we waited for our order.
I felt the Lord asking me to pray for him for healing. I was wondering how to start a conversation when the staff called out that our order was ready. We brought everything to the table and he looked at it and commented that it was enough to feed a whole group of people. That started the conversation, so we told him about the conference and invited him to join either 29th or 30th April which was the last day.
I then asked him if I can pray for him and he immediately responded “yes please that would be nice”. Then I asked him if he had a prayer request. Even though I was definitely going to pray healing over him I wanted to know if he wanted prayer for anything else. He responded “pray that God will help me to be humble”.
It was around 10:30am and the place was full of people but I stayed focussed and spoke healing Scripture over him with my friend agreeing in prayer. Also prayed for his prayer request that he would walk humbly before the Lord. When I finished praying and looked at him, his face was flushed, eyes glowing and he said that he felt as if he was going into a trance. (remember, that is what happened to Peter on the roof of a house!).
We talked for a few more minutes and then had to leave so we gave him the address of the church in New Westminster. He did not come on the 29th.
30th morning during the 2nd session I suddenly saw him walking in – walking in, not limping, and did not seem to be in pain. Hallelujah. At the end of that session during the break, my friend and I asked how he was doing and he said he was doing good.
My friend bought the conference manual for him together with other books that would be helpful and presented it to him. He stayed for the next session as well and then left. We did not see him again but we had introduced him to one of the pastors of that church during the break so we pray he will return and be a part of that church community as he told us that he lives in New Westminster.
Jesus has commissioned every believer to be a missionary. To be a missionary to our neighbours, friends, family, to “whosoever will believe and receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ”.
1 Peter 3:15
Your heart should be holy and set apart for the Lord God. Always be ready to tell everyone who asks you why you believe as you do. Be gentle as you speak and show respect. (NLT).
We have changed the date of the Newsletter from the 20th of the month to the 1st. Please continue to provide feedback as it is helpful and encouraging as well, we love to hear from you!
As always if you have any questions please feel free to email.
With Joy,
Rochelle Soza
Founder
Sound of the Lord Mission
Richmond Ministry
On April 29th our Richmond ministry team delivered a Blessing Basket which included a gift certificate to a grocery store to an immigrant family in Richmond. In the pictures below, the text next to the picture of the items we included in the Blessing Basket is from the family who received it. Families are struggling to survive with the bare basic needs. We will continue to serve the Lord by serving the Community.
We are grateful for every donation received. Every $ is valuable and we pray waterfall blessings on your life for joining with us in ministry.
Luke 21: 1 – 4
And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, 2 and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. 3 So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; 4 for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”
May we be great stewards to manage God’s resources because everything He has blessed us with, belongs to the Him.
Richmond Ministry Team
Sound of the Lord Mission
When my craft becomes more important than my Creator
I felt a new sense of exhilaration as I woke up. For the past 3 weeks, I’ve been writing with more intent. Writing has been a passion that has quietly been buried, unintentionally, because life just took over.
In March 2022, the Lord reminded me of my love for writing which was sitting on the back burner. He wanted me to be intentional and return to writing with purpose.
It gave me such a sense of accomplishment to write every morning before I stepped out into the day. I am a novice compared to all the experienced writers in my writing community, but still, it felt so fulfilling to be doing what I love.
April 25th 2022, I found myself asking the Lord what I should be writing for the Sound of the Lord Mission, May Newsletter. Suddenly the title “When my craft becomes more important than the Creator” flashed through my mind. Thrilled that the Lord had spoken so quickly into my prayer time, I rushed through with a hurried ‘Amen’ and sat down at the computer before I lost my trend of thoughts.
20 minutes later, I had not written a single word…….Why? Because I could not find Word, Excel or any of the Office Admin Apps on my computer. I was so puzzled. I had worked on some other documents the night before and now… it had vanished. I searched through folders, files, and directories again and again, and it led to nothing but increased frustration. I felt a downward spiraling of the joy I had felt a few minutes before.
Then suddenly, like clouds being parted by a gentle wind to reveal the glowing orb of the sun, it dawned on me. This was the Lord speaking to ME. Hadn’t I effectively sacrificed and traded my closet time with Him, to write the last few weeks? Hadn’t I replaced reading The Word, for the words I typed on my computer?
With a sinking feeling I realized that, yes, I had nudged the Lord out of my day and allowed my newfound desire to write, to take center stage in my life. On the surface, it didn’t look or feel like I was doing anything wrong or sinful. After all, I was writing for Him, about Him, and obeying what He told me to do, wasn’t I?
Proverbs 14:12
There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.
Unless we fully submit to His leading and carve out protected time with Him alone every day, we labor in vain. Our self-appointed, manmade, Godly ‘To Do List’ will never end because our ‘old man’ demands a level of busyness in our lives, doing Godly things, that make us feel, the more we do the more we are obeying Him.
Jesus didn’t do His Father’s business under pressure. He received His direction in His “alone time” with the Great I AM. He didn’t have deadlines. When the disciples told Him the people were looking for Him, He didn’t go to them, instead, He retreated into the mountains, to pray. to be still and listen. He guarded that time jealously.
Even doing miracles and attending to the needs of the people had to wait. By revealing this pattern of seeking out His Father’s presence often, He gave us the blueprint of how to use our gifts for His glory and it is only then we will see signs and wonders follow our work.
Wherever you are today, strive forward, but don’t strain at the arms that are holding you, keeping you still.
Be a doer of the Word but not before you allow Him to refresh you daily with His Word. Sow seed but be sure the seeds in your hand were given to you by the Father, and that you didn’t grab handfuls in a hurry, eager to see a harvest of souls for His Kingdom.
Are we sowing in the right fields? In the right season? What the Lord has birthed in the Spirit in our lives, we cannot fulfill in the flesh. Only complete surrender and total dependency on Him will keep us in a place of peace and joy, as we partner with the Holy Spirit who brings to fruition the labor of our hands.
Galatians 3:3
Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
I’m thankful the Lord opened my eyes and tugged me back before I ventured too far in my own strength in writing.
Please feel free to engage by leaving a comment on our website where this Newsletter will be posted under Resources about your own journey. Were there times you felt you had run ahead of the Lord? Or are you in a place where you are not sure of your calling?
Our God is a patient Father and will always redirect our footsteps when we approach Him.
In His Service,
Sohani Faria
Director
Sound of the Lord Mission
Fundraiser Update!
We are happy to inform that we have raised $250 which is 25% of our $1,000 goal to bless a child through Make A Wish Foundation which is an organisation that grants wishes to children who are terminally ill. Let us in addition, pray that the children be completely healed in Jesus’ name because the Word of God can re-diagnose a condition and declare ‘Healed” in the name of Jesus so that the children will receive a double blessing!.
We invite you to add your offering to ours so it multiplies and empowers us to go further and help more people.
E-transfer to soundofthelordmission@gmail.com
Website https://soundofthelordmission.com/donate/
Cheques in favour of Sound of the Lord Foundation
Mailing address: PO Box 33507 Central City PO Surrey, BC V3T 5R5 Canada
Pre-Authorized Debit Email us at soundofthelordmission@gmail.com
We will contact you to set up the pre-authorised debit with our ministry bank account.
Items If you prefer to donate items that we can distribute, please contact us. Thank you.
Please note that we are registered as a Non-Profit, not a Charity. As such, we cannot provide tax receipts for government refunds at the end of the year.
Thank you!
Be Blessed & Stay Blessed
Let us pray:
- Many nations are experiencing unrest. Let’s pray for peace.
- Ukraine, Russia, Sri Lanka, Canada, Lebanon
- That we will reach our goal of $1,000 – Fundraiser
- That we will live and minister with a spirit of excellence.
- For Volunteers to join us to help with administrative tasks, social media, and go on outreaches.
- For every person who has received a Gospel, Tract, Bible, Daily Bread booklet, that they will behold Jesus as Saviour and Lord.
- For our ministry team, families, donors, supporters and newsletter connections.
We would be happy to pray for & with you!
Prayer requests can be emailed to
soundofthelordmission@gmail.com
Redeem the time and maintain a strong prayer life. Stay Blessed!
Rochelle Soza
Founder, Sound of the Lord Mission