Since the recent Summer Canvassing Program in Western Australia, the leaders and participants have returned home to study or work. Many of us have been able to carry the effects and impacts of the lessons we learnt into our daily lives. Three of the participants have written down a few of the many blessings they have taken away from the program. We praise God for what He has done in the lives of each one of us, and we pray as you read these individual accounts that you can be inspired to be all that God wants you to be.

The canvassing program has been such a big blessing for me. Last year I felt called by God to do the program but I was incredibly nervous as I am a shy person and I didn't think I would be able to do it. God really showed how He can give strength through weakness, as I was not only talking at the doors but I ended up really loving it. To share the gospel with people and sow the seeds for God to water is truly amazing. It's encouraging when you know that you are doing what God has asked of you. He blesses those that are loyal and willing to work for Him, and I definitely saw that through the testimonies of those who went on the canvassing trip.

I came away from my time in WA with new experiences, great friends and the ability to put what I learnt into action at home as well. It's been a real blessing to be a part of and I hope to have the chance to be a part of future programs as well.

 
I definitely recommend this program for anyone who wants to work for God and grow spiritually.        

 ~ Kayla
 

"Eastward Missions' Perth canvassing program stands at the top of 2016 for me in ways that nothing else quite could.

Sabbath days were an unforgettable blessing. One in particular stays with me: Our team visited a Burundi church plant for the morning - singing, preaching, then sharing a combined lunch featuring Burundi cuisine. We drove from there to a Karen/Burmese group and repeated our morning's sermon on the five canvassing essentials. GLOWing required at least 4 out of 5 canvassing essentials and fulfilled our desire to ‘do something’ - so along with some Karen youth we prayed, smiled, walked fast and placed tracts into hands in a nearby shopping centre carpark.

Evening fell as we walked back to the afternoon's preaching venue - our Karen friends shared this location with a Sudanese congregation. Closing Sabbath with this new crowd of faces, I reflected on the day's satisfying fullness. We hadn't sought our own pleasure, spoken our own words, or walked our own ways; yet truly, the Sabbath was a delight!

I use that experience to illustrate a key point of the entire canvassing program: God designed active service to bless the servant as much as the served. Love and service for Christ tied together like-minded young people. Receptive, searching people in the community made each day of canvassing exciting. Scattering truth in thousands of homes obeyed prophetic counsel.

Even road-tripping over the Christmas long weekend to Bluff Knoll, Mt Trio, Frenchman Peak and Lucky Bay became more meaningful against this backdrop. Over hours of driving we shared testimonies on Christ's miraculous work in our lives. 

I thank God for teaching me humility during the program. For the clear lesson that canvassing success comes ‘not by might, not by power, but by my spirit.’ I also thank Him for giving joy and contentment through service in His will."

~ Jylan

I was blessed and privileged to attend my first canvassing program December 2016 to January 2017. I was a bit nervous, although I knew I’d enjoy it. But I didn’t expect God to teach me so many lessons throughout the time. Here are three of them:

1. Prayer is powerful. Each day in my own experience, I saw prayer  alone open doors and hearts, provide safety and necessary donations, and give energy and enthusiasm. Many of the testimonies shared each night were about answered prayer. I remember once I was having an unprofitable morning, people were slamming their doors before I could say anything. I was praying hard that someone would give me time; hear me out even if they weren’t interested. Some doors later, I met a gentleman, and the first thing he did was come out his door and give me his full attention! He didn’t read, but we had a great discussion, and he asked questions like “how do you know for yourself that God is real?” I briefly shared some of my personal testimony: seeing Him work in my life. We talked on about different things, and at the end he commented that maybe I was meant to turn up at his door and we were meant to have that conversation. I shared about my prayers earlier, that He was the answer to my prayer, and how that was even more proof to me that God was real. He seemed moved, and I feel sure he was going to think more about what we’d discussed. God used that one prayer in so many ways – to strengthen me, to reach the mind of that man, and to encourage others I shared the experience with.

2. God can use anybody, and everybody has their place. There were times during the program where different people came along and I wondered how God could use them canvassing. But it only took until testimony time at night before I could see I was wrong. Everyone had testimonies of how God used them. There were days too when I felt generic.  But one day I met a lady who had a lot of questions about God because many of her family members were suffering from cancer or had died. She wasn’t interested in the books because they talked about God. The conversation would’ve ended there, except I was able to share that I lost a close family member to cancer and struggled with the same questions she had. I said the book Peace Above the Storm had helped me especially. Her attitude changed, and after some more conversation, she said she would get that book because it had helped me, so it might help her too. That experience, combined with other’s testimonies, reinforced to me that God can use anybody willing, and each of us can reach people nobody else could.

3. A focus and purpose changes everything. Each day we had a purpose – to get out and share life-changing truth with people. Everything we did was built around that. I noticed focusing on eternal things brought my thoughts higher, and made me re-evaluate things I thought were important. Since coming back, I’ve also observed that having such an important and far-reaching purpose adds to determination, enthusiasm, and motivation.

God used the canvassing program to draw me closer to Him, teach me about the value of others, and inspire me to make positive changes in my life. I am so thankful. Praise Him!

~ Jessica