Detroit, MI
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This report comes from team leader Mark with the Eastern Market SPSE team in Detroit, MI:
Four evangelists—Carol, Eric, Silvia, and Vince—joined team leader Mark at Eastern Market last Saturday. When we first arrived, there was a pair of Jehovah’s Witnesses stationed at our preferred location so we set up in a shady spot about fifty feet away. We had only one brief interaction in the first ten minutes until Mark noticed that the Jehovah’s Witnesses had moved, so he picked up the table with all of the supplies and moved them over to the prime spot. Immediately, more people started approaching us at the busy corner.
Silvia asked a couple passing by to stop and take a group photo for us. The woman obliged then Vince and Carol turned the conversation towards fatih. The couple both identified as Baptist so Vince stressed the importance of a unified faith, led by a clear Church hierarchy, with clear teaching. After that conversation, Mark said it would be best to split up so we don’t have five people crowding one small spot. Carol, Silvia, and Vince wanted to explore and see more of the market so they took handfuls of supplies and went into the market. Eric and Mark stayed at the table.
A street photographer thought it was interesting to see two different religious groups doing outreach next to each other. He took photos of us in the foreground and Jehovah’s Witnesses in the background. Afterward, he told us that he is Protestant but respected the work we were doing. He approached the Jehovah’s Witness and quoted Matthew 1:35, “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means ‘God is with us.'” Then the photographer scolded them for denying the divinity of Christ and walked away.
One woman, Alice, was excited to receive prayer and sacramentals. She was so excited that, after prayer, she turned into an evangelist and urged people around us to come and hear the Good News. We also talked to a devout Catholic family visiting from Peoria, Illinois. They were not familiar with St. Paul Street Evangelization but wanted to know more about our ministry. Mark briefly told the mother about our methods and approaches then gave her an About Us pamphlet. She said she would look into starting a team in their area.
Praised be Jesus Christ!