Portland, OR June 20th

Our time in Portland was a total blast! At first, it looked like we were going to get rained out. As Joel Mattila and I made our way down to Portland from Vancouver, it rained all the way through Vancouver and across the I-5 bridge, and then quit as we entered downtown Portland. We were encouraged to see people hanging around at the Waterfront Park, so we parked and made our way in. The rest of our team was to be arriving shortly, so we set up our ladder, speaker and heckler's mic and away we went. Here you can see me as I am trying valiantly to gather a crowd on a wet Saturday afternoon.
Our first attempt was rather bleak. I could only muster up a crowd of about 10-15, which dwindled down to about 6 by the time I finished preaching. The Portland PD decided to make an appearance and we had a long discussion with an officer about our rights of free speech and how far we were allowed to take it in our open-air endeavors. The officer had a surprisingly good handle on the law, which can be rare when it comes to exercising free speech. His only concern was that someone could trip over our equipment and we would be liable in that case. So, even though it was not against the law, we decided we would do some pure open-air and go for it without amplification.
A tour-guide boat was just docking up nearby, unloading about two hundred passengers, so I took advantage of the situation and began to gather a crowd. Things went extraordinarily well, as I was able to preach to a good size crowd, including dozens of bystanders who were listening in from a distance. They were very open and receptive to the gospel. It was one of the most fun times of open air that I have had.
The other members of the team showed up just as the people began spilling out of the ship and onto the sidewalks, and they boldly began dishing out tracts. Giselle actually went right to the gates where they came off the ramp and gave a tract to each passenger as they stepped onto the concrete! Giselle lives near Kelowna, B.C., and is also a member of the Ambassador's Alliance. She shares a passion for soul-winning with Joel, Darren and I and it was a blessing to have her as a part of our team for the day. She is one of the most fearless female evangelists I have worked with.
Darren is a seasoned street evangelist who I have had the pleasure of hitting the streets with on a number of occasions. It is always a blessing to work alongside a brother who comes prepared and loaded for bear. He is great at overcoming fear and stepping into situations that make me nervous, which in turn encourages me to be more bold. Here we found an ideal spot at the Saturday Market where there were lots of people moving about. We were discussing how and where we should set up to preach when all of the sudden we hear this booming voice open up with the gospel. Darren doesn't mess around. He just jumps right in and goes for it.
The afternoon went by quickly, as it usually does when you are in good company. The rain never did come to ruin our efforts, and many people heard the gospel and received the written word in a tract. Please pray for the city of Portland, which is especially known for being very liberal and full of witchcraft and homosexuality. Pray for more laborers to reach out in this city to those who need the message of salvation. Stay tuned to the website for events coming up in your area that you can be a part of.
www.sowingtheseed.com
See you on the streets!