Venice Boardwalk Outreach by Eric Larsen

Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given to me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel... (Ephesians 6:19a).

"It's scary!" Ricki, a young Israeli woman from Beer Sheva murmured, before hesitatingly accepting a copy of Jacob Damkani's autobiography, Why Me?, from me on the boardwalk of Venice Beach. After being shown Jacob's Jaffa address and his phone number on the back page of the book, she was persuaded that she had nothing to lose by reading it. She could even contact the author in person if she had questions!

There is no set script that can be used to communicate effectively with each person who approaches our outreach book table on the Venice Beach boardwalk. Like the apostle Paul, we must rely on the Holy Spirit to give us the right words to say to each individual with whom we communicate. We are also able to give materials that they can read and assimilate in their own language as we stand at one of the major crossroads of the world - just minutes from the Los Angeles International Airport and one of the top tourist attractions in California.

According to Doug Pyle, a long-time presenter of the gospel to the Jewish people (and founder of our book table), there may be no other book table like ours in the world! Each Sunday many Messianic materials in Hebrew, Russian, Farsi, French, and English are distributed. Booklets of "The Four Spiritual Laws" in many languages-but mostly English and Spanish-are also handed out on many weekends.

Volumes could be written about the encounters that have taken place at the book table over the past 10 years. Thousands of people from all over the world - many of them Israelis- have taken material from our table. We usually do not know the long-term outcome of those interactions, but I know of one Israeli, Moran Rosenblit, who first heard and believed the gospel by reading a copy of the book, Why Me?, that was given to his friend; she had received it from the Venice book table!

I first met Moran at the Messianic outreach book table about 7 years ago. He was an intense, quiet, soulful new believer who observed everything that transpired at the book table without saying much. But to me, Moran represented the vanguard of a movement of young believers who could fearlessly take the gospel to the boardwalk of Venice and beyond.

I am grateful to Hope for Israel for providing literature that can be distributed on the boardwalk and am confident that in the world to come we will see that God used these low-key evangelistic efforts for His glory.

Please pray for those who proclaim the gospel on the Venice boardwalk; it is hard work and there are few laborers. But most of all, pray that God will bring to salvation those who hear the gospel or who read literature that is distributed each Sunday on Venice beach.

Eric Larsen

Venice Beach Outreach